Organizations handle database recovery in disaster recovery (DR) through several key methods and practices designed to restore data integrity and business operations. At the core, recovery strategies usually involve regular data backups, replication, and failover systems. By maintaining up-to-date backups of databases, organizations can restore information to a specific point in time before a disaster occurred, whether that’s due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or natural disasters. These backups can be stored on-site or in off-site locations, and increasingly in cloud storage, providing flexibility and added security.
In addition to backups, many organizations implement database replication, which involves copying data from the primary database to a secondary one in real-time or near-real time. This means that if there’s an issue with the primary database, the organization can switch to the replicated database with minimal downtime. For example, some organizations use a primary-active, secondary-passive model where transactions occur on the primary database, and any changes are asynchronously sent to the secondary database. This setup is particularly useful for critical applications that require high availability and minimal data loss.
Finally, organizations often establish a well-defined disaster recovery plan (DRP), which includes specific procedures for database recovery. This plan typically outlines the roles and responsibilities of team members, the steps needed to restore services, and the necessary resources to facilitate recovery. Regular testing of the DRP is also important—simulating scenarios where database recovery is needed helps ensure that the process works smoothly and that staff are familiar with their roles during a real disaster. By combining backups, replication, and a tested DRP, organizations can effectively manage database recovery and minimize the impact of disasters on their operations.