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Cloud Solutions
Azure Site Recovery and DR Replication in the UAE
Disaster recovery replication continuously copies servers to a secondary location so they can be started there if the primary site or region fails. emtech implements Azure Site Recovery, Zerto and Arcserve replication for UAE organisations, including in-country DR between UAE North and UAE Central, and runs recovery tests that prove applications come back in the right order.
- UAE North to UAE Central
- Recovery plans tested
- Azure, Zerto or Arcserve
Platforms we deliver
- Azure Site Recovery
- Arcserve RHA
- Zerto
Updated · emtech Computer Co LLC
1993Established in the UAE ISO/IEC 20000-1Certified service management Dubai · Abu DhabiLocal teams
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- 1993Established in the UAE
Is this for you
Signs you need disaster recovery replication
If two or more of these sound familiar, a short conversation with a specialist usually saves time and cost later.
- 01There is no second site if the server room is lost
- 02The DR plan exists on paper but has never been tested
- 03Critical systems must be back within hours, not days
- 04A secondary data centre contract is up for renewal
- 05Regulators or the board ask for evidence of recovery capability
Scope
What is included
DR architecture
Target region or site, networking, identity, DNS and capacity design
Replication setup
Azure Site Recovery, Zerto or Arcserve configured for each protected server
Recovery plans
Ordered start-up groups, scripts and manual steps for multi-tier applications
Network failover design
IP addressing, VPN or ExpressRoute paths and DNS changes for the DR site
Test failover
Isolated tests that do not interrupt production replication, with results recorded
Runbook
Step-by-step invocation, failback and communication procedures
Ongoing health checks
Replication monitoring, capacity review and re-testing after changes
Azure Site Recovery, Zerto and Arcserve RHA compared
All three replicate servers for disaster recovery, but they suit different estates and recovery targets.
| Azure Site Recovery | Zerto (HPE) | Arcserve Replication and High Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Azure VMs between regions; VMware VMs, Hyper-V VMs and physical servers to Azure | VMware and Hyper-V VMs to another site or to public cloud, including Azure | Windows and Linux servers and applications, physical or virtual |
| Replication method | Continuous replication with crash-consistent and application-consistent recovery points | Journal-based continuous data protection with recovery points seconds apart | Real-time byte-level replication with optional automatic failover |
| Orchestration | Recovery plans with groups, scripts and runbooks | Virtual protection groups with ordered recovery and failback | Server-level failover and switch-back scenarios |
| Strength | Native to Azure, no extra licence, billed per protected instance | Very low RPO, fast recovery to any point in the journal, strong multi-VM consistency | Server and application continuity where a full DR platform is too much |
| Consider | Target is Azure only | Additional licence cost; plan journal storage | Narrower orchestration for large multi-tier estates |
Replication is not backup: corruption and ransomware encryption replicate too. Keep a separate, immutable backup alongside DR. See cloud backup solutions.
Designing in-country DR between UAE North and UAE Central
For organisations that must keep data in the UAE, Azure's two local regions make in-country DR possible. A few design points decide whether it works on the day.
- Region access: UAE Central in Abu Dhabi is a restricted-access region paired with UAE North in Dubai. Your subscription needs approved access before you can deploy there, so request it early.
- Service and size availability: check that the VM sizes, disk types and supporting services you need exist in UAE Central, and plan alternatives where they do not.
- Network: decide whether DR VMs keep the same IP addresses or get new ones, how branch VPNs or ExpressRoute reach the DR network, and how firewall rules follow.
- Identity and DNS: place domain controllers or identity services in the DR region and plan DNS updates, otherwise recovered servers start but users cannot sign in.
- Licensing and third parties: confirm application licences allow running in the DR location and that external partners can reach the recovered services.
On-premises servers can use the same pattern, replicating to UAE North as the DR site. Where regulation allows, some organisations use a region outside the UAE instead. Our article on single-zone vs multi-region resilience covers the trade-offs.
Running a DR test that proves something
A DR plan that has never been tested is an assumption. Azure Site Recovery and Zerto both support test failovers into an isolated network while production replication continues, so testing does not need downtime.
- Pick a scenario: for example, loss of the primary data centre during working hours.
- Fail over into isolation: start the recovery plan in a test network with no route to production, to avoid duplicate servers on the live network.
- Validate as a user would: application owners sign in, run real transactions and check data is current to the expected recovery point.
- Measure: record the time from invocation to each service being usable, and compare with the agreed RTO.
- Clean up and fix: remove test resources, then update runbooks, scripts and dependencies that failed.
Test at least once or twice a year and after major changes such as new applications, network redesigns or identity changes. Keep evidence of each test: auditors, insurers and regulators increasingly ask for it. Our guide to disaster-proofing your business covers the wider continuity planning.
