How Backup Software Fits into IBM i Disaster Recovery Planning

Backup software is a DR input, not a DR plan

A backup platform can look healthy in daily operations and still fail during a real outage if the offsite copy is incomplete, the restore order is unclear, or the business expects faster recovery than the software and architecture can deliver. Disaster recovery planning is where backup software gets tested by reality, not by job logs.

Questions to ask about the software's DR role

Before assuming backup software is DR-ready, buyers should confirm it against the recovery targets the business has actually approved, not the targets a vendor's marketing implies.

• Can the software restore full application state, not just data libraries?
• Is the offsite copy current enough to meet the approved recovery point?
• Has the team tested a restore into the actual DR target environment?
• Does the software integrate with the documented DR runbook and escalation process?

Treat DR readiness as a recurring evaluation, not a one-time checkbox

Disaster recovery testing should follow a formal schedule, with critical workloads justifying at least an annual full exercise and more frequent partial validation. Backup software that cannot support that testing cadence without disrupting production is a weaker DR fit than its feature list might suggest.