System and method for managing data fail-over for a computing system comprising a plurality of computers, e.g., computer blades, coupled through a network. A fail-over condition may indicate a component failure, an imminent failure, and/or a need to modify or replace some aspect of a computer. Computers in the system may back up their information to other computers in the system. If a fail-over condition is detected on a first computer, a replacement computer may be loaded with the information from the first computer, optionally from a backup copy stored on another computer (or distributed across multiple computers), and the first computer's peripheral devices (human interface) switched over to the replacement computer. The method may be used to replace a single computer, swap two computers, and/or perform a cascade move among multiple computers, and may be performed automatically in response to the fail-over condition, or initiated by a system administrator.