Disaster Recovery as a Service for Epicor and Critical Systems
Manufacturers today are more digitally dependent than ever. Epicor ERP, MES platforms, quality systems, and production scheduling tools sit at the center of daily operations. When those systems go down, whether from a cyberattack, hardware failure, or regional outage, production stops. Orders slip. Costs rise. Customers lose confidence.
That is why Disaster Recovery‑as‑a‑Service (DRaaS) has become one of the most important investments for manufacturers in 2026. It is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a competitive necessity.
But the good news is this: modern DRaaS is more affordable, more automated, and more accessible than it has ever been, especially for mid‑market manufacturers running Epicor.
Why DR Looks Completely Different in 2026
The old model of disaster recovery relied on:
- Secondary data centers
- Spare hardware
- Manual failover processes
- Tape or disk backups
- Long recovery windows
That approach was expensive, slow, and nearly impossible for small and mid‑sized manufacturers to maintain.
In 2026, DR has evolved into a cloud‑native, automated, consumption‑based service that delivers enterprise‑grade resilience without enterprise‑grade cost.
Key shifts shaping DR in 2026
- Ransomware is the #1 cause of downtime Attackers now target backups, identity systems, and hypervisors, making traditional DR insufficient.
- Cloud replication is instant and continuous Azure‑based DRaaS solutions replicate Epicor and critical workloads in real time.
- Failover is automated Recovery plans can spin up entire environments with a single click.
- Compliance requirements are stricter CMMC, NIST 800‑171, and cyber insurance carriers now expect documented DR plans and tested failover.
- Costs are consumption‑based You only pay for compute during a failover or test, dramatically reducing total cost of ownership.
For manufacturers, this means DR is no longer a massive capital project. It is a predictable operational service.
Why DRaaS Matters for Epicor and Other Critical Systems
Epicor is the heartbeat of most manufacturing operations. If it is offline, everything downstream suffers:
- Production scheduling halts
- Shipping stops
- Purchasing cannot process orders
- Finance loses visibility
- Customer service cannot respond
DRaaS ensures Epicor stays available, even during a disaster.
What DRaaS protects in an Epicor environment
- Epicor application servers
- SQL databases
- File shares and attachments
- Integrations and APIs
- MES and shop‑floor data collection systems
- Reporting and analytics tools
A modern DRaaS solution replicates the entire stack, not just the database.
How DRaaS Works for Manufacturers in 2026
- Continuous Replication to Azure
Critical systems, including Epicor, are replicated to a secure Azure region using block‑level, real‑time synchronization.
- Automated Runbooks
Failover plans are pre‑built and assessed:
- Which servers start first
- How networking is configured
- How users reconnect
- How Epicor services initialize
This eliminates guesswork during an outage.
- One‑Click Failover
If a disaster occurs, your environment spins up in Azure within minutes, not hours or days.
- One‑Click Failback
Once your primary environment is restored, workloads are synced back automatically.
- Fully Managed by Experts
A DRaaS provider handles:
- Monitoring
- Testing
- Updates
- Documentation
- Compliance reporting
Your internal IT team does not have to maintain complex DR infrastructure.
How Manufacturers Can Affordably Implement DRaaS in 2026
The biggest misconception is that DRaaS is expensive. In reality, it is far more cost‑effective than traditional DR.
Why it is affordable now
- No secondary data center required
- No duplicate hardware
- No large upfront investment
- Pay‑as‑you‑go compute
- Automated testing reduces labor costs
- Azure storage tiers keep replication costs low
For most manufacturers, DRaaS costs less than a single hour of production downtime per year.
A practical, budget‑friendly DR roadmap
- Identify critical systems Epicor, SQL, MES, file servers, domain controllers.
- Define RTO/RPO requirements Most manufacturers target:
- RTO: under 2 hours
- RPO: under 15 minutes
- Deploy Azure‑based replication Using tools like Azure Site Recovery (ASR).
- Create automated runbooks Documented, evaluated, and aligned with compliance.
- Perform annual failover tests Required for cyber insurance and CMMC.
- Integrate DR with cybersecurity strategy Immutable backups + DRaaS = complete resilience.
Why 2W Tech Is the Ideal DRaaS Partner for Epicor Environments
With 30+ years of manufacturing expertise and one of the largest Epicor practices in North America, 2W Tech brings a unique advantage: deep ERP knowledge + cloud architecture expertise.
We help manufacturers:
- Protect Epicor and all supporting systems
- Build Azure‑based DR environments
- Meet CMMC and NIST requirements
- Reduce downtime risk
- Simplify DR testing and documentation
- Achieve predictable monthly costs
Whether you are running Epicor on‑prem, in a private cloud, or in Epicor Custom Cloud, we can design a DRaaS solution that fits your environment and budget.
Final Thoughts
Disaster recovery has transformed dramatically in 2026. What used to be complex, expensive, and difficult to maintain is now automated, cloud‑based, and accessible to every manufacturer, not just the largest ones.
If your Epicor system or critical infrastructure went down tomorrow, would your business be able to recover quickly?
With DRaaS, the answer can be yes.
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