Disasters are inevitable. When they affect businesses, it can result in serious disruptions, causing losses. Because of this, every business needs to have a disaster recovery plan.
Most companies turn to DRaaS to protect themselves in case of a disaster. Over the years, Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) has gained popularity. DRaaS provides businesses with disaster recovery services when a catastrophe strikes.
But, how much does it cost to get Disaster Recovery as a Service? Read on to find out.
The Mechanics of Disaster Recovery as a Service
A third party usually carries out DRaaS. The process entails the replication and hosting of servers. The servers can be physical or virtual. DRaaS allows for failover when a disaster happens.
A disaster could be a cyberattack, unplanned power outage, fire, etc. DRaaS involves the replication of a business’s applications and IT infrastructure. So, when a catastrophe happens, the provider will serve as a substitute for IT functions. That will only go on until systems get restored.
When a disaster occurs, the DRaaS service provider will take care of:
- Data continuity
- IT infrastructure
- Recovery procedures
In doing so, business owners will face less of a strain. They can then focus on getting things back up and running.
Factors That Impact DRaaS Pricing
There is no common answer to what a DRaaS solution will cost. Businesses have different needs and resources. A better approach would be to understand the factors that impact the cost of a DRaaS solution. Some of the elements are:
Type of DRaaS Service
There are three DRaaS services, and they all differ in price. The first is self-service DRaaS. Here, businesses handle all disaster recovery planning, testing, and management areas. So, in the event of a disaster, the business’s IT team will take care of recovery.
Assisted DRaaS is the second type. The business handles every area of its disaster recovery plan. But, the DRaaS provider offers implementation, testing, and management advice.
Managed DRaaS is the third type, and it handles all aspects of disaster recovery for a business. The provider will also take care of recovery during a disaster.
Businesses with skilled and specialized IT teams can go for self-service DRaaS. It is cheaper. Companies with smaller or no IT teams can opt for assisted and managed DRaaS. That would involve paying more than self-service DRaaS.
RTO and RPO
RTO stands for recovery time objectives. It is the maximum bearable amount of time that a computer, network, application, or system can be down following a catastrophe.
RPO stands for recovery point objectives. It is the period of data loss that a business is willing to tolerate in the event of a catastrophe. RTO and RPO correlate to each other.
Lower RTO and RPO numbers are preferable but costly. So, businesses must find a balance between cost and efficiency. Business owners must assess their RTO and RPO goals. They must then match these goals with the available budget.
Virtual Machines
Virtual machines (VMs) ensure that the replicated applications and systems are functional. They are software-based environments that mimic hardware-based environments. When DRaaS solutions utilize VMs, they are more cost-effective. The number of VMs needed will depend on how complicated the infrastructure under replication is.
A hypervisor is a software that develops and operates VMs. Its license can affect the pricing of DRaaS solutions. The storage and memory that a business’s IT infrastructure takes up will also affect pricing.
Wrap Up
Lacking a disaster recovery plan costs businesses immensely when disasters happen; so does having an insufficient strategy. Business owners can avoid huge losses during disasters by finding DRaaS solutions that are right for them. A good starting point to find the right fit is looking at the pricing of DRaaS solutions.
