{
  "slug": "recovery-time-objective",
  "term": "Recovery time objective",
  "aliases": [
    "RTO"
  ],
  "definition": "The recovery time objective sets the tolerable duration of resource unavailability before its effect on supported processes becomes unacceptable.",
  "note": "It is a target, not a measured restore duration. Specify the resource and success criterion before comparing a recovery exercise with that target.",
  "status": "shipping",
  "advantages": [],
  "limitations": [
    {
      "text": "A data-copy duration alone does not establish that a service has recovered.",
      "citationIds": [
        "nist-recovery"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "backup",
    "recovery-point-objective",
    "snapshot",
    "restore-test"
  ],
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [],
  "firstSeen": null,
  "lastSeen": null,
  "updated": "2026-10-13",
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "nist-recovery",
      "title": "NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1 (2010), sections 3.2.1 and 3.5.1: recovery objectives and testing",
      "url": "https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/legacy/sp/nistspecialpublication800-34r1.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-10-13"
    },
    {
      "id": "hesela-recovery",
      "title": "Hesela: Snapshots and backups: which failures can you recover from?",
      "url": "https://hesela.com/analyses/snapshot-backup-recovery-boundaries/",
      "accessed": "2026-10-13"
    }
  ]
}