Disaster Recovery 100 Success Secrets: IT Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery Planning and Services

Disaster Recovery 100 Success Secrets: IT Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery Planning and Services

Notice of Rights: Copyright © Gerard Blokdijk. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Notice of Liability: The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the products described in it. Trademarks: Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

Write a Review and Receive a Bonus Emereo eBook of Your Choice

Up to $99 RRP – Absolutely Free If you recently bought this book we would love to hear from you – submit a review of this title and you’ll receive an additional free ebook of your choice from our catalog at http://www.emereo.org.

How Does it Work? Submit your review of this title via the online store where you purchased it. For example, to post a review on Amazon, just log in to your account and click on the ‘Create Your Own Review’ button (under ‘Customer Reviews’) on the relevant product page (you’ll find plenty of example product reviews on Amazon). If you purchased from a different online store, simply follow their procedures.

What Happens When I Submit my Review? Once you have submitted your review, send us an email via [email protected], and include a link to your review and a link to the free eBook you’d like as our thank-you (from http://www.emereo.org – choose any book you like from the catalog, up to $99 RRP). You will then receive a reply email back from us, complete with your bonus ebook download link. It's that simple!

Foreword

There has never been a book like this. Disaster Recovery 100 Success Secrets is not about the long-winded ins and outs of Disaster Recovery. Instead, it answers the top 100 contemporary questions that we are asked and come across daily in professional forums, consultancy and education programs. The author uncovers the questions that matter, with straightforward, highly accessible tips that have never before been offered in print. This book is not about exhaustive best practice and standards details. Instead, it addresses the key strategic points you want to know to be successful in IT Business Continuity, Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery. The Secrets are right here – reach out and grasp Success with both hands.

Table of Contents Innovation of an AS/400 Disaster Recovery System .......................................................................................13 Bank Disaster Recovery Planning Goes beyond the Usual ............................................................................15 The Disaster Recovery Journal - Providing Solutions to Ensure Business Continuity................17 Establishing Backup Disaster Recovery Sites for Business Continuity ...................................................19 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – Roles Intertwined..................................................................21 The Benefits of Having a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan..............................................23 Disaster Recovery Plan for Floods – Protecting Computer Databases When Calamity Strikes........25 The Five Main Phases of a BCP Manual for Computer Disaster Recovery ...................................27 How to Pursue Outsourcing of Computer Disaster Plan Recovery .............................................................29 Should We Be Concerned About Computer Disaster Recovery? .....................................................31

The Value of Preparing a Computer Disaster Recovery Plan Beforehand ....................................... 33 How Do I Find a Reputable Contractor Disaster Recovery Specialist? .................................................. 35 How is Critical Disaster Information Recovery Conducted? ................................................................ 37 Disaster Recovery Measures in the Data Center .. 39 Data Disaster Recovery – Restoring Information from Damaged Media............................................... 41 What Is Database Disaster Oracle Recovery? ....... 43 How to Survive Data Recovery Disaster ............... 45 Disaster Recovery Definition in Layman’s Terms 47 Qualifications for Disaster Mail Print Recovery Partners to Success .................................................... 49 The Key Aspects in Creating Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan ...................... 51 Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan – What Makes the Difference? ........................ 53 Disaster Recovery Plan – The Key to Surviving Disasters...................................................................... 55 Disaster Recovery Planning – No More Room for Mistakes ...................................................................... 57

DRS – Making a Mark on Disaster Recovery Services ........................................................................59 When Disaster Strikes – Disaster Recovery Defined .......................................................................................61 How Do You Define Disaster Data Recovery? ......63 Understanding Your Disaster Emergency Procedure Recovery Plan ..........................................65 What Are the Disaster IBM Recovery Services? ....67 How to Go About a Disaster IT Plan Recovery Effort ............................................................................69 What Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning Can Do To Companies .............................71 Disaster Recovery through Disk Based Backups...73 Hiring the Services of a Disaster Recovery Company .....................................................................75 Things You Must Consider About a Disaster Recovery Planning Guide .........................................77 The Value of Disaster Recovery Planning Shareware ....................................................................79 Disaster Recovery Planning Software .....................81 What Measures Disaster Recovery Planning Templates ....................................................................83

Disaster Recovery Plan Shareware: Know Its Importance ................................................................. 85 Steps in Planning a Disaster Recovery Public Entity Business Interruption................................................ 87 Disaster Recovery Server SQL Is an Efficient Recovery Partner ....................................................... 89 The Features of Disaster Recovery Software ......... 91 Why Should I Opt for a Disaster Recovery Solution? ..................................................................... 93 The Effects of Having a Good Disaster Recovery System ......................................................................... 95 How many companies go out of business due to poor Disaster Recovery planning? .......................... 97 Assurance through Disaster Recovery Testing ..... 99 How Do You Pursue Disaster Relief and Recovery After a Disaster? ...................................................... 101 The Key Concepts in Fault Tolerance vs. Disaster Recovery Efforts ...................................................... 103 Hospital Disaster Recovery Plan – Safeguarding People’s Lives Saved on Databases ...................... 105 The Quick Fix: HP One Button Disaster Recovery .................................................................................... 107

IT Disaster Recovery – Preventive Measures on How to Deal with Threats.......................................109 A Well Run Company Always Has An IT Disaster Recovery Plan ...........................................................111 What is the Value of a Network Disaster Recovery? .....................................................................................113 The Perks of Oracle Database Disaster Recovery 116 Oracle Disaster Recovery Redundancy ................118 Should We Start Outsourcing Disaster Recovery Plans? .........................................................................120 Should My Organization Opt for Outsourcing IT Disaster Recovery Efforts? ......................................122 What Are the Components of a Sample Disaster Recovery Plan? .........................................................124 The Role of the Server Administrator in the Server Disaster Recovery Process ......................................126 7 Points In Favor of the TAMP Disaster Recovery System ........................................................................128 The Importance of Any Testing Disaster Recovery Plan Efforts ................................................................130 A Positive Note On The Cost of Outsourcing IT Disaster Recovery.....................................................132

Three Points For An Effective Applications Disaster Recovery Plan ........................................... 134 Things You Need To Know About Your Backup Disaster Recovery Plan ........................................... 136 Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery Planning For Organizations................................... 138 Making Business Continuity Disaster Planning Recovery A Priority ................................................ 140 Choosing The Right Business Continuity Disaster Plan Recovery Template......................................... 142 Business Continuity Plan vs. Disaster Recovery Explained .................................................................. 144 Implementing A Business Disaster Recovery Plan .................................................................................... 146 Creating A Community Bank Disaster Recovery Software .................................................................... 148 How Do I Find a Reputable Contractor Disaster Recovery Specialist? ................................................ 150 What Is The Database Disaster Oracle Recovery? .................................................................................... 152 The Importance Of Having A Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan .......................................................... 154

ServerVault Will Secure Your Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan ...........................................................156 How Do You Define Disaster Data Recovery? ....158 Five Factors An Example Disaster Recovery Plan Must Have .................................................................160 What Are the Disaster IBM Recovery Services? ..162 IT Disasters Happen, Thus Disaster Recovery Planning Is Needed..................................................164 Implementing A Network Disaster Recovery .....166 The Difference Between Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity Plan ........................................168 Implementing A Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity Plan ........................................................170 Disaster Recovery In Florida: Debris Removal Through Contractor .................................................172 The Importance Of Insurance Policy On Disaster Recovery ....................................................................174 Disaster Recovery Jobs: A Quick View On Responsibilities Of Disaster Recovery Managers 176 Factors In Building A Disaster Recovery Plan—The DRP ............................................................................178 The Importance Of Disaster Recovery Plans .......180

Factors In Choosing A Sample Plan for Disaster Recovery ................................................................... 182 Finding The Right Disaster Recovery Plan Template ................................................................... 184 Disaster Recovery Plan Templates And Its Key Elements ................................................................... 186 Steps in Planning a Disaster Recovery Public Entity Business Interruption.............................................. 188 Getting A Disaster Recovery Server And Software .................................................................................... 190 Hiring A Good Data Recovery Service Company .................................................................................... 192 The People Within A Disaster Recovery Team ... 194 Highly Recommended: Disaster Recovery Training .................................................................... 196 How Do You Pursue Disaster Relief and Recovery After a Disaster? ...................................................... 198 Recovering From An MS Exchange Disaster ...... 200 The Key Concepts in Fault Tolerance vs. Disaster Recovery Efforts ...................................................... 202 What is the Value of a Network Disaster Recovery? .................................................................................... 204

Portfolio for Disaster Recovery—Your Key Towards the Right Choice ......................................207 Planning For Disaster Recovery.............................209 What Are the Components of a Sample Disaster Recovery Plan? .........................................................211 The Importance of Any Testing Disaster Recovery Plan Efforts ................................................................213

13

Innovation of an AS/400 Disaster Recovery System Synergistics has now provided businesses with a credible option for disaster recovery—the AS/400 disaster recovery system. The AS/400 disaster recovery system has been designed to creatively as well as innovatively provide disaster recovery solutions for middleincome market. Its service agreement provides flexible terms of payments which can surely suit the budget of mid-range sized businesses. The AS/400 disaster recovery system makes use of the LPAR technology developed by IBM. In addition, the engineers behind Synergistic designed custom-fit solutions to easily adjust depending on the specific needs of the client. The system also boasts of four key points which make it a standout when it comes to disaster recovery. AS/400 provides recovery for hot sites, replication of data for proprietary solutions, as well as instant replication of data to be used as leverage for software.

14

In addition to all its detailed processes and cost-effective systems, the AS/400 disaster recovery system also provides its clients with their own team of technical engineers. These engineers are always ready and accessible when it comes to troubleshooting concerns. There are also online updates and full access granted to its clients so they can always be kept updated with new innovations regarding the AS/400 disaster recovery system. And to top it all off, AS/400 also boasts of a unique disaster recovery feature which allows clients to actually choose which type of disaster would they want to declare. This way, specialization of the recovery process is made possible and easily available through the AS/400 disaster recovery system.

15

Bank Disaster Recovery Planning Goes beyond the Usual Banks are among the earliest industries to adapt the features brought about by the birth of information technology. Banks were among the frontline runners who jumped right into whatever information technology promises to offer And as catastrophes are inevitable and unpredictable, bank disaster recovery planning are highly focused on by the said industry. After all, it is money and hard-earned cash which are at stake in these institutions, from individuals alone up to big shot corporations. It seems that even the government has seen how sensitive banks can be and how vulnerable they can become amidst the face of emergency. Hence, the federal government mandated in 1983 that banks disaster recovery planning must be implemented and maintained in each and every financial industry.

16

When it comes to bank disaster recovery planning, the proactive approach is of high value. Planning is definitely on the critical side. The primary objective of bank disaster recovery planning is not to salvage anything from the emergency situation but rather, to actually prevent any unwanted emergencies from hampering operations. This also brought about by the fact that when calamities occur, banks become a hot spot for people who are hit with panic and with an immediate need to check on their resources. In addition, a bank disaster recovery planning puts all people first out of danger. The customers and employees are both very important to save. Without customers, there will be no more business for these banks and without their valued employees, operations will likewise become paralyzed. And of course, recovery of data center is not only limited within the confines of the particular branch or department. The whole bank’s corporation takes part in the recovery process.

17

The Disaster Recovery Journal Providing Solutions to Ensure Business Continuity Do you have any questions on how you can implement business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) solutions to your organization? The answers are just within your reach because there are a lot of sites that offer suggestions and provide updates as far as BC/DR matters are concerned. Aside from consulting an expert when it comes to BC/DR processes, these web sites are jam-packed with tons of information that you can apply to your own business. One of these web sites is the disaster recovery journal. This site offers comprehensive discussions about the latest trends about BC/DR processes and how to successfully put these solutions into practice. The Disaster Recovery Journal is actually a magazine that it has about 60,000 subscribers to date with more than a 100 pages in size.

18

The Disaster Recovery Journal is the first publication that is solely focused on disaster recovery and business continuity. Founded in 1987, its first issue contains 22 pages and was only distributed to about 3,000 readers. The man behind the journal is Richard L. Arnold, who is still acts as the president of the Disaster Recovery Journal. He also happens to be a co-founder of a non-profit organization named Disaster Recovery Institute in 1989. This institution offers certification and awareness of the importance of disaster recovery in the business industry today. To gain more knowledge and learn the different best practices in the field of disaster recovery and business continuity, the Disaster Recovery Journal also sponsors two conferences held annually since September 1989. With over 3,000 disaster recovery professionals who participated, this only goes to show how critical disaster recovery is to the business.

19

Establishing Backup Disaster Recovery Sites for Business Continuity Why do you think that printers, photocopying machines, scanners, diskettes, CDs and DVDs were developed in this day and age? All of these have only one thing in common – backup. Producing a backup copy is vital, either soft or hard, that you still can access or read the information you need if in case the original copy is stolen, lost or got damaged. This concept is the same when dealing large volumes of information that are kept on database servers. There is no such perfect system in this world that even high-powered machines are still susceptible to change and may lead to malfunction over time. Plus, also take note of unexpected disasters that may happen. Examples would be fire, floods and earthquakes to name a few. Human errors may also occur, though this may seem most unlikely to happen since proper training can always be given to the users of the system. Another human-imposed activity would be hacking and other nuisance that can cause too much trouble. When worse comes to worst that when such unfortunate events arise and everything is lost and may seem to be unrecoverable, there is only one thing that you can cling on. This would be your database backup server.

20

But then again, a good thing to point though is that the database backup server should be kept on another site or location. This could be outside building premises or perimeters or it could also be inside the business facility but is kept on a more secure room or building. This is to ensure the safety of valuable information that would lead to business continuity as well.

21

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – Roles Intertwined Business continuity relies on disaster recovery. In difficult and inevitable times when business continuity is at stake due to hindrances and threats by internal and external forces, a well-planned disaster recovery process is the answer. Such incidents happen commonly on computer systems as the demand to supply IT solutions to most business operations has been apparent over the past several years. Though there is a high level of reliability compared to using the good old manual way of doing things, still there is a need to have business continuity plan or disaster recovery plan. Such systems have their own boundaries or limitations as well, no matter how advanced or complex they are. There will come a time when certain risks will be presented. Therefore constant maintenance and cautious analysis are needed to support such systems.

22

Here are certain precautionary measures that will help ease the pain of losing vital information for larger and more critical computer systems. First is to develop a well-written business continuity plan (BCP) or disaster recovery plan (DRP). These processes are essential in making sure that it will be “business as usual” amidst of encountering a disruptive event. Second is to properly delegate a team of individuals with specific duties and responsibilities, with an accompanying backup plan to support others in carrying out specific tasks. Highly trainable individuals with a vast understanding on how computer system works are definitely an advantage. And lastly, determine the software systems and hardware devices that are susceptible to replacements when disaster strikes. A backup location for database use should also be identified to ensure business continuity.

23

The Benefits of Having a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan It is important for businesses today to think ahead and plan for the unexpected. Especially these days where security threats and natural disasters are likely to happen, businesses should prepare and plan for a definite emergency measure. Building a business continuity and disaster recovery plan are two of the most essential preparations of a company in cases of disaster. These two aspects of emergency planning works hand in hand to help the company mitigate the effects of the disaster. However, these strategic planning cannot 100 % guarantee that there will be no loss in assets and investments. Of course, when disaster hits particularly natural calamities, there will be damages and costs incurred. That is why business continuity and disaster recovery plan are developed to lessen the impact of disasters and prevent further damage.

24

In IT, maintaining its networking functions and system application are very important. Business continuity creates a way to sustain its normal operations in event of disasters. By creating an accurate plan to mitigate impact, business continuity develops guidelines and procedures to follow when applications fail or network systems are down. There are back up software and solutions to easily restore the normal functions of people and equipments. Disaster recovery plans on the other hand also helps recover all the lost data and information. This also includes data, investments and other lost physical assets that may disrupt the operations of the business. These two aspects play an important role in keeping the company from further destruction and damage.

25

Disaster Recovery Plan for Floods – Protecting Computer Databases When Calamity Strikes Disaster strikes when you least expect it. Suddenly, you will just feel the earth shaking, the fire alarm ringing and heavy rains hitting the ground. When such emergency situations happen, you just cannot help but panic and feel worried of what is going to happen. Safety of the individuals should be a major priority, and so is the essential information stored on computer databases. Yes, equipment and devices can be replaced, but not critical records and files that once gone will also mean waving good-bye to your own business. One of the major threats to the facilities and infrastructures established to perform business operations is flooding. A well-organized disaster recovery plan is therefore needed as your first line of defense against this threat. Though there may be times that equipment malfunction due to flooding can still be used and functional when dried, still the hassle of getting through this whole process is indeed a waste of time and resources.

26

Flooding, like any other natural calamity is not something that we can stop from happening. Nature takes its own course and the best thing to do is just accept this fact and invest time on how to carefully plan on what to do whenever such disruptive events happen. Though a very important precautionary measure that should be looked on to is data backup. Backing up files, such as storing them on another location, will definitely ensure business continuity amidst of all these hindrances. It is a good thing to note though that when flooding happens, there is one thing that everyone should be reminded of: plant trees. The result would be a cleaner air to breathe. Well, not a bad idea after all.

