What are the benefits to companies of a Disaster Recovery center?

As an example, the banking sector can be mentioned, where the inability to log in to online accounts becomes news widely described by news services. This is a problem both for the company that provides such a system and for the customer who expected to be able to make online payments or manage their finances at a specific and convenient time. The unavailability of key corporate systems not only discourages customers from using services but may also lead to the termination of cooperation with a particular supplier due to high market competitiveness. The market does not forgive such mistakes.

Another example where the need to ensure high IT system availability is crucial is the manufacturing industry. Any unplanned downtime on the production line can result in huge costs and financial losses. Another consequence of unplanned downtime is delays in goods delivery and contractual penalties for failure to meet the conditions agreed in the contract.

To avoid such situations and make their IT infrastructure more available and resilient to the effects of failures or other unexpected events, one should consider using business continuity solutions in the form of a backup data center (disaster recovery center).

What is a backup data center and what are the benefits of such a solution?

It is an additional data center to which services and systems can be switched from the primary center. Such a need may arise in the event of a failure in the primary center, a hacker attack, application errors, or in the case of other unforeseen events. In such cases, it is crucial to restore full system functionality as quickly as possible. Disaster Recovery service is the most optimal solution that ensures the continuity of application and system operation and guarantees the shortest possible downtime. Switching from the primary center to the backup data center is possible without any unnecessary interruptions in access to the IT infrastructure, which is crucial when the immediate restoration of proper IT operation minimizes financial and reputational losses.

Another important element of using a backup center is data security. Data replication, performed at short intervals, allows for quick and seamless recovery of data from the backup center in the event of a failure or loss in the primary center. Additionally, a significant aspect is the physical separation of the two data centers. Such separation of data and their storage on separate media, or even in geographically remote locations, provides greater security.

What should you follow when choosing a backup center for your IT systems?

When choosing a backup center for your IT systems, it is important to pay attention to several key issues. One of the indicators of the quality of services provided by a data center is certifications, including ISO certifications. It is important to pay attention to how redundancy of infrastructure elements is ensured and to the guaranteed SLA, which is an agreement defining the level of services provided and the supplier’s commitments regarding response time to failures and technical support. It is also worth remembering that server rooms located in buildings that were not built from scratch as data processing centers may have difficulty meeting the stringent requirements imposed by market regulators. Therefore, before making a decision, it is worth carefully analyzing the service provider’s offer in terms of meeting norms for their IT infrastructure, such as the PN-EN 60839-11-1:2014-01 standard or the ISO 27017 certification.

Is Disaster Recovery a service for your business?

To answer this question, you need to carefully analyze your IT resources, systems, and applications for data sensitivity and the need to ensure their continuity of operation. If the analysis results indicate that any unavailability of service or data can result in high costs for the company, such an option should definitely be considered.