Search
Close this search box.

BMR vs. Replication: Choosing Your Disaster Recovery Path Based on RTOs

When it comes to disaster recovery, the speed at which you can recover systems, often defined as your Recovery Time Objective (RTO), is crucial for minimizing downtime and its associated costs. Cristie Software offers two powerful tools to meet your RTO goals:
  • Bare Machine Recovery (BMR): Restores entire systems from image-based backups, including the operating system, applications, and data. BMR can be added to your existing backup solution from Rubrik, Cohesity, Dell Technologies or IBM; alternatively our standalone option (CBMR) can provide a complete backup and recovery solution.
  • CloneManager Replication: Replicates running systems continuously, providing near real-time copies for rapid failover. Source and target systems can be of any platform type, physical, virtual or cloud.

Which One Is Right for You?

The best choice depends on your specific RTOs and business priorities:

When to Choose BMR:

  • Less Aggressive RTOs: If you can tolerate some downtime during recovery (minutes rather than seconds).
  • Cost-consciousness: BMR can be a more budget-friendly option compared to continuous replication solutions, although we do offer offline replication which does not require a running standby system.
  • Flexibility: Restore to different hardware or platforms if needed, giving you versatility during the recovery process.

When to Choose CloneManager Replication:

  • Demanding RTOs: When every second of downtime matters, replication offers near real-time failover, ensuring business continuity.
  • Critical Systems: Protect high-priority systems that cannot afford extended downtime.
  • Automated Failover: Minimize manual intervention and speed up recovery with automated failover capabilities.

Considerations:

  • Data Loss Tolerance: Replication generally has a lower Recovery Point Objective (RPO), minimizing data loss during a disaster.
  • Cost vs. Downtime: Weigh the cost of continuous replication against the potential financial impact of extended downtime.
  • Hybrid Approach: Many organizations use BMR for large scale system recovery paired with replication for the most critical systems, achieving a balance of protection and cost-effectiveness. Physical systems typically require manual intervention during recovery which can extend downtime considerably when attempting to recover physical systems at scale. Cristie Software have solved this challenge through automation features which can eliminate manual intervention from physical system recovery.

The Cristie Difference:

Both of Cristie’s solutions offer advantages including:
  • Wide Platform Support: Recover across physical, virtual, and cloud environments.
  • Automated Workflows: Simplify your recovery processes with automation and orchestration capabilities.
  • Testing and Verification: Ensure that your DR plans work with built-in testing tools.

Which Path Will You Take?

By understanding your recovery needs, you can make an informed choice between robust BMR capabilities and the speed of system replication. Cristie Software has solutions to meet your specific goals.
Schedule an informal call to discuss how we can design a recovery solution that aligns with your RTOs and business objectives!

Contact Us

Thank you for contacting us. We have received your request.