Businesses of every size create and manage large volumes of data. While most of that data is important, some of it is vital to the survival and continued operation of the business. So what do you do when your technology stops working?
The impact of data loss or corruption from hardware failure, human error, hacking or malware could be significant. An IT disaster recovery plan developed in conjunction with the business continuity plan is essential to meet the needs of the business recovery.
Developing an IT Disaster Recovery Plan
Developing an IT disaster recovery plan begins by compiling an inventory of hardware, software, data, and connectivity. Typically, without one component of the system, the entire system may not run. Therefore, recovery strategies should be developed to anticipate the loss of any of the following system components:
- Hardware (i.e. networks, servers, computers, and wireless devices)
- Connectivity to a service provider (i.e. fiber, cable, wireless, etc.)
- Software applications (i.e. data interchange, enterprise resource management, office productivity, etc.)
- Data and restoration
The plan should also include a strategy to ensure that all critical information is backed up. For larger companies that have business applications that cannot tolerate any downtime, it is important to utilize dual data centers capable of handling all data processing needs. For small to medium-sized businesses with critical business applications and data to protect, it is important to identify critical software applications, data and the hardware required to run them. Furthermore, businesses should prioritize hardware and software restoration and test the recovery plan periodically to make sure that it works.
Developing the Data Backup Plan
Since businesses generate large amounts of data and data files are changing throughout the workday, it is important to also have a data backup plan. Data backup and recovery is an integral part of any business’s continuity plan and IT disaster recovery plan. Developing a data backup strategy begins with identifying data that needs to be backed up along with other hard copy records and information. The plan should include regularly scheduled backups to a network server.
The experts at Network South can work with you to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that focuses on communications, people, security, and application and data availability. We proudly partner with the leading network infrastructure providers to deliver a cost-effective reliable service.