Disaster Recovery as a Service: How It Works and Where to Start
There are risks in everything we do. Running a company isn’t any different.
Companies everywhere are at risk for cyberattacks, natural disasters and hardware/software failures, which could cause extended downtime, data loss, reduced productivity, reputational damage, regulatory fines, lawsuits and lost business opportunities.
And because some risks (like human error) are unavoidable, having a disaster recovery plan that addresses these risks and how to respond to them is essential for any organization.
Having a disaster recovery plan helps companies anticipated and execute the restoration of data and IT systems as quickly as possible when the unforeseeable happens. But implementing an effective disaster recovery plan requires things like written plans, policies and processes be defined prior to the disaster occurring. A holistic plan should also include the implementation of specialized software by professionals with recovery mechanism expertise, which can be challenging if your IT team is already stretched thin.
So, what are your options if you need assistance with this? Enter: disaster recovery as a service.
What is Disaster Recovery as a Service?
Many cybersecurity service providers offer disaster recovery as a service to their customers as a way to outsource aspects of their disaster recovery planning.
Disaster recovery as a service can help you stay operational, and it offers many advantages over traditional disaster recovery solutions—like cost savings, flexibility, scalability, reduced downtime, higher reliability and improved security.
How Does Disaster Recovery as A Service Work?
A disaster recovery as a service solution should host the backup of data and have the ability to execute the recovery process in third-party facilities, instead of at the organization where the disaster occurred. Disaster recovery is not just about restoring a backup; it’s about being able to continue operations should the original equipment be unavailable.
This process centers around replicating and storing your company’s data, but even before doing that, a disaster recovery as a service provider should perform these tasks:
- Consult with you on your needs to establish an RTO and RPO for each service and application
- Develop a Disaster Recovery Plan to review and approve prior to implementing
- Implement and test the plan to verify the execution of the failover and failback processes meet or exceed your expectations and sufficiently minimize disruption to your business
- Manage and periodically test the infrastructure and data center requirements based on your needs
- Provide documentation of your disaster recovery plan and procedures
Your provider should create a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that includes an assessment of your existing systems, lists data production and compliance requirements, aligns RPO and RTO with your risk tolerance and outlines regular testing and maintenance schedules.
Are there Different Types of Disaster Recovery as a Service Solutions?
Yes. Depending on your company’s budget and in-house technical capabilities, you can choose from three main options to get the right level of support:
1. Self-service Disaster Recovery as a Service
Self-service disaster recovery as a service may sound like a misnomer, but it’s the most budget-friendly option. In this model, you’re responsible for planning, testing and managing disaster recovery. Meanwhile, the disaster recovery as a service vendor provides any agreed upon services, such as the cloud-computing environment and the disaster recovery orchestration required to back up your data and IT infrastructure.
2. Managed Disaster Recovery as a Service
In managed disaster recovery as a service, a disaster recovery as a service provider assumes all agreed upon responsibilities of implementing and maintaining your disaster recovery plan for you as long as you are under contract with them for the services. Since you don’t need any in-house expertise to support your company’s disaster recovery efforts, the higher monthly cost often pays for itself.
3. Co-Managed Disaster Recovery as a Service
In this model, your disaster recovery as a service provider will help you optimize your procedures and provide the cloud environment for data backup. This option is considered co-managed because your company and the third-party provider share in the responsibilities associated with disaster planning and recovery. Depending upon your preferences defined in the agreement with the vendor, they may also assist you in implementing parts of your disaster recovery plan for or alongside your in-house experts. This option is also typically more budget-friendly than a managed service provider.
How Should I Choose a Reputable Disaster Recovery as a Service Provider?
Partnering with a reliable disaster recovery as a service provider is key to ensuring your business’s resiliency and protecting your company from the devastating impact of data loss.
Consider these criteria when evaluating your disaster recovery as a service provider options:
Authority and Trust
Ask providers on your shortlist for testimonials and referrals. A good rule of thumb is to choose the provider who is a trusted disaster recovery expert and has experience working with companies of comparable size and complexity. Also, they should be able to comply with and have experience in industry regulations and standards (e.g., HIPPA, Insurance Requirement, SOC 2, etc.)
Service Level Agreement
Review your provider’s service level agreement carefully. The service level agreement should clearly outline the provider’s disaster response time, communication expectations and what services will be provided should a disaster occur. This agreement should also include their capacity to manage a heterogeneous environment during the recovery process and compliance-based reporting to ensure that they are meeting necessary standards and regulations.
Data Backup and Recovery Capabilities
Does your disaster recovery as a service provider have the competency to meet your RTO and RPO? Recovering is not all about backups and tech stacks; it’s about having a qualified team of people to help. Look for a provider that takes the time to understand your business requirements and adapts their processes to meet your needs.
Data Security
Your disaster recovery as a service provider must implement proper user authentication and data security measures when transferring data from your on-premise environment to the backup cloud facility. Also, they need to make sure that your data is stored is digitally and physically secure location.
Discovery Recovery Testing and Maintenance
After setting up the technology, your provider should test the failover and failback processes. But it isn’t a one-and-done thing. Make sure that they regularly verify the processes, especially after you have made changes to your infrastructure, to ensure that everything works as intended.
Responsive Customer Support
Disaster recovery as a service solutions can be complex, and when trouble strikes, it’s important to have quick access to your data so you can begin your recovery. As you vet your vendors, consider how responsive you think they might be and how well they would communicate with you in the event of a disaster.
How Can I Take Next Steps for Disaster Recovery as a Service Now?
Finding the right disaster recovery as a service vendor for your business is a good place to start. Search for someone who can help you simplify and understand the recovery process, find cost-friendly options that meet your company’s requirements, and set up your backup correctly to protect your critical data assets.
Warren Averett Technology Group is a third-party provider who can implement the latest disaster recovery best practices, and we tailor our services to meet each client’s unique business requirements.
Get in touch to have a member of our team reach out to you about designing a disaster recovery strategy that improves your business resiliency and can give you peace of mind.
