Definition ∞ Fault tolerant storage refers to systems designed to maintain continuous data availability and integrity despite hardware failures, software errors, or other disruptions. These systems achieve resilience through redundancy, replication, and automatic failover mechanisms. They ensure that data remains accessible and uncorrupted even when individual components cease to function.
Context ∞ For blockchain networks and decentralized applications, fault tolerant storage is a critical infrastructure requirement. The distributed nature of these systems often incorporates fault tolerance by design, ensuring that network data, transaction records, and digital assets persist across multiple nodes. This architectural choice significantly contributes to the security and reliability promises of decentralized technologies, preventing data loss or service interruptions.