The need for disaster recovery is growing as always-on data availability becomes necessary for business continuity. For many organizations, bypassing the expense and hassle of purchasing, deploying and managing dedicated disaster recovery infrastructure through outsourced disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) makes sense.
A range of DRaaS solutions that is as diverse as business’ individual needs has entered the market. Just as no two businesses have quite the same disaster recovery requirements, each DRaaS provider offers different functionality and levels of support. For example, some disaster recovery software providers have integrated cloud storage services as their backend infrastructure. Other providers offer dedicated DRaaS solutions that utilize public cloud and are the provider’s sole route to market. Custom solutions that encompass a broader range of capabilities related to high availability and business continuity are also available.
This splintered landscape offers IT professionals tremendous choice, but also carries a number of risks. It may engender an equally splintered disaster recovery strategy from a technology point-of-view, or it can create lock-in to a particular solution that meets some but not all needs. To craft a disaster recovery strategy that will align most optimally with their organization’s unique needs, IT professionals should focus on standardizing wherever possible, while also integrating flexibility selectively where it is needed.
Standardization should dial in on production data and systems, and how that data is protected and managed. For instance, common management for disaster recovery and offsite backups can better orchestrate disaster recovery processes while also improving the quality of backup and recovery data. At the same time, IT professionals should bear in mind retaining flexibility when choosing the type of cloud services as well as which cloud service provider that they will use. For example, a disaster recovery solution that is an ideal fit for software-as-a-service-based applications will not necessarily be the best answer for on-premises data. Choice and flexibility furthermore provide the customer with the ability to ensure that their unique backup requirements are met comprehensively.
To most effectively solve their availability needs and avoid the complexity (and likely additional cost associated with working with multiple vendors), IT professionals should consider working with a full-stack service provider that incorporates not only disaster recovery-as-a-service, but also adjacent capabilities such as infrastructure-as-a-service, and backup hosting and management.
For more conversation around potential pitfalls to avoid when adopting DRaaS, watch Storage Switzerland’s webinar with Veeam and KeepItSafe, Understanding the 5 Most Common Oversights in a DRaaS Strategy, on demand.
Senior Analyst, Krista Macomber produces analyst commentary and contributes to a range of client deliverables including white papers, webinars and videos for Storage Switzerland. She has a decade of experience covering all things storage, data center and cloud infrastructure, including: technology and vendor portfolio developments; customer buying behavior trends; and vendor ecosystems, go-to-market positioning, and business models. Her previous experience includes leading the IT infrastructure practice of analyst firm Technology Business Research, and leading market intelligence initiatives for media company TechTarget.
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