AWS › AWS Backup & Disaster Recovery

How does cross region backup copying in AWS Backup support disaster recovery objectives?

Intermediate

Answer

AWS Backup lets you configure a backup plan to automatically copy backups from the region where the resource lives into a different AWS region, ensuring that even if an entire region becomes unavailable due to a major disaster, a recent copy of your critical data remains safely available in a separate geographic location ready to support recovery efforts.

aws backup create-backup-plan --backup-plan '{"BackupPlanName":"CrossRegionPlan","Rules":[{"RuleName":"DailyBackup","TargetBackupVaultName":"my-vault","CopyActions":[{"DestinationBackupVaultArn":"arn:aws:backup:us-west-2:123456789012:backup-vault:secondary-vault"}]}]}'

Real-world example A healthcare company configures AWS Backup to automatically copy its daily database backups from its primary region on the east coast to a secondary vault on the west coast, ensuring patient data survives even a full regional outage.

Common follow-ups: What is the additional cost of cross region backup copying?;How quickly can a cross region backup be restored compared to a local backup?

AWS Global Infrastructure (Regions AZs & Edge Locations);AWS Cost Management & Billing