Disaster Recovery Planning

What is it and why do I need it?

Disaster recovery is the art of keeping your business alive and well after experiencing a catastrophic event.

Disaster recovery planning is analogous to purchasing property insurance. If you didn't have insurance and suffered a disaster (such as a tornado), your business would likely suffer irrecoverable damage. But (fortunately) almost every business has disaster insurance for brick and mortar, and for most equipment and fixtures. But what about the data, that precious data? Loss of data is a hidden and ominous disaster, and the one most frequently overlooked.

In the 21^st century, business success is clearly and irrevocably tied to data management skills, and statistics show plainly that the paradigm of business protection must include protection of data. A recent study by the National Archives & Records Administration in Washington, D.C. reported that 43% of all businesses suffering a disaster would never recover sufficiently to resume business and that 93% of businesses that lose their data center for ten days or more file for bankruptcy within that same year.

A devastating fire is the nightmare of every business owner. Here in tornado alley, the weather is another major decision factor, and many companies have wisely invested in a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan. Those forward-thinking businesses are also protected from "small" disasters: an electrical fire in the data center, a loss of power for an extended period of time (remember the recent blackout on the east coast?), or even the criminal act of a disgruntled employee. A Disaster Recovery Plan protects management, employees, stockholders and customers from the unexpected.

The key in successfully guarding the company's valuable data is to assure the ability to restore it from the backups which were unaffected by the event and to have alternative resources available to replace those capabilities that are no longer available. Just as importantly, company staff must posses information on what to do, and how to do it, in order to minimize the amount of time the business is at reduced capacity. In disaster recovery planning and testing, the key is not to design an elegant and complicated plan, but to devise a robust plan that really works, simple and testable, but without unnecessary complexities. In order to make sure the plan is viable and disaster-proof, it should be stressed to the limits by rigorous testing. The tests must be performed under simulated worst case conditions. When the real thing occurs, the company can recover quickly because there is documentation on what to do and how to do it.

	Disaster Recovery Readiness Survey This survey can be quickly performed to ascertain your exposure in the event of a disaster. Click the little tornado above to see the main elements of the survey report.
	Disaster Recovery Plan This is what you need in order to recover quickly from a disaster. We guide you in the development of it and help you test it. When the real thing comes, you'll be ready and able to restore your business. Click the little tornado above to see the major elements of a typical DRP.