Operations → Reliability
RPO
The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured as time between the disruption and the latest recoverable data.
Motivation
RPO defines how much recent data the organisation can afford to lose after a disruption.
Practical use
Use it to determine backup frequency, replication strategy, log shipping, storage durability, and recovery testing.
Common mistakes
- Assuming backups automatically satisfy the RPO.
- Ignoring replication lag and corrupted data.
- Defining an objective without testing actual restore points.