Disaster Recovery Readiness

Overview

Disaster Recovery (DR) readiness is not just about having backups—it's about having tested, documented, and validated procedures that ensure your organization can recover critical systems and resume operations quickly after catastrophic events. Soteria Cloud's DR readiness solution, built on Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud and hosted in Teraco's Johannesburg and Cape Town data centers, provides South African organizations with comprehensive disaster recovery capabilities, regular testing, and compliance documentation to ensure business continuity when disasters strike.

The Business Case for DR Readiness

Organizations without tested disaster recovery plans face severe consequences:

Extended Downtime - Average recovery time without DR plan: 3-7 days or longer
Revenue Loss - Downtime costs average R100,000+ per hour for medium businesses
Data Loss - Without proper RPO, organizations lose hours or days of critical data
Compliance Violations - Many regulations require tested DR capabilities
Reputation Damage - Extended outages erode customer trust and confidence
Business Failure - 40% of businesses never reopen after major disasters without DR

Soteria Cloud's DR Readiness Framework

1. DR Planning & Design

Business Impact Analysis - Identify critical systems and acceptable downtime/data loss
RPO/RTO Definition - Define Recovery Point Objectives and Recovery Time Objectives for each system
Priority Classification - Categorize systems by criticality (Tier 1: minutes, Tier 2: hours, Tier 3: days)
Dependency Mapping - Document system dependencies and recovery sequences
DR Runbook Creation - Detailed step-by-step recovery procedures for each scenario

2. DR Infrastructure

Dual Data Center Architecture - Primary and secondary sites in Teraco Johannesburg and Cape Town
Automated Replication - Continuous or scheduled replication between sites
Instant Restore Capability - Boot servers from cloud storage within minutes
Network Remapping - Automated IP address and DNS reconfiguration during failover
Compute Resources - On-demand compute capacity for running failed systems in the cloud

3. Regular DR Testing

Non-Disruptive Testing - Test DR procedures without impacting production systems
Scheduled Test Cadence - Quarterly or semi-annual DR tests as required by compliance
Automated Test Execution - Orchestrated testing reduces manual effort and errors
Test Documentation - Detailed reports of test results, issues, and remediation
Continuous Improvement - Refine DR procedures based on test findings

4. Compliance & Reporting

DR Test Reports - Documented evidence of successful DR tests for auditors
RTO/RPO Validation - Demonstrate achievement of recovery objectives
Audit Trails - Complete logs of DR activities and changes
Executive Dashboards - Board-level visibility into DR readiness status

How DR Readiness Works

Phase 1: Assessment (Week 1-2)

Soteria Cloud works with your team to identify critical systems
Define RPO/RTO targets for each system based on business requirements
Document system dependencies and recovery priorities
Create initial DR runbooks

Phase 2: Implementation (Week 3-6)

Deploy Acronis agents to all critical systems
Configure backup policies aligned with RPO targets
Set up replication between Teraco JHB and CPT data centers
Configure DR orchestration and network remapping
Validate initial backups and replication

Phase 3: Initial DR Test (Week 7-8)

Schedule non-disruptive DR test
Execute failover procedures according to runbooks
Validate system functionality in DR environment
Measure actual RTO/RPO against targets
Document findings and refine procedures

Phase 4: Ongoing Operations

Continuous backup and replication
Quarterly or semi-annual DR tests
Regular runbook updates as systems change
Compliance reporting for audits
24/7 monitoring and alerting

DR Testing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Server Failure Test

Objective: Validate ability to recover critical application server
Procedure: Initiate instant restore of server from latest backup
Success Criteria: Server boots and application is accessible within 15 minutes (RTO)
Outcome: RTO met; application fully functional; test documented

Scenario 2: Data Center Outage Test

Objective: Validate failover from JHB to CPT data center
Procedure: Execute orchestrated failover of all Tier 1 systems to CPT
Success Criteria: All critical systems operational within 1 hour
Outcome: Successful failover; minor network configuration issue identified and resolved

Scenario 3: Ransomware Recovery Test

Objective: Validate recovery from simulated ransomware attack
Procedure: Restore file server to point-in-time before simulated encryption
Success Criteria: All files restored to clean state within 30 minutes
Outcome: Complete recovery achieved; zero data loss

DR Readiness Maturity Levels

Level 1: Basic Backup

Regular backups exist but no tested recovery procedures
Recovery is manual and time-consuming
RTO: Days, RPO: 24 hours
Risk: High - untested recovery may fail when needed

Level 2: Documented DR

DR procedures documented but infrequently tested
Manual failover processes
RTO: Hours to days, RPO: Hours
Risk: Medium - procedures may be outdated or incomplete

Level 3: Tested DR (Soteria Cloud Standard)

Regular DR testing (quarterly or semi-annual)
Automated failover and orchestration
RTO: Minutes to hours, RPO: Minutes to hours
Risk: Low - proven recovery capabilities

Level 4: Continuous DR

Continuous replication and automated failover
Near-zero RPO, minimal RTO
Active-active or hot standby configurations
Risk: Very Low - immediate failover capability

Compliance Requirements

Many regulations and standards require DR readiness:

ISO 27001 - Business continuity planning and testing (A.17)
POPIA - Appropriate technical measures to protect personal information
PCI-DSS - Data backup and disaster recovery procedures
HIPAA - Contingency planning and disaster recovery for healthcare data
Cyber Insurance - Insurers increasingly require tested DR capabilities
SOC 2 - Availability commitments require DR testing

Key Benefits

Confidence - Know your recovery procedures work before disasters occur
Compliance - Meet regulatory requirements for DR testing and documentation
Reduced Downtime - Tested procedures enable faster recovery
Lower Risk - Identify and resolve DR issues proactively
Insurance Benefits - Demonstrated DR readiness may reduce cyber insurance premiums
Competitive Advantage - DR readiness differentiates your organization from competitors

Best Practices

Test DR procedures at least quarterly; more frequently for critical systems
Include all stakeholders in DR tests (IT, business units, management)
Document every DR test with detailed reports and lessons learned
Update DR runbooks whenever systems or infrastructure change
Automate as much of the DR process as possible to reduce human error
Validate both technical recovery and business process continuity
Maintain communication plans for notifying stakeholders during disasters
Store DR documentation in multiple locations (not just on systems being protected)

Why Choose Soteria Cloud for DR Readiness

Local Infrastructure - Dual data centers in Teraco JHB and CPT provide geographic redundancy within SA
Proven Platform - Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud trusted by millions for DR
Expert Guidance - Soteria Cloud's team assists with DR planning, testing, and optimization
Compliance Support - DR test reports and documentation for audits
Predictable Costs - Pay-as-you-go DR infrastructure with no capital investment
24/7 Support - Local support team available when disasters strike