The term hot swap, or hot swap, refers to the capacity of some computer components to be installed or replaced without the need to stop or alter the normal operation of the computer where they are hosted.
This denomination is generally granted to essential components for the operation of the computer. The same concept has other names when applied to non-essential components. Apart from the computer field, in the industrial world this term is used to describe the electrical and operational immunity of the devices, for example, data acquisition or control electronics that allows their replacement in a minimum time, since the system does not have to be previously switched off . Motivation
Generally, in all organizations there are servers that provide a critical service for the continuity of your business. These critical services require that computers operate without interruption for twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. However, all computers suffer at some point a breakdown or require the expansion of any of its components. As a rule, repair or replacement of a component requires stopping and shutting down the operation of the computer, but this is not reasonable when it comes to critical services.
The hot-swap devices do not have this drawback because they can be extracted from the computer without causing a serious failure of operation in it. For this to be possible it is necessary that both the device and the computer and its operating system are prepared for this eventuality. Examples
The most common hot-swapping devices are:
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