Recovery time objective

The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is the duration of time and a service level within which a business process must be restored after a disaster in order to avoid unacceptable consequences associated with a break in business continuity.

In accepted business continuity planning methodology the RTO is established during the business impact analysis (BIA) by the owner of a process (usually in conjunction with the Business Continuity planner). The RTOs are then presented to senior management for acceptance.

It should be noted that the RTO attaches to the business process and not the resources required to support the process.

The RTO and the results of the BIA in its entirety provide the basis for identifying and analyzing viable strategies for inclusion in the business continuity plan.

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