Selecting a disaster recovery (DR) partner is an important decision because having the right partner can affect business operations, specifically in the event of a disaster or any unexpected event that impacts/disrupts operations. In this article, we’ll highlight important questions you should ask before choosing a DR provider.
1. How can I retrieve my data from the cloud?
When choosing a disaster recovery provider, it's crucial to understand their recovery time objective and recovery point objective. Ideally, you will want data protection that enables you to recover all lost data and applications immediately to the precise time and point of failure, allowing your organization to resume normal operations as soon as possible.
Furthermore, it's important to consider any hidden costs and ensure that you are aware of any charges that may be incurred when transferring or restoring data from the cloud. Providers may impose fees ranging from $2 to $9 per terabyte of data, so be cautious of any unexpected charges.
2. Am I required to change my IP address after recovery?
In the event of a complete network failure, will your disaster recovery service provider be able to restore your network with the same IP address as before? Or will it be necessary to modify your VPN or DNS configurations?
Although conventional disaster recovery solutions can provide complete network restoration for the local area network, you shouldn’t assume that changing your IP addresses will not be needed. Unless the provider is also an internet service provider, they may not be able to deliver full network recovery or ensure that your IP address will remain unaltered.
3. Does the provider have an oversubscription rate for DR?
To avoid congestion caused by simultaneous traffic from all servers, your provider should maintain an oversubscription ratio of 3:1 or less. This ratio will increase as the number of servers in your infrastructure grows and will decrease with the implementation of an efficient network configuration such as a spine and leaf architecture.
Also, it's important to consider the likelihood of many clients requiring failover simultaneously. Service providers should assess the statistical probability of multiple clients requiring DR failover at the same time. If multiple clients require DR failover at the same time and the service provider is not adequately prepared, it may result in downtime or delays in service, which could lead to violations of service level agreements (SLA).
4. How is my public cloud data protected?
Even if your virtual machines and data are stored in the public cloud, you still need to have a backup and disaster recovery plan in place. Many businesses assume that their servers and data are protected just because they are hosted by a reputable cloud services provider such as Azure, Google, or Amazon.
However, this is a misconception. Ensuring the safety and security of your data and cloud services is not the sole responsibility of your cloud provider — it’s also yours as well as your IT team’s. Specifically, it falls on you to check if your DR partner's data security measures and strategy are adequate.
5. What will be my monthly bill?
You should be aware of any charges that your provider may impose for moving or restoring your data. Egress fees have long been a major obstacle for companies seeking to migrate their data to and from the cloud. As a result, clients are frequently taken aback when they receive their monthly bills.
Furthermore, it is important to consider business expansion; as your company grows, you will want to add additional users and data, which will naturally result in an increase in costs. However, this is something that you can anticipate and plan for.
These fees make it difficult to estimate the actual cost of effectively managing your data. Therefore, it is advisable to inquire with your provider about any charges that are not immediately apparent. Additionally, ensure that all current and potential expenses are explicitly outlined in your SLA.
6. What type of support does the provider offer?
If you need constant support from your provider, it's worth considering solutions that offer 24/7 customer service. Various types of support may be available, including technical support, cloud support, integration support, and support for different operating systems, databases, and file systems. It's essential to assess which support elements are necessary for your organization to determine which provider can best meet your needs at the best price.
If you're searching for a way to enhance your backup and disaster recovery capabilities, Kortek Solutions can help. Our DR solutions will ensure your business continues to operate after a disaster or disruptive event. Call us today to learn more.