Disaster Recovery as a Service: tested failover, tested restore, tested RTO.
DRaaS replaces the "we have backups" wishful thinking with a tested, measurable disaster recovery capability. Continuous replication of your servers and workloads to Azure, scripted failover, scheduled failover-drills, documented runbooks, and a written RTO / RPO commitment. When a real disaster hits, you do not learn whether your DR works; you have already proven it works.
- 15minRPO target
- 4hrRTO target
- QuarterlyFailover drills
- AzureRecovery region
Six DRaaS functions, operated and tested as a managed service.
Continuous replication to Azure
Azure Site Recovery (or equivalent) replicates VMs and physical workloads continuously to a paired Azure region. RPO target: 15 minutes for tier-1 workloads, 1 hour for tier-2, 24 hours for tier-3. Replication health monitored 24/7.
Scripted failover orchestration
Failover triggers are scripted, not manual. Database, app, web tier brought up in correct sequence. DNS cutover automated. Connectivity to recovery network pre-configured. Failover time target: 4 hours RTO for tier-1, 24 hours for tier-2.
Documented runbooks
Every workload has a written runbook: prerequisites, failover steps, failback steps, contact tree, escalation chain. Runbooks tested in drills, not written and filed. Survives the senior engineer being on leave.
Quarterly failover drills
Live tabletop and partial failover drill quarterly. Tier-1 workloads actually failed over to recovery region (in isolated network, no production impact). RTO measured, runbooks updated, learnings captured.
Immutable backup integration
DR replicates the running state; backup preserves point-in-time copies. Both layered: replication for fast RTO, immutable backup for ransomware recovery. Backups stored in separate tenant with WORM lock; recovery tested quarterly.
Real-incident invocation
If a real disaster hits (data centre fire, ransomware, cloud-region outage, regional power event), our team triggers failover on your call. P1 invocation: engineer engaged in 5 minutes, failover started within 30 minutes, services back online within RTO commitment.
Four reasons UAE buyers route DR through us.
Tested RTO and RPO, not just claimed
Quarterly drills are part of the service. Your RTO and RPO are measured, not assumed. The drill report is the audit-evidence pack regulators (DFSA, ADGM, DHA, NESA) ask for under their resilience and business-continuity controls.
Azure-native DR, not patched-together
Azure Site Recovery is purpose-built for the workload patterns most UAE businesses run (VMware, Hyper-V, physical Windows / Linux). Native integration with Azure Backup, Azure Monitor, and Defender for Cloud means one console, one operations team.
Written commitment in the MSA
RPO 15 minutes, RTO 4 hours, drill frequency quarterly, runbook update cadence. All written into the contract. Service credits apply if drill RTO is missed.
Layered with immutable backup (ransomware-resilient)
Replication-based DR alone does not survive ransomware (encrypted data replicates as encrypted). We layer immutable backup with WORM lock so you have a clean recovery point even if production and replica are both encrypted.
Six profiles where DRaaS is the right answer.
DFSA, ADGM-licensed firms
Financial regulators require tested DR with documented RTO / RPO. DRaaS provides the evidence.
DHA, DOH-licensed healthcare
EMR, patient scheduling, clinical apps cannot be down for more than a few hours.
Multi-branch retailers
POS-dependent operations; checkout down means revenue down. Fast failover required for peak periods.
Manufacturing operations
ERP, MES, plant-floor systems. Production halt cost makes fast RTO commercially critical.
Tech and SaaS companies
Customer-facing platforms. Downtime visible externally; revenue and reputation both at stake.
Schools and universities
Student-information system, learning platforms during exam periods; specific zero-downtime windows.
Four approaches, four cost-and-resilience profiles.
| Feature | GR DRaaS | On-prem secondary DC | Backup only (no DR) | DIY Azure Site Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RPO target | 15 min | 15 min - 1 hr | 24 hr (last backup) | Variable |
RTO target | 4 hr | 4-12 hr | Days | Variable, often unknown |
Quarterly drills included | Self-managed | Self-managed | ||
Scripted failover | Manual usually | N/A | Need to script yourself | |
Ransomware-resilient (immutable layer) | If designed in | Only if backup immutable | If configured | |
Managed by provider | Provider does backup only | |||
CapEx required | None | High (hardware + colo) | Backup storage only | None |
Suitable for regulator audit | If documented and drilled | Limited | If documented and drilled | |
Real-incident invocation support | In-house | Limited | In-house |
From discovery to first quarterly drill in 8 weeks.
- 1
Discovery and workload tiering
2 weeks
Workload inventory. Each workload tiered: tier-1 (15-min RPO, 4-hr RTO), tier-2 (1-hr RPO, 24-hr RTO), tier-3 (24-hr RPO, multi-day RTO). Business owner sign-off on tiering and stated tolerance for downtime.
- 2
Azure target deployment
2 weeks
Recovery region selected (typically UAE Central or paired region). Recovery network mirrored, identity federation, security baseline applied, monitoring connected to Sentinel.
- 3
Replication and runbook authoring
3 weeks
Replication agents deployed to source workloads, initial sync completed. Per-workload runbooks authored. DNS-cutover plan tested. Failover-orchestration scripts written.
- 4
First failover drill
1 week
Tier-1 workloads actually failed over in an isolated network. RTO measured. Runbooks refined. Drill report becomes the first quarterly artefact. From now on the cadence is sustained.
“We had backups but had never tested a full failover. When our primary data centre lost cooling for nine hours during summer 2025, we spent that nine hours arguing about what to do. Production came back, just barely. That experience convinced us DRaaS was not optional. GR onboarded us in 7 weeks. The first quarterly drill measured our actual RTO at 3.5 hours, which is now the number we commit to internally. Next time something happens we will not be arguing.”
What buyers ask before engaging.
Book a DRaaS scoping call and get a tiered workload assessment.
A 30-minute scoping call covers your workloads, tolerance for downtime, regulator obligations, and target onboarding date. Output: tiered workload list with RPO / RTO targets and a written proposal.
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