System Availability

Definition ∞ System availability refers to the operational uptime and accessibility of a computer system or network. It measures the percentage of time a system is functioning and capable of performing its intended tasks. High availability is crucial for critical services, ensuring continuous operation and user access. Factors like infrastructure reliability, redundancy, and maintenance practices influence this metric.
Context ∞ In the digital asset ecosystem, system availability is paramount for exchanges, blockchain networks, and decentralized applications (dApps). News reports occasionally highlight outages or downtime affecting trading platforms or network performance, which can lead to significant financial losses and user dissatisfaction. Discussions often focus on the robustness of underlying infrastructure, security measures against denial-of-service attacks, and network scalability. Maintaining high system availability is a continuous challenge for ensuring user trust and market stability.