single point of failure
Critical weak link
A single point of failure is a component in a system whose malfunction would cause the entire system to stop working.
The term comes from engineering and computing but applies broadly: Our whole operation depends on one server—it's a single point of failure.
The concept drives redundancy in critical systems, from backup generators to succession planning.
- weak linkLeast reliable component
- contingency planPrepared alternative course
- safety netProtection against failure
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- system crashComplete operational breakdown
domino effect · centralization · downtime · risk assessment · dependency · house of cards · load balancing · backup plan · fault tolerance · weakness · resilience · hub · outage · critical path · mission critical · hazard · chokepoint · risk analysis
single point of failureredundancy
Needless duplication
failover · backup system · disaster recovery · business continuity · graceful degradation
single, singly, singles, singled, singling, singleton, singular, singularity, singularly