Information Technology Services

: : Angel LaRocca, Operations Manager, Information Technology Services
631.923.1595 ext. 339
G.R. Reid Consulting Services, LLC 

Essential I/T Disaster Recovery Planning

Businesses of all sizes rely on information technology as a crucial component of their day-to-day operations. Because data availability is a top priority, the need for companies to compile a thorough disaster recovery plan is essential. According to Info-Tech Research Group, however, almost 60% of North American businesses do not have a disaster recovery plan in place to resume IT services in case of crisis - a recipe for possible business failure. Faulkner Information Services found that 50% of companies that lose their data due to disasters go out of business within 24 months, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor indicates that 93% are out of business within five years.


Identify The Risks:
Although disaster recovery planning is most often described in terms of planning for major geographical disaster, for most businesses it is about something happening to your business location. A minor or major fire for example, having your building vandalized, your systems being "hacked," or heavy water/flood damage. Any of these events can pretty much destroy your computers and all your company/business data. Protecting your data is even more important if you are using document imaging.

The Right Solution For Your Business Depends on Several Factors:
• Your tolerance for risk.
• The amount of "downtime/recovery time" your business operations can tolerate.
• Determining the maximum amount of “down-time & data-loss” vs. cost.

What Are The Best Strategies?
Most individuals think this is a complicated process but actually it's fairly simple. You start with what you have and build on it. There are strategies to protect your business so that you can fully recover in the event of a disaster.

First, identify all critical data on your systems:
• Is everything being backed up on a regular basis?
• Are the back-ups periodically checked?

If you have a server and several workstations your data should be stored on the server. If it is, then is there a backup:
• on tape cartridges
• external hard drives
• in cyber space
• offsite via the internet.

Now here is the next step:
• Can you confirm there is actual data on your back-ups?
• What is the date of the data?
• Did you try to restore any of this data to make sure it's actually there?
The same holds true for external hard drives and Internet backups. Ensure the data you want is there for you in the event of a disaster.

Additional options include:
• Replication software - continuous data replication throughout the day.
• Second servers - identical to your main server to put in place in an event of a full disaster.
• Server “Virtualization” - which makes it more efficient to transfer your server to new hardware.

If we can help you develop a sound Disaster Recovery Strategy or if you would like more information about or other support services, please contact us. We offer backup monitoring daily for a minimal monthly charge. For less than a dollar a day, we will check that your backup was successful, and if not, will inform you what/if anything you may need to do.