27

The Five Main Phases of a BCP Manual for Computer Disaster Recovery Performing computer disaster recovery may seem to have been involved with a lot of different processes to guarantee business continuity. Actually, there are only five things to think about in creating a business continuity plan (BCP) manual that will definitely aid in making it easy for many to do disaster recovery, especially those involved in complex computer systems. The BCP manual can function as your guide in ensuring business longevity. The five main phases involved in BCP manual development are: (a) Analysis, (b) Solution design, (c) Implementation, (d) Testing and organization acceptance and (e) Maintenance.

28

On the analysis phases involves three subprocesses. First is impact analysis, where critical and non-critical functions within the organization are differentiated. Critical functions are more susceptible to threats so the need to distinguish functions is needed to meet certain requirements. Threat analysis, on the other hand, involves the identification of threats and their impact to the business. Lastly, impact scenarios should then be defined for proper documentation. After impact analysis, there comes solution design to recognize the most cost effective disaster recovery solution from the given scenarios. The third phase, which is implementation, takes place to execute the identified solution design elements. Testing will then be made to obtain organizational acceptance. The design element should meet certain requirements as specified by the organization. Changes have to be made after testing should the need arises. The last phase of the BCP manual is maintenance. It involves the following activities: (a) Confirm the information written in the manual and roll out to all staff and personnel to increase the level of awareness; (b) Test and verify solutions; and (c) Test and verify the documented recovery procedures.

29

How to Pursue Outsourcing of Computer Disaster Plan Recovery One way you know when to outsource and when not to is to ask yourself how much of your IT computers are covered by outsourcing at this point. If your organization prefers to focus on maintaining in-house IT personnel and IT maintenance services, then outsourcing would be very difficult to pursue. For one thing, your own organizational culture may make people suspicious about letting outsiders know how your organizational IT systems operate – because in this age when competition is fierce, trade secrets become even more valuable commodities. Allowing outsiders to glimpse your IT system structure may mean permitting people to see any potential weak points. As in any business arrangement, trust and integrity are the watchwords by which you should judge any potential outsourcing partner.

30

Some client companies may opt for the least expensive of the Computer Disaster Plan Recovery specialists they find automatically, because they intend to protect their profits. However, such a move may backfire because lower initial cost may not translate into better service for you. Since IT systems are very expensive to invest in, it only makes sense to get the best service you can to protect your investment (which is what Computer Disaster Plan Recovery is all about in the first place.) So you need to examine why your profits should be prioritized over quality service. Sometimes it is still possible to get quality Computer Disaster Plan Recovery service at reasonable prices. Another thing to take into account is the location of your preferred Computer Disaster Plan Recovery specialist. If your datacenter is located in a remote place like the Philippines, and your Computer Disaster Plan Recovery specialists are located in the US, for instance, you might find your data imperiled when your US-based Computer Disaster Plan Recovery specialists cannot make it in time to examine the disaster site. Even the fastest passenger plane will take some time before it can cross the distance over land and sea – and in Computer Disaster Plan Recovery, time is always a crucial factor for saving data.

31

Should We Be Concerned About Computer Disaster Recovery? Computer Disaster Recovery may seem like a relatively new area of concern among PC users but it is by no means a new phenomenon. Actually, many PC users have unfortunately suffered a degree of data loss every year in the past. When you compute for it, in 1998 alone, US companies lost as much as $11.8 billion due to data loss. If many IT professionals had already been experienced in Computer Disaster Recovery at that time, most likely the losses would not have been as severe. Computer Disaster Recovery can either be practiced (or outsourced) to an independent consultancy firm or assigned to your in-house IT staff. Either way, someone has to be on-site 24/7 so that Computer Disaster Recovery can be addressed as soon as a disaster strikes. The problem is that many IT professionals may be acquainted only with simple drive recovery efforts and think that that already constitutes Computer Disaster Recovery. Simple drive recovery alone is already very expensive (it will cost a business $7,500 to implement) and is not automatically a sure-fire solution to resort to.

32

Computer Disaster Recovery should become a more prevalent area of concern for US companies, because statistics show that US businesses suffer more than $12 billion in losses annually due to data loss at present. As much as 78% of data loss is attributed to system or hardware failure. On the other hand, 11% of data loss is believed to be caused by human error. Software corruption alone causes just 7% of total data loss nowadays.

33

The Value of Preparing a Computer Disaster Recovery Plan Beforehand One of the worst things you may ever face is being caught in a disaster without any weapon to fight with. However, it is a fact of life that disaster may happen when we least expect it. The best weapon against these disasters is preparedness. This is true even when it comes to computers. Computer professionals have made great strides - from being simply prepared to creating a system which allows for disaster recovery even when the unexpected occurs. Your disaster recovery plan should focus on data protection. This data protection is the process, procedures and policies for regaining access to data, records, hardware and software that are essential to business operations and have been subjected to a natural or man-made disaster. No business is immune from experiencing such a serious incident, called a disaster, which may hamper normal business operations. A disaster could be caused by floods, accidents, computer malfunctions, explosions, earthquakes, and many more other factors. This is why development of a Basic Disaster Recovery Plan is a fundamental responsibility of every organization.

34

In the planning stage, there are some essentials points to consider. First and foremost, the plan must be approved by top management to ensure the highest level of commitment and ensure support in terms of resources and attention from management. Secondly, the plan must be based on and designed for the needs of the system in case disaster should happen. The so-called DRPs help guard against data loss with the use of backups sent off-site in regular intervals (composed of software and data information) for data recovery; microfilm copies of files with the use of remote backup facility); Storage Area Networks (SANs); surge protectors (for power control); use of an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) or backup generator; anti-virus software; and other security measures. Even fire prevention and protection may become necessary components of your Basic Disaster Recovery Plan.

35

How Do I Find a Reputable Contractor Disaster Recovery Specialist? Business and organizations that have undergone both or either man-made or natural adverse circumstances such as terrorism attacks, windstorms, bomb explosions and earthquakes should hire a reliable disaster recovery contractor. However, make sure to consult first any involved agency about the possibility of getting state aid so that an assessment of the damaged property can be done before any repairs are done on it. How can you find a reputable contractor? First, you have to screen the contractor, whether he is licensed or not. You can ask any of your neighbors who may have previously hired a disaster recovery contractor to repair damages like yours. You should ask for at least three references to see if the contractor has been able to commit to good job performance and charged a fair price from previous clients. You can call your local Better Business Bureau to check out their list of contractors acknowledged by the bureau to be reputable.

36

Secondly, you should jot down any necessary licenses and certifications (such as insurance certification, working license, or building permits) which may be needed if you have to report problems that cropped up later. However, you should not sign any insurance settlements with any contractor. Thirdly, ensure that your signature on a bid does not constitute as an authorization to start the work with the contractor. Next, you must secure written contracts which will cover the scope of work, materials, costs and payment schedules. In making payments to contractors, it is suggested to pay them periodically (meaning, pay a fractional percent so they will start work and also as work progresses.) In addition, purchase materials along with your contractor or pay the supplier directly. You should ensure that the repairs made follow the local building standards. You may hire a structural engineer to double-check the major repairs made before you make a final payment. Lastly, you should demand a release paper of lien from a contractor to protect yourself from any legal claims later on.

37

How is Critical Disaster Information Recovery Conducted? Okay, so disaster struck your data storage facility and now you need Critical Disaster Information Recovery to be conducted so that no further damage will be done to your data storage medium and your business continuity is not jeopardized. How does Critical Disaster Information Recovery proceed then? The Critical Disaster Information Recovery specialists will first ask you to hand over the affected medium to them for inspection. They will also create a copy of the medium and its contents to prevent wreaking further damage to that storage medium. Before you do this, it is important to have a legal agreement in place to protect the integrity of your data (especially if it is sensitive data, like personal information about clients and their financial transactions.) Only upon inspection will the Critical Disaster Information Recovery team be able to find out if the data can indeed be retrieved, how much of the data can be retrieved safely, how long the process will take, and how much to charge you for their services.

38

Be prepared to pay a hefty cost for any Critical Disaster Information Recovery. In fact, it can be said that a disaster has a double whammy to it: you first get hit by a disaster which is costly in itself, and then you have to pay to recover your data which is equally or even more expensive to pursue. But compared to the cost of lost business due to loss of trust by present and future clients, corporations may prefer to invest in good Critical Disaster Information Recovery service anyway. Critical Disaster Information Recovery will have better odds of being successful if the process is initiated in a timely manner. It also helps if your organization had a very detailed and systematic Critical Disaster Information Recovery plan in place before any threats hit the organization later on.

39

Disaster Recovery Measures in the Data Center The data center holds all valuable information that the company needs to ensure business continuity. However, there are times wherein threats may come along the way, which may cause losing every bit of information that is considered critical to business operations. Such threats vary from natural to human-inflicted errors. There are also some who intentionally steal such data and use them for their own good. Hackers can easily penetrate the data center if information security is not taken seriously. Having these possibilities in mind, most companies have resorted to data center disaster recovery aside from the usual countermeasures that are implemented to lessen, if not totally avoid the presence of threats. There are actually two steps to consider in starting the much needed data center disaster recovery plan for your organization. When dealing with data center disaster recovery, the first step to think about is the acceptable loss that the company can endure. Say for example, if you are working in a financial institution, is an hour good enough to restore lost data without really impacting the whole operation of the business?

40

Though there may be protection that you can rely on from database backups, determining this will definitely guide you on what to do when a threat present itself unexpectedly. The second step would be checking if loss of access rights to the database is still be feasible for users in carrying out their day to day duties. By knowing this, you will be able to devise a strategy that has minimal impact to the business and to its users, but still restoring valuable data lost due to threats can still be performed. This may seem challenging but getting the right information is the key to successful disaster recovery plans.

41

Data Disaster Recovery – Restoring Information from Damaged Media Very critical data used in business operations are often saved in storage media such as DVDs, CDs, hard disk drives, flash disks and other electronic devices. However, due to unexpected file errors and physical damages, contents stored on these devices may become corrupted or inaccessible at times. The process of recovering lost data from these storage media is called data disaster recovery. Physical damages that usually happen on DVDs and CDs do not only cause loss of data but damage on the logical structure of the file system as well. Such damages may mean unrecovered data and thus, cannot be repaired anymore by an ordinary end user. Though technical experts can still salvage files stored on these devices through the use of Class 100 cleanroom facilities, this may be a bit costly. Another common recovery procedure is done by removing the damaged portion of the printed circuit board (PCB) and replace with another PCB from a healthy drive. This procedure is indeed highly technical in nature and thus, should only be done by experts to further protect the integrity of data stored on these damaged devices.

42

Aside from physical damage, another common cause of data loss on storage devices is logical damage. Power outage is one of the reasons why logical damage happens, thus preventing the file system structure to overwrite or save files on the storage medium. System crashes, and problems with hardware and drivers may also cause logical damage. Because of this, most operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac have their own versions of repair tool used to recover data. Taking advantage of these tools can definitely make data disaster recovery a bit easier than expected.

43

What Is Database Disaster Oracle Recovery? Created by Larry Ellison, Ed Oates and Bob Miner, the Software Development Laboratories in 1977 developed the original Oracle DBMS (or Database Management System.) The name Oracle is derived from the code of a project that they worked on at Ampex. Software Development Laboratories was then renamed to Relational Software Inc. (or RSI) in 1979 – which was later named Oracle Corporation in the year 1984. The two major components of an Oracle DBMS are Database and Instance. The Database contains all the control files; redo logs (that contain your data and Oracle metadata), and physical data files. The control files contain Oracle metadata which are very important and contain all the information that is needed to access the database. The redo log holds records for any changes that have been done. An Instance, however, is a combination of the background processes and the pool of physical memory called RAM allocated to Oracle. The RAM is also called System Global Area (or SGA.) The RAM is employed to cache data (since the RAM is a thousand times faster than I/O.)

44

There are different types of backups, namely: whole Database Backup, Consistent Whole Database Backup, Inconsistent Whole Database, Inconsistent Closed Backups, Tablespace Backups, Datafile Backups, and Control File Backups. Each backup differs the others, and knowing which backup method should be used is essential. RMAN (or recovery manager) is a component that establishes a connection with a particular server process. The RMAN automates the flow of data for recovery operations and backup. The OS (or Operating System) is another process but one where the database is backed up manually by a specific command execution to certain user specifications. The Oracle export Utility, however, makes backup logical by writing data from the Oracle database to OS files. The Oracle Enterprise Manager, on the other hand, runs with a GUI interface that brings Recovery Manager to work.

45

How to Survive Data Recovery Disaster Sometimes, even with a team of Data Recovery Disaster specialists on your side helping out, it may not be possible to foresee when Data Recovery Disaster will strike. Sometimes, it may seem like fate is playing a cruel joke on you and Data Recovery Disaster occurs despite your best efforts. Can you survive a Data Recovery Disaster event? If you are a business organization hit by a Data Recovery Disaster event, one thing you do not need is unwarranted publicity. This is because you need clients to think that they can trust you with their data and their business. This is why many corporations hire PR firms to ward off nosy reporters who only see the value of a potential story and do not see why corporations would want to shield themselves from publicity. Until you have found out what caused the a Data Recovery Disaster event to occur, it would be wise to keep the media at bay – once you know why the event happened and how you can prevent it and other threats from occurring, then you can safely talk to the press (but definitely not beforehand.)

46

This means you have to exert all efforts to find out the true causes of the event. For instance, if your data storage facility was hit by a fire, you should always get an investigating team that specializes in fire damage to assess what the cause was. You might be unpleasantly surprised that arson could have been a factor – possibly motivated by business competition. Or, if it seems like someone downloaded a virus into the IT system accidentally, you may want to investigate the background and work records of that employee – there are cases when disgruntled employees sabotage their employer and the organizational IT systems deliberately. It is not paranoia if they are really after you.

47

Disaster Recovery Definition in Layman’s Terms It is commonly understood by the IT industry that the definition of disaster recovery is the procedure of restoring the normal processes of the company in times of disasters due to natural and man-made causes and system breakdown. It is essential for businesses to be prepared when disaster hits their organization. Storm, power outages, tornadoes, terrorism attacks and system break-ins are likely to happen anytime. Without the proper precaution of companies and government agencies, numerous lives will be at stake. To ensure an effective recovery and rescue operations, it is important to organize a specific plan. There are also other definitions of disaster recovery such as regaining access to lost network or business connectivity and recovering critical company data during or after a disaster caused by natural or man-made sources.

48

This definition will also include the creation of a disaster recovery plan which includes plans and procedures for restoring normal business operations without or with only minimal disruptions in company resources. This plan is well maintained and constantly updated to make sure that it is still workable and applicable to the company. Data can also be lost during disasters and calamities. Network systems during these times may be initially affected due to disconnection of communication lines. Essential documents, assets and information are needed to be protected in order to quickly restore the normal operations of businesses. A thorough plan should be created by companies and especially government agencies responsible for massive disasters. A well-organized team and committee should initiate the development of plans and strategies in disaster recovery.

49

Qualifications for Disaster Mail Print Recovery Partners to Success Have you ever wondered working in a payment service firm? If you are tasked to print billing statements every day, fold each piece of document into three, enclose them inside white envelopes, sort them by zip code and go to the nearest post office to finally send them to the intended recipients – how will that make you feel? Tiresome? Redundant? Or worst, worthless? Yes, just imagine how one can feel satisfied of such work when you go over this tedious workload every single day of your life. To provide solutions to this inconvenience, brilliant inventors have improved how print-to-mail operation has to be done. Print-to-mail operation was innovated with the coming of advanced and high-speed printers wherein a lot of new functions were incorporated such as continuous-form inserting and printing ability, roll paper feeders, duplex and two-wide printing, and rewinders. Such innovations have truly helped industries to make work more cost effective, and less time consuming for employees.

50

Aside from this, print-to-mail operation can also act as a contingency plan, after the determination of critical documents that should be backed up for future purposes. This is the reason why there is a need to evaluate the service partner that will provide critical print and mail disaster recovery solutions. Qualifications include: (a) A well-established print-to-mail recovery facilities; (b) Well-maintained and modern equipment; (c) Software products that will meet your company’s needs; (d) Diverse consumer base; (e) Enthusiastic approach to demonstrate work recovery; (f) Credibility in the industry of print-to-mail operations; and (g) Readiness in responding when urgent situations arise. Choosing the best service partner will truly be a win-win solution for both employees and the company.

51

The Key Aspects in Creating Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan Disaster recovery plan (DRP) and business continuity plan (BCP) are partners in helping organizations prepare, anticipate and control certain disruptions that may come along during the course of carrying out business operations. But then again, involving oneself to disaster recovery or business continuity planning is one such tedious job. There are a lot of things to consider including such critical key aspects of the business such as: (a) Building and other facilities that include water and power sources; (b) Communications and some examples include email, telephone, fax and mobile; (c) IT infrastructures involving data and application servers, internet access and networks; and (d) Personnel or key people that are experts in doing the best course of action in times of crisis. Now that the essential aspects of the business that may be impacted are already identified, it is now time to determine the different threats or risk factors that may be encountered to increase awareness and understanding on how such unfortunate situations happen. As expected, these are classified into three categories: human, natural and technological.

