To conclude the discussion about BC/DR KPIs optimization, let’s talk about Recovery Window and System Redundancy.
Both are very dependent on how much resources you can allocate to you BC/DR solution, so the KPI optimization essentially boils down to optimizing the value you get for the price.
This became even more critical with the advent of the Cloud, since every gigabyte you allocate will be multiplied by the number of downstream environments, and eventually and will eventually blob the Cloud paycheck significantly.
The general guidelines here are:
- Be very cautious with auto-scale technologies. Remember, sometimes what is allocated once can’t be taken back.
- Use incremental backups. Full backups are good for decreasing RTO but can drastically increase space usage.
- Consider implementing compression to save storage space.
- Use cheaper, archive-class storage for older data that you don’t need immediate access to. Leverage Cloud offerings (Like AWS Glacier) or tape technologies.
- Don’t forget to do system housekeeping, including optimizing your database space usage — make sure the gigabytes allocated are actually used.
- Apply resiliency-based techniques that I mentioned in the previous posts: cold standby, multiplexing to minimize resiliency cost.
