1. A method of configuring automatic failover from a primary database system to a standby database system, the primary database system and the standby database system being coupled together by a network and the method comprising the steps of: in a graphical user interface server that is coupled to the network, providing a graphical user interface to a graphical user interface client that is coupled to the network, the graphical user interface client receiving automatic failover configuration information input by a user thereof and the graphical user interface server receiving the automatic failover configuration from the graphical user interface client and storing the automatic failover configuration information in persistent storage accessible via the network; and in an observer that is coupled to the network and executes independently of the primary database system and the standby database system, obtaining the automatic failover configuration information from the persistent storage, the observer initiating the automatic failover from the primary database system to the standby database system in accordance with the automatic failover configuration information.