52

Human threats may come in various forms, which include theft, terrorism, account fraud and vandalism among other things. These are usually external factors. Human threats may also come internally such as unexpected errors that may be experienced during business operations. Running wrong commands, inadequate staffing and insufficient training are some of the common errors experienced. Natural threats are disasters that may be unexpected such as earthquakes, thunderstorms, fires and floods. Technological threats are the most common. Such issues include server latencies, power failures, tool problems, service attacks and virus infections.

53

Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan – What Makes the Difference? Is there a difference between a disaster recovery plan (DRP) and a business continuity plan (BCP)? DRP is a carefully established step-by-step process that ensures business stability after the occurrence of a disruptive event. Such threats may come out as natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons or other natural calamities or as a tiny bit of computer nuisance known as virus. The BCP has almost the same definition, but focuses on a more comprehensive approach this time. This is where organizational restoration and recovery take place. Thus, the acronym BC/DR shows the connection between the two. Though at times, there are certain instances wherein a BC/DP process is in place within an organization but failure to restore all vital business operations still happen. What went wrong? Here are some of the potential reasons why such pitfalls occur.

54

First is inadequate planning. It could be that all critical systems were not identified or that some systems were not included on the disaster recovery plan or business continuity plan. It is a good thing to note that every single piece of hardware device or software application is prone to change, which may lead to system disruptions if not carefully managed. Proper delegation of individuals to man business operations is also a top priority. Second would be insufficient testing. Though it could be that you have a well-written DRP or BCP, but not testing its effectiveness is like arming yourself with weapons in a battlefield without being trained on how to use each one of them. Testing will definitely improve the current plan and make room for some adjustments whenever necessary.

55

Disaster Recovery Plan – The Key to Surviving Disasters Successful plans make successful goals. When you are on an individual or group mission, a plan should be well-established as you will use it as your primary tool that will lead you to your objectives. This is also true when dealing with threats and other outside forces that may hinder business growth and development. With the advent of Information Technology, the need to secure or protect every single bit of information is critical. At these times when computer systems and devices become more complex, and the emergence of disasters and other threats become inevitable, a well-anticipated disaster recovery plan (DRP) is the key. Often referred to as business continuity plan (BCP), DRP is a comprehensive set of processes and procedures that are carefully set up within the organization. This is to ensure that very important aspects of the business can still function, in such a way that data records can still be accessed and certain devices and infrastructures can still be used in times when emergency situations happen. Disasters are sometimes inevitable but a good DRP should address three areas and these are:

56

(a) Prevention or pre-disaster; (b) Continuity or during a disaster; and (c) Recovery or post disaster. Prevention is the pre-planning stage wherein determination of the area within the organization that will be impacted by an anticipated disaster will take place. Continuity is the stage wherein essential systems and resources are preserved and maintained during a disaster. The recovery stage, on the other hand, is the stage wherein the restoration of impacted systems to normal operational status occurs. However, this has to be done at the soonest possible time to maintain and ensure the needs and demands of the business.

57

Disaster Recovery Planning – No More Room for Mistakes When a goal is carefully planned, there is an almost 100% assurance that it will be achieved. The margin of error depends on how careful the planning of steps is to meet certain objectives. There may be threats or risks involved in some decisions, but then again all these are a part of the game. At some point, adjustments have to be made and should be anticipated as part of the planning stage. With such dedication, determination and hard work, nothing is impossible. In this day and age of computing and Information Technology, disaster recovery planning should always be in place to ensure business continuity. It is essential that these step by step processes, which are carefully thought of, should be applied in times when crisis and emergency situations happen. There are also certain situations wherein the disaster recovery plan (DRP) should be updated on a regular basis to ensure high quality standards, especially when there are extra systems or devices added on the network. Due to the changes made to the system, testing should also be done when the need arises.

58

It has been said that almost 25% of company earnings are spent on disaster recovery planning. This is because losing any vital information also means losing money for the business, or worst, this may lead to company bankruptcy. Everything will be put into waste if a carefully planned disaster recovery process does not engage when such unfortunate situations happen. Just imagine computer records that contain every bit of information concerning your business vanished out of nowhere all of a sudden. Indeed, disaster recovery planning must be present at all times. Plan now, before it’s too late.

59

DRS – Making a Mark on Disaster Recovery Services Do you need help in any disaster recovery related process? Worry no more. The Disaster Recovery Services or DRS will be there to assist you in any business continuity concerns that you may have. DRS is a nationwide leader in providing disaster recovery solutions wherein it also supports other distinctive corporate computing environments such as image item proof of deposit or POD (used for restoration of image item POD and electronic image system delivery), image delivery (used for restoration of database driven server/client networks) and mail & remittance (used for restoration of mail and remittance applications). Established in 1991 by a small group of IT professionals, the Disaster Recovery Services (DRS) is still finding ways on how to enhance disaster recovery and business continuity plans after the occurrence of catastrophic events or emergency situations. Since risk factors and threats may also depend on geographic location, the best solution is to include facilities and system redundancy, with support from professional services. Due to the limited number of users within a specific location, risks as brought about by multiple disasters with effects on certain facilities will then be mitigated. Recovery testing should also be done on a regular basis to ensure readiness.

60

DRS has been providing solutions since 1992, extending state of the art support and business driven efforts to various industry groups. With its commitment to providing world-class service, DRS employs its three pillars of support and these include the following: (a) Partnership with customers; (b) Employees who love what they do; and (c) Excellence in execution. These are just few of the many reasons why DRS is still in operation as of today: marking its way up to lead the pack among providers of alternate site systems and facilities.

61

When Disaster Strikes – Disaster Recovery Defined There is a saying that nothing is perfect in this world. This statement is true as it applies to everything that your eyes can see: physical beauty fades; flowers bloom but wither at some point in time; and leaves have to drop from trees so that new ones will grow again. This is a reality that happens with the surroundings, though there has been some techniques and procedures developed to retain, if not prolong, the beauty of nature. This also applies to people’s day to day living, especially now that almost everything is high-tech and computeroperated. With the growing reliance on Information Technology, the need to protect company information is crucial to the business. The possibility of any occurrence of human-induced errors or natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons and thunderstorms, has paved the way for the development and production of policies and procedures to retain important data and regain access to records and devices that are critical to business operations. This process is called disaster recovery.

62

But then again, the process of recovering valuable data and information is not that easy. There should be a disaster recovery plan in place that should be thoroughly tested to have it ready when such emergency situations occur. In addition, a designated committee, headed by a chairperson that is focused on this area alone should be formed as it is one of the important key aspects of the business. Indeed, what the brilliant scientist mentioned is a fact… that for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. Disasters are just few of the many consequences of change in the environment and a well-established recovery plan can pacify any threat that may come along the way.

63

How Do You Define Disaster Data Recovery? Recovering data (or Data Recovery) is the task of recovering data from the HDD (or Hard Disk Drive) or any other type of digital media that has been jeopardized in a critical way due to a disaster, such as a flood, explosion, or fire. There are many techniques that can be used to recover data when it has been seemingly destroyed or damaged – techniques that are similar to recovering data from tapes and hard drives that are in less brutalized condition. Data value varies in the form it is stored in. Some are not valuable enough to worry about, but some are very important. Numerous entities such as companies who experience a disaster then have to contend with more or double the risk of data failure. Even if they are able to back-up their data on a regular basis, they still would be facing an event considered non-risk-free – unless they try to backup their data in other locations. It is hard to rebuild customer financial records, files and inventory records. In fact, there are some companies who have actually gone out of business due to the consequences of disasters.

64

It is possible to recover data from firedamaged drives even though plastic components may be melted, or blackened by fire. There are two main components of a hard drive: first would be the electronic board; and second, you have the head assembly. The head assembly contains the rotating platter that carries the data with read/write function. Located in the head assembly is a small pinsized hole whose purpose is to help in compensating for atmospheric changes. Even if the cause of damage is fire, water damage may also be caused by fire fighters whose main purpose is to eliminate the first risk which is fire. Water can enter through this pin hole. The time that the water remains inside is critical if we intend to save the valuable data affected. If the water dries before we can act, there is less chance of being able to recover data due to dirt and foreign materials left inside. Another risk is when melting occurs due to excessive heat – once the disk experiences melting of its internal parts; there is no hope of ever recovering the data.

65

Understanding Your Disaster Emergency Procedure Recovery Plan When creating a Disaster Emergency Procedure Recovery Plan, it is important to know first why you are creating it. This is so you do not wind up preparing procedures which are not apt for the situation that may hit you. It also helps you weed out overlapping or contradictory procedures. For instance, in a data center, there are two ways your data storage systems can be destroyed: by fire and by water. Ironically though, if fire does hit your data center, the most common way of putting out the fire is through the internal water sprinkler system of the facility. So the water sprinklers do put out your fire, but will also wreak havoc on your IT systems anyway. It is very easy for water to penetrate into the internal parts of your computers, especially the CPUs of your desktops. To address this problem may require the labors of Hercules, because many times fire breaks out because of the computers themselves – perhaps because the CPU overheated from prolonged use or because of some flaw in the power supply system. Though some experts say water sprinklers should be distanced from sensitive IT systems, how do you put out the fire then if the cause of the fire is the PC?

66

One procedure you could set in place is that round-the-clock surveillance should be installed in your data storage facility. This allows your personnel to isolate any fires that do break out so that the rest of your IT systems stay safe. Maintaining people to secure your data storage facility round-the-clock may be expensive but it is better in the long run than investing in a water sprinkler system that will go off automatically if a fire is detected because your IT systems will not be damaged whole cloth.

67

What Are the Disaster IBM Recovery Services? IBM (or International Business Machines Corporation) is one of the most well-known companies in Information Technology that has been growing since the 19th century. IBM has continuously pursued its business manufacturing computers, software and hardware all this time and now also offers hosting services, infrastructure services, and consultations in mainframe computers and nanotechnology. One of the most recent remarkable accomplishments of IBM is that it had grown to become one of the largest computer companies in the world since it has the most number of employees in its field with more than 355,000 people around the world. Though it fell to second place to HP (or Hewlett Packard) in 2007, IBM is still one of the most profitable companies in the world. Since it has engineers and consultants in over 170 countries and 8 laboratories worldwide, IBM also holds more patents than any US companies whose business is based in computer technology. Having earned three Nobel prizes, five National Medals of Technology, four Turing Awards, and five National Medals of Science, IBM is now recognized as one of the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.

68

IBM nowadays offers disaster recovery services that include Application Continuity Services, Call Center Recovery, Continuity Options for storage area networks, Data Center Recovery, Disaster Recoverability Assessment, ERRM 30-day test drive, iSeries System Restore Test, IT recovery options for Sun Microsystems, Network Recovery, Physical Workplace Recovery, Protection Express, Recovery options for IBM technology, Recovery options for multivendor technology, Recovery Plan Development, Recovery Process and Procedure Design, Recovery Strategy Definition, System ibackup, Recovery Analysis and virtual workplace continuity. These services are offered to lessen the losses absorbed by other companies due to disastrous events, so client companies can offset losses, to keep them in business. IBM services focus on securing data and keep businesses running. Disaster planning requires harnessing of great amounts and kinds of resources – the vast IBM network provides that.

69

How to Go About a Disaster IT Plan Recovery Effort You thought it would never happen to you and your organization, but it did: disaster has struck and now the integrity of the hard disk in your computer (as well as that of many other people in the same organization) has been struck hard. So what do you do now? Embarking on a Disaster IT Plan Recovery effort actually starts long before the actual disaster strikes – b because the value of any Disaster IT Plan Recovery effort lies in adequate preparation and foresight. That is why certain IT professionals take time out to train in Disaster Recovery – not just to add to their long list of credentials, but to be able to help their organizations prepare and prepare well for any potential disaster. It may be expensive but at least the IT systems in your organization stand to have a fighting chance at life this way. If you have been hit by an IT disaster and are now scrambling for a Disaster Recovery expert who can shoot the magic bullet and retrieve your data for you, there is still a chance that such a Disaster Recovery specialist can be found if you act quickly enough. It all depends on the cause of the disaster.

70

Any Disaster Recovery guide, though, will tell you that your Discovery Recovery efforts should always start with detailed and careful planning. If nobody in your organization knows anything about Disaster Recovery and how to create a thorough and pertinent plan to protect then retrieve affected data, then invest in training real quick. It’s for your own protection.

71

What Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning Can Do To Companies The safety of organizations and businesses are constantly at stake. Every day they encounter threats and risks from security systems to natural calamity. And without proper guidelines and support, companies can easily reach its downfall. Disasters cannot be eliminated. In fact, the only thing that organizations can do is to prevent it and plan for recovery. Most businesses today do not realize the importance of creating a plan because some companies do not recognize the serious damage this can cause their business. The company’s assets are not the only ones who is at stake here. The lives of clients and employees are also in danger if comprehensive emergency measures are not planned properly. Disaster recovery and business continuity planning are very important part of creating a strategic emergency plan. While some are confused on the roles these two are playing, these play a big part in successfully implementing organized plans for the company.

72

Disaster recovery and business continuity planning basically manages and restores the important data and information. This includes appropriate tactical measures in cases of hurricanes, earthquake, sabotage and network failure. Guidelines, precautions, system backup and recovery are just some of the basic requirements of an effective planning. Aside from that it is necessary for companies to train their employees and provide them with the proper instructions when disasters happen. Regular auditing and testing are necessary to ensure the success of recovery plans and continue the normal functions of the company.

73

Disaster Recovery through Disk Based Backups Companies will never know when the next disaster will strike. With all the security threats, terrorism attacks, hurricanes and illegal acts, no one can fully guarantee a secured environment these days. In IT, data protection is probably the most important aspect to prepare for in times of calamities. This is a critical requirement for most companies especially those with large enterprises. In a large enterprise, it is important to have a comprehensive backup scheme to prevent losing essential data. Getting a traditional tape based backup may not work. Other options may include storing data on remote offices. The only disadvantage of this is that inexperienced staff or personnel take charge to ensure protection of the important data. Restoring access on these data may also take awhile and there are downtime periods that small and medium enterprises cannot actually afford.

74

To solve this backup problem, companies can now take advantage of disk based backups that can restore the normal operations quickly. This is more reliable than any of the traditional backup solutions that cannot guarantee fast retrieval of data. This will reduce time and cost for companies who want to save more money. This solution will prevent the company from loosing important backup time and will allow them to retrieve the data in cases of disaster. This solution can also backup data on remote offices in the company. Automated protection is the best solution to protect information of companies. It will not only help the organization during disaster recovery but it will also ease the hard work of employees in restoring lost information and data.

75

Hiring the Services of a Disaster Recovery Company Since the terror attacks of 9/11, companies have recognized the importance of implementing a data recovery system in their organization. Having a disaster recovery plan can save a company large amounts of money in terms of client and customer losses. There are also businesses that hire the services of a disaster recovery company to do their disaster recovery services for them. A disaster recovery company helps the organization by providing them with network storage systems to backup their important data. Every business organization depends on their IT resources to conduct their business. They also realize the importance of backing up their data in cases of disaster attacks. Hiring the services of a disaster recovery company can help assure businesses that their data is secured and backed up in a remote location and is ready for restoration if needed. In cases of natural calamities and network failure, it is necessary for companies, especially in IT industries to develop a way to protect their essential data. These calamities usually come in unexpectedly and there is no way to eliminate them. The only possible solution for this is to have an accurate recovery plan to avoid unfortunate events from happening. In this way, time, money and even lives can be saved.

76

To make it easier for organizations, they can hire the services of a disaster recovery company to aid them with systems and plans to mitigate the damages in times of disasters. This will surely help organizations in coming up with accurate and effective planning for their disaster recovery plans and procedures.

77

Things You Must Consider About a Disaster Recovery Planning Guide Disaster recovery planning guides are a vital part of the DRP process. Every plan has a framework from which it is developed. This is why it is important to know which key features a disaster recovery planning guide should contain prior to following its stipulations. Initially, a disaster recovery planning guide is also formed out of a certain proposal. The proposal is usually initiated by management people and they are the ones who are responsible for detailing what needs to be included within the disaster plan for recovery. Here as follows are the important key points which must be tackled within the proposal. •

•

• •

The business increases it dependence on computerized production in its long term existence; The disaster’s impact on the business must be duly recognize alongside how often it possibly occurs; A formal process must be dutifully followed in the event a disaster occurs; and Disasters must not affect the overhead expenses of the operations and other vital production processes.

78

Upon reviewing a proposal, the concerned team can now see how their concerns would fit in the disaster recovery planning guide. Since majority of the points found within the proposal would most likely meet the needed standards for the guide, here’s some additional key point which a good disaster recovery planning guide must also have. Awareness – The guide must be powerful enough to infuse awareness on all levels of the organization. Project Planning – The disaster planning recovery guide must have a detailed section of project planning. This is what all the process is all about. Key Business Areas – This aspect would tackle which areas of the business would be very much affected and would need close attention throughout the recovery planning process.

