The present invention provides a method and apparatus for allocating a reliability resource. The method comprises: an NFVO receives a reliability requirement of a user for an application service; the NFVO divides the reliability requirement to determine a reliability requirement for a virtual machine providing the application service; the NFVO selects, according to the reliability requirement for the virtual machine from a preset reliability information base, a reliability resource satisfying the reliability requirement for the virtual machine, wherein the reliability information base comprises: a mapping relationship between at least one first reliability mechanism run on at least one first node and a first reliability capability, and the reliability resource comprises a second node and a second reliability mechanism run on the second node; and the NFVO sends the reliability resource to a VIM, so that the VIM starts the reliability resource. By means of the method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, a reliability requirement of a user for an application service can be accurately satisfied.