What defines Asynchronous Replication?

Asynchronous replication is primarily characterized by the delayed transfer of data between primary and secondary storage systems. This method allows data to be replicated at scheduled intervals rather than in real-time. The delay can be beneficial for disaster recovery scenarios, where the data at the secondary site may not be the most current version, but it ensures that the primary site is not adversely affected by network latency or bandwidth constraints.

This approach is commonly used in environments where immediate data consistency across locations is less critical, such as in scenarios involving geographically dispersed data centers. In such cases, organizations can prioritize performance and efficiency for the primary workload while still maintaining a level of data redundancy and recoverability. Thus, the delayed replication characteristic is essential in supporting disaster recovery objectives, ensuring that data can be restored from the secondary location when needed, even if it's slightly behind the most current version.