79

The Value of Disaster Recovery Planning Shareware Losing valuable data can eventually cause a business to close down. Companies have suffered closure before due to hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses related to data disaster. Businesses are dependent on continuity of operations when technology infrastructure is stable and their capacity to provide the support needed to process goods or provide services. Even a one-day interruption could cause big losses to a company, depending on the nature of and size of the business. Planning for disaster recovery is a necessity for a business (and is not a symptom of paranoia.) Imagine if you had a business you had successfully guided to progress for years, and then it were suddenly at the verge of closing just because of a one-day interruption. There are many types of disaster recovery planning you can pursue. One of them is by software where the program you purchase can offer easy regeneration of the endangered information and requirements of the business recovery plan; easy revision of the plan; and a maintenance plan. Coupled with a 75% recovery speed, that program could save you thousands of dollars.

80

You should be thinking of investing in disaster recovery planning software, rather than getting freeware or shareware. That might be a prudent decision since your business is dependent on software that could save you perhaps thousands of dollars in the future. Why should you entrust the fate of your business on shareware? Basically, a shareware program lacks quality standards that are mandatory with branded software. Usually, it is offered only as trial product. Though shareware are copyrighted products, their only purpose is to act as a trial product. It is up to you but the better choice is a brand name product. However, shareware may also come with an option to get the software licensed. And by licensing the shareware, they will offer all the features of the product for a certain price to customers. The advantage of getting shareware is that you get the chance of trying out the software first before you buy it. You can then save up for something else if you are not pleased with the product you are trying out.

81

Disaster Recovery Planning Software Developing a disaster recovery plan is a difficult process. In fact creating a plan is far from simple and standard planning. Businesses today need to think about protecting their assets, investments and those who are working with them. To do this, disaster recovery planning software is developed to ease the pain of tedious planning of committees. In preparing for strategic plans, it is essential to choose a software suite that is easy to use. Some companies try to invest a lot on plan development processes when all they need is comprehensive software that does all these. These solutions and software can provide planning services that manages plans and organizing key people to do manage the job. Disaster recovery planning software automatically creates plans and distributes it to key areas, people and departments. Aside from that it also manages resource data and important reports. A disaster recovery plan software is a vital physical asset that enables the company to function normally in cases of disaster and network failure. This will also help in recovering the information that includes inventory data and installation media. In this process, systems can be updated and restore media and data in its usual state.

82

In addition to that, this software is more affordable and reliable than hiring agencies. There are several online stores that can provide this kind of software. These consulting solutions for disaster recovery can now be accessed online. Just make sure to choose disaster recovery software that will fit the goals and priorities of the company.

83

What Measures Disaster Recovery Planning Templates Good disaster recovery planning templates would enable you to have a reliable framework from where your DRP would be built on. Using a disaster recovery planning template is important so that you can become more focused and detailed when it comes to planning everything that should be included in the recovery process. Initially, disaster recovery planning templates must include the general business process. Inclusion of this aspect allows for a more detailed focus when it comes to segregating tasks within different departments. It also points out certain accommodations which must be made for sensitive areas of concern. The disaster recovery planning templates must also include a list of supplier contact. If part of the plan includes recovery of important utilities, it would also be wise to involve the suppliers in case of an emergency in case warranty or insurance issues might arise afterwards. In addition, the suppliers can also provide the team with vital information when it comes to specific product handling in cases of emergency.

84

Of course, a detailed instruction and procedural flow should also be presented with the disaster recovery template. Doing this ensures that there would be detailed and specialized procedures which team members would duly follow in case a disaster occurs. This also keeps people from panicking as they sense that there still is control over the situation regardless of what is currently happening. And lastly, good disaster recovery planning templates also include a detailed analysis of the disaster’s impact on the business. This point out what cost-effective measures must be taken in order to keep within the budget no matter what occurrences there may be.

85

Disaster Recovery Plan Shareware: Know Its Importance Shareware started as a simple hobby of a programmer until the programmer started to sell the program for a little amount. Today that simple beginning has now blossomed into a full grown business. Shareware developers are professional programmers who create shareware models and sell them. This shareware business also caters to businesses in search of a good Disaster Recovery Plan Shareware (called DRP shareware, for short.) Disaster recovery planning can be likened to any disaster preparation effort where the main focus is on the data in your computers - the essential documents of the company. These are important files which the company needs to keep business continuing on despite their having gone through a major disaster. Think about what happened during the World Trade Center 9/11 event – there were actually many companies in that building that survived that disaster. Correct, only those who had a perfect DRP were able to pick themselves up and get their operations up and running as soon as possible.

86

If you are the boss, it is time for you to make the important life–saving decision, and create a disaster recovery plan. But if you are not the boss, then do take the step to convince the bosses. Disaster Recovery Plan Shareware might be a helpful tool for your employer. Disaster recovery plan shareware is one tool that can spell survival for the company. A program suited for the company needs must be designed. Shareware can provide you with a step by step guide - from the beginning when the groundwork of Disaster Recovery should be laid to the actual preparatory activities for the Disaster itself. It is usually equipped with a guide on how one can convince bosses of the merits of the plan. Consider this an investment for the protection of the life of your company.

87

Steps in Planning a Disaster Recovery Public Entity Business Interruption Business interruption is a common disclosure of all businesses and public entities regarding loss of critical functions caused by natural or humaninduced disasters (such as terrorism, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and explosions, hazardous waste spills, workplace fatalities and product tampering). As a result, such business interruption can negate company market share and profit margins, growth rate and sales volume, stock shares, and corporate repute. To limit loss of share value and earnings, businesses obtain traditional insurance to compensate them for the disasters inherent in normal financial difficulties. But traditional transaction insurance does not suffice for the restoration of business operations (particularly when unnatural disruptions occur.) Hence, disaster recovery is desirable to compensate businesses and public entities from business hazards. Disaster recovery is the ability to respond to an interruption of business operations by implementing disaster recovery plan to restore the business critical functions.

88

Disaster recovery planning (sometimes also called a business process contingency plan) is a process inclusive of a business vulnerability assessment, development of a disaster recovery framework, a written disaster recovery plan encompassing the recovery strategies, and an advance information system in conveying DRP. The purpose of vulnerability assessment is to determine the relative monetary and functional contribution of the business, and its business interruption, and impact analysis. Subsequently, the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are used to develop a disaster recovery framework. The RTO entails how long the intervals between the disaster and post-disaster resumption of function to restore data actually take, while RPO describes how current the data has to be. On the other hand, a written disaster recovery plan should detail the strategies of response, recovery, and resumption of services. Advance information systems can make disaster recovery easier include consolidation of servers and data, perhaps inclusive of an archival storage method such as a Storage Area Network.

89

Disaster Recovery Server SQL Is an Efficient Recovery Partner Disaster recovery does not only come in the form of methods and processes requiring manpower. At these modern times, IT systems have also began using more high-tech methods to increase security and safety especially for database operations. Thus, the advent of disaster recovery server SQL began. The disaster recovery server SQL can provide its clients with various options flexible enough to combine with other recovery methods. It provides the clients with these useful services. Clustering – Disaster recovery server SQL enabled more than a couple of nodes to link together and share a common disk space. The active node is the one who will own the shared resources. This feature effectively protects your system from a server failure. Database Backup – This feature is especially designed to protect the whole production environment in case the whole system meets a disaster. The disaster recovery server SQL has a wide range of systems which hosts various database specified back up processes.

90

The complete database system backs up the entire system of the specified business area. In this mode, all files regardless of type and size are being backed up within the server SQL. The differential backup system is in contrast with the above mentioned. This type of database backup system backs up only some specified portions of the concerned area. This system also requires lesser management since it only involves a limited amount of storage space. The transactional log back-up makes changes possible pertaining to the log information of the transaction log created for the database. However, a model which operates under a simple system cannot maximize this feature.

91

The Features of Disaster Recovery Software Disaster recovery software (DRS) enables a business organization to resume operations when human-induced or a natural disaster crop up. Ideal disaster recovery software will enable your organization to recover data, as well as help in the recovery of the system which supports the data. A DRS can reinstate data and an operating system at the same time, purging your company of downtime needed to recreate the system, install necessary applications, and then restore data accessibility. Disaster recovery software can also be used in conjunction with the file backup software. This is a way to rationalize the prompt restoration of the system (including backup software.) The DRS can also be restored off-site from the system it protects, either by transporting it into a physical media to a remote site, or electronically transmitting the data via WAN, LAN or internet to a remote site. A kind of DRS which has been developed is that DRS which has all the components and practical tools to help you create and document the total disaster recovery planning promptly and efficiently.

92

DRS has six phases which are, namely: Inception, Identification, Decision, Documentation, Practice, and Maintenance. In the Inception phase, the DRS will give you the process of how to start a plan provided with practical tools. The Identification phase enables you to identify business impacts, dependence on automated processes, risks, recovery resources and goals. The third phase is Decision in which you will choose the most suitable recovery methods to restore data and/or the system. After you choose suitable recovery methods, you may proceed to the Documentation phase to outline specifically and logically your customized plan (based on the DRS Disaster Recovery Plan format.) In the Practice phase, it enables you to train your partners and to test the effectiveness of your Plan. The last phase is Maintenance - in this phase, the availability of your Disaster Recovery Plan is sustained to be utilized whenever environmental changes and disaster crop up.

93

Why Should I Opt for a Disaster Recovery Solution? Nobody wants a disaster to happen, and this is why preventing one has become a major concern to everyone, especially in business entities. But since disasters do happen, prevention is not the only concern we should have – we should also look at our options for coming up with appropriate disaster recovery solutions. When a disruption occurs, our preferred recovery solutions should be the best we can get. There should be a way to recover the integrity of systems, software, and data telecom systems as well as creating an alternative workplace. Regular backups is the number one disaster recovery solution we can possibly come up with. No business can ever afford to lose data pertinent to its operations. However, some may only realize the need for a backup system when the disaster has already struck but often by then it is too late. Keeping records on computers is not as safe as some may think. What if a fire engulfs the computer system facility, or burglars break in and cart off your best computer with its important files? How will you recover the files then? Having a Disaster Recovery Solution on hand may mean additional costs, but just like a spare tire, it must always be there in case an emergency strikes.

94

When you do a back up, you essentially protect the business as a whole, since a backup system minimizes the impact of any disaster, reduces downtime, protects your client base and keeps business continuity at its optimum best. The company will still be at its best despite the disaster since your disaster recovery solution will protect your business reputation. In turn, you gain the heightened confidence of your clients, investors, business partners and associates. Disaster preparedness means having the right disaster recovery solution in place. This also means opting for the best cost effective solution you can get. Consider the cost of your business and how much will be lost when disaster strikes – you will see the value of your preferred solution then.

95

The Effects of Having a Good Disaster Recovery System A proper disaster recovery system can give companies a reliable option to store their data safely. In cases of disaster it is necessary for companies to get a system backup for data and access communication to areas of disaster. Getting connected in areas where flood, hurricane, tornadoes and earthquake took place are very important to enable rescue teams and government agencies aid those who are affected. Communication and access to computer service are just some of the major requirements in recovery and rescue operations. In organizations, it is also essential to have a back up recovery system that will help the company retrieve all the lost data in their computer system. In disasters, it is impossible to initially determine how big the affected areas will be. That is why it is recommended to back up essential data to remote offices using disk based system. This will ensure the safety of data and help the organizations and its staff to recover documents fast.

96

In cases of bombing floods and disastrous attacks, where information and data can be totally lost, companies should prepare for disaster recovery plans. Planning to eliminate these threats is impossible. Disasters cannot be eliminated it can only be reduced and prevented to create huge impact on the company. With the proper recovery system, organizations can save possible costs and expenses. An effective disaster recovery system is vital to any organization to prevent loss of properties and lives of employees and staff.

97

How many companies go out of business due to poor Disaster Recovery planning? We've all read the reports and white papers on disaster recovery. But, how accurate are the claims? What is the actual risk? One study found claimed that 70% of the businesses that could not access their data within 3 - 5 days of the NYC WTC disaster in 2001 and 1989 SF earthquakes went out of business. How accurate is this? Is this significant? Had these disasters not occurred, what would the normal rate of business closure have been? (50%?). In other words, what is the true risk of a company not having adequate disaster recovery in place? In the consulting game, disaster recovery planning is a useful field, but does it really add value? Knowing these facts can be helpful in understanding and better articulating the ROI of Disaster Recovery Planning.

98

DR planning adds value. There are too many companies that have no idea what impact would happen to their company if a disaster occurred. Those are the ones that go out of business if an event occurs. And some of these companies are not little mom and pop shops. They are well known multimillion dollar companies that have zero DR planning done.

99

Assurance through Disaster Recovery Testing

Disasters are hard to predict. There are disasters that result from natural causes like typhoons, floods, and earthquakes. There are also manmade disasters like sabotage, terrorism, and other attacks. Some may be intentional while others are unintentional. Companies have no way to get rid of it and that is why it is now a common practice to prepare for these disasters by doing disaster recovery planning and disaster recovery testing. Preparing for any untoward events cannot be emphasized enough because the company’s preparation for any untoward events can mean the difference between its survival and its downfall. By creating a precise and efficient plan, the company can save money and time to recover lost data.

100

Having a disaster recovery plan is an important step towards protection from data loss. However, this can only be successful if the company is also conducting a disaster recovery testing at predefined intervals. This is essential to a company’s computer system because it ensures that the plan is still workable and applicable--especially in the IT industry. Disaster recovery testing makes it easier for a company to implement disaster recovery without even disrupting the production servers. Most companies have data recovery procedures and guidelines implemented in their program. It is therefore important to also implement a data recovery testing in order for the company be sure that everything should be running the way it should be. Constantly conducting data recovery testing periods will assure the company that in the event of a disaster, data recovery procedures can be implemented without having to incur losses. By performing real time testing on the recovery server, everyone is assured that everything is backed up and secured.

101

How Do You Pursue Disaster Relief and Recovery After a Disaster? Disaster relief and recovery includes supplying goods and services to disaster-affected areas when natural disasters (such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, or earthquakes) or man-made disasters (such as terrorism, radiation fallout, or civil disorder) occur. Furthermore, disaster relief and recovery is intended to relieve the disaster-affected communities as determined by the State through conveying programs to boost resilience and ease risks brought by a disaster. The scope of disaster relief and recovery efforts depend upon the intensity of the destruction caused by a disaster. Disaster relief and recovery includes both the immediate initial assistance to disaster victims and the long-term assistance leading to rehabilitation of the disaster-affected communities and the residents. NGOs, international organizations, business entities, private sponsors and donors work together to raise funds to support disaster relief and recovery projects during and after times of disaster. Reliefs supplied can be medical supplies, safe drinking water, foods, temporary shelter, and sanitary facilities.

102

On one hand, recovery projects can be in the form of building reconstruction and rehabilitation, (including housing, hospital or school), teacher training to help children to continue education, and giving free birth registration to newly born babies during or after the disaster. To further promote rehabilitation of the disaster-affected community, disaster sponsoring parties can provide vocational training (including those supplied to health workers) which can be necessary for micro-enterprise development, sanitation enhancement, health system rehabilitation, and providing psychosocial support for children and adults of the affected community. Some organizations which actively render disaster emergency relief and recovery to disasteraffected communities are NGOs, Red Cross International, Rotary International, Ends of the Erath Ministries, and Plan’s Organization.

103

The Key Concepts in Fault Tolerance vs. Disaster Recovery Efforts Fault tolerance is the term to describe the ability of a system that is computer-based to operate, despite hardware or software failures, through the combination of special hardware (made up of full error-checking, redundancy, and hot-swap support features) and special software. Fault tolerance has basic attribute requirements, including non-single point of failure, failing components-fault isolation plus repair, the availability of reversion modes, as well as fault containment to impede failure propagation. In addition, fault tolerance is usually measured at the application level, which characterizes both planned and unplanned service outages. The computer operations are performed in two or more duplicate systems, so whenever one system fails, the other or others can take over. Fault tolerance may is the ability to resume operation in the event of a power failure. Basically, failures start from physical failure and then progress to logical faults as a result of system errors.

104

Disaster recovery is the ability to start operating again after a disaster hits and causes even the destruction of an entire data center. A successful disaster recovery effort pivots on the ability to restore or recreate such resources as business data, system, facilities, networks, and user access. There are disaster recovery methods used to resume system operations, including offsite periodic tape backups, disaster recovery site, data vaulting, and hot site. The backups of software, as well as data information, should be stored separately in a location independent from company facilities as well to facilitate recovery when disaster occurs. The considerable difference of fault tolerance from disaster recovery is that fault tolerance provides constant updates about an environment for user access. It should be a part of disaster recovery but cannot be considered a true disaster recovery effort of its own.

105

Hospital Disaster Recovery Plan – Safeguarding People’s Lives Saved on Databases Nothing can get in the way when certain unfortunate events happen within your organization. There are a lot of important matters that everyone should check as a part of doing preventive measures to minimize the effects of threats. There are no exceptions as to which company or industry is impacted by such hindrances, not even hospitals. You may see the hospital as a very quiet place. You may have experienced entering one of the areas within the hospital to either visit a loved one who is sick or consult your doctor about certain things that concerns your health. However, when emergency situations happen, it will be a different scenario. This is not being referred to as someone who was sent to the hospital, riding an ambulance and entered the emergency room. What is being referred here is more critical.

