Cloud, co-location, on-premises and hybrid disaster recovery solutions: Pros, cons, and a cost comparison
Abstract
The hype surrounding cloud-based disaster recovery (DR) continues to gain steam — and with good reason. That said, due to cost, compatibility and/or organisational restrictions, cloud-based DR is not necessarily the best fit for all systems. This paper presents case studies and a structured approach to evaluate the various options, including public/private cloud DR, DR as a service (DRaaS) and hybrid solutions. For example, the pay-per-use model for cloud DR saves money while the cloud environment is dormant, but results in higher run-time costs than co-location or on-premises solutions when DR is executed. Similarly, organisations need to understand the range of DRaaS options to make an informed decision. Where cloud is not a good fit for all systems, a hybrid solution can satisfy conflicting requirements while leveraging the benefits of cloud where appropriate. Finally, organisational constraints can tip the balance away from what may appear to be the best fit on paper.
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Author's Biography
Frank Trovato is a research director at Info-Tech Research Group. He works with organisations in a range of industries to assess their current business continuity/disaster recovery capabilities, define appropriate target recovery timelines, plan how to close any gaps, and create effective business continuity/disaster recovery planning documentation. He is a certified business continuity professional with extensive experience in disaster recovery and business continuity best practices. Frank has been a guest speaker at both the Disaster Recovery Journal and IBM COMMON Users Group conferences.
Andrew Sharp is a senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. Andrew advises Info-Tech’s members on IT disaster recovery, business continuity and IT operations management. This includes providing best practices and developing practical tools to support management and planning activities. He has an MLIS from the University of Western Ontario and a BA from the University of Toronto.
Teodora Siman is a research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. Working for the infrastructure and operations practice, she focuses on disaster recovery and business continuity planning. She is responsible for conducting in-depth secondary research and helping members apply the research to their specific business environment. This includes facilitating onsite workshops and conducting advisory calls. She holds a degree in business management from the University of Western Ontario, and has completed her CBCI certification.
Citation
Trovato, Frank, Sharp, Andrew and Siman, Teodora (2019, December 1). Cloud, co-location, on-premises and hybrid disaster recovery solutions: Pros, cons, and a cost comparison. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 13, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/XZAA5492.
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