Final answer:
A hot site is a pre-configured data center equipped with the necessary hardware and software for a business to quickly resume operations after a disaster. This location ensures minimal service interruption and is crucial for high availability needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which of the following best describes a hot site? Among the multiple-choice options provided, the most accurate description of a hot site is a location that is equipped with the necessary hardware and possibly software (Option C). A hot site is a business continuity term for a pre-configured data center that an organization can quickly shift to in the event of a disaster such as a fire, flood, or cyber-attack at their main data center.
A hot site is on standby, fully equipped with all the necessary equipment and connectivity, so that a business can resume its critical operations almost immediately after a disaster. Unlike a cold site which is essentially an empty data center, a hot site ensures minimal interruption to services and is crucial for businesses that require high availability and cannot afford significant downtime. Therefore, Options A, B, and D do not accurately describe a hot site.