What is managed DRaaS?
Managed disaster recovery as a service combines a recovery environment with provider assistance operating the recovery process. The useful distinction is who does the work: monitoring replication, maintaining runbooks, running exercises, executing failover, and returning workloads to production. The word “managed” alone does not tell you which of those tasks a proposal includes.
This comparison covers five providers in our directory: 11:11 Systems, TierPoint, Expedient, Flexential, and LightEdge. Each offers distinct service paths. Compare the proposed package as well as the company.
Managed DRaaS provider comparison
The table summarizes documented service scope. It is an editorial comparison, not a performance ranking. The original three profiles were source-reviewed October 16, 2026; Flexential and LightEdge were reviewed October 25, 2026. Profile links include the underlying official sources and workload and location details.
| Provider / service | Recovery operation and testing | Cost structure to compare |
|---|---|---|
| 11:11 Systems Zerto / Veeam paths | Zerto console tests can cover applications, groups, or a site. Autopilot Managed Recovery adds provider operation of tests, live failovers, provisioning, and changes. Keep this managed scope separate from the Veeam path. Testing details & sources ↗ | Zerto pricing describes licensing, reserved storage, and bandwidth, with storage and compute choices. Veeam has separate licensing terms and usage-billed burst CPU/RAM for tests or failover. Cost details & sources ↗ |
| TierPoint Managed Zerto | The managed Zerto offering includes nondisruptive testing during implementation and annual tests afterward, with a recovery playbook covering protected servers and boot order. TierPoint offers both self-service and fully managed models. Testing details & sources ↗ | Tailored quote based on infrastructure and requirements. Additional Zerto tests can be purchased beyond the included schedule. Cost details & sources ↗ |
| Expedient Push Button DR / On Demand | Push Button DR supports isolated bubble tests and live-failover variants. Bubble tests keep production available but lack internet and inter-VLAN connectivity. Later assisted tests require advance scheduling; Nutanix recovery has a separate service scope. Testing details & sources ↗ | Properly scheduled traditional Push Button DR tests have no additional charge. On Demand tests incur daily RAM, compute, and VMware-license usage charges; test labor is not charged. Cost details & sources ↗ |
| Flexential Zerto-based DRaaS | VMware cloud expertise with Zerto-based recovery. Base packaging includes self-service activation and test support. Optional packages add managed nondisruptive testing or assisted disruptive failover. Assisted-testing services include planning, runbooks, measured recovery times, and remediation recommendations. Testing details & sources ↗ | Per-VM licensing plus metered runtime for tests and recovery; prepaid resource/runtime packages and a bring-your-own-Zerto-license option are described. Price the selected assistance package separately in the proposal. Cost details & sources ↗ |
| LightEdge VMware / IBM Power DRaaS | Dedicated IBM i and AIX recovery includes replication setup, monitoring, and engineer-led testing. VMware cloud and recovery are also offered; scope each platform’s runbook and application checks. Testing details & sources ↗ | Custom service pricing. VMware costs vary by deployment and management scope; the IBM offering describes rental of recovery capacity. Request separate standby, exercise, outage, and failback totals. Cost details & sources ↗ |
Where Flexential fits
Flexential is a useful candidate for VMware-oriented teams evaluating assisted recovery. Its VMware Cloud Foundation 9 announcement documents its VMware cloud expertise, and its American Residential Services case study combines a VMware vCenter-based private cloud with Recovery Cloud and provider-run tests. Those are relevant examples, rather than a promise that every VMware version or application is covered. See the workload evidence.
The key comparison is the operating package. Flexential’s self-service base, optional managed testing, and professional services carry different responsibilities. Its separate program-management engagement describes quarterly checks and twice-yearly tests; that cadence should not be applied to every DRaaS quote. The official professional-services description explains the assisted-testing and program-management options.
For geography, Flexential’s linked DRaaS sheet describes five US recovery centers without naming them. Use the proposed target site and capacity when comparing locations. The wider colocation footprint is not a list of contracted DR destinations. Recovery location details ↗
Where LightEdge fits: IBM i alongside VMware
LightEdge is particularly relevant when the recovery plan spans IBM i and VMware. Its CTSI-Global case study documents both platforms with a replicated DR environment. Its dedicated IBM Power DRaaS service supports IBM i and AIX, including recovery engineering and testing.
For an IBM i shortlist, compare LightEdge with TierPoint’s separate IBM Power recovery path. Ask each to demonstrate how the IBM application and its VMware-based dependencies become usable together. A VMware recovery package alone does not establish an IBM i recovery plan.
Put recovery responsibilities in writing
Use this as a proposal checklist. These are recommended assignments to resolve with each provider, not claims that every service includes the tasks.
| Task | Provider scope to specify | Customer owner to name |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Replication alerts, coverage hours, escalation and remediation. | Infrastructure owner for source-system access and changes. |
| Runbooks | Recovery sequence, dependencies, maintenance and change review. | Application owners who approve dependencies and business priorities. |
| Invocation | Who executes failover, response process and emergency contact. | Incident lead authorized to declare recovery and approve disruption. |
| Connectivity | Recovery networking, DNS changes, remote access and external dependencies. | Network and security owners with the required permissions. |
| Application testing | Test environment, facilitation, evidence and remediation reporting. | Business testers who validate transactions and user access. |
| Failback | Return replication, cutover, cleanup, assistance and charges. | Operations lead who approves the return window and acceptance. |
| Billing | Standby fees, test/outage runtime, assistance and additional exercises. | Budget owner who approves prolonged recovery costs. |
Compare the same recovery scenario
Ask each candidate to quote the same application set, data volume, target location, and recovery objectives. Request three cost scenarios: normal protection, a planned exercise, and an extended outage. Include test duration, recovery capacity, licensing, connectivity, assistance, and failback so a low standby fee does not hide operating costs.
A useful test demonstrates application usability as well as VM startup. Record elapsed recovery time, the age of recovered data, successful business transactions, user connectivity, and the return-to-production steps. Agree who accepts the result and who fixes gaps before the next exercise.
Build a side-by-side shortlist ↗ or use the provider conversation checklist to capture the agreed scope.