How long can a system run as a failover operation if the failback process is delayed?

This is really a matter of the operations, availability and the performance level of the disaster recovery (DR) center and the ability of your staff to support ongoing operations of a remote facility. None of those aspects should be overlooked. Yet, even with the amount of time you spend at a failover operation, its potential implications are often overlooked.

Organizations should consider their DR capabilities in the context of the impact on staff and the long-term availability of the DR center. An extended outage or a far-removed facility may be impossible for you to support with your existing staff. Or, frankly, your staff just may not be available if you have a severe local disaster.

So how much can be automated to that center, in a lights-out, totally unmanaged fashion to allow failover to operate for an extended period? Also, what is the cost?

Check out the entire failover and failback operations FAQ guide.

This was first published in August 2008

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