Getting Started › Overview
Sync Frequency Tiers
CloudM Continuity offers three sync frequency tiers that control how often your Microsoft 365 data is synchronised to Google Workspace. Your tier is set as part of your licence and determines the sync frequency for all users in your tenant.
Tier comparison
| Tier | Sync frequency | Maximum data gap | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Weekly | Up to 7 days | Cost-conscious organisations with lower recovery point requirements |
| Standard | Daily | Up to 24 hours | General business continuity needs |
| Premium | Hourly | Up to 1 hour | Mission-critical operations and regulatory compliance (DORA, NIS2) |
Understanding each tier
Weekly sync
Delta syncs run once per week. This means that in a failover scenario, the Google Workspace environment may be up to 7 days behind Microsoft 365.
Choose Basic if:
- You are primarily concerned with disaster recovery rather than near-real-time continuity
- Your organisation can tolerate up to a week of potential data gap
- You want the most cost-effective option for broad user coverage
Daily sync
Delta syncs run once per day. In a failover scenario, the maximum data gap is 24 hours.
Choose Standard if:
- You need reliable business continuity with a reasonable recovery point
- Your users can work with data that is at most one day old during an outage
- You want a balance between data freshness and cost
Hourly sync
Delta syncs run every hour. In a failover scenario, the maximum data gap is 1 hour.
Choose Premium if:
- You operate in a regulated industry subject to DORA, NIS2, or similar requirements
- Your organisation requires minimal data loss during an outage
- Downtime has significant financial or operational impact
Regulatory note
DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) mandates that financial entities demonstrate the ability to restore critical services in under 2 hours. The Premium tier's hourly sync is specifically designed to support this requirement.
How the sync frequency applies
- Tier sets the minimum interval. Your licence tier determines the fastest sync frequency available. You cannot set a frequency faster than your tier allows — the UI will prevent it.
- Frequency is set per policy. Each policy has its own sync frequency, configured as a value and unit (e.g. 1 Hour, 6 Hours, 2 Days, 1 Week). Only one policy can be active at a time.
- Flexible intervals. You are not limited to fixed weekly, daily, or hourly options. You can set any interval that is equal to or slower than your tier's minimum (e.g. a Premium licence allows 1 Hour, 4 Hours, 1 Day, etc.).
Choosing the right tier
When selecting a tier, consider your organisation's tolerance for data loss during a Microsoft 365 outage:
| If your priority is... | Recommended tier |
|---|---|
| Cost-effective disaster recovery with broad coverage | Basic (weekly) |
| Reliable business continuity with a reasonable recovery point | Standard (daily) |
| Minimal data loss, regulatory compliance (DORA, NIS2), or mission-critical operations | Premium (hourly) |
Upgrading your tier
You can upgrade your tier mid-term (e.g. Basic to Standard, or Standard to Premium) by contacting CloudM. Downgrades are not available mid-term — a lower tier can be selected at renewal.