Which disaster recovery site type is configured to be ready with minimal downtime but at higher ongoing cost?

• A. Warm site
• B. Hot site
• C. Cold site
• D. Pilot site

Answer: (B)

In disaster recovery planning, site types balance how quickly you can resume operations with how much they cost to maintain. A hot site is kept online and fully configured with current data and network access, so failover can occur almost instantly with minimal downtime. The ongoing cost is higher because you’re paying to run duplicate infrastructure, maintain real-time data replication, purchase licenses, and keep the site staffed and ready.

A warm site has a ready environment but requires some setup or data restoration after a disruption, so downtime is longer and costs are moderate. A cold site provides space and basic facilities but no active systems, leading to the longest recovery time and the lowest ongoing cost. A pilot site isn’t designed for immediate production failover and is usually used for testing or validation rather than real-time DR readiness. Thus, the hot site best fits the requirement of minimal downtime at a higher ongoing cost.