Data security is a serious concern for most businesses these days. Having the ability to remain operational, even during disasters requires more than an on-premise IT infrastructure; it requires the implementation of cloud disaster recovery solutions to ensure your company is safe from an IT perspective.

What is a disaster? It is when something occurs that causes your critical systems to do down simultaneously. If you don’t have a plan for the possibility of all of your systems going dark, then you have a serious issue on your hands. Disaster hit every business at one point or another. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” Fortunately, you do have the option of cloud disaster recovery solutions to keep your systems running from an offsite location.

Many mid sized businesses lack a comprehensive disaster recovery (DR) solution because they think this is reserved for deep-pocketed enterprise companies. How can an SMB compete? Previously, the solution was to perform frequent backups and store tapes offsite. That may work for a time, but it’s expensive and time-consuming.

The good news is today’s cloud disaster recovery solutions are affordable for any size business since they are a software-based infrastructure. Organizations can provision server instances meaning they can recover those servers – and data – even if disaster strikes. So then, let’s talk about DraaS before we dive into the best cloud disaster recovery solutions.

What is DraaS, and why is it useful?

Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a software solution designed to replicate physical servers as virtual servers to offer failover in the event of a catastrophe. DRaaS is useful for businesses who don’t have the resources, or staff expertise, to provision, configure, and deploy effective DR solutions in house.

Disasters can happen at any time whether it is a hardware failure, malware, human error, flood, wildfire, tornado, or something else that strikes your data center. And, if any catastrophes of this magnitude occur, not only will your site/s go down, but you could very well lose all your client data.

According to the Ponemon Institute, unplanned downtime costs businesses an average of $8,850 per minute. Further, FEMA has found that 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster and 25% will fail just one year after an unforeseen catastrophe.

With DRaaS, businesses can rely on a short recovery point meaning data will be restored to its closest “now” state within four hours or less. No matter where your data center is located, you will have access to mirrored servers that were not affected by the disaster. Using cloud disaster recovery solutions is ideal for long-term data security and retention. Moreover, you only have to pay for what you use. In addition, DRaaS can include monthly automated testing to ensure your applications will recover.

At a minimum, here is what you should for in a cloud disaster recovery solution:

• Options for backup targets.
• Automated backup of critical data and systems.
• Minimal human interaction needed for quick disaster recovery.
• Flexibility to restore the entire infrastructure or just a single application.
• User-friendly billing structure.

Now, let’s take a look at several popular choices.

Consider the best cloud disaster recovery solutions

When you rely on the cloud for DR, you don’t have to pay rent for another building and build out an expensive data center you’ll probably only use for emergencies. Instead, the cloud will continually backup your most recent instant servers and immediately transition them to become the primary servers if a failure occurs at your local site. As a result, even SMBs and startups can take advantage of sophisticated DR technology without needing an enterprise-style budget.

In our roundup of the best cloud disaster recovery solutions, all of our selections are based on the DRaaS model, including remote storage and some with client-side software.

1. Microsoft Azure

Azure offers physical and virtual support for Linux, Windows, VMware virtual machines, Windows Server, and System Center management tools. It is a solid choice for companies who are interested in protecting their critical workloads via Hyper-V or even VMware, especially companies who are already on the Microsoft software stack.

2. Zetta Backup and Recovery

Zetta offers cost-effective DRaaS with user-friendly setup onto Zetta’s data center.

3. Quorum OnQ

Quorum OnQ provides almost-instant recovery with flexible options around multi-site failover and off-site protection.

4. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS offers DR for various databases and enterprise applications such as MySQL, SQL Server, and even SAP. AWS uses their CloudEndure Disaster Recovery service to continually replicate the OS, databases, applications, and files into your Region of choice.

5. Zerto

Zerto provides a user-friendly interface and flexible solution that can convert between VMware, Hyper-V, and even Amazon Web Services (AWS).

6. Carbonite Cloud Backup

Carbonite offers an affordable solution with unlimited server licenses. It also supports Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

Implement a cloud disaster recovery solution today

In today’s marketplace, a network failure of any kind is unsustainable. According to the Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council, 75% of companies are not disaster ready. Yet, everyday, you hear about data breaches and inevitable network failures. However, cloud disaster recovery solutions are ready for prime time. Remote backups have gone mainstream.

Indeed, storing your workloads in the cloud means they can be rapidly brought back online to ensure business continuity. Additionally, you reap the benefits of agility, affordability, scalability, and automation. So then, all of your business processes and functions are fully covered by the cloud.

Recover from any disaster with the cloud

Regardless of organizational size, business resiliency is available for those who deploy cloud disaster recovery solutions. The team at SSI can help your company create your DR plan to ensure seamless business continuity.

For more information, contact SSI today.

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