October 12, 2023

Datto 1-Click DR: Disaster Recovery Made Incredibly Quick and Easy

By Sam Roguine

In today’s hyper-connected, always-on world, businesses rely heavily on their digital infrastructure for critical operations. In such a competitive environment, even a short period of downtime due to human error, cybersecurity incident or technical failure can result in heavy financial losses, damaged reputation, data loss, unsatisfied customers, and legal penalties and fines.

As a managed service provider (MSP), you play a pivotal role in ensuring the resilience of your clients’ IT environments and business continuity. MSPs realize that disaster recovery (DR) is the linchpin of business continuity; however, many rely on manual virtual machine (VM) and network configuration, which is complex, time-consuming and error-prone, or DR runbooks that must be constantly updated and maintained to carry out DR.

In this article, we’ll discuss the consequences of extended downtime and recovery times, why quick disaster recovery is crucial, and how MSPs like you can simplify DR for your clients and ensure quick recovery from any disaster with Datto’s revolutionary 1-Click DR feature.

Implications of extended downtime and recovery times on MSPs and their clients

Extended downtime and slow recovery processes can have far-reaching consequences, such as:

Financial losses: In business, time is money; therefore, every minute of downtime directly correlates with financial losses. Your clients lose revenue, incur additional expenses for recovery efforts and may even face contractual penalties.

Tarnished brand image: Prolonged downtime can damage client reputation and erode customer trust. Customers and partners may lose faith if they perceive your MSP as unreliable, leading to churn and a loss of future business opportunities.

Data loss: Slow recovery results in business disruption and increases the risk of data loss, which can be catastrophic for clients that rely heavily on their digital assets.

Legal and regulatory issues: With regulatory requirements regarding data protection becoming more stringent, extended downtime can result in non-compliance and legal consequences.

Operational inefficiency: The effects of downtime extend much beyond financial losses. Slow recovery leading to prolonged downtime can disrupt critical business operations, causing inefficiencies that persist long after recovery from a disaster.

Why quick disaster recovery matters

According to Siemens’ The True Cost of Downtime 2022 report, hourly costs of downtime increased by at least 50% in the past two years in the sectors surveyed. Modern businesses are highly dependent on their IT systems for essential operations, communication, financial transactions, data storage and more. Any disruption to these systems can translate into revenue loss, non-compliance, penalties and even business closure.

The longer the duration of downtime or recovery time, the greater the consequences. That’s why every second matters when recovering from a disaster in today’s 24/7/365 business environment. Quick disaster recovery ensures your clients can swiftly resume their operations, allowing critical functions to continue as scheduled while mitigating the adverse effects of downtime on their business. It also shows your MSP is well-equipped to handle any disaster, which helps gain customer confidence and improve retention.

Simplify disaster recovery with the Datto 1-Click DR feature

Datto’s groundbreaking 1-Click DR feature makes disaster recovery incredibly quick and effortless — as easy as switching on a light bulb (see Figure 1). The innovative feature allows MSP technicians to clone VM and network configurations from previously conducted successful DR tests, eliminating the need to repeat manual and complex configuration processes. If a DR test is performed successfully, IT technicians can reapply the same VM and networking settings in an actual DR scenario. This substantially reduces recovery times and DR failure risks, enabling MSPs to meet even strict recovery time objectives (RTOs).

Image 1 Click DR.PNG
Figure 1. Datto 1-Click DR functionality.

Below are a few compelling reasons why Datto 1-Click DR can be a game changer for your MSP.

Saves IT time: MSP technicians waste up to 50% of time setting up each DR test due to complex VM/network configuration. Datto 1-Click DR saves time and eliminates complexity by cloning already tested VM/network configuration instead of manually repeating time-consuming configuration processes each time.

Reduces DR risks: VM or network configuration is complex and requires high precision. Even a single error can lead to DR failure or extended recovery times. The Datto 1-Click DR feature empowers IT technicians to easily repeat tested VM or network configuration, significantly reducing the chances of DR failure and recovery times.

Increases IT efficiency and reduces DR test costs: Setting up DR environments, especially networking, remains a top challenge for MSPs, resulting in infrequent testing and mistakes during disaster recovery. By cloning VM and network configuration from prior DR tests, the Datto 1-Click DR feature eliminates the need to perform complex DR runbook scripting or repeating manual configuration steps, further enhancing MSP technician efficiency while reducing DR test costs.

As an MSP, your clients entrust you with their invaluable data and the vital task of ensuring business continuity. Datto empowers MSPs like you to safeguard your clients’ business and data effectively while achieving greater margins on your services.

Get a demo today to witness how Datto 1-Click DR can enhance your MSP’s DR capabilities and boost profit margins.

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