Modeling and Simulation of Data Protection Systems for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Abstract

In today's corporate landscape, particularly where operations rely heavily on information technologies, establishing a robust business continuity plan, including a disaster recovery strategy, is essential for ensuring swift recuperation following outages. This study presents a comparative analysis of recovery solutions, focusing on systems that operate partially or entirely within cloud environments and assessing their reliability in fulfilling organizational roles securely and dependably. Two such systems were deployed and evaluated in a real-world production setting. Key performance and reliability metrics were identified using simulation software to enhance these systems, alongside a System Dynamics analysis conducted for each. This work proposes a comprehensive framework for selecting and maintaining data protection and recovery solutions within organizational structures, outlining criteria for aligning chosen approaches with operational needs while adhering to predetermined timelines specified in business continuity and disaster recovery plans. The resulting analysis and findings offer actionable insights to guide decision-making when selecting appropriate recovery concepts.