We just went through our required annual DR exercise. Databases were restored to a geographically-separated alternate location and applications were recovered at that site. I'm not in an industry where we can "wait for the cloud to come back up."

Businesses need to decide on recovery architecture when considering a cloud-based solution. Cloud services do not eliminate the need for or the cost of maintaining disaster recovery facilities, be they in-house or with another provider (separate from the main provider).

Net-based providers that claim disaster recovery capability had best be able and prepared to exercise on my schedule and fulfill my mandated RTOs, or they're out of the mix.

Cloud services have been touted as a magic bullet that reduces costs and eliminates the need for infrastructure and resources. When it comes to critical application support and protection, nothing could be further from the truth.