In a world where digital assets are rapidly becoming more valuable, protecting those assets from both artificial and natural disasters is vital for businesses of every size. Disaster recovery, or DR, is one such solution that protects critical data and applications from unforeseen events that could cause business interruption. Typically, it includes creating and managing a secondary backup site to allow for immediate failover in the event of a disaster, as well as establishing a process to quickly recover and restore data and applications after a failure.
As a result of the rapid adoption of cloud platforms, cloud disaster recovery is now an affordable and accessible solution for businesses of all sizes. Compared to traditional solutions, it is quicker, more cost-effective and offers more flexibility and scalability. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before adopting a cloud-based disaster recovery strategy.
What is cloud DR?
Unlike traditional backups and restores, cloud disaster recovery is designed to replicate and store data in multiple locations. It uses the power of a remote data center to automatically store backups and continuously replicate data, allowing for more consistent and resilient applications in the event of a disaster. It is a key component of many businesses’ business continuity (BC) plans and often features as part of a more comprehensive mitigation plan, such as identifying flood risks or earthquake faults in a region.
There are a number of different ways to implement a cloud-based DR strategy, including utilizing a DRaaS provider that specializes in implementing and tuning cloud operations specifically for DR. These providers offer a turnkey solution that includes hardware, software and cloud data centers. This allows companies to avoid upfront costs and scale their DR capabilities according to their unique needs, while mitigating costs and reducing the burden on IT administrators.
Another way to use a cloud-based DR solution is by using a virtual server image that includes all software applications, operating system, and patches, allowing for quick transfer of data during a disaster. This approach eliminates the need for pre-installed hardware, which speeds up the recovery process, and can be completed in as little as a few minutes.
Cloud DR can be a great option for organizations with limited budgets and resources, but it is important to keep in mind that a successful disaster recovery plan requires more than just technology. It should include business continuity and recovery plans that address the impacts of a disaster on employee work, workflows, and job functions.
It is also essential to understand that the security of a cloud-based DR solution depends on the privacy policies of its third-party managed service provider, as the data stored in the backup servers can be accessible by unauthorized parties. This is why it is important to select a zero-knowledge provider that maintains a high level of confidentiality and protection. Lastly, because cloud DR requires an internet connection to access company data in the event of a disaster, it may not be suitable for regions with low network bandwidth.