The question of how far is far enough – for disaster recovery – arose after 9\/11 when a significant area of Manhattan was shut down.\u00a0 This prompted the Security and Exchange Commission to suggest that 200 miles would be appropriate between primary and secondary sites.\u00a0 But even that suggestion was questionable.<\/p>\n
Then in October 2012, the area was hit again with a different disaster \u2013 Hurricane Sandy.\u00a0 This disaster took out companies\u2019 primary data centers in New York and their backup data centers in New Jersey.\u00a0 This type of disaster displayed the need of having a disaster recovery site nearby and one far away.<\/p>\n
So how far should your disaster recovery site be?<\/p>\n
There is no one-size-fits all solution to determine the perfect distance between your disaster recovery<\/a> sites.\u00a0 However, a first step to consider is the probable threats in your geographical area.\u00a0 If your area is prone to hurricanes, than your disaster recovery location may be different that if you are in an area threatened by tornadoes.<\/p>\n For companies looking to Michigan for their disaster recovery site, 50 miles is perfectly acceptable, says Yan Ness, Online Tech Co-CEO.\u00a0 Although Michigan does have a very low probability of natural disasters, Michigan is susceptible to tornadoes.\u00a0 However, the swathe of tornado damage can be measured in hundreds of yards unlike hurricanes which is measured in miles. It certainly doesn\u2019t reach 30 or 40 miles like hurricanes do.<\/p>\n