Disaster Recovery as a Service, commonly known as DRaaS, is a cloud-based solution provided by third-party service providers. It enables organizations to failover to a secondary site in the event of a disaster, without the high expense or complexity of maintaining their own private disaster recovery (DR) environment.
Instead of a costly upfront investment, businesses can pay a manageable monthly fee for access to offsite disaster recovery (DR) environments when needed. The on-demand DRaaS setup allows for simplified disaster recovery testing and quick failover recovery during emergencies.
Planning for DRaaS
While DRaaS simplifies disaster recovery compared to building your own DR site, having a solid plan in place is crucial. Properly incorporating DRaaS ensures that the system is deployed effectively and can be relied on during an actual disaster.
Key Considerations for DRaaS Implementation
Spinning up virtual machines in an offsite data center may be simple, but ensuring that users can access critical services after a disaster can be challenging. Here are some essential questions to guide your DRaaS planning:
- User Access: How will employees access the DR systems during an actual disaster event? If the primary office is unusable, where will they work, and how will they connect? Will your team receive training on accessing the DR site?
- Internet-Facing Services: Are there services like email, web servers, or remote access systems that must be available? Will you need dedicated public IP addresses, secondary DNS entries, or additional MX records?
- Performance Over the Internet: Your applications may perform slower in a DR environment compared to your local network. Would solutions like terminal servers or virtual PCs improve remote access for users?
- Dependencies: Ensure that all dependencies, such as DNS servers or DHCP, are accounted for in the DR environment. Testing is crucial to discover any hidden dependencies. TEST. TEST. TEST.
- Service Level Agreements (SLA): Do you have a defined SLA that specifies the acceptable downtime and recovery time objectives for your business?
Managed and Unmanaged DRaaS
DRaaS solutions typically fall into three categories: unmanaged, partially managed, and fully managed. Each option offers varying levels of control and support.
Unmanaged, Self-Service DRaaS
For organizations with in-house IT expertise, unmanaged DRaaS may be ideal. The client is responsible for correctly implementing the service, conducting disaster recovery testing, and maintaining a DR plan. It’s important to perform annual DR tests or after any major system changes.
Partially Managed DRaaS
Partially managed DRaaS suits organizations that can handle DRaaS on a part-time basis but prefer some external assistance. Service providers may help with initial setup, monitor the replication process, and alert you to potential issues.
Fully Managed DRaaS
Fully managed DRaaS is perfect for organizations that lack the time or expertise to manage disaster recovery processes in-house. While fully managed services may come at a higher cost, the long-term benefits far outweigh the expense. With full management, businesses can focus on strategic growth rather than disaster recovery.