106

Fires, earthquakes, flooding, and other natural calamities can also hit within the hospital’s vicinity and bring some sort of chaos. Because of this a hospital disaster recovery plan should be in place to ensure the safety of the patients, hospital personnel and staff. Aside from keeping people’s lives safe, other very important things to save are hospital records and files. These contain patients’ information, as well as their medical history. Though there are still some hospitals that are doing the manual way of file storage and allocation, a huge portion of the health industry switched to computerization. This makes it easier for hospital personnel to keep track of the patient’s progress. Following a careful analysis of the critical portions of the hospital is a must to build a more comprehensive disaster recovery plan.

107

The Quick Fix: HP One Button Disaster Recovery Every occurring disaster spells devastating expenses coverage for ensuring that all pertinent data can be redirected into a much safer system. Although most businesses would be prepared to take on whatever amount it will need to ensure the data handling process, most businesses are not for the hassles and difficulty of the whole process. But with HP one button disaster recovery, businesses no longer have to endure all the waste of time and effort they can imagine to have amidst a disaster. Your ProLiant System would be restored immediately through the use of HP one button disaster recovery. Here’s the simple process you have to do to make that all possible. 1. Insert the recent backup tape; 2. Power cycle your server; 3. Press F8 as the POST or Power On Self Test is occurring; and 4. Follow the next set of instructions.

108

After completing these simple steps, your HP DAT or your DAT Autoloader will immediately follow suit and restore your entire operating system. Even your most valued data files, drivers, and other software applications will be efficiently restored to how it was before. Doing these easy steps no longer require you to research about various software or look into manuals in full detail. They are very easy to follow and anybody with basic technical knowledge on disaster recovery will be able to do. In the end, not only time has been saved but overhead expenses as well. You would no longer need to hire technical assistance or install various applications before you can ensure that your entire system will be saved.

109

IT Disaster Recovery – Preventive Measures on How to Deal with Threats Because of the increase in demand for IT dependency, an increase on the various processes and procedures were also developed through the years to fight data loss and maintain data integrity. Since threats can be natural, technological or human, these are some of the ways on how to prevent such misfortunes from occurring. First is to create a backup file. Backup means creating a copy of information to be saved on another location separate from the original copy within or outside the server/network. These files can be used if original files can’t be restored or regained anymore after the presence of disruptions on the system. This should be done regularly, especially when an update was made on the system. Using storage area networks (SANs) is another option to consider wherein data is made available immediately without the need to synchronize or recover it.

110

Next is by improving the facilities within the vicinity such as the use of surge protectors, accessible fire extinguishers, alarms, back-up generators or uninterruptible power supplies. Updating the security features of the network will also help prevent hackers from accessing confidential information such as installing the most advanced firewall protection programs, anti-virus and antispyware software. One of the most important aspects of disaster recovery is delegation of the appropriate people in carrying out more challenging and stressful tasks. It is no joke to work longer hours, though compensation is indeed very impressive. Lastly, testing should be done whenever the need arises to ensure the readiness of the disaster recovery plan. Everyone should be made aware of the changes in the system so that appropriate adjustments can be done. Taking into account all these make IT disaster recovery simpler and easier to perform.

111

A Well Run Company Always Has An IT Disaster Recovery Plan Almost every company today are dependent on their IT investments to go about their businesses. These investments will require intensive maintenance and in the event of a disaster, having an IT disaster recovery plan can be an important factor in a business organization’s survival. Disasters are inevitable. Natural calamities, bombing, terrorism attacks and system breakdowns are just a few of the examples of these disasters. Some attacks can be predicted but most are unpredictable. Without a good IT disaster recovery plan, companies won’t be able to recover from their losses which could eventually lead to millions of dollars in lost money and investment. In IT industry, where data and networking systems are an asset, it is important to prevent unlawful acts and destructive incidents from happening. That is why it is important for companies to back up their data in a remote system in order for them to ensure that in the event of a disaster, they can immediately recovery their data with minimal loss of information. Backing up of important data in an offshore location is the core of an IT disaster recovery plan.

112

There are now several companies that offer IT disaster recovery plan and software to aid business organizations in keeping their data safe and secure from hackers and other disasters. Companies that offer an IT disaster recovery plan can assure businesses that when a disaster strikes, recovery processes can be immediately implemented and the company can continue its operations at the soonest possible time.

113

What is the Value of a Network Disaster Recovery? The importance of disaster recovery has been known for decades and it is nowadays commonly recognized by IT professionals. The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center has led to widespread awareness about the need for disaster recovery and many other business continuity concerns. Disaster Recovery signifies a series of action that is taken to major unplanned outages to lessen the effects. Hacker attacks, computer viruses, fire, flood, earthquake and many other natural disasters, underground cable cuts, power failure and system administration mistakes may all result in disaster for businesses and other organizations.

114

When preparing or planning your Network Recovery Plan, be sure to include details about Plan Maintenance, Plan Exercise, Plan Location, Plan Distribution, Plan Introduction (that encompasses purpose, applicability, scope, assumptions, and use of the plan), Network Profile (composed of network specifications and network requirements), Plan Activation Procedures (under which falls the plan activation team), Team Members and Responsibilities (active team members and travel to alternative location), Recovery Procedures (restore network services, restoration procedures, original or new site restorations, concurrent processing and plan deactivation), and last, the Appendix (Employee contact list, vendor contact list and network diagrams.) What are the elements of a Disaster Recovery checklist for a Network (which could either be general network, LAN and WAN)? In general network considerations, try to prepare a DR Plan (or Disaster Recovery Plan) and remember to take fractional types of disasters into account; graph and identify your network devices and current network; and do not forget your network security when you encounter a disaster – you do not want your network to be brought down by a virus. For the LAN, be sure that DR LAN is in its perfect setup. Be aware of the LAN pipes and sizes, then, be sure to have backups of all the files and devices of the network configuring tools.

115

For a WAN, there are some questions that you may want to ask yourself are: how do you compare DR WAN network to a Production Network? Have you run checks to test the performance of the DR network? How does the security of a DR Network differ from that of a primary network? Be sure you are ready to answer those kinds of questions. Consider also that this is not a complete list of things to remember in network disaster – it would be best to research thoroughly any that have been left out.

116

The Perks of Oracle Database Disaster Recovery The Oracle database disaster recovery system provides your database with a fast yet efficient approach onwards recovery of vital data. This recovery system is just what your Oracle database needs. And these are some of the reasons why. Oracle database disaster recovery boasts of a manager-based tool. It goes on to provide protection for your Oracle database by working closely with its server. During the restoration process and while performing back up operations any form of corruptions are being blocked. In addition, the Oracle database disaster recovery can also make optimize the consumption of space as well as the system’s performance by compressing the files and multiplexing them during the process. In addition, its Media Management Library also provides your Oracle database with additional media storage. The Oracle database disaster recovery not only takes care of your Oracle database. It is also concerned with all relevant database procedures necessary to perform efficient recovery processes. This helps ensure the entire system’s safety before and after the backup and restoration process has been done.

117

In detail, the Oracle database disaster recovery system makes use of different utilities as well as relevant databases to back up all of the important data specified. It also operates well under the specifics of an environment which has: • •

• •

A specified database which must be backed up; A client to interpret all of the commands pertaining to backing up and recovering the database; A specified disk location which can manage and store different files; and A catalog database for recovery.

118

Oracle Disaster Recovery Redundancy When it comes to disaster recovery, Oracle administrators would proudly say that the Oracle disaster recovery procedures are already in place even before any disaster can ever occur. Oracle system is widely used by most experts and administrators. Many companies both in government and non-government agencies use the Oracle system in their organization. Determining when a disaster will strike can never be answered and in times of disasters and attacks, important data and information is lost in an instant. Hard drive failure and system break downs are very common in cases of disaster. That is why it is essential to implement an Oracle data recovery plan so that companies can gear up and plan for ways on how to prevent the loss important data. Without an Oracle disaster recovery, any disaster can prove to be fatal to a company’s survival.

119

One of the best and probably the first step in a good Oracle disaster recovery process is a backup system. Backups are an essential element in the Oracle disaster recovery process because it creates a guideline on how to go about the disaster recovery process. But the plan can also be tedious work for the team because this is where all the worst case scenarios are considered and studied. Planning for the worst will help ensure companies that there are action plans, procedures and guidelines available for the Oracle disaster recovery. Remotely backing up a system should be taken into consideration when planning for an Oracle disaster recovery. If the company can afford it, making redundant dual backup systems are an even better option.

120

Should We Start Outsourcing Disaster Recovery Plans? It is a fact that whenever an organization finds itself lacking in expertise in a certain area, it will definitely try to find someone who is considered a specialist in that field to help out. However, due to the glut of Disaster Recovery companies who all claim to be experts in Disaster Recovery, how do you find the most reputable ones to create a short list of vendors who can help you out? Part one of any search for an outsourcing company that specializes in Disaster Recovery is to know what you need the company for in the first place. It is not enough to lump together all these companies under the blanket term of Disaster Recovery then draw out a name and contact that specialist. You also have to do your homework about what Disaster Recovery is and how outsourcing could be beneficial to your organization. This is very important not only so that you do not get cheated out of a well-paid service but also so that you know what to expect from the Disaster Recovery Plan you will be formulating with the specialist.

121

That is the second part of the search for an outsourcing company – you have to stay part of the process. This is not like outsourcing janitorial services where you can afford to not pay attention most of the time because it is fairly easy to spot when janitors are not doing their job anyway. In outsourcing Disaster Recovery Plans, you will be providing valuable information to the outsourcing company so you need to be on the ball all the time. Add the fact that the information could be about the data itself (much of which will probably belong to your clients) and you see why you should prioritize your participation in this endeavor.

122

Should My Organization Opt for Outsourcing IT Disaster Recovery Efforts? It might be safely said that larger organizations may stand a better chance of surviving any IT Disaster compared to small- and mediumsized businesses. So if you own or are part of a smalland medium-sized business, maybe you want to do as the big boys do and opt for outsourcing of IT Disaster Recovery efforts as well. One big obstacle such smaller players face is that outsourcing of IT Disaster Recovery efforts costs quite a bit – and that is even before the disaster strikes. For small- and medium-sized businesses this is really a big issue because the market for their services may be considerably smaller than those of the larger corporations. So, the smaller companies do not have deep pockets to dig into to invest in outsourcing of IT Disaster Recovery services (and maybe their pockets are perennially empty too.) One way to get out of this catch 22 situation is to invest in hiring in-house IT Disaster Recovery specialists instead.

123

Maintaining in-house specialists is beneficial in many ways. For one thing, your organization is able to control the security and integrity of your IT system more thoroughly. When you outsource, you are putting your fate in the hands of strangers. If the leaders of your small company are cautious, they may prefer creating an in-house department just for this purpose. However, outsourcing is also advantageous because you only have to hire specialists when the need arises. If your organization is treading in deep water when it comes to business, outsourcing may be the more practical solution (though safety of your data from predatory competitors can be compromised in the process.)

124

What Are the Components of a Sample Disaster Recovery Plan? Here is a sample plan provided only as a guide which can be used as a guide or an example of a disaster recovery plan. (This means it is not the only way to create a project plan.) Do research on the subject (Disaster Recovery Plan) thoroughly before embarking on a disaster recovery project to get better results. It is recommended you ask for a consultant to help you out in your disaster recovery planning attempt. It is NOT a simple project that you can accomplish easily by yourself (even with the best research facilities.) There are six parts of Disaster Recovery Planning. You have the first part called Program Description with its phases which are: preplanning of activities or Project Initiation, vulnerability assessment and general definition, requirements, business impact analysis, detailed definition of requirements, plan development, testing program, maintenance program, initial plan testing and plan implementation.

125

The other five parts of Disaster Recovery Planning are: Planning Scope and Plan Objectives, Project Organization and Staffing; Project Control; Schedule of Deliverables; and Resource Requirements. You can get an idea of the complexity of the process through the program description. Its complexity requires adequate information processing resources and numbers of technical staff, and of course an appropriate budget (or sufficient funds.) The Planning Scope and Plan Objectives of the Disaster Recovery Planning can be used to enable the organization to prepare to survive an alarming disaster and to continue with regular operations after a tragedy strikes. The Project Organization and Staffing parts can be utilized for full implementation of any plans in their most effective and efficient methods as possible. Project Control, on the other hand, acts as the support system of the management software itself. Schedule of Deliverables creates the necessary schedules and so that the project can be maintained by phases. And lastly, the Resource Requirements phase that is divided into three categories which are personnel, capital costs and on-going costs. This sums up the disaster recovery plan.

126

The Role of the Server Administrator in the Server Disaster Recovery Process The server is a part of a whole network of computers communicating together to do specific tasks. It manages the traffic of data transmission as it directs commands and requests to its desired destination within the network. When things go wrong with the server, every unit that is connected to the network is affected. For this reason alone, big companies such as Microsoft have developed ways on how to handle server disaster recovery issues. Described below are some of the items that Microsoft Windows Engineers and Administrators must need to consider when it comes to dealing with disaster recovery and business continuity planning. First is to plan for high availability. As a Server Administrator, it is not part of your job description to guess possible scenarios or outcomes. You must be precise on everything you do, or else, everything that you have worked for will be put into waste. Take a lot of your time to design a plan, carefully set your objectives and study hard to meet certain business expectations.

127

Anticipating and planning server down times is your second priority. Yes, it is a fact that the company expects a 100% uptime, but this only happens in the perfect world. Server breakdowns are most likely to occur due to power or UPS failure, hardware and software system malfunctions, and disk errors. To deal with such issue, assign a specific time for server maintenance to ensure that everything is in order. Keeping the balance between server uptime and downtime is a must to ensure business continuity when presented with such server issues.

128

7 Points In Favor of the TAMP Disaster Recovery System If you happen to look for the best system when it comes to disaster recovery, you should definitely consider the TAMP disaster recovery system. Under the TAMP systems brand, this disaster recovery system is considered at present as a business continuity tool which can provide your operating system with various planning and software solutions necessary for managing and creating business plans. Within its team roster, the TAMP disaster recovery system can provide you with the following benefits. 1. It helps expedite various disaster plans as well as disaster reports. TAMP proves itself a robust product which can be easily manipulated within an affordable selling price. 2. The TAMP disaster recovery system is an efficient tool for establishing plans for business continuity wherever and whenever. It always gives quality outputs even if the process entails only a short period of time. 3. Regardless what type of company, TAMP can handle the process of making a disaster recovery plan.

129

4. Credit Unions can also be targeted with the use the TAMP disaster recovery system. 5. TAMP can create and organize all of your documents and forms into one easily accessible system. You can access these immediately whenever you need them. In case of a disaster, these documents and forms would also remain intact and definitely unharmed. 6. The recovery plan offered by TAMP is preformatted so everything is done and started with ease. 7. The TAMP disaster recovery system can cater to all the specific requirements of each department within an organization or business. It also provides department-relevant troubleshooting answers to address specific needs.

130

The Importance of Any Testing Disaster Recovery Plan Efforts Testing before, during, and after a disaster recovery plan has been implemented is necessary to prove its effectiveness – it is also a requirement of regulatory agencies. However, time decimates the effectiveness of a disaster recovery plan so that it is rendered inadequate to implement in times of disaster. Some reasons that may cause a disaster recovery plan to be less effective are environmental changes (such as the development of new products, policies and procedures), critical equipment changes, staffs losing interest for the critical fraction of the plan, and organizational personnel turnover.

131

The benefits of testing a disaster recovery plan include: determination of the feasibility of any recovery process, verification of backup facilities compatibility, ensuring adequacy of procedures from recovery planners, and identification of deficiencies in existing procedures. Testing also serves as a training ground for recovery managers and members as far as providing a mechanism for updating and maintenance of the recovery plan. As a fractional process of a recovery plan, training in special and critical skills that may be required during a disaster is significant to assure the sufficient implementation of the plan. This training is inclusive of fire extinguishing efforts, use of emergency breathing equipment, evacuation of people and sensitive resources, proper access to emergency communication systems, and usage of shutdown procedures for gas, water, equipment and electricity. There are several types of testing which an organization can perform, including a structured walk-through testing, a checklist testing, a simulation testing, a parallel testing, and also full interruption testing. Also, the legitimacy of any test will vary upon the factors such as the physical size of the installation, level of service required by users, number of locations involved, organizational sensitivity to data processing, acceptable time for contingency processing and recovery, and cost of testing.

