What does a higher RTO signify for a system?

A higher Recovery Time Objective (RTO) indicates that a system will experience a longer downtime before achieving full recovery from an outage or disruption. RTO is a critical metric used in disaster recovery and business continuity planning, which defines the maximum acceptable duration that a service can be unavailable. When the RTO is higher, it means that the organization has allowed a wider window of time for recovery, thus leading to extended periods where the system may be non-operational following a failure or disaster. This can affect business operations significantly, as users may be without access to crucial systems and data for a longer period.

In the context of the other options, a shorter RTO would imply a more immediate return to service, while a perfect system with no downtime would suggest an ideal scenario that is not realistically achievable. Additionally, a low tolerance for data loss typically refers to Recovery Point Objective (RPO), which measures the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, rather than recovery time itself. Thus, the correct answer reflects a fundamental understanding of how RTO impacts system recovery and business operations.