# Disaster Recovery Planning & Implementation

**Environment:** Google Cloud Platform (GCP), GCS, Compute Engine, Cloud Functions, Terraform

#### **Project Overview**

A global e-commerce provider required a robust **Disaster Recovery (DR)** strategy to ensure business continuity in the event of regional failures, system corruption, or major outages. The client's goal was to meet stringent **RTO/RPO** requirements while minimizing infrastructure overhead and cost.

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#### **Objectives**

* Design a scalable, cost-efficient DR solution across multiple GCP regions.
    
* Automate snapshots, backup storage, and restoration workflows.
    
* Validate RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) through simulations.
    
* Implement monitoring, alerting, and compliance-aligned reporting.
    

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#### **Key Responsibilities & Solutions**

✅ **DR Strategy Design**

* Developed a **multi-region DR architecture** leveraging:
    
    * **GCS** for durable, geo-redundant object storage of snapshots and backups.
        
    * **Compute Engine instance templates** to allow quick VM provisioning in DR regions.
        
    * **Cloud DNS failover** for seamless traffic redirection.
        

✅ **Backup & Snapshot Automation**

* Created scheduled **automated disk snapshots** for mission-critical VM instances using **Cloud Scheduler + Cloud Functions**.
    
* Snapshots were mirrored to secondary regions using **Storage Transfer Service** and lifecycle rules for cost optimization.
    

✅ **Failover & Recovery Orchestration**

* Used **Terraform** and **Deployment Manager** templates to replicate infrastructure stacks quickly in a secondary region.
    
* Developed **runbooks** and **automation scripts** for failover initiation, minimizing human error.
    

✅ **Simulation & Validation**

* Conducted **DR simulation drills** quarterly, including:
    
    * Manual region failovers.
        
    * Data restoration validation.
        
    * Simulated app recovery under peak load conditions.
        
* Monitored performance against agreed **RTO (<2 hours)** and **RPO (<15 minutes)** targets.
    

✅ **Compliance & Reporting**

* Aligned solution with **ISO 27001** and **SOC 2** requirements.
    
* Generated DR test reports for auditors and stakeholders.
    
* Enabled alerts and audit logs for all backup/restore activities using **Cloud Logging** and **Security Command Center**.
    

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#### **Outcomes & Impact**

* Achieved **RTO of 1.5 hours** and **RPO of 10 minutes**, exceeding business SLAs.
    
* Ensured **100% data durability** with redundant regional backups.
    
* Reduced potential downtime cost by over **$500K annually**.
    
* Strengthened compliance posture with documented, testable DR workflows.
    
* Empowered the IT team with automation, reducing manual intervention during crisis events.