Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
At eXemplify Group, we have amassed significant experience helping clients evaluate and implement comprehensive DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS, especially in the context of a cloud-based service. This is commonly referred to as Disaster Recovery as a Service or (DRaaS).
As the first checkpoint, we work with our clients internally to audit their data security policies to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements. If this isn’t an issue, we then assess the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for maintaining dedicated DR infrastructure. This enables a comparative study to be made. We also help the client identify their Recovery Point Objective or RPO, which is basically the amount of data they can afford to lose in the event of a server failure without experiencing a colossal interruption to business as usual.
With regard to proposing a service provider who can deliver Disaster Recovery, we review not only the portfolio of services a provider offers, but also how well they can execute on them in a timely manner. It is always advisable to check the competency of a prospective service provider to bring the company’s systems to at least a warm state of operations in a reasonable time frame should the DR plan be invoked. This is also referred to as the Recovery Time Objective or RTO. (NOTE once chosen, your company and service provider should work together during periodic drills to build and improve such competencies.)
After helping our clients select a vendor to provide Disaster Recovery as a Service, the next step is to decide the service level agreements or SLAs. Some of the key specifics that SLAs should include are:
- Lead time to allocate the minimum required resources should DR be required
- Lead time to scale up resources to the defined (or full) level
- Duration for which such resources will be retained on a dedicated basis for the company
- Additional fees for occupancy beyond the pre-defined period
- Additional facilities such as conference rooms and video conferencing
- Capability to provide additional hardware when needed
- Parameters related to work area recovery can also be included if such services are used
The bottom line is every company, regardless of size, needs to have a Disaster Recovery plan in place. For most, DRaaS as a cloud based service is a viable and cost effective alternative. In our experience, the only thing that prevents most companies from having a reliable DR plan is the time and information necessary to make a proper, informed choice on the right provider.If your company is in need of guidance when it comes to Disaster Recovery, please feel free to contact us for a preliminary evaluation.