EnsuringBusiness Continuity and Disaster Recovery with Azure Site Recovery
In a digital-first world where business never sleeps,even a few minutes of downtime can cost millions and damage reputation. That’swhy we at Multithread ICT Solutions hosted our latest Masterclass on "EnsuringBusiness Continuity and Disaster Recovery with Azure Site Recovery", apowerful session that was as much of a wake-up call as it was a hands-onlearning experience.
Setting the Stage
Our facilitator, Nora Saamaa Adu-Gyempeh, welcomed attendees with an important message: Business continuity is nolonger a luxury it is a necessity. As organizations race to digitize andscale, being prepared for unexpected disruptions whether due to cyberattacks,hardware failure, or natural disasters has become essential to survival andcompetitiveness.
This session was designed to offer more than theory.It was a deep dive into real-world solutions powered by Microsoft’s Azureecosystem, specifically Azure Site Recovery (ASR) a cloud-native service thatensures your business remains online, even in the face of disaster.
The Azure Advantage: Hands-on withDisaster Recovery
Led by our technical expert, Paul Kumi, thesession took a dynamic turn with an immersive demo-driven walkthrough of AzureSite Recovery. Paul didn't just explain how ASR works he showed it in action.
Here’s what stood out:
- Live Demo on Failover and Replication: Participants witnessed how an on-premises server, once replicated to Azure, can be spun up in the cloud within minutes using ASR. From configuring a Hyper-V host to enabling replication and executing a test failover every step was demonstrated live.
- Minimal Downtime, Maximum Control: Paul emphasized the ability of Azure Site Recovery to minimize downtime and data loss through defined Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO). It ensures you can bounce back quickly with clean backup versions even after a ransomware attack.
- Cost Efficiency by Design: One of the most eye-opening insights was how ASR saves costs. Until a failover is triggered, businesses are only billed for storage, not compute, making it far more affordable than traditional DR solutions.
- Testing Without Disruption: Azure allows you to perform test failovers without affecting the production environment, something many traditional DR platforms can’t do. That means your team can be confident that recovery works before an actual emergency hits.
Real Questions, Real Impact
The session also featured a vibrant Q&A segment where participants asked practical questions from IP configuration during failovers to understanding cost implications.
One attendee, Henry, asked about retaining IP addresses during a failover. Paul clarified that with the right virtual network configuration and a site-to-site VPN; businesses can maintain theirexisting IP structure crucial for seamless continuity.
Another participant, Michael, sought clarity on Azure billing. Paul broke it down: You only incur compute costs when the replicated VM is actually spun up during a failover. Until then, your data lives in Azure storage at a minimal cost.
The Multithread Commitment
Our Business Development Director, Edmund KojoTetteh, closed the session with a powerful message:
"We're building a cloud community one that helpsorganizations across West Africa move to the cloud in a way that’s lean,cost-effective, and future-proof."
He also announced an opportunity for interestedbusinesses to receive Proof of Concept (POC) possibly funded based ontheir readiness. It’s our way of helping you move to Azure smartly,strategically, and sustainably.
What’s Next?
If you missed the session or want to relive the insights, the recording will be made available via email and uploaded to our website and YouTube channel. Simply click on the link below to watch.
We encourage everyone to subscribe and follow us onall our social platforms to stay updated on upcoming masterclasses andopportunities.
Get in touch with us today to explore Azure Site Recovery for your organization. Let’s help you prepare for the unexpected before it happens.
MULTITHREAD!
... Do IT Right
Beatrice Affenyi