What is a key benefit of data replication?

A key benefit of data replication is improved fault tolerance. This is because having copies of data stored in multiple locations allows a system to continue functioning correctly even if one or more instances of the data become unavailable due to hardware failures, network issues, or other types of disruptions. Fault tolerance is essential for maintaining system reliability and ensuring continuous access to critical information, particularly in environments that require high availability.

While increased data security, reduced redundancy, and faster processing may also be associated with certain data management strategies, they do not specifically highlight the primary purpose of replication. Instead, replication mainly focuses on ensuring that there are backups of data available to handle failures or outages, thus maintaining operational continuity. This makes fault tolerance a crucial benefit within systems that rely on data availability and resilience.