Your software is live. Business depends on it. What happens when something goes catastrophically wrong?
Disaster recovery isn't paranoia — it's professionalism.
What Can Go Wrong
Technical Disasters
- Server failure
- Database corruption
- Security breach
- Data center outage
- Catastrophic bug
- Ransomware attack
Human Disasters
- Accidental data deletion
- Configuration mistake
- Vendor goes out of business
- Key person leaves
- Credential compromise
External Disasters
- Third-party service failure
- API changes breaking integration
- Payment processor outage
- Natural disaster affecting infrastructure
The question isn't if something will go wrong. It's when.
The Disaster Recovery Plan
1. Identify Critical Systems
What actually needs to be protected?
- Core business application
- Customer data
- Transaction history
- Configuration settings
- Integration credentials
Prioritize: What's essential vs. nice to have?
2. Define Recovery Objectives
RTO (Recovery Time Objective): How long can you be down?
- 1 hour = need hot standby
- 4 hours = need quick restore capability
- 24 hours = can work from backups
- Days = low criticality
RPO (Recovery Point Objective): How much data can you lose?
- 0 = need real-time replication
- 1 hour = need hourly backups
- 24 hours = daily backups acceptable
- More = very low data criticality
These drive the solution and cost.
3. Backup Strategy
What to back up:
- Database (always)
- User-uploaded files
- Configuration
- Code (version control)
- Credentials (secure storage)
Backup types:
- Full backup (complete copy)
- Incremental (only changes since last backup)
- Differential (changes since last full)
Frequency: Based on RPO. If you can't lose more than 1 hour, back up hourly.
Location:
- Different server (protects against server failure)
- Different region (protects against regional outage)
- Different provider (protects against provider failure)
The 3-2-1 Rule:
- 3 copies of data
- 2 different storage types
- 1 offsite location
4. Recovery Procedures
Document exactly how to recover:
For database restoration:
- Access backup location
- Download backup file
- Stop application
- Restore database
- Verify data
- Restart application
- Test functionality
For full system recovery:
- Provision new infrastructure
- Deploy code
- Restore database
- Configure integrations
- Update DNS
- Verify functionality
Document it clearly enough that someone could follow it without the author.
5. Test the Plan
A plan that isn't tested isn't a plan.
Regular testing:
- Quarterly restore tests
- Annual full recovery drill
- Test after any significant change
What to verify:
- Backups are actually happening
- Backups can actually be restored
- Recovery meets time objectives
- Documentation is accurate
6. Communication Plan
During a disaster, who needs to know what?
- Internal escalation chain
- Customer communication plan
- Vendor contact information
- Status page or notification system
Have templates ready. Don't compose messages during crisis.
Backup Best Practices
Automate Everything
Manual backups don't happen. Automated backups do.
Verify Backups
A backup you haven't tested might be corrupt. Regular restore verification is essential.
Encrypt Backups
Backups contain sensitive data. Encrypt at rest and in transit.
Monitor Backup Health
Know immediately if backups fail.
Retention Policy
How long to keep backups?
- Recent backups for quick recovery
- Periodic archives for point-in-time restoration
- Compliance requirements may dictate
Secure Backup Access
Backup credentials are high-value targets. Protect them.
Common Disaster Recovery Mistakes
"We Have Backups"
Do you? Have you checked? Can you restore from them?
Backing Up the Wrong Things
Database backed up, but not the uploaded files. Or vice versa.
Same Location as Primary
Backup on the same server. Server fails, backup gone.
Untested Procedures
Plan exists but never tested. Discover it doesn't work during actual disaster.
No Documentation
The one person who knows how to restore is on vacation.
Ignoring Third-Party Dependencies
Your app works, but your payment processor integration credentials are lost.
What to Ask Your Vendor
- "How is data backed up?" (Frequency, location, type)
- "How long would recovery take?" (RTO)
- "How much data could we lose?" (RPO)
- "Can I see the recovery procedure?" (Documentation)
- "When was recovery last tested?" (Verification)
- "Who can perform recovery?" (Not just one person)
- "What happens if you're unavailable?" (Independence)
Minimum Viable Disaster Recovery
For small projects, at minimum:
- Daily automated backups to a different location
- Documented recovery procedure (tested at least once)
- Credentials stored securely and accessible
- Someone besides the vendor who can restore
This isn't gold-plated disaster recovery. It's the floor.
The Cost of Not Planning
Without disaster recovery:
- Hours or days of downtime
- Data loss (potentially permanent)
- Customer trust damage
- Revenue loss
- Potential legal liability
The cost of basic disaster recovery is trivial compared to the cost of an unrecoverable disaster.
We build with recovery in mind from day one. Let's talk about protecting your investment