Moving to the cloud is still controversial despite the fact that 70% of all organizations already have at least one app in the ether. Enterprise migration to the cloud is predicted to explode in 2017, a clear indicator that people's comfort level with cloud security has improved a great deal.
In fact, many of these traditionally slow-to-adopt enterprise organizations are now taking advantage of cloud disaster recovery to back up crucial on-premise data functions in the event of a catastrophic failure.
If you’re still worried about your data security, let’s take a closer look at how one cloud provider has worked to mitigate the risk associated with moving to the cloud and has now become a key provider of disaster recovery services – within that secure digital framework.
Cloud Disaster Recovery – Microsoft Azure
The benefits of Azure cloud disaster recovery mirror the reasons for migrating to the cloud in the first place—namely, the pay-as-you-go model. Organizations of all sizes can take advantage of enterprise-level disaster recovery without the big costs associated with non-cloud models. You can safely replicate workflows in Azure, instead of to a secondary data center, making Azure's model the perfect foundation for any business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plan.
Azure Site Recovery (ASR) includes Microsoft’s trusted HyperV Replica functions between corporate data centers. For organizations without a redundant data center, a server is configured to see the on-premise datacenter and configured to access Azure. Just like the name suggests, it replicates data directly into the Azure cloud with minimal effort. ASR was designed to protect the most mission-critical workflows for a very minimal cost. Some of the functionality of Azure’s cloud disaster recovery service includes:
- Automated replication of your internal servers to Azure.
Whether it’s a full-flung disaster or just a surge in demand that necessitates migration, the ASR is standing by to provide backup. You can run analytics or reporting in Azure with no interruption of live on-premise activities. Or, use the ASR to test new application versions before go-live. - Remote monitoring 24/7/365.
All data is encrypted in the ASR and regularly monitored. - Customization to suit your business.
Machine automation is conducted based on what you configure. - Orchestrated disaster recovery testing with zero on-site impact.
You can control how applications will flow in the ASR process. This is important for multi-tiered, complex workflows. This process can be automated or scripted according to your needs, and it allows for manual disruption of these processes as needed.
By replicating a virtual machine, everything is protected, from an Active Director to management infrastructure to a SharePoint application. Internally built apps migrate to the ASR with no problem—the platform is app-technology agnostic.
Some enterprise organizations have been using Azure’s cloud disaster recovery service as a testing site for a full-on cloud data migration. CIO says Microsoft is working on an Azure import and export service which will allow a hard drive to be shipped to Azure to have the contents physically copied instead of waiting for an upload.
It’s clear that the Azure cloud disaster recovery option is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses that can't afford a full-blown off-site business continuity model. What's surprising is the volume of enterprise-level companies that have chosen this model; Gartner predicts cloud backups will double in the next year. To explore how Azure’s cloud disaster recovery can protect your business in the event of a catastrophe, contact us.
