Considerations for Disaster Recovery – Part 2: Compute

Disasters are unpredictable, but your response to them shouldn’t be. A well-thought-out disaster recovery (DR) plan is your best defense against unexpected disruptions. At the heart of any effective DR strategy is your compute solution. Today, I’ll walk you through the critical compute considerations for disaster recovery, focusing on performance, freedom of choice over technology, sizing, and support. Let’s dive in and ensure your DR environment is as resilient and reliable as it needs to be.

Compute Performance: Production-Grade Compute is a Must

When disaster strikes, the last thing you need is a compute bottleneck. Your DR compute resources must be production-grade, capable of handling the same workloads as your primary environment without missing a beat. It’s crucial to ensure that your disaster recovery environment can provide the same level of performance and reliability as your primary compute resources.

Key Takeaway:

• High performance: Your DR compute resources should match the performance of your primary production environment.

Compute Technology: Say No to Vendor Lock-In

Matched vendor technologies at each site can simplify management but can also lock you into a specific vendor ecosystem, limiting your flexibility. Vendor lock-in can be a double-edged sword; while it might offer seamless integration and support, it can restrict your ability to adopt new technologies or switch vendors as your needs evolve. You must maintain your freedom of choice. Being able to choose between different compute architectures, such as Intel and AMD, is essential for maintaining flexibility in your DR strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Interoperability is key: Choose compute solutions that support heterogeneous environments, allowing you to mix and match technologies.
• Flexibility matters: Ensure your DR compute can integrate with various vendor solutions, such as Intel and AMD, giving you the freedom to choose the best tools for your needs.
• Future-proof your strategy: Avoid locking into a single vendor to maintain the ability to adapt to new advancements and changes in the market.

Compute Sizing: Ensure Adequate Capacity for Extended Periods

One of the most critical aspects of DR compute resources is ensuring you have enough capacity to run your operations for an extended period. During a disaster, the duration of the recovery period can be uncertain, and underestimating your compute needs can lead to significant disruptions.

Key Takeaways:

• Thorough capacity planning: Accurately assess your compute requirements to ensure you have sufficient capacity for an extended DR scenario.
• Scalability is essential: Choose compute solutions that can easily scale up to accommodate increased workloads during a prolonged disaster.
• Plan for the unexpected: Include additional buffer capacity to handle unexpected workload spikes or increased demand.

Compute Resources: Reliable and Supported

Using old compute resources from your production environment for DR might seem like a cost-saving measure, but it often leads to unreliable recoveries and increased downtime. Outdated compute solutions may not have the necessary support, performance, or reliability to ensure a smooth recovery process.

Key Takeaways:

• Keep hardware current: Ensure your DR compute resources are up-to-date and well-maintained to avoid failures and performance bottlenecks.
• Comprehensive vendor support: Choose compute solutions that come with robust support and maintenance agreements to guarantee quick resolution of issues.
• Invest in Reliability: Opt for compute resources that offer high availability and redundancy to minimize the risk of downtime during a disaster.

How Zerto Can Help

When planning for disaster recovery, the ability to move seamlessly across different compute environments is crucial. Zerto excels in this area by offering an agnostic approach to DR, ensuring flexibility and compatibility across various platforms, whether you are using Intel or AMD architectures.

Key Takeaways:

• Compute agnosticity: Zerto supports a wide range of compute solutions, including both Intel and AMD, allowing you to choose what best fits your needs without being tied to a single vendor.
• Cross-platform flexibility: Whether you’re using VMware, Hyper-V, or other compute platforms, Zerto ensures seamless integration and mobility.
• Cloud versatility: With Zerto, you can easily migrate and protect workloads across multiple cloud providers including Azure, AWS, and more, giving you the freedom to adapt your DR strategy as your cloud needs evolve.
• Seamless failover: Zerto’s powerful orchestration and automation engine ensures that your applications are back online quickly, minimizing disruption and downtime.

Wrapping It Up

Building a robust and effective disaster recovery strategy requires meticulous planning, especially when it comes to compute solutions. By focusing on performance, freedom of choice, sizing, and reliable support, you can ensure that your DR environment is resilient, reliable, and ready to handle any disaster scenario. With Zerto’s agnostic capabilities, you can further enhance your DR strategy to ensure maximum flexibility and adaptability across various platforms.

At HPE, we understand the intricacies of disaster recovery planning and offer a range of compute solutions designed to meet the highest standards of performance and reliability. Whether you’re aiming to avoid vendor lock-in, ensure adequate capacity, or maintain up-to-date and supported hardware, our solutions are tailored to help you achieve your DR goals.

For more insights into how HPE and Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, can support your disaster recovery needs, reach out to us for a personalized consultation. Our team of experts is ready to help you design and implement a DR strategy that ensures your business remains resilient in the face of any disruption.

Chris Rogers