Reactive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance is a maintenance strategy where repairs or actions are performed only after equipment or systems have failed or shown signs of malfunction. It involves responding to issues as they occur, rather than proactively preventing them through scheduled inspections or predictive measures. This approach is often characterized by unplanned downtime and emergency repairs to restore functionality.
Developers should understand reactive maintenance when working in environments where systems are simple, low-cost, or non-critical, making preventive measures economically unjustified. It's commonly used for minor IT infrastructure issues, legacy systems with minimal impact, or in startups with limited resources where immediate fixes are prioritized over long-term planning. However, it's generally discouraged for mission-critical applications due to risks of extended downtime and higher long-term costs.