What are RTO and RPO?

RTO and RPO are the two numbers that turn “we should back things up” into a decision you can price:

• RTO (recovery time objective) - how long you can be without the system before the damage is unacceptable. Measured in hours or days.
• RPO (recovery point objective) - how much recent work you can afford to lose. A nightly backup means an RPO of up to 24 hours.
• They set the spend - a four-hour RTO costs far more than a two-day one, so pick honestly rather than aspirationally.

Write both numbers down per system. Most owners discover their current setup does not meet the numbers they just chose.