Cassandra Practice Test

What does the term 'always on reliability' in the context of Cassandra refer to?

1. The ability to minimize downtime

2. Elimination of data loss

3. Increased data storage capabilities

4. Reduction in overhead costs

The correct answer is: The ability to minimize downtime

The term 'always on reliability' in the context of Cassandra primarily refers to the ability to minimize downtime. Cassandra is designed to be a highly available and fault-tolerant database, which means it can continue to operate without interruption even in the face of failures. This is achieved through its distributed architecture, where data is replicated across multiple nodes. If one node goes down, requests can be served from other nodes, ensuring that the database remains accessible to users. This focus on minimizing downtime is critical for applications that require continuous availability, such as social media platforms or financial transaction systems, where even short outages can lead to significant problems or loss of user trust. While aspects like data loss elimination, increased data storage capabilities, and cost reduction may be relevant to Cassandra's overall utility, they do not directly embody the concept of 'always on reliability' as tightly as the idea of minimizing downtime does.