 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Disaster Survival
by J. Eric Smith
As the summer blackout in the Northeastern United States highlighted, modern society is not well equipped to function without electricity. Many businesses came to a grinding halt when the lights went out costing millions in lost productivity. Yet for some companies it was business as usual. Their servers stayed up and their computers and phones stayed on. This is the hallmark of a company with a well-prepared disaster plan. Every company should have one, no matter how large or small.
Business research indicates 70 percent of all small- and medium-sized companies that encounter a major disaster will close their doors within three years, largely due to recovery costs. Here are some tips that could help save your business:
- Data Backup – Is your critical data being backed up on a regular basis? Many companies skimp on backup technology because it seems to be a waste of money. In truth, a good backup protocol can make the difference between recovering from a disaster or going out of business. Most experts recommend a minimum of two weeks backup retention, with end-of-month tapes going into permanent storage.
- Alternate Power Sources – As power outages become more common due to the increased demands put on the national electrical grid, companies should ensure they have an alternative power source. This can be in the form of battery backup systems or a diesel generator. At minimum, all servers, networking equipment and phone systems should be on battery backup.
- Standby Equipment and Facilities – Of all the disaster survival strategies, this is the most cost intensive. Standby servers can be staged onsite, ready to take over from a failed server immediately, allowing business to continue while a permanent replacement is obtained and installed. Alternatively, standby equipment can be located offsite to protect against in-office disasters, with data being replicated in real time between the live system and the backup system. When needed, the backup system can be brought in to replace a failed unit, or the entire backup server farm could be located in a standby facility.
- Practice – Disaster plans that don’t work are worse than no plans at all – they give a false sense of security. In order to avoid confusion, if and when it’s time to implement the plan, it is vital that methods and procedures be tested and maintained on a regular basis, and that personnel know their assigned duties.
It is also crucial to determine where to store backup data. If possible, backups should be kept offsite, preferably at a storage facility familiar with backup media. If offsite storage is not an option, a fire safe should be used for onsite storage.
If your company depends on the data contained on backup media, or if a standby piece of equipment is supposed to take over functionality in case of a primary failure, make sure your methods are valid by testing them. If an alternative standby facility is in the plan, make sure everyone knows and schedule a disaster drill where all functionality is transferred to the standby facility. Only by actually doing these drills can the pitfalls in a disaster strategy be uncovered.
Disasters can be survivable, but only with careful preparation and practice. Your company depends upon continual operation even in the midst of a crisis and it is important to take the steps to create a viable crisis plan.
