Strategies for Mitigating Enterprise Risks Arising from Geographical Separation
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the importance of disaster recovery (DR) strategies has never been more crucial. As organizations grapple with the complexities of data management and business continuity, new technologies and strategies are emerging to address these challenges.
Traditionally, metro-connected sites have been utilised for failover continuity due to their low delta synchronicity requirements. However, these sites are not sufficient or suitable for DR purposes. The reason being, DR data centres are strategically placed outside the circle of disruption, a concept that can vary depending on the type of disaster.
Hurricane Sandy, for instance, challenged the traditional perception of what constitutes a typical circle of disruption in DR planning. The hurricane, which caused approximately $75 billion worth of damage and covered hundreds of miles of the East Coast of the USA, highlighted the need for DR data centres to be located far apart. Consequently, many organisations are now considering DR sites to be hundreds of miles away to ensure business survival.
The appropriate distance between two disaster recovery data centres to ensure business continuity in case of a nearby incident typically ranges from 50 to 200 kilometers. This balance is struck between the risk of regional disasters and the latency for data replication. In the past, data centres were kept on average 30 miles apart, but today the radius can be up to 100 miles or more.
However, a lack of technology and resources is often the reason why data centres are placed close to each other within a circle of disruption. To mitigate this, self-configuring optimized networks (SCIONs) are being employed. SCIONs, like the one used by CVS Healthcare, learn and make decisions based on network state and data flow within a microsecond, reducing latency significantly.
For instance, CVS Healthcare, using a SCION solution, was able to reduce a 12-hour 50GB backup to just 45 minutes. If they had a 10GB pipe, the whole process would have taken just 27 seconds. Moreover, machine intelligence enabled CVS Healthcare to perform full 430GB backups on a nightly basis in just four hours.
Creating a risk matrix can help organisations assess the issues that could cause any disruption and address any red flags as they arise. This proactive approach can help ensure business continuity by identifying potential threats and taking appropriate measures to mitigate them.
It's important to note that the circle of disruption can include natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, or fires, as well as human-caused calamities. Ideally, DR data centres should be located on different tectonic plates to avoid the risk posed by earthquakes.
In conclusion, the placement of disaster recovery data centres is a critical aspect of business continuity planning. By understanding the factors that influence the circle of disruption and employing advanced technologies like SCIONs, organisations can ensure their data and operations remain resilient in the face of any disaster.
Claire Buchanan, CCO of Bridgeworks, sourced this information.
