graceful degradation
McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Dictionary:
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graceful degradation
(′grās·fu̇l ′deg·rə′dā·shən)
(computer science) A programming technique to prevent catastrophic system failure by allowing the machine to operate, though in a degraded mode, despite failure or malfunction of several integral units or subsystems.
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graceful degradation
A system that continues to run at some reduced level of performance after one of its components fails. It is a level below fault-tolerant systems, which continue running at the same rate of speed. For example, a two-computer complex employing graceful degradation would be reduced to using one system if the other fails. With fault tolerance, a third computer would be standing by to take over in the event of failure. See fault tolerant and graceful exit.
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McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Dictionary
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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