Disaster recovery-as-a-service solutions work by replicating and storing your infrastructure in a third-party’s cloud. They may have a subscription or pay-per-use model and vary in scope and cost.
A good draas solution should include orchestration, snapshot-based backup, near-sync replication and failover to public clouds all within one service. It should also enable you to test your disaster recovery plans regularly.
Reduced Downtime
DRaaS solutions allow businesses to minimize disruption from unexpected events such as natural disasters or cyber attacks. They can also avoid downtime caused by hardware failures and lost data.
Unlike traditional backup systems, DRaaS replicates all information to an offsite location. This ensures that business operations continue regardless of what happens to a company’s primary site.
Additionally, a DRaaS solution can provide rapid recovery, which allows businesses to meet RTO and RPO requirements. This way, they can avoid losing valuable productivity time and money.
A DRaaS solution can be scalable, making it easy for businesses to adapt their backup and recovery processes as needed. For example, Cohesity offers a DRaaS solution that includes snapshot-based backup, near-sync replication, and public cloud failover for a predictable monthly fee. This helps organizations save on upfront investments and maintenance costs while reducing the complexity of their DR operations. It also enables them to avoid paying for storage capacity they don’t use.
Automated Backups
Unlike Backup as a Service (BaaS), which only backs up data, DRaaS solutions deploy entire servers for failover and disaster recovery. This means they have a higher level of redundancy and are less susceptible to human error. In addition, they are managed by third-party experts who monitor and support them. This reduces the need for IT staff to spend time on backups and infrastructure management.
DRaaS solutions also provide automated backups, which ensure that data is always safe and accessible. This improves security and prevents downtime from unexpected events. Additionally, DRaaS is hosted in cloud environments, which makes it easier to access during disasters. This reduces the time it takes to get up and running following an event, which can increase productivity. It can also free up IT resources, which allows them to focus on other important projects. Finally, DRaaS is scalable and can be tailored to your organization’s needs. This ensures that it is a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
Scalability
The scalability of DRaaS solutions allows businesses to adjust their recovery plans in accordance with changing industry demands. This can be beneficial to companies of all sizes as they can protect themselves against data loss and outages.
For example, if a company relies on its online banking platform to complete transactions, DRaaS can make a copy of the system in a secure cloud environment and switch customers over to it in the event of a disaster. This can significantly reduce downtime and allow businesses to keep their revenue streams flowing.
Moreover, it helps companies avoid the costs associated with building their own DR infrastructure by outsourcing this task to a service provider. This can greatly reduce the initial investment required for implementing a DR plan and help organizations focus on their business goals instead of worrying about IT failures and natural disasters. However, it is essential to select a vendor that can meet the organization’s recovery requirements.
Flexibility
Unlike traditional disaster recovery, DRaaS offers businesses the flexibility to scale up or down as needed. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on seasonal trends or fluctuating workloads. With this type of scalability, a business can avoid paying for unnecessary resources and reduce costs.
Another advantage of DRaaS is that it reduces the burden on IT teams, giving them time to focus on other priorities. This is because automated testing helps to identify any issues before a disaster occurs.
For example, a company that relies on its online banking platform could use DRaaS to protect this vital system. By copying the platform to a secure cloud environment, the business can access it if the main site is disrupted. This enables the company to continue its operations and ensures that customers can make purchases. It also reduces the risk of losing critical information during a disruption or disaster.