The term high availability refers to a state where data and applications are highly available because software or hardware is in place to maintain the continued functioning in the event of computer failure. High availability can refer to any software or hardware that provides fault tolerance, but generally the term has become associated with clustering.

A cluster is a group of independent computers working together to ensure that mission-critical applications and resources are as highly available as possible. The group is managed as a single system, shares a common namespace, and is specifically designed to tolerate component failures and to support the addition or removal of components in a way that is transparent to users.

Local clustering provides high availability through database and application failover. This solution provides local recovery in the event of application, operating system, or hardware failure, and minimizes planned and unplanned application downtime.

The high availability solution includes procedures for installing and configuring clustered environments using Symantec Storage Foundation HA for Windows (SFW HA). SFW HA includes Symantec Storage Foundation for Windows and Symantec Cluster Server.

Setting up the clustered environment is also the first step in creating a wide-area disaster recovery solution using a secondary site.