Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR), and High Availability(HA)

Business Continuity is a comprehensive concept that addresses all facets of businessinterruptions. It is critical to recognize that BC extends beyond technical IT considerations; non-technical processes are just as vital. Whether it’s a plumbing leak, an unanticipated eventrequiring office closure for renovations, or an internet outage, we must have robust strategies inplace to guarantee that your business continues delivering essential services to clients.

High Availability (HA) is a non-negotiable requirement for IT solutions. A highly available system is engineered for automatic recovery from disruptions. For any critical systems that your business relies on, especially those client-facing, fault tolerance must be a priority. When HA is implemented correctly, the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) must be zero (indicating zero dataloss), and the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) should be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Disaster Recovery (DR) is a pivotal technical concept within IT solutions. A system designed with DR capabilities ensures recovery in the event of a disaster. This recovery process should be deliberate and initiated only after comprehensive assessment; it is not to be automated. When DR is executed effectively, the RPO may approach zero (to limit data loss), while the RTO will typically be higher. We must establish the RPO and RTO proactively through thorough discussions with every stakeholder involved. Moreover, due to the critical implications of DR systems, we mandate regular DR tests—annually or biennially—to ensure confidence in our processes and setups among administrators and stakeholders alike.