RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) are two important concepts in the field of business continuity and disaster recovery planning. They are used to define the acceptable level of data loss and downtime in the event of a disaster or other disruptive event.
RPO refers to the maximum amount of data that a business can afford to lose in the event of a disaster. It is expressed in terms of time, such as "we can afford to lose up to four hours of data." RPO is used to determine the frequency at which data backups should be performed, as well as the type of backup solution that should be used.
RTO, on the other hand, refers to the maximum amount of time that a business can afford to be without access to its systems and data in the event of a disaster. It is also expressed in terms of time, such as "we can afford to be without access to our systems for up to eight hours." RTO is used to determine the level of redundancy and failover capabilities that should be implemented in a business's IT infrastructure.
Both RPO and RTO are important considerations in disaster recovery planning, as they help businesses to determine the appropriate level of protection for their systems and data. By establishing clear RPO and RTO objectives, businesses can ensure that they are prepared to recover from a disaster or other disruptive event in a timely and effective manner, with minimal impact on their operations.