Business continuity Kiwi insights
Backups are not disaster recovery: what recovery level does an early SaaS need?
Set recovery time, acceptable data loss, backup isolation, restoration priorities, and test cadence from the real consequences of an outage.
A backup is a retained copy of data. Disaster recovery is the tested capability to restore an acceptable service after loss or severe disruption. A team can have successful backup jobs and still be unable to recover within the time or data-loss limits its customers expect.
Define the business tolerance first
Set a recovery time objective for how long critical service can remain unavailable and a recovery point objective for how much recent data loss is tolerable. Define these per workflow where necessary. An internal reporting page and a customer transaction ledger may not justify the same recovery priority.
Build a recovery chain, not a storage checkbox
- Inventory databases, files, configuration, secrets, infrastructure definitions, queues, search indexes, and external dependencies.
- Choose backup frequency and retention that support the stated recovery point.
- Separate and protect copies so the same mistake, compromised credential, or destructive event cannot remove production and recovery data together.
- Document restoration order, access, contacts, dependencies, and customer communication.
- Identify data that can be rebuilt and prove how long rebuilding takes.
Test restoration into a safe environment
AWS reliability guidance states that recovery paths should be tested and that backups alone do not provide a complete disaster-recovery strategy. Run restore exercises with representative scale, verify integrity and application behavior, measure elapsed time and data loss, and record gaps. Do not overwrite production merely to demonstrate a test.
Review after material change
New regions, storage systems, processors, encryption keys, schemas, and customer commitments can invalidate an old plan. Assign an owner and repeat tests at a cadence matched to risk. Report recovery capability as tested evidence, not an unqualified promise.
Kiwi can help define and automate proportionate recovery practices with an embedded team. Business-continuity policy, regulated retention, cyber insurance, and formal recovery commitments require authorized specialist and legal review.