3 ms·

This isn't necessarily directed at you, but I frequently see products which have no disaster recovery because they can't get something that seems good enough, c

by lotyrin 11y ago

This isn't necessarily directed at you, but I frequently see products which have no disaster recovery because they can't get something that seems good enough, contrary to any economical reasoning about what "good enough" is. It doesn't always have to be complicated. Chances are It'll probably feel more like grunt work than rocket science. Look up Disaster Recovery Metrics. You set an RTO (recovery time objective -- how long it takes to recover) and RPO (how much history is lost when recovering) based on what's needed for your project and feasible to implement. Feasibility of disaster recovery strategy = Cost to implement strategy + Cost of losing data back to the strategy RPO + Cost of losing business during strategy RTO < Cost to business of riding out probable disaster Pick the fastest/cheapest feasible strategy, implement it. Then once your ass is covered, pick the one with the greatest expected value and implement that. If you wait until you can design and are given resources to implement a 5-nines available strategy with sub-milisecond RTO and RPO (which seems to be a popular tendency of developers), disaster will strike before it happens.

pbowyer 11y ago
Great advice, thanks. I am one of those developers who chases after "a 5-nines available strategy with sub-milisecond RTO and RPO" - because that's what the suits want, and I get treated like an idiot in meetings where I say it's not possible/not cost-effective. And, y'know, because it would be really cool if I managed to ;-)
- nickpsecurity 11y ago
  Try this. Tell them there are three models that regularly achieved five 9's with low latency for over a decade each. Each with clustered or HA configuration over dedicated lines. List them as such: 1. IBM mainframes. 2. HP NonStop systems. 3. OpenVMS clusters on SMP machines. Give them the prices of systems and rare labor for each. Then, show them the price of a three to four 9's solution with Linux that has three to four less 0's. Mention how many extra bonuses, err business investments, they could make with such savings. At this point, they might treat you like an idiot for not buying the cheaper route. Maybe even enthusiastic about your business savvy approach. ;)

by lotyrin 11y ago

pbowyer 11y ago

Great advice, thanks. I am one of those developers who chases after "a 5-nines available strategy with sub-milisecond RTO and RPO" - because that's what the suits want, and I get treated like an idiot in meetings where I say it's not possible/not cost-effective. And, y'know, because it would be really cool if I managed to ;-)

nickpsecurity 11y ago
Try this. Tell them there are three models that regularly achieved five 9's with low latency for over a decade each. Each with clustered or HA configuration over dedicated lines. List them as such: 1. IBM mainframes. 2. HP NonStop systems. 3. OpenVMS clusters on SMP machines. Give them the prices of systems and rare labor for each. Then, show them the price of a three to four 9's solution with Linux that has three to four less 0's. Mention how many extra bonuses, err business investments, they could make with such savings. At this point, they might treat you like an idiot for not buying the cheaper route. Maybe even enthusiastic about your business savvy approach. ;)