Wednesday, 7 November 2007

FIVE REASONS TO HAVE A DATA CENTER DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN

In their early days many businesses think that a data center disaster recovery plan is not important and certainly not a priority. There are various reasons for this idea, maybe they think that their operation does not rely on soft data or they think that such a disaster is not going to happen to them and therefore they think that such a plan is not important. However, whatever their reasons having a good data center disaster recovery plan is always essential for the following five reasons.

Security of files
In this day and age the chance of file corruption is very large. There is a high risk of viruses and worms that on a regular basis can attack computer systems. These programs could slow business to a near standstill and affect the quality of output, wreaking havoc on a data center. This problem can be quickly sorted out by having a computer backup system to restore the damaged files. This will enable business to carry on as normal whilst retaining the original high standard of quality.

No fall in production

Computer backup systems help in aiding work efficiency because they restore deleted or damaged files so that instead of a log delay there is hardly any less efficiency n production. Data center disaster recovery plans are also