Cloud-Native DR Architecture
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery
AWS EDR (formerly CloudEndure) provides continuous block-level replication from on-premises or cloud servers to AWS. It maintains a lightweight staging area in the target region, launching full-capacity instances only during failover. This keeps ongoing DR costs low while providing sub-hour recovery capability.
Azure Site Recovery
Azure Site Recovery replicates VMs between Azure regions or from on-premises to Azure. It supports automated recovery plans with sequenced failover — ensuring databases start before application servers, which start before web servers. ASR test failover creates an isolated copy for DR drills without affecting production.
DR Testing Best Practices
- Test quarterly: DR plans degrade as environments change. Quarterly tests catch drift.
- Use automated testing: DRaaS platforms support non-disruptive test failovers that validate recovery without affecting production.
- Test the full stack: Not just VM recovery — test application startup, database connectivity, DNS cutover, and end-user access.
- Document and improve: Each test produces lessons learned that improve the DR plan for next time.
How Opsio Delivers DRaaS
- DR architecture design: We design DR solutions matched to your RPO/RTO requirements and budget.
- Implementation: We deploy replication, configure failover automation, and build recovery runbooks.
- Quarterly DR drills: We conduct and document non-disruptive DR tests with detailed reporting.
- 24/7 monitoring: Our NOC monitors replication health and triggers alerts on any degradation.
- Compliance alignment: DR documentation satisfies NIS2, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 business continuity requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does DRaaS cost?
DRaaS costs depend on the amount of data replicated and the recovery tier. Pilot light DR for a typical mid-market environment costs $1,000-5,000/month. Warm standby costs $5,000-15,000/month. This is 60-80% less than maintaining a physical secondary site.
Can DRaaS protect against ransomware?
Yes. DRaaS with immutable backups and point-in-time recovery enables restoration to a pre-ransomware state. The key is maintaining recovery points that predate the ransomware infection — typically requiring 30+ days of recovery point history.
How quickly can DRaaS failover?
Pilot light: 30-60 minutes. Warm standby: 5-15 minutes. Multi-site active-active: seconds (automatic). The choice depends on your RTO requirements and budget.
