Cloud Disaster Recovery
Backup is having a copy. Disaster recovery is having a plan to use it.
Build a Recovery PlanOverview
Backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity are related but distinct concepts. Backup is having a copy of your data. Disaster recovery is the plan and infrastructure to restore operations after a failure. Business continuity is the strategy to keep the business running during the recovery.
Many organizations have backup but no disaster recovery plan. They have copies of their data but no tested procedure for restoring systems, no failover infrastructure, and no understanding of how long recovery will take.
We help organizations build cloud-based disaster recovery that uses cloud infrastructure to provide failover, data replication, and tested recovery procedures — so that when a failure occurs, the business knows exactly what to do and how long it will take.
What We Do
Recovery Planning
We define recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO) for each critical system, then design the infrastructure and procedures to meet them.
Cloud Failover Infrastructure
We configure cloud-based failover environments — using Azure Site Recovery or equivalent — that can take over when on-premises or primary cloud systems fail.
Data Replication
We implement data replication to a secondary location or cloud region, ensuring that recovery data is current and available when needed.
Recovery Testing
We test recovery procedures on a regular schedule to verify that systems can be restored within the defined RTO and that data is complete and accurate.
Incident Response Integration
We integrate disaster recovery with incident response planning so that cybersecurity incidents — ransomware, breaches, account compromise — trigger the right recovery procedures.
Business Continuity Planning
We help define business continuity procedures — communication plans, alternate work arrangements, manual processes — that keep the business operating during the recovery period.
When It Makes Sense
This service is the right fit when:
- Your business cannot tolerate extended downtime and needs a tested recovery plan
- You are relying on backup alone but have no failover infrastructure or recovery procedures
- You need to meet compliance requirements that mandate disaster recovery capabilities
- You want to recover from ransomware without paying a ransom
- You operate in a location prone to power outages, natural disasters, or infrastructure failures
- You need defined RPO and RTO commitments for critical systems
What Can Go Wrong
Common pitfalls to avoid:
- Having backups but never testing recovery, discovering during an incident that the process does not work
- Not having failover infrastructure, meaning recovery requires rebuilding systems from scratch
- Not defining RPO and RTO, so there is no measurable standard for whether recovery is fast enough
- Not integrating disaster recovery with incident response, causing confusion during a cybersecurity incident
- Replicating data but not testing whether applications will actually run in the failover environment
Alternatives to Consider
This service is not always the right answer. Depending on your situation, these alternatives may be more appropriate:
- For small businesses with low downtime tolerance, cloud-based failover may be more cost-effective than maintaining a secondary physical site
- For organizations with very low RTO requirements, active-active architecture across two cloud regions may be needed — though this is significantly more expensive
- For organizations with minimal downtime risk, improved backup with documented manual recovery procedures may be sufficient without full failover infrastructure
Frequently Asked Questions
Let's Talk About Your Cloud Needs
Contact us today to build a recovery plan.
Talk to an IT & Cloud Specialist
Let's discuss how cloud disaster recovery can support your organization.
Build a Recovery PlanCall (202) 400-2368