What is Recovery Time Objective?

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) refers specifically to the target time set to restore a system and resume normal operations after an unexpected outage or disaster. This metric is critical in disaster recovery and business continuity planning as it helps organizations define their tolerance for downtime.

Establishing an RTO assists in prioritizing recovery efforts and allocating resources efficiently. By focusing on the RTO, organizations can determine the necessary recovery strategies and technologies they need to put in place to meet their business requirements and ensure minimal disruption to their operations. This is distinct from other related metrics, which may focus more broadly on total downtime or the entire process of business resumption rather than the specific time frame needed to restore functionality after an incident occurs.