Outcomes
What changes for your organisation
01
A recovery site you rarely pay for
Replicas are stored in Azure and compute runs only during tests and real failovers.
02
Ordered, repeatable failover
Recovery plans start servers in the right sequence with scripts for network and DNS changes.
03
In-country recovery
Replication between UAE regions keeps data inside the UAE.
04
Evidence for auditors
Test failovers are recorded with achieved recovery times and lessons learned.
Approach
How emtech delivers disaster recovery replication
- 1
Assess
Identify critical systems, dependencies and recovery objectives
- 2
Design
Choose replication technology and target, and plan networking and identity
- 3
Replicate
Enable protection, complete initial sync and monitor replication health
- 4
Test
Run isolated test failovers, fix issues and measure actual recovery time
- 5
Maintain
Re-test regularly and update plans when systems change
Audience
Who it is for
Organisations without a DR site
Companies with critical servers in one building that need a second location without building one.
Azure-hosted workloads
Teams running production in UAE North that want failover to UAE Central.
Financial and healthcare firms
Regulated organisations that must document and test recovery of critical services.
Firms replacing a co-location DR site
Businesses paying for idle secondary hardware that want to pay mainly when DR is used.
UAE requirements
Regulations and standards
| Requirement | How this helps |
|---|---|
| ISO 22301 | Provides tested recovery capability and evidence for business continuity management |
| Central Bank of the UAE requirements | Supports documented and tested recovery arrangements for licensed financial institutions |
| UAE IA Regulation | Supports continuity and recovery controls for government and critical information infrastructure |
| UAE PDPL (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) | In-country DR keeps replicated personal data inside the UAE |
What affects the cost
Azure Site Recovery is charged per protected instance per month, with no Site Recovery charge for the first 31 days of each protected instance, plus storage for replicas and compute only when VMs run during tests or failover. Zerto and Arcserve add software licences. Design, testing and runbook effort depends on the number of applications and how complex their dependencies are.
Itemised: implementation, licences, equipment and support shown separately.
Trusted since 1993
What our clients and partners say
Their staff is made up of the highest caliber of qualified people and always available whenever we need them; they assisted us throughout several IT projects and still do. We have a relationship with emtech for outsourced Infrastructure services. I recommend emtech at any time.
emtech has proven their commitment to be a professional contractor during various projects carried out with us. Their team have offered their valuable expertise whenever called upon and they possess the ability to turn around a design and build scope within critical time frames.
emtech has a broad range of technology partners and the expertise to deliver solutions and products that enable us to focus on our core business processes while ensuring efficiency, reliability, and security. In our fast-paced industry, having a reliable partner allows us to focus our energy where it matters most.
FAQs
Questions about disaster recovery replication
Can't find your question? Ask our team.
Can we use UAE Central as our disaster recovery region?
Yes, if your subscription is granted access, because UAE Central is a restricted region intended mainly for in-country DR paired with UAE North. Check that the VM sizes and services you need are available there before finalising the design.
What RPO can Azure Site Recovery achieve?
Replication is continuous, so recovery points are typically only minutes behind production for Azure VMs, depending on change rate and bandwidth. Application-consistent points are taken on a schedule you set. Zerto is often chosen where recovery points seconds apart are required.
Do we pay for DR servers when they are not running?
With Azure Site Recovery you pay a per-instance protection fee and replica storage, but not for DR VM compute until you run a test or a real failover. That is the main cost advantage over a second physical data centre.
Can we protect physical servers with Azure Site Recovery?
Yes. Physical Windows and Linux servers can be replicated to Azure and recovered as Azure VMs. Failback to physical hardware is more involved and should be planned in advance.
How long does it take to set up DR replication?
Replication for a small set of servers can be running within days, with initial sync time depending on data size and bandwidth. Network design, recovery plans and the first full test usually take a few weeks.
Is DR replication enough to protect against ransomware?
No. Replication copies encrypted or corrupted data to the DR site quickly. You still need immutable backups and, ideally, the ability to recover to a point before the attack.
What is the difference between Arcserve RHA and Azure Site Recovery?
Arcserve Replication and High Availability focuses on real-time replication and failover of individual servers and applications, to a site you choose. Azure Site Recovery replicates to Azure and orchestrates recovery of groups of VMs in a set order.
How much does Azure Site Recovery cost?
Azure Site Recovery is charged per protected instance per month, with the first 31 days of protection for each instance free. You also pay for replica storage and, only when VMs run during tests or failover, for compute. Network and licensing choices in the DR region add to the total.
Should we use Azure Site Recovery or Azure Migrate to move servers to Azure?
Use Azure Migrate for planned migrations, because it adds discovery, assessment and sizing before the move. Azure Site Recovery is designed for ongoing replication and failover, so it is the right tool when the goal is disaster recovery rather than a one-way move.
Keep exploring
More from Cloud Solutions
Next step
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