Lecture Notes: Recovery Time and Objectives

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

• Definition:
  • RTO is the time frame required to become operational after an outage.
• Example:
  • Organization may require both database server and web server operational to consider themselves up and running.
  • The duration needed to achieve this is the RTO.

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

• Definition:
  • RPO is a point in time where the system is considered operational.
• Example:
  • Operational state may require at least 12 months of customer data available.
  • If data reloading from backups, need at least 12 months of data in the database to be operational.
  • This 12-month data requirement is the RPO.

Planning for Outages

• Consideration of average time to resolve problems:
  • Includes time for diagnosis, obtaining and installing replacement equipment, and configuring it.
• Resource Management:
  • Contracts with third parties for quick replacement equipment, e.g., within two hours.
  • Purchasing extra equipment to have on-site for immediate replacements.
  • Investing in these measures can decrease the mean time to repair.

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

• Definition:
  • MTBF is the estimated duration a system runs before another outage occurs.
• Uses:
  • Helps in risk assessment and planning for equipment reliability.
  • May be predicted by manufacturers or based on historical data.
• Calculation:
  • Calculated by dividing total uptime by the number of breakdowns.
  • Aids in understanding the risk of downtime and predicting potential issues.