Maximum acceptable time to restore systems and resume operations after a disaster.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines the maximum acceptable downtime—how quickly systems must be restored after a disaster. An RTO of 4 hours means operations must resume within 4 hours of an incident. RTO drives recovery architecture—achieving short RTOs requires standby systems, automation, and tested procedures. Like RPO, different systems have different RTOs based on business impact of downtime.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
RTO determines recovery infrastructure investment. Short RTOs require more sophisticated (and expensive) solutions. Balance RTO requirements against cost for each system.