132

A Positive Note On The Cost of Outsourcing IT Disaster Recovery The cost of outsourcing IT disaster recovery is the main concern of most businesses. This is usually the factor which plays an important role in helping to decide if the business would just look into its own resources to make the DRP possible. However, there are a lot of benefits which can surely balance the cost of outsourcing IT disaster recovery. The cost of outsourcing IT disaster recovery can be balanced through the following perceived benefits: 1. Productivity Increase Outsourcing the IT disaster recovery can already free people from additional work. Therefore, they would be able to focus more on their main specializations and contribute more toward the business output. 2. Mobility Increase The cost of outsourcing IT disaster recovery also covers the vastness of the need. Therefore, businesses also pay for the size their production back up would need. In the end, they no longer have to put up an additional space for DRP since their outsourcing partner would already take care of these in their respective setup.

133

3. Business security and Continuity An outsourced IT disaster recovery ensures the client that their safety needs are well taken care of. After all, they have a credible track record as point reference. No matter how long it takes and how often disaster strikes, they will provide security and safety for the core parts of their clients business. 4. Reduces Accountabilities The cost of outsourcing IT disaster recovery also includes the fact that the contractor becomes liable for all database issues in case of a disaster. If the DRP fails, they would be solely held accountable for any additional threats produced.

134

Three Points For An Effective Applications Disaster Recovery Plan The IT system which runs the data center of the business are made up of various applications. Thus when a crash occurs, aside from the files and documents, the computer applications are also important to be saved. In disaster recovery, applications are also among the main concerns. Disaster recovery for applications involves a lot of detailed specifications. But in preparation for the whole thing, there are important points to consider. Storage space – As disaster recovery plans for applications is set up, the storage space is the primary concern. The backup system must be powerful and spacious enough to store all applications regardless of their memory requirement. Remember that applications vary from each other. Accessibility – The backup system for applications must be easily accessible especially for all the specific people concerned. It’s enough that a lot of stress is put on in trying to save all those applications, but restoring them should already be a breeze.

135

Reliability – So the backup system is big, it is also very easy to access, but can it last for a long time? Disaster recovery plans for applications must also consider how durable the backup is. After all, the restoration process would not always be finished within a snap. So before you go about designing an applications disaster recovery plan for your system, keep these points in check. After all, plans all come from templates. And these three main points are necessary frameworks for your templates. If your plans cannot answer any of these, then it would do you good to go ahead and make further reviews and revisions.

136

Things You Need To Know About Your Backup Disaster Recovery Plan Your data center is considerably the brainchild of your operations. This is where every bit of important information is stored and opened up for easy access within the business members. In addition, this is also where operations do their work. The data center carries out the important tasks necessary for you to meet customer needs. This is why a backup for disaster recovery must be setup in each data center. They are among the most important part of any disaster recovery plan. A backup disaster recovery plan ensures that the business can still function when the emergency is over. A backup disaster recovery plan must first and foremost have a good storage system which can house all pertinent data with ease. It should be big enough to accommodate all sections, regardless of the file size. Also, it should be able to be user-friendly. Remember that when a disaster occurs, people would always be concerned in doing quick fixes to make everything safe. Thus, a backup disaster recovery plan should not be too technical too manipulate or understand.

137

A good backup disaster recovery plan should also be always reliable. It should be able to withstand anything that might happen. A good backup disaster recovery plan can be used throughout a longer period of time and not just within one emergency. This also helps save the business some additional expenses. So you must choose a backup system which can definitely be called an investment rather than just a plain additional expense for your business.

138

Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery Planning For Organizations Businesses today are faced with various risks and threats that never seem to end. Many organizations are already recognizing the need for a good business continuity and disaster recovery planning process for their operations. It is clear that they are intended to assure everyone that business will continue to function even in the event of unforeseen situations. However, creating a good business continuity and disaster recovery planning process can be a very complex and challenging project. The maintenance of the same can even be more challenging. If there are proper procedures and processes during a disaster--whether it is natural or man-made, businesses will still be able to continue its operations. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning helps organizations prepare for such events. But before any action plan can be created, it is essential that the risks and its potential impact be assessed properly because this is where the foundations of the disaster recovery and business continuity will be based.

139

Business continuity and disaster planning should contain appropriate emergency measures for natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. It should also contain action plans on manmade disasters like terrorism, sabotage, power loss, etc. This is no menial task and will require the dedication and support of the whole organization in order for it to be successfully implemented. Once a proper business continuity and disaster recovery planning process has been created, it should constantly be maintained and updated through regular testing and auditing to ensure that it remains relevant to specific emergencies and to the needs of the organization.

140

Making Business Continuity Disaster Planning Recovery A Priority Business continuity and disaster planning recovery is an essential part of any business planning because it will ensure that the business will continue to operate even during or after a disaster. With a business continuity and disaster planning recovery process, employees of the organization already know what the proper procedures and actions are in the unfortunate event of a disaster or calamity. These could include procedures for recovery in natural disasters and man-made disasters. Businesses today are faced with many challenges. Everyday there are reports of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, terrorism attacks, bomb scares and other emergencies. Without a proper business continuity disaster planning recovery process, a business organization would simply fold with the tragedy. That is why many businesses today recognize the importance of a business continuity and disaster planning recovery procedures and guidelines in their organization. With this tucked in their belts, they are assured that at any given time during an emergency, they will still be able to continue doing business and have the proper tools to recover from a disaster.

141

But even though businesses understand its importance, they are still faced with the challenge of formulating a plan for their organization. Business continuity and disaster planning recovery development can be a challenging task for every team because it involves a lot of planning, testing, modifying and approving. It takes time to create an acceptable business continuity and disaster planning recovery manual for an organization and it is even harder to maintain and keep it updated with the ever-changing times and situations. It is therefore important that when an organization is planning for a business continuity and disaster recovery, their team should be properly equipped and trained for the process.

142

Choosing The Right Business Continuity Disaster Plan Recovery Template Having the right business continuity and disaster recovery plan is an important tool for any business in order for them to continue doing business before, during, and/or after a disaster. Any disaster, whether natural or man-made will naturally hinder a business’ operations and if it is not equipped with a business continuity and disaster plan recovery, it may no longer be able to get up on its feet. Creating a business continuity disaster plan recovery is an essential task in any business because this will be the backbone of the organization’s operations in the unfortunate event a disaster strikes. And creating a business continuity disaster plan recovery is not an easy process because it involves a lot of steps and tests before it can be finalized. This cannot be emphasized enough because there are still businesses that create a business continuity disaster plan recovery even though some of their processes may already be unworkable or obsolete.

143

There are, however templates available online which can help a business in planning for business continuity and disaster recovery. Because the preparation and planning can be a long and tedious process, these templates can somehow speed things up because they contain interactive, simple, and easy-to-follow steps that will help any organization in the preparation and planning of their business continuity and disaster recovery. It should be noted that a comprehensive template that contains internationally recognized and certified standard like the ISO17799 be considered in choosing the right template. It should also contain a checklist for maintenance and updates to make sure that an appropriate action is ready for any emergency situation.

144

Business Continuity Plan vs. Disaster Recovery Explained Several companies tend to believe that business continuity plan and disaster recovery are one and the same. But in reality they are not. While their purposes may have some similarities, business continuity covers the functions of businesses that include management of staff down to the actual operations of the business. Business continuity is responsible for allowing the company to maintain and continue its function after a tragedy. This enables the organization to recover and get back on track after losing important data, assets and investment of company. Business continuity plan includes human resources, transportation, health and safety matters. This is made to avoid the loss or shutdown of the business to potential threats and disasters. Business continuity plan vs. disaster recovery plan have different concepts, procedures, and guidelines. Disaster recovery on the other hand deals on how systems can be restored in a disaster so that the normal functions of the company are returned and restored as soon as possible so as not to hamper customer relationships.

145

These system failures can range from virus attacks, total power failures, failed disk, database loss, server shutdown to extreme cases like flooded buildings, earthquake and fire damages that could disrupt an entire business operation. Disaster recovery plans will attempt to restore normal operations in the least possible time. Basically, business continuity plan vs. disaster recovery plan differs in that the business continuity plan defines what it needs in the disaster recovery plan. Similar and yet different. But both are essential for the business survival.

146

Implementing A Business Disaster Recovery Plan Businesses today need serious planning to prevent disasters from happening. But implementing a business disaster recovery plan can be a tedious and time consuming project that will require a highly trained and educated team. Security threats and disasters are likely to happen at any given time. These threats vary from system or power failure, accidents, explosions and other illegal acts. Most of the time, these security threats are intentional in nature but there can be times when they are unintentional. Other threats can also be from natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, floods, and many more. That is why implementing a business disaster recovery plan is essential to regain the normal operations of the company in the event of a disaster or emergency.

147

A business disaster recovery plan in an important investment especially for small and medium businesses because creating a strategic recovery plan to mitigate the effects of disasters and emergencies will be the key to a company’s success or failure. Different people have different reactions to disasters and having a business disaster recovery plan can help the company control the impact of disasters to employees, clients and the company itself. Over dependency to automated systems can also create risks on the security of company’s data and information. Business industries must take initiative on finding alternatives to safely store their data to remote locations in order to protect it in times of disaster. This is the reason why it is also recommended that companies hire the assistance of disaster recovery services companies to make sure that all of their operations are being duplicated offshore for backup.

148

Creating A Community Bank Disaster Recovery Software When it comes to disaster recovery, no business organization needs it more than community banks because they are the ones that encourage economic development among small and medium income geographical areas. There is a need and a market for community bank disaster recovery software programs so that in the event of a disaster, community banks will still be able to function and continue business transactions. Many community banks today are being face the threat not only of budget cuts, limited resources and time but also of threats which include one or a mix of the following: internal and external threats, man-made and natural disasters, intentional and unintentional threats, controllable and uncontrollable threats, ant threats that come with or without warning. Without the proper community bank disaster recovery software in place, these threats will naturally cripple business operations and eventually destroy the company.

149

Having a community bank disaster recovery software helps ensure employees, clients, and the organization that they have the necessary tools, plans, procedures and guidelines to follow in the unfortunate event of a disaster or calamity. A good community bank disaster recovery software program will have the necessary step-by-step guidelines to follow in order for the bank to initiate the right plan of action in a given situation. It will have templates and interactive guides so that the team can easily prepare their work and implement the project. So in order for a community bank to continue to function even in emergency situations, it is important that they implement and develop a community bank disaster recovery software in their organization.

150

How Do I Find a Reputable Contractor Disaster Recovery Specialist? Business and organizations that have undergone both or either man-made or natural adverse circumstances such as terrorism attacks, windstorms, bomb explosions and earthquakes should hire a reliable disaster recovery contractor. However, make sure to consult first any involved agency about the possibility of getting state aid so that an assessment of the damaged property can be done before any repairs are done on it. How can you find a reputable contractor? First, you have to screen the contractor, whether he is licensed or not. You can ask any of your neighbors who may have previously hired a disaster recovery contractor to repair damages like yours. You should ask for at least three references to see if the contractor has been able to commit to good job performance and charged a fair price from previous clients. You can call your local Better Business Bureau to check out their list of contractors acknowledged by the bureau to be reputable.

151

Secondly, you should jot down any necessary licenses and certifications (such as insurance certification, working license, or building permits) which may be needed if you have to report problems that cropped up later. However, you should not sign any insurance settlements with any contractor. Thirdly, ensure that your signature on a bid does not constitute as an authorization to start the work with the contractor. Next, you must secure written contracts which will cover the scope of work, materials, costs and payment schedules. In making payments to contractors, it is suggested to pay them periodically (meaning, pay a fractional percent so they will start work and also as work progresses.) In addition, purchase materials along with your contractor or pay the supplier directly. You should ensure that the repairs made follow the local building standards. You may hire a structural engineer to double-check the major repairs made before you make a final payment. Lastly, you should demand a release paper of lien from a contractor to protect yourself from any legal claims later on.

152

What Is The Database Disaster Oracle Recovery? Created by Larry Ellison, Ed Oates and Bob Miner, the Software Development Laboratories in 1977 developed the original Oracle DBMS (or Database Management System.) The name Oracle is derived from the code of a project that they worked on at Ampex. Software Development Laboratories was then renamed to Relational Software Inc. (or RSI) in 1979 – which was later named Oracle Corporation in the year 1984. The two major components of an Oracle DBMS are Database and Instance. The Database contains all the control files; redo logs (that contain your data and Oracle metadata), and physical data files. The control files contain Oracle metadata which are very important and contain all the information that is needed to access the database. The redo log holds records for any changes that have been done. An Instance, however, is a combination of the background processes and the pool of physical memory called RAM allocated to Oracle. The RAM is also called System Global Area (or SGA.) The RAM is employed to cache data (since the RAM is a thousand times faster than I/O.)

153

There are different types of backups, namely: whole Database Backup, Consistent Whole Database Backup, Inconsistent Whole Database, Inconsistent Closed Backups, Tablespace Backups, Datafile Backups, and Control File Backups. Each backup differs the others, and knowing which backup method should be used is essential. RMAN (or recovery manager) is a component that establishes a connection with a particular server process. The RMAN automates the flow of data for recovery operations and backup. The OS (or Operating System) is another process but one where the database is backed up manually by a specific command execution to certain user specifications. The Oracle export Utility, however, makes backup logical by writing data from the Oracle database to OS files. The Oracle Enterprise Manager, on the other hand, runs with a GUI interface that brings Recovery Manager to work.

154

The Importance Of Having A Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan Threats to businesses are now more common than ever. Fires, floods, hurricanes and illegal acts are inevitable these days and having a data center disaster recovery plan is needed in all organizations to ensure that businesses will still continue to operate even with such attacks taking place. That is why it is imperative to create an efficient yet feasible recovery plan that is well maintained, updated and modified to make it always workable and applicable. Having an effective disaster recovery plan can actually make a big difference in saving and restoring the company’s important data as well as restoring normal operations of a business organization. With a data center disaster recovery plan, everyone is assured that all data backups are stored in an offshore location independent of the company infrastructure. Without it, there is no telling whether the company will still be able to restore normal operations in the quickest time possible. In IT, where secured data are easily hacked or destroyed by internal or external factors and render network systems impossible to operate, companies must take the initiative in getting the right emergency measures in times of disaster.

155

Hiring the services of data center disaster recovery can provide companies an access to the backup system and recover lost infrastructure. Part of the data center disaster recovery plan is to help companies create convenient sites to store important data and information. And in the unfortunate event of an attack, adverse effects like delays and shutdowns are kept to a minimum because they also give out backup and support recovery options for the company.

156

ServerVault Will Secure Your Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan The data center is the most critical part of a business. Therefore, it should always be kept safe from any unprecedented events. This is why disaster recovery plans usually focus on the data center protection since businesses’ have data centers as their lifeblood. Without all those vital information, profits are but a dream. In protecting data centers, it is very important to have a reliable server which can secure all of your businesses’ information. And if you want something secure, efficient, yet user-friendly then you must opt to choose ServerVault. ServerVault is a unique solution for your data center security. It has an architecturally designed facility-wide set of operations which can host all of its customer environments. ServerVault actually provides the most extensive and efficient physical security for data centers. It boasts of a unique network design for your data center with a specialized engineering which can easily work wonders for your disaster recovery plan.

157

ServerVault also configures and periodically tests its device within the entire environment it covers to successfully ensure that everything works well. A tailored mode of operations is also made to fit each data center disaster recovery plan so people on the recovery team would find it easy to manipulate and navigate through it. ServerVault also has a reliable customer and technical support system especially during times of data canter disaster recovery. Therefore, you are always secured that no matter what happens, you can rely on ServerVault as a part of your disaster recovery plan for your data center.

158

How Do You Define Disaster Data Recovery? Recovering data (or Data Recovery) is the task of recovering data from the HDD (or Hard Disk Drive) or any other type of digital media that has been jeopardized in a critical way due to a disaster, such as a flood, explosion, or fire. There are many techniques that can be used to recover data when it has been seemingly destroyed or damaged – techniques that are similar to recovering data from tapes and hard drives that are in less brutalized condition. Data value varies in the form it is stored in. Some are not valuable enough to worry about, but some are very important. Numerous entities such as companies who experience a disaster then have to contend with more or double the risk of data failure. Even if they are able to back-up their data on a regular basis, they still would be facing an event considered non-risk-free – unless they try to backup their data in other locations. It is hard to rebuild customer financial records, files and inventory records. In fact, there are some companies who have actually gone out of business due to the consequences of disasters.

159

It is possible to recover data from firedamaged drives even though plastic components may be melted, or blackened by fire. There are two main components of a hard drive: first would be the electronic board; and second, you have the head assembly. The head assembly contains the rotating platter that carries the data with read/write function. Located in the head assembly is a small pinsized hole whose purpose is to help in compensating for atmospheric changes. Even if the cause of damage is fire, water damage may also be caused by fire fighters whose main purpose is to eliminate the first risk which is fire. Water can enter through this pin hole. The time that the water remains inside is critical if we intend to save the valuable data affected. If the water dries before we can act, there is less chance of being able to recover data due to dirt and foreign materials left inside. Another risk is when melting occurs due to excessive heat – once the disk experiences melting of its internal parts, there is no hope of ever recovering the data.

160

Five Factors An Example Disaster Recovery Plan Must Have A successful example of a disaster recovery plan has the following factors: 1. Planning Reasons A disaster example plan of recovery must contain all the right objectives prior to it being put on print. The usual objectives cover the protection of human life, recovering operations which are critical, and ultimately preserve the consumer market of the business. 2. Risk Recognition A disaster example plan of recovery should also have a detailed process when it comes to recognizing risky situations and their counterpart resolutions. This entails a detailed process of letting the authorities in on the situation while keeping media frenzy from causing further trouble. 3. Reaction to Trouble Once a disaster is recognized, a good example of a disaster recovery plan also includes a description as to how the team would react and proceed with their responsibilities upon arrival of the disaster. 4. Recovery The recovery phase is where everything relies on. This is where the team finally undertakes their disaster recovery positions and proceeds with fluidity.

161

All of these must be proceeded to without sacrificing each member’s own safety and security. 5. Restoration As the disaster eventually subdues and further threats have already been sealed and settled down, another important part and perhaps critical especially in the eyes of those who are keeping a watchful eye is the restoration process. This is what actually tests a team’s ability. A disaster example recovery plan must have feasible yet ingenuous ways of restoring what has been lost and completely eradicate other potential damages.

162

What Are the Disaster IBM Recovery Services? IBM (or International Business Machines Corporation) is one of the most well-known companies in Information Technology that has been growing since the 19th century. IBM has continuously pursued its business manufacturing computers, software and hardware all this time and now also offers hosting services, infrastructure services, and consultations in mainframe computers and nanotechnology. One of the most recent remarkable accomplishments of IBM is that it had grown to become one of the largest computer companies in the world since it has the most number of employees in its field with more than 355,000 people around the world. Though it fell to second place to HP (or Hewlett Packard) in 2007, IBM is still one of the most profitable companies in the world. Since it has engineers and consultants in over 170 countries and 8 laboratories worldwide, IBM also holds more patents than any US companies whose business is based in computer technology. Having earned three Nobel prizes, five National Medals of Technology, four Turing Awards, and five National Medals of Science, IBM is now recognized as one of the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.

163

IBM nowadays offers disaster recovery services that include Application Continuity Services, Call Center Recovery, Continuity Options for storage area networks, Data Center Recovery, Disaster Recoverability Assessment, ERRM 30-day test drive, iSeries System Restore Test, IT recovery options for Sun Microsystems, Network Recovery, Physical Workplace Recovery, Protection Express, Recovery options for IBM technology, Recovery options for multivendor technology, Recovery Plan Development, Recovery Process and Procedure Design, Recovery Strategy Definition, System ibackup, Recovery Analysis and virtual workplace continuity. These services are offered to lessen the losses absorbed by other companies due to disastrous events, so client companies can offset losses, to keep them in business. IBM services focus on securing data and keep businesses running. Disaster planning requires harnessing of great amounts and kinds of resources – the vast IBM network provides that.

164

IT Disasters Happen, Thus Disaster Recovery Planning Is Needed When you think about disaster recovery, the first thing that may come to mind is something related to accidents or emergencies about health and natural disasters. However, disaster reaches no bounds and can strike as something more unexpected than that. Information Technology disasters do happen. A lot of businesses today rely on IT programs to keep their day to day transactions running. But as technological advancements happen, so does technological threats. Viruses and other computerrelated problems keep on proliferating as well. Nobody can actually say that their system would always be in tact. Which is why there’s also a need for an IT disaster recovery planning. A disaster recovery planning for IT systems would take into consideration the feasible ways in which it can save the hard disk from total failure. The hard disk is considerably the main core of every computer system since this is where each and every data is stored.

165

In the event that it crashes down, an IT disaster recovery planning would help save it from total blackout. Hence, data would not vanish just like that. When undergoing an IT disaster recovery planning, it is important to note every specifics of the system’s hard disk. IT disaster recovery planning may tend to be on a very technical side since it involved all aspects of the computer. So in beginning to do one, the point person who would be in charge is among the most important primary things to consider. Whoever would be appointed as head of the It disaster recovery planning team must be someone with powerful credentials and reliable expertise within the IT field.

166

Implementing A Network Disaster Recovery Network Disaster Recovery includes a sequence of actions that are planned and implemented in times of adversity, calamity and emergency. These disasters are could be a direct outcome of major damages made by computer viruses, hacker attacks, power outages, cable failures or they could also be brought about by natural calamities like hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and others, while some others are caused by simply having inaccurate systems management, network failures and improper maintenance. There are several companies that have Network Disaster Recovery team to help them recover service network data in areas hit by disasters. Most of telecommunications companies have this kind of recovery preparation to quickly respond to disasters both natural and man-made. Businesses and government agencies are just some of the industries that need disaster network recovery system. In cases of crisis, it is important to manage emergency measures to prevent further damage to the company. In areas of disaster it is essential to have a stable network communication system to have an easy access around the affected area.

167

Network Disaster Recovery plan makes it less difficult to restore and repair communications service. Automated tools play a great part in the success of these recovery plans. In recoveries, they usually use applications such as Real Time Network Routing and Fast Automatic Restoration. Advanced technology is needed to aid the Network Disaster Recovery team. Disaster hits unexpectedly and getting the network up and running is most critical during these situations. Without the recovery strategies it is impossible to assist in emergency procedures or in a business standpoint, continue doing business. That is why it is very important to implement a network disaster recovery plan in every business organization.

168

The Difference Between Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity Plan Disaster recovery and business continuity plan are two of the most important things that companies should prepare for. Most organizations use these subjects interchangeably, resulting to confusion and other misunderstanding of its functions. It is essential for companies to know the difference of each subject to know how these can help the business in times of disaster. In an unfortunate event that a disaster strikes the company, the most commonly affected areas, especially in the IT industry, are the software and computer equipment. Recovering from these disasters is the primary purpose of a disaster recovery plan. The disaster recovery plan refers to the restoration of systems, operations and facility of the company after a tragedy. This plan will help regain the lost assets, equipments and other expenses of the organization. A plan to recover this loss is important to reestablish the usual functions of the business. And to prevent these things from taking place, business continuity is essential to avoid disasters.

169

Business continuity plan is different from disaster recovery plan in that the business continuity plan contain different business procedures and guidelines to follow in times of emergencies and disasters so that the business will still continue to operate even during emergency situations. While it’s ultimate goal is to avoid the disaster, it will still have the proper course of actions for disaster control and management. But both the disaster recovery and business continuity plan are essential in the continued existence of the business because is assures employees, business partners and clients that the company is ready for emergencies and disasters and that it has the proper skills and knowledge to implement it.

170

Implementing A Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity Plan Having a disaster recovery and business continuity plan for the company is a very important part of the organization’s overall security. A disaster recovery and business continuity plan can help a business ensure that its operation will not cease even during or after a disaster has occurred. Creating a disaster recovery and business continuity plan will make company employees, clients and business partners aware of the proper procedures and guidelines to follow in an emergency situation. There are many attacks that threaten a business today. The magnitude of their damage will differ in intensity from minor disruptions to temporary shutdowns. They can be intentional, anticipated, or controlled but most are not. And without a disaster recovery and business continuity plan in place, any business threat can be a potential business killer for the organization.

171

But although many businesses nowadays recognize the importance of implementing a disaster recovery and business continuity plan in their system, some are still satisfied with implementing an outdated plan and unworkable procedures for their company because they think that maintaining and updating a disaster recovery and business continuity plan is an expensive undertaking. The good news is that there are now several disaster recovery and business continuity plan templates available on the web today. They are affordable and comprehensive enough to contain guidelines for the team to immediately start planning for and implementing a disaster recovery and business continuity plan for their company. It is essential that companies understand the importance of having a disaster recovery and business continuity plan for their organization because without it, their organization would simply fall victim to the disaster and shut down its operations completely.

172

Disaster Recovery In Florida: Debris Removal Through Contractor

The hurricane Katrina left the state of Florida with massive damages, leaving people homeless and buildings destroyed. This extensive damage includes blown out trees, windows, broken glasses, and knocked down power lines. Debris removal is one of the first steps undertaken by many contractors to recover the state of Florida. These contractors were called into service to pull away trees and other debris on the road. Rebuilding the damaged city is hard work. Recovering from the trauma brought about by the disaster is even harder. That is why during this time, contractors, volunteers and disaster recovery experts worked hand in hand to help the city regain its normal functions and restore normal operations as soon as possible. A disaster recovery plan is needed to develop an effective way to mitigate the damages and help the people reconstruct their houses and start a new life. The state of Florida took the responsibility to help its people and businesses in repairing condominiums, houses and businesses.

173

In disasters like this, every state should be prepared in having a definite disaster recovery plan. Without proper planning, it will be difficult for residents of Florida to ask for support and get back to their properties. Business continuity plan should also be implemented even in private institutions as well as government agencies. In cases of a disaster such as this, it is important for both the private sector and the government to provide strategic plans that will help avoid the delays and difficulties brought about by improper disaster recovery planning.

174

The Importance Of Insurance Policy On Disaster Recovery Understanding the importance of insurance policy on disaster recovery is an essential step in the preparation of a disaster recovery plan. A good insurance policy is needed not only for personal benefits but also in cases of disaster recovery and in developing business risk analysis. Insurance policy in critical times covers for hardware, equipment, data and other expenses replacement. The main task of insurance companies is to assess the level of coverage that is necessary in cases of disaster. They typically give an estimate on the expenses incurred in company’s business loss. Having an insurance policy is important so that businesses can deal with damages and costs sustained in disasters. Because of the support of most policies contain, regaining lost assets, revenue and an investment are taken care of in the disaster and continues until the company restores its normal operation. Furthermore, the insurance company will ask the company for a substantial proof that business loss indeed took place. Such is the importance of having an insurance policy on disaster recovery.

175

With an insurance policy for disaster recovery, loss of business continuity is covered because business downtime incurred losses will be included in the coverage. While some damages may exceed the expectations, most insurance policies will include them as part of their coverage. A good insurance policy for disaster recovery will also include coverage on telecommunications losses especially equipment. It is important that the in a disaster recovery plan, a sufficient insurance policy should be considered in the planning and implementation.1

176

Disaster Recovery Jobs: A Quick View On Responsibilities Of Disaster Recovery Managers Disaster recovery is a strategic plan to recuperate access to important information and data after a natural or human caused disaster. Its job is to regaining the hardware and software systems are vital to restore businesses back to its normal operations. Without a strategic plan to retrieve data and assets, it will be hard for companies to quickly cope with lost investments. Disaster recovery jobs are one of the most important professions today. This job requires management skills to handle the difficult tasks in recovering assets and other important data. Project management and risk analysis skills are needed to successfully achieve the goals of the recovery plan. Disaster Recovery Managers are specifically responsible for creating tactical programs such as Corporate Disaster Recovery Programs, Business Continuity Management governance and other planning developments that will help ease recovery when disaster strikes.

177

This position is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any emergency situation. A Disaster Recovery Manager should know how to identify the time-critical business procedures. They do recommendations for recovery plans and help in the execution of retrieval solutions. This job is also in charge of developing awareness among the people concerned, especially employees and staff that are closely working in the organization. Disaster Recovery is a very important task in ensuring a strategic plan for the company and its client in times of system failures and natural disasters. And having the right people for the job will surely help the company in successfully preparing and developing plans for emergencies.

178

Factors In Building A Disaster Recovery Plan—The DRP Of course, not a single person would want to think about the chances of natural disasters occurring to ruin his business or cause trouble for his family. Still, this is what reality is all about. No matter how much we try to escape from unwanted situations, things still happen unexpectedly and they would not always be the way we would have wanted them to be. This is why DRP is a must for everything, especially for organizations and businesses which have valuables to keep and protect. DRP stands for disaster recovery planning and based from the name itself, its main target is to rise up again and remain strong despite whatever disaster occurs. In undergoing DRP or disaster recover planning, the first thing which must be considered is to have all leaders committed into coming up with a DRP. This also entails that these people would realize the importance of their positions and how much they owe to the organization.

179

After being able to do this, the next best thing to do in establishing a DRP is to establish the committee who will plan the whole thing. As all heads already agreed with making a DRP, this part would no longer be difficult. Usually, the committee will also be composed of different heads from different concerned areas. Then, a risk assessment must begin. This is the first task which the committee would need to accomplish as it gives them an overview of just how much might be at stake in case something unfortunate happens. After being able to do this, everything else will follow and fall into its right DRP segment.

180

The Importance Of Disaster Recovery Plans All companies are prone to threats and disasters that could hinder their day-to-day operations or completely shut down their business. And when an attack has happened, disaster recovery plans are the first thing companies will turn to in times of disasters and emergencies. Although many critics may think that creating disaster recovery plans may be a waste of company resources, it will be more costly when a disaster has happened and the company is not prepared to deal with it. Creating a strategic plan to mitigate the effects of disaster should be one of the major concerns of companies today. With threats getting bigger and bolder everyday, It is vital for businesses to prepare an accurate plan to prevent it from happening, to control it if it has happened, to prevent further damage and loss, and/or to prevent it from happening again. This will surely help not just the company but also its clients, business partners, and employees.

181

In designing disaster recovery plans it is very important that it is feasible and workable enough to avoid delays and further damages. Quality plans and preparation are needed to successfully accomplish the goals of disaster recovery. Creating shortcuts will definitely not help at this time. Some companies have disaster recovery plans but they are not quite sure if these plans are feasible, workable or updated. Sometimes due to its complexity, companies tend to overlook if it can be implemented once an emergency has occurred. All disaster recovery plans have to be continually maintained to make sure that their procedures and guidelines are still updated.

182

Factors In Choosing A Sample Plan for Disaster Recovery A disaster recovery plan proves to be a very essential part of a business or a critical group. It ensures that safety would always be met regardless of circumstances. Therefore, a good disaster recovery plan must be established. There are plenty of disaster recovery plan samples which people in charge can use as guidelines in making their own disaster recovery plan. However, there are lots of important factors which must be checked when finding the right disaster recovery plan sample to serve as your guide. First of all, a disaster recovery plan sample must be unit specific and detailed oriented. It should include all the specifications needed to backup a certain unit or department. A sample disaster recovery plan for a certain unit must not overlap that of another unit’s. On the cover page, the sample plan must indicate which unit it serves purpose for. Then it should also indicate the specific date when it was made and when it was last revised. These dates are necessary for users to ensure that the plan is still up to date.

183

Next, a disaster recovery sample plan must immediately have all the related emergency numbers systematically printed on the next page. As soon as an emergency occurs, people would naturally be concerned about the necessary help to contact. No more time for fumbling must be wasted. And of course, the sample plan must also have a clear description of the concerned unit. This would enable the user to keep a tab of the important exits and places which can prove to be helpful especially upon evacuating the area.

184

Finding The Right Disaster Recovery Plan Template Everything is going global. The world is getting smaller as businesses grow and expand. However, it is also a fact that many organizations today are faced with the risk of losing their business interests because of the many threats that never seem to end. This is the reason why there are now many companies that offer disaster recovery programs, plans and templates. This is intended to help assure businesses that they will still be able to function and recover properly in the event of a disaster. Because creating a disaster recovery plan can be a long and tedious process for any team, having a disaster recovery plan template can help in speeding the planning process up a little. Finding a good disaster recovery plan template can be easy if the individual already has an idea of what he is looking for. Just a simple search on the internet will yield millions of results in disaster recovery plan template. There are companies that sell disaster recovery plan templates that are suited for any business organization, from banking, to manufacturing to the IT industry. But whatever the disaster recovery plan template may be, its ultimate objective is still to ensure businesses of continued operations and minimal slowdowns in the event of a disaster.

185

Businesses are facing the challenges of being global. Threats to operations are coming in left and right. Threats from natural and man-made disasters, from intentional to unintentional threats all show the importance of having a disaster recovery plan in the organization.

186

Disaster Recovery Plan Templates And Its Key Elements In making disaster recovery plans, it is always wise to use a template to give it all the detailing and structure it would need. There are a lot of disaster recovery plan templates available especially online for differing needs and different types of organization. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are certain elements which must be present in a good disaster recovery plan template. These elements are as follows. 1. Risk Analysis A good disaster recovery plan template begins with a chunk of risk analysis. This part of the plan analyzes what risks would the organization be most likely to come across and what parts of it would also be mostly affected. Apart from the risk details, it also contains important details such as the probability status, impact, and the risk level. 2. Expenses The template must also have a portion which would enable you to discuss the expenses and all costs which the disaster recovery plan would need to operate.

187

3. Duration This part of a disaster recovery template gives people an insight on how long would the plan take before it gets fully accomplished. This part also gives the recovery team a way to be able to plan their responsibilities efficiently. 4. Writers and Managers This part would give the plan readers the ability to evaluate if credible people are behind the recovery plan. This part also gives the details regarding the plan’s recovery team. So if you want to have a good template for your disaster recovery plan, make sure that all of these important elements would be included in the template you choose.

188

Steps in Planning a Disaster Recovery Public Entity Business Interruption Business interruption is a common disclosure of all businesses and public entities regarding loss of critical functions caused by natural or humaninduced disasters (such as terrorism, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and explosions, hazardous waste spills, workplace fatalities and product tampering). As a result, such business interruption can negate company market share and profit margins, growth rate and sales volume, stock shares, and corporate repute. To limit loss of share value and earnings, businesses obtain traditional insurance to compensate them for the disasters inherent in normal financial difficulties. But traditional transaction insurance does not suffice for the restoration of business operations (particularly when unnatural disruptions occur.) Hence, disaster recovery is desirable to compensate businesses and public entities from business hazards. Disaster recovery is the ability to respond to an interruption of business operations by implementing disaster recovery plan to restore the business critical functions.

