One of the most efficient methods of disaster recovery (DR) currently available is replication. Replication is a method used by enterprises across the world in all industries to safely and securely store a near real time replica of their operating system, software and data in an off-site location. This allows those businesses to almost immediately access the replicated server should a disaster occur on-site deeming their active server unreachable or unrepairable within an acceptable timescale.
Replication is a more effective method of DR compared to alternative solutions such as NAS drives. The replicated server will be held off-premises so any natural disaster such as a flood or fire that might destroy the in-house IT equipment will have no effect on the replicated server. A disaster that includes NAS drives as well as the server means that the data contained on both would be lost simultaneously. This results in a total loss of data that is extremely difficult to recover from. In this scenario, with a replication solution in place, users would then access the replicated server and continue to work as if connected to the original server.
Of course, online back-up solutions and disk rotation strategies are available so that your data cannot be physically destroyed by fire or flood, however these back-ups will only be as current as the last back-up. These backups are likely to be from the previous evening, so you will lose all data stored that day. You will also lose the time it takes to repair or build a new server and restore your system from the back-up.