Where is your network server? What would happen to your data in the event of a disaster?
It’s not something we like to think about. Yet the news reminds us again and again of what is possible. A fire. A flood. Power loss. Even sabotage. A single disaster could wipe out your offices and your data center all at once.
To prevent the worst from happening, all organizations should have clear ideas and strategies in place for how to keep the worst at bay. And what to do if it does strike your facilities.
A technical disaster can impact a variety of things you use in your business every day:
- Computers
- Telephone system
- Equipment with computerized functionality
- Security systems
- Network access to both the Internet and to local servers and intranets
- Data, customer files and financial records
- Software for internal programs, such as billing, payroll or tax information
Depending on how your company was set up, and how your company has grown, your data center may still remain onsite. You have unique concerns. A technical disaster recovery plan must clearly define the steps you’ll take to recover your data using internal methods. You’ll have to consider a variety of things.
Start with the basics
No matter how large or small your company is, securing your data is your first line of defense. Disasters rarely pinpoint specific targets. Which means the best way to be prepared is to start from the beginning.
- Put an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) on all critical computers to protect against power surges.
- Institute an automatic backup schedule for routing backups of your data. Make sure data is stored off site and separate from your place of business.
- Be sure all firewalls and antivirus programs are up to date.
- Be conscious of where you house your IT. Make sure water pipes don’t run through the ceiling above the equipment, nor do you house equipment in a room adjacent to major plumbing equipment, such as water heaters.
- Don’t store computer equipment on the floor. Raise them up to keep them from being damaged through minor flooding.
- Invest in a non-water based fire extinguishing system.
- Make sure your electrical system meets the needs of your power requirements to avoid overloaded fuses and power supplies.
Adding the details
As your coverage becomes more established, and you have better security in place, you can begin adding in more details to become even more prepared. Ask questions like:
- What would happen if I completely lost my facility, and all computerized equipment was gone?
- How would my customers be impacted? My employees?
- Do I have all of my contact information, passwords, and other pertinent data for rebuilding the system outside of my facility?
- How soon could my business be up and operational again by pulling from outside resources?
And if you haven’t already done so, your questions will quickly lead the way to establishing outside resources as well.
Finding other alternatives
An offsite data center should not be located in the same geographical region; a hurricane, for instance, can wipe out the business and the data center at once. It should also have it’s own policies and procedures in place.
Good disaster recovery plans should be concise. During the chaos of a disaster, the last thing people will think about is putting a complicated plan into action. What will your data center be accountable for? How will you retrieve your data? Who has responsibility for each piece along the way?
Having a succinct plan is important; its equally important to practice it regularly.
Because we rarely think of the worst, some of the easiest steps you can take can be missed. Disasters never come on schedule. And in many cases you have little time to prepare. By looking at your IT structure from all angles, you can prepare for the worst and make sure systems and backups in place.
There are advantages to hiring an outside consultant to help you create your recovery plan. A third party can be more objective when evaluating your plan, noticing the tiny details you may have overlooked. If you have questions, lets talk.