189

Disaster recovery planning (sometimes also called a business process contingency plan) is a process inclusive of a business vulnerability assessment, development of a disaster recovery framework, a written disaster recovery plan encompassing the recovery strategies, and an advance information system in conveying DRP. The purpose of vulnerability assessment is to determine the relative monetary and functional contribution of the business, and its business interruption, and impact analysis. Subsequently, the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are used to develop a disaster recovery framework. The RTO entails how long the intervals between the disaster and post-disaster resumption of function to restore data actually take, while RPO describes how current the data has to be. On the other hand, a written disaster recovery plan should detail the strategies of response, recovery, and resumption of services. Advance information systems can make disaster recovery easier include consolidation of servers and data, perhaps inclusive of an archival storage method such as a Storage Area Network.

190

Getting A Disaster Recovery Server And Software More and more companies are going global these days. And with global competition ranging in the millions, there are also several unscrupulous entities threatening the organization’s existence. Companies nowadays cannot guarantee when the next disaster will hit them. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 have proven that a disaster recovery plan should be implemented in the organization if the business is to continue running. Natural disasters and security threats are inevitable especially in the IT industries and the importance of taking the necessary emergency precautions to prevent these things from happening are now a big concern for many businesses. One solution is to find a disaster recovery server software that is offshore to backup business transactions and ensure that business operations are secure even during an emergency situation. Disaster recovery plans are vital to all companies even with the small and medium enterprises.

191

To protect essential data and productivity of the company in times of disasters, there are now disaster recovery server and software available that can help optimize business operations and protect business interests. During emergencies like power outages, floods, network failure and other malicious attacks, companies are assured that their day to day operations are secured in an offshore location and they have an exact duplicate copy of their system in the event of data loss due to attacks their system. While these attacks may slow down or temporarily close a company’s normal operations, having a disaster recovery server and software will ensure that system interruptions are kept at a minimum--even during complete system failures!

192

Hiring A Good Data Recovery Service Company There are so many business threats facing every organization today. Everyday, many organizations face the risk of total or partial shutdown because of these unanticipated attacks that are most of the time intentional in nature. These attacks range from simple power failures to extreme cases like terror attacks. It is therefore important that businesses these days not only depend on a single data infrastructure to store their everyday operations. They must think of ways to duplicate company information so that in the unfortunate event of threats and disasters take place, they are able to immediately recover from the disaster. There are already several companies that offer data recovery service by duplicating company data on remote. These data recovery service companies have sites that employ advanced technology in the implementation of their system. Getting assistance of a disaster recovery service company is now a highly recommended move for big corporations.

193

Implementing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning can drain company’s finances. These traditional planning is expensive and too complicated for those small and medium enterprises. But the bigger problem, not to mention the bigger expense, is when there is no disaster recovery service available for the company. So to save on costs from implementing a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, companies are taking advantage of disaster recovery service in getting a real time remote data center. In this way, company data are secured and when a disaster hits, not a single data and information will be lost and any slowdown in the business will be kept to a minimum.

194

The People Within A Disaster Recovery Team A disaster recovery plan would not be complete without its disaster recovery team. These are the people who would put all what’s written into proper action. As this is so, it is very important that the disaster recovery team would be well chosen. A good disaster recovery team consists of a credible specialist team. All of the members must have prior experience and expertise in handling emergency situations. This is primarily important because it would mean that they can handle extreme pressure really well. Someone inexperienced have greater chances of freezing on the spot once the disaster occurs. On the other hand, experienced members can carry out important tasks regardless of the situation with ease. A disaster recovery team must also have proper reliable knowledge of their area assignment. They must be able to navigate within the area at all costs. They should also be assigned within the area for a long time already so that they would be not just familiar with the place but most of all, the people who work there.

195

Usually, disaster recovery teams also have managers as members. This is because they initially are the ones responsible for their particular area of designation. In addition, a disaster recovery team member must always be accessible. No matter happens, he or she must be able to perform his or her duty. This is the most important of all factors, since no matter how expert a person is yet he cannot respond to an emergency, then his designation within the recovery team is nothing but useless.

196

Highly Recommended: Disaster Recovery Training Businesses today are faced with so many threats to their operations that they are now recognizing the need for proper disaster recovery training for their personnel. Disaster recovery is one of the major aspects of businesses that need adequate training because this will ensure that when any untoward incidents occur, they will have the proper and appropriate response to stop, control or mitigate the problem. Without a disaster recovery training program, the organization will most likely just give in to the pressure and shut down. Companies today need to realize how important disaster recovery is in dealing with everyday threats in the business. These threats may vary from natural disasters to system failures due to man made causes. They can be accidental or intentional, controllable or uncontrollable, and anticipated or unanticipated.

197

A strategic recovery plan is essential to prevent further damages of assets and safety of people involved. Without an accurate approach to prevent these things from happening, the company’s future will be at stake and they won’t be able recover from disastrous threats. Disaster recovery training in companies is very important in the sense that it helps everyone prepare for and take proper action for any given emergency situation. Constant trainings on concepts, proper structures and activities are also necessary for recovery teams. With a good disaster recovery training, businesses are able to continue its operations and if ever there are temporary shutdowns, they will be able to speed up their recovery process. It is therefore recommended that every company, big or small, have a disaster recovery training program.

198

How Do You Pursue Disaster Relief and Recovery After a Disaster? Disaster relief and recovery includes supplying goods and services to disaster-affected areas when natural disasters (such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, or earthquakes) or man-made disasters (such as terrorism, radiation fallout, or civil disorder) occur. Furthermore, disaster relief and recovery is intended to relieve the disaster-affected communities as determined by the State through conveying programs to boost resilience and ease risks brought by a disaster. The scope of disaster relief and recovery efforts depend upon the intensity of the destruction caused by a disaster. Disaster relief and recovery includes both the immediate initial assistance to disaster victims and the long-term assistance leading to rehabilitation of the disaster-affected communities and the residents. NGOs, international organizations, business entities, private sponsors and donors work together to raise funds to support disaster relief and recovery projects during and after times of disaster. Reliefs supplied can be medical supplies, safe drinking water, foods, temporary shelter, and sanitary facilities.

199

On one hand, recovery projects can be in the form of building reconstruction and rehabilitation, (including housing, hospital or school), teacher training to help children to continue education, and giving free birth registration to newly born babies during or after the disaster. To further promote rehabilitation of the disaster-affected community, disaster sponsoring parties can provide vocational training (including those supplied to health workers) which can be necessary for micro-enterprise development, sanitation enhancement, health system rehabilitation, and providing psychosocial support for children and adults of the affected community. Some organizations which actively render disaster emergency relief and recovery to disasteraffected communities are NGOs, Red Cross International, Rotary International, Ends of the Erath Ministries, and Plan’s Organization.

200

Recovering From An MS Exchange Disaster Disaster recovery ensures that a business will always have a backup of its system in order for them to continue its operations during, or after, a disaster. The most commonly used server today is the MS Exchange and with its complicated system, a lot of things can go wrong if there are no MS Exchange disaster recovery measures put in place. Without an Exchange disaster recovery system, then the most an administrator can do is work with what is left over in the system. If he is good enough, he will be able to restore the data given some time. If the Exchange database can still be mounted, then this is the first thing anyone should do. If the computer cannot be booted up, then it might work if the disk is placed in another machine and the database is worked on offline. Recovering the computer itself should be dealt with separately. Once everything is in place, the Exchange disaster recovery can be started.

201

There are two programs that will be used extensively in the Exchange disaster recovery. These are the ESEUTIL and the ISINTEG which come with the Exchange program. These two powerful programs will enable any system administrator to recover the most recent backup of the system. But it should be worth noting that because they are so powerful, these programs can also destroy everything the Exchange server has if no proper precautions are made during the Exchange disaster recovery. A good search on the internet will give anyone the basic command lines and procedures on how to properly initiate an Exchange disaster recovery project. But even with these powerful Exchange tools, a good backup of the system is still the best strategy to use.

202

The Key Concepts in Fault Tolerance vs. Disaster Recovery Efforts Fault tolerance is the term to describe the ability of a system that is computer-based to operate, despite hardware or software failures, through the combination of special hardware (made up of full error-checking, redundancy, and hot-swap support features) and special software. Fault tolerance has basic attribute requirements, including non-single point of failure, failing components-fault isolation plus repair, the availability of reversion modes, as well as fault containment to impede failure propagation. In addition, fault tolerance is usually measured at the application level, which characterizes both planned and unplanned service outages. The computer operations are performed in two or more duplicate systems, so whenever one system fails, the other or others can take over. Fault tolerance may is the ability to resume operation in the event of a power failure. Basically, failures start from physical failure and then progress to logical faults as a result of system errors.

203

Disaster recovery is the ability to start operating again after a disaster hits and causes even the destruction of an entire data center. A successful disaster recovery effort pivots on the ability to restore or recreate such resources as business data, system, facilities, networks, and user access. There are disaster recovery methods used to resume system operations, including offsite periodic tape backups, disaster recovery site, data vaulting, and hot site. The backups of software, as well as data information, should be stored separately in a location independent from company facilities as well to facilitate recovery when disaster occurs. The considerable difference of fault tolerance from disaster recovery is that fault tolerance provides constant updates about an environment for user access. It should be a part of disaster recovery but cannot be considered a true disaster recovery effort of its own.

204

What is the Value of a Network Disaster Recovery? The importance of disaster recovery has been known for decades and it is nowadays commonly recognized by IT professionals. The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center has led to widespread awareness about the need for disaster recovery and many other business continuity concerns. Disaster Recovery signifies a series of action that is taken to major unplanned outages to lessen the effects. Hacker attacks, computer viruses, fire, flood, earthquake and many other natural disasters, underground cable cuts, power failure and system administration mistakes may all result in disaster for businesses and other organizations.

205

When preparing or planning your Network Recovery Plan, be sure to include details about Plan Maintenance, Plan Exercise, Plan Location, Plan Distribution, Plan Introduction (that encompasses purpose, applicability, scope, assumptions, and use of the plan), Network Profile (composed of network specifications and network requirements), Plan Activation Procedures (under which falls the plan activation team), Team Members and Responsibilities (active team members and travel to alternative location), Recovery Procedures (restore network services, restoration procedures, original or new site restorations, concurrent processing and plan deactivation), and last, the Appendix (Employee contact list, vendor contact list and network diagrams.) What are the elements of a Disaster Recovery checklist for a Network (which could either be general network, LAN and WAN)? In general network considerations, try to prepare a DR Plan (or Disaster Recovery Plan) and remember to take fractional types of disasters into account; graph and identify your network devices and current network; and do not forget your network security when you encounter a disaster – you do not want your network to be brought down by a virus. For the LAN, be sure that DR LAN is in its perfect setup. Be aware of the LAN pipes and sizes, then, be sure to have backups of all the files and devices of the network configuring tools.

206

For a WAN, there are some questions that you may want to ask yourself are: how do you compare DR WAN network to a Production Network? Have you run checks to test the performance of the DR network? How does the security of a DR Network differ from that of a primary network? Be sure you are ready to answer those kinds of questions. Consider also that this is not a complete list of things to remember in network disaster – it would be best to research thoroughly any that have been left out.

207

Portfolio for Disaster Recovery— Your Key Towards the Right Choice Businesses have now become more conscious when it comes to protecting their data and their whole organization. Hence, the need for making a disaster recovery plan has become inevitable. Likewise, various systems have developed their own brand of disaster recovery procedures which of course they offer at a price. However, most of them boast of these processes as a reliable investment, promising that the results which will be seen in the face of disasters would definitely make every expense worth it. Still, we all know how it is when something is being sold. This is the reason why more than anything else, we need to look at the system’s portfolio for disaster recovery. The portfolio for disaster recovery gives you the following information: 1. The system’s focus on Disaster Recovery. The portfolio lets you in on how old or how young is the system when it comes to disaster recovery. It also lets you in on how dedicated the system is when it comes to attaining quality disaster recovery.

208

2. Infrastructure Quality A portfolio gives a detailed description of the infrastructure utilized by the system in disaster recovery. It gives you an idea if the price you are going to pay for will be worth the perceived standards of quality. 3. Accreditation A portfolio which boasts of accreditation is also a key consideration. In addition, you can also verify the accreditation with its corresponding department or organization to make sure that it is not just an eye candy within the portfolio. 4. Client Testimonials and References This is very important as this gives the portfolio its crowning glory. A portfolio for disaster recovery must have its own pride of satisfied and well-known customers if it wants to bring in more clients for its systems.

209

Planning For Disaster Recovery Disaster recovery is one of the most increasing aspects in business industries today. Companies are now becoming very cautious on preparing a contingency plans to get ready with potential disasters. Natural calamities and adversities brought about by human error are just some of the events organizations must prepare for. And when these disasters hit, it’s actually impossible to maintain normal operations. That is why it is very important to prepare and get ready with emergency measures to ease the complexities of disasters. Minimizing the effects and further damages of calamities are one of the major goals planning for recovery in a disaster. This also includes an analysis on how to resolve business procedures and stability requirements of the company. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. So prevention is the key focus of disaster recovery plans. In many companies, their systems, devices and networks are the most difficult areas to maintain, protect and secure.

210

There are just so many threats out there that year after year, recovery plans are becoming more difficult to develop and sustain. The threats to security develop quickly and needs more advanced technology to prevent system damages. But in the unlikely event of a security breach, having the right plan and putting it into action will save the company millions of dollars in disaster recovery. But the ball does not stop with just planning for security threats, protecting the organization from other threats like natural disasters and man-made disasters (both intentional and unintentional) should also be part of the disaster recovery procedures. They should continually be updated, tested and maintained to ensure that they are still applicable and workable.

211

What Are the Components of a Sample Disaster Recovery Plan? Here is a sample plan provided only as a guide which can be used as a guide or an example of a disaster recovery plan. (This means it is not the only way to create a project plan.) Do research on the subject (Disaster Recovery Plan) thoroughly before embarking on a disaster recovery project to get better results. It is recommended you ask for a consultant to help you out in your disaster recovery planning attempt. It is NOT a simple project that you can accomplish easily by yourself (even with the best research facilities.) There are six parts of Disaster Recovery Planning. You have the first part called Program Description with its phases which are: pre-planning of activities or Project Initiation, vulnerability assessment and general definition, requirements, business impact analysis, detailed definition of requirements, plan development, testing program, maintenance program, initial plan testing and plan implementation.

212

The other five parts of Disaster Recovery Planning are: Planning Scope and Plan Objectives, Project Organization and Staffing; Project Control; Schedule of Deliverables; and Resource Requirements. You can get an idea of the complexity of the process through the program description. Its complexity requires adequate information processing resources and numbers of technical staff, and of course an appropriate budget (or sufficient funds.) The Planning Scope and Plan Objectives of the Disaster Recovery Planning can be used to enable the organization to prepare to survive an alarming disaster and to continue with regular operations after a tragedy strikes. The Project Organization and Staffing parts can be utilized for full implementation of any plans in their most effective and efficient methods as possible. Project Control, on the other hand, acts as the support system of the management software itself. Schedule of Deliverables creates the necessary schedules and so that the project can be maintained by phases. And lastly, the Resource Requirements phase that is divided into three categories which are personnel, capital costs and on-going costs. This sums up the disaster recovery plan.

213

The Importance of Any Testing Disaster Recovery Plan Efforts Testing before, during, and after a disaster recovery plan has been implemented is necessary to prove its effectiveness – it is also a requirement of regulatory agencies. However, time decimates the effectiveness of a disaster recovery plan so that it is rendered inadequate to implement in times of disaster. Some reasons that may cause a disaster recovery plan to be less effective are environmental changes (such as the development of new products, policies and procedures), critical equipment changes, staffs losing interest for the critical fraction of the plan, and organizational personnel turnover. The benefits of testing a disaster recovery plan include: determination of the feasibility of any recovery process, verification of backup facilities compatibility, ensuring adequacy of procedures from recovery planners, and identification of deficiencies in existing procedures. Testing also serves as a training ground for recovery managers and members as far as providing a mechanism for updating and maintenance of the recovery plan.

214

As a fractional process of a recovery plan, training in special and critical skills that may be required during a disaster is significant to assure the sufficient implementation of the plan. This training is inclusive of fire extinguishing efforts, use of emergency breathing equipment, evacuation of people and sensitive resources, proper access to emergency communication systems, and usage of shutdown procedures for gas, water, equipment and electricity. There are several types of testing which an organization can perform, including a structured walk-through testing, a checklist testing, a simulation testing, a parallel testing, and also full interruption testing. Also, the legitimacy of any test will vary upon the factors such as the physical size of the installation, level of service required by users, number of locations involved, organizational sensitivity to data processing, acceptable time for contingency processing and recovery, and cost of testing.