Data storage and backup, customer service, information management, and more… It’s a rare business today that doesn’t rely on its server for daily operations. Because IT infrastructure is the brains and muscle of your organization, a server failure is felt in every corner of your business. When your server goes down, so does your ability to operate efficiently—at least until the issue is resolved. Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) can be the difference between business continuity and work stoppage that costs your enterprise significant downtime and money.

Fully managed, flexible, and scalable DRaaS allows your business to continue operations with minimum disruption while your internal IT support personnel manage local issues. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help.

On-Prem Server Failures

While medium- to large-size businesses might have 3-5 servers, with some in the cloud, many smaller organizations have only one. If that single server fails, employees may not be able to access Wi-Fi or the information they need while IT tries to determine the problem. And if you don’t have an internal IT person, you might need to wait until your service provider is available. As you lose time, you also lose sales opportunities, can’t answer customer questions, and staff workloads pile up.

In worst-case scenarios, you could discover your system was hacked and the server compromised. Sensitive data may be stolen or encrypted and held hostage. The result can be an overwhelmed IT support team that not only needs to resume operations as quickly as possible but must also deal with a cyberattack and, in some cases, law enforcement. If confidential customer, client, or employee data is stolen, you must make the disclosures required by federal and state laws.

Why In-House Servers Fail

Whether you have one or one hundred, servers can fail for many reasons, including:

• Critical software patches and updates aren’t current.
• Improperly installed software causes a crash.
• Natural disasters like fires, earthquakes, storms, and flooding cause damage.
• Power volatility triggers surges.
• Server monitoring is sporadic or non-existent.
• The server has limited capacity.
• The server storage space isn’t cool enough; the server overheats.

It can be challenging for SMB IT personnel to diagnose and easily manage server failures, especially if businesses have been lax with safety and security measures. At some point, weighing the benefits of internal data control and security over possible server risks and failures becomes crucial.

What Is Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)?

In an always-on, connected business world, unplanned downtime due to any kind of disaster can affect your organization’s productivity, customer service, and revenue. A disaster recovery program protects you from all three and more. It can ensure your ability to restore essential business activities as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, disaster recovery programs can also fail if:

• Backup capacity is limited.
• Contingency power procedures aren’t in place.
• The disaster recovery process isn’t routinely tested, updated, and rewritten.
• The plan isn’t communicated properly to key employees.
• The process is too complicated for people to follow or is missing key details.

Disaster recovery as a service is a cloud computing service model that eliminates the need to invest in additional hardware and human resources to maintain in-house disaster recovery systems. It also mitigates the risks that come with poorly planned disaster recovery programs.

A cloud-based, scalable DRaaS solution helps your business resume critical operations following a disaster quickly, often within mere seconds. It offers:

• End user access/outbound internet access – You’re able to recover all critical organizational data and IT systems off-site without the need for a secondary data center.
• Flexible architecture – High-end components deliver a recovery environment comparable to your original.
• Recovery preparation – This includes managed runbooks that keep your disaster recovery plan current, so you can continue operations post-disaster.
• Routine testing – Along with an initial disaster recovery test, you can schedule two annual tests that ensure continual changes are addressed and your business continuity plan is effective.

The Difference Between DRaaS and Backup as a Service (BaaS)

Many companies believe they have a good backup and recovery plan, yet they don’t know if it even works. They haven’t tested it. Perhaps information is being backed up, but there’s no confirmation whether the data has been successfully saved. Businesses also make the mistake of believing data backup and disaster recovery are the same thing.

The primary differences between backup as a service (BaaS) and DRaaS are:

• BaaS protects data but not system infrastructure. You don’t have the ability to process the data after a disaster.
• DRaaS moves your entire infrastructure to the cloud. You can continue to operate post-disaster.

BaaS is a good data archiving solution for legal reasons. But for ultimate security, you’ll want to combine it with another disaster recovery tool like DRaaS.

How DRaaS Works

In the event of a disaster or cyberattack, your DRaaS provider replicates your organization’s servers in a third-party location unaffected by the disaster, including the cloud. It also executes your disaster recovery plan. DRaaS saves money by eliminating the need for provisioning and maintaining your own off-site disaster recovery environment.

As-a-service solutions vary in scope and cost. Companies should evaluate potential DRaaS providers according to their own unique needs and budget. When choosing a DRaaS, consider:

• Access – How easy will it be for end users to access internal processes during a crisis? Does the provider offer services for digital workspace desktop infrastructures?
• Reliability – Most DRaaS solutions are cloud-based, which means they have virtually unlimited capacity.
• Resources – How many customers and employees can the provider support concurrently? How are resources tracked, managed, and updated?
• Support – What are the provider’s standard processes during normal operations and during a disaster? Which, if any, responsibilities lie with your organization?

Before choosing a DRaaS provider, it’s a good idea to conduct an internal assessment that identifies which components are required to keep your operations running smoothly. Ultimately, your choice should be a DRaaS provider that offers what you need to keep your business up and running during a disaster.

Ready To Invest in Disaster Recovery Services?

Your company is thriving, your numbers are up, and you have what you consider efficient IT support. It’s tempting to ignore disaster risks. Many businesses face bankruptcy within a year following a data loss of 10 days or more. It’s well worth investing in DRaaS to achieve business continuity and minimize disruption.

An experienced managed service provider like Choice Solutions can help your business implement simpler, more secure IT environments while improving employee and customer experiences. Along with DRaaS services, an MSP also provides tech solutions like:

• Business impact analyses
• Emergency response personnel 24/7 contact information
• Employee training
• Risk assessment

With DRaaS, you can be confident business operations can resume in a matter of minutes. You can mitigate downtime and revenue loss while meeting your security and compliance requirements and achieving business objectives. Contact us today to learn how we can tailor our services to your unique needs and help you achieve your goals.