Updates ADR for Geo backup and restore

---

owning-stage: "~devops::data stores" # because Tenant Scale is under this

title: 'Cells ADR 006: Use Geo for Disaster Recovery'

owning-stage: "~devops::tenant services"

title: 'Cells ADR 006: Use Geo for Disaster Recovery (DEPRECATED)'

toc_hide: true

status: deprecated

---

**Note:** This ADR reflects an earlier approach. The current decision is documented in [024_disaster_recovery_cells.md](024_disaster_recovery_cells.md)

{{< alert title="Deprecated" color="warning" >}}

This ADR has been deprecated and replaced by [ADR 024: Use Backup and Restore for Disaster Recovery](024_disaster_recovery_cells.md).

The decision to use Geo for disaster recovery has been superseded by a backup and restore strategy that better aligns with the Cells isolation model and provides more flexibility for regional recovery. See ADR 024 for the current approach.

{{< /alert >}}

## Context

## Decision

It was decided that for Cells, we will use Geo for Disaster Recovery.

This is the same approach we take for GitLab Dedicated.

~~It was decided that for Cells, we will use Geo for Disaster Recovery.~~

~~This is the same approach we take for GitLab Dedicated.~~

**This decision has been reversed.** The current approach uses backup and restore as documented in [ADR 024](024_disaster_recovery_cells.md).

## Consequences

This decision means that it will increase the initial cloud spend for Cells.

We estimate that it will double the spend of our first Cells deployments, which will be limited in number for the first Cells deployment.

~~This decision means that it will increase the initial cloud spend for Cells.~~

~~We estimate that it will double the spend of our first Cells deployments, which will be limited in number for the first Cells deployment.~~

These consequences no longer apply. See [ADR 024](024_disaster_recovery_cells.md) for the consequences of the backup and restore approach.

## Alternatives

The alternatives we discussed was to come up with a new process specific to Dedicated tooling for restoring from backup.

~~The alternatives we discussed was to come up with a new process specific to Dedicated tooling for restoring from backup.~~

The backup and restore approach (originally considered as an alternative) has now become the primary decision. See:

- [ADR 024: Use Backup and Restore for Disaster Recovery](024_disaster_recovery_cells.md) for the overall DR strategy

- [ADR 013: Cell Restore from Backup](013_cell_restore_from_backup.md) for cell restoration procedures

- [ADR 020: Spanner Backup Strategy](020_spanner_backup_strategy.md) for Topology Service backup details