Fault Tolerance
Through fault tolerance, a computer is able to continue its operations normally even in the event of failure within some of its components (Microsoft, 2017). In other words, the computer is able to deliver normal services even when some of its components have failed due to a given error or a security breach. The main objective of fault tolerant systems is to minimize business interruptions that might result from a specific area of weakness within the computer. One source of weakness or failure within a computer system is computer security while attackers can access entry into the system to cause all manner of failures on the computer (Microsoft, 2017). As such, Microsoft has developed several fault tolerance systems to deal with these challenges, some of which include the Azure SQL Database Threat Detection and the Enterprise Threat Detection tool.
Microsoft introduced the Azure SQL Database Threat Detection system with the aim of providing its customers or Microsoft users with a more advanced database security layer that would help promote fault tolerance. The Azure SQL Database Threat Detection system utilizes machine learning technology to monitor and detect any suspicious database activity within a particular computer database, which help users detect any potential threats early enough (Microsoft, 2017). This allows users to take appropriate action in good time before these threats can cause any damage or failure on the database.
Another fault tolerance tool provided by Microsoft is the Enterprise Threat Detection tool which allows cooperates to manage their database using an advanced cyber security detection and prevention mechanism. This tool applies machine analytics technology combined with human analysis to come up with a solid strategy for dealing with threats that might result from the cyberspace and cause failure on an organization’s network (Microsoft, 2017). Having such a tool in place will help organizations deal with the growing cyber security threats and it is a very good fault tolerance tool.
Though these two fault tolerance tools are expensive to purchase and manage, any organization handling a serious database should look to purchase it without second thoughts because of the many benefits that come with it. Currently the Azure SQL Database Threat Detection system costs $15 for every server each month while the Enterprise Threat Detection tool costs $50 for every server each month (Microsoft, 2017). This can be quite costly to a large organization with many computers and servers. However, today’s cyber security threat has become a huge challenge that is costing organizations a lot of resources and customer’s credibility in situations where security breaches have taken place. As a result, I would recommend the purchase and installation of these two fault tolerance tool tools into the organization’s database because they will help prevent the enormous threats paused by a potential security breach.
References
Microsoft. (2017, February 10). Microsoft’s SQL Platform continues to lead the market with advanced data security. Retrieved from https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2017/02/10/microsofts-sql-platform-continues-to-lead-the-market-with-advanced-data-security/
