Disaster recovery planning is both critical and complex. One approach that can make the process simpler and more reliable is Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS).

Disaster Recovery on Demand

Like other “as a Service” offerings, Disaster Recovery as a Service is a cloud-based solution. In DRaaS, a cloud provider supports a solution that includes backing up files from your data center to the cloud for disaster recovery in the cloud. When the backed up files include virtual machine images, recovery can be nearly instantaneous.

Benefits of DRaaS

One of the most significant benefits of DRaaS is that by using the cloud, you don’t need to maintain your own expensive secondary data center with expenses for the physical space as well as hardware and software licenses. You’ll also reduce the amount of time your team spends preparing for disasters that don’t happen, allowing them to spend that time on other tasks. 

In addition, the DRaaS recovery process is highly automated, with the sequence of system recovery and other dependencies determined by configuration files. This automation means recovery is both reliable and repeatable, unlike manual processes that are prone to errors because operational teams aren’t experts in the process.

DRaaS also allows you to easily ensure you have a comprehensive disaster recovery solution. Because it is easy to update through adding details to configuration files, your DRaaS process can expand as your data center expands.

Your DRaaS Responsibilities

Although a DRaaS vendor will provide support for your disaster recovery process, you still have responsibility for ensuring you have the disaster recovery process your business needs. This means you still need to determine your recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives, document a disaster recovery plan, and test the plan to make sure it works. Another advantage of DRaaS is that because it’s both automated and cloud-based, running a test doesn’t have to involve the entire technology and business teams; executing the test is almost (almost!) as simple as pushing a button.

Is DRaaS the right approach to disaster recovery for your business? Prescient Solutions’ disaster recovery services help you evaluate your disaster recovery needs, create your disaster recovery plan, and implement an effective solution using the most appropriate technologies. Contact us or download our guide to disaster recovery to learn more about selecting a disaster recovery strategy that meets your business needs.