1. Hosting Environment
Vortex IQ’s application is deployed across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure, leveraging the robust and scalable infrastructures of these providers. This multi-cloud approach ensures high availability, data protection, regulatory compliance, and rapid recovery of business-critical systems. Each platform provides a broad set of disaster recovery features that together form the foundation of Vortex IQ’s continuity strategy.
2. Disaster Recovery Topology
- Multi-Cloud, Multi-Region Architecture
Vortex IQ operates in multiple regions across AWS (US-East, EU-West), GCP (US-Central, Europe-West), and Azure (East US, West Europe). This geo-redundant, multi-cloud topology minimises the risk of downtime due to provider-specific or regional failures. Critical workloads and applications are replicated across clouds and regions for seamless continuity. - Data Replication and Backup
Business-critical data, including application databases and user data, is continuously replicated using native services such as Amazon RDS/S3, Google Cloud SQL/Cloud Storage, and Azure SQL Database/Blob Storage. Automated daily backups are securely stored with encryption at rest and in transit, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with industry standards. - Automated Failover and Load Balancing
Traffic distribution and failover are managed via AWS Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), Google Cloud Load Balancer, and Azure Front Door. In the event of a regional outage, traffic is automatically rerouted to healthy environments, ensuring uninterrupted service availability and minimal downtime. - Monitoring and Alerting
System health and performance are continuously monitored using Amazon CloudWatch, Google Cloud Monitoring, and Azure Monitor. These tools provide proactive alerts, trigger automated failovers, and supply detailed metrics on infrastructure, applications, and user experience.
3. Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)
- RTO (Recovery Time Objective): The maximum acceptable downtime for critical business functions is 4 hours. Multi-region deployments and automated failover mechanisms ensure restoration within this timeframe.
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective): The maximum acceptable data loss is 1 hour, achieved through real-time replication and frequent incremental backups across all cloud providers.
4. Recovery Strategy
- Active-Active Configuration:
Vortex IQ runs an active-active disaster recovery model, with services continuously available across primary and secondary regions in AWS, GCP, and Azure. This design ensures immediate failover without noticeable service interruption. - Failover and Failback
DNS-based failover is managed through AWS Route 53, Google Cloud DNS, and Azure DNS. In a disaster, traffic is automatically redirected to backup regions. Once the primary environment is stabilised, controlled failback procedures restore operations with minimal disruption.
5. Security and Compliance
- Data Encryption:
All sensitive data is encrypted at rest and in transit using provider-specific key management services (AWS KMS, Google Cloud KMS, Azure Key Vault) and SSL/TLS protocols for secure communications. - Regulatory Compliance:
Vortex IQ’s environments adhere to GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other relevant standards, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for data protection across all operating regions.
6. Disaster Recovery Testing and Continuous Improvement
- Regular Testing:
Full disaster recovery tests are performed every 6 months, simulating real-world scenarios such as regional outages, database corruption, or cloud service disruption. These exercises validate the effectiveness of failover mechanisms, backups, and communication protocols. - Post-Test Review:
After each test, a comprehensive review is conducted to document recovery times, identify improvements, and update the DRP. Lessons learned feed into continuous improvement efforts to ensure the plan evolves alongside infrastructure changes.
7. Communication and Reporting
- Disaster Recovery Communication:
In the event of a disruption, automated alerts are sent through AWS SNS, Google Pub/Sub, and Azure Service Bus, notifying internal teams, customers, and key third-party partners. Updates are disseminated via Slack, email, and other communication channels. - Reporting and Documentation:
Following each disaster recovery test or real incident, detailed reports are produced outlining recovery timelines, remediation steps, and outcomes. Reports are archived for compliance and used to refine processes over time.
Summary
By leveraging a multi-cloud, multi-region architecture across AWS, GCP, and Azure, Vortex IQ ensures business continuity with redundant systems, real-time data replication, automated failover, and proactive monitoring. This disaster recovery plan guarantees resilience, regulatory compliance, and reliable service delivery under any disruption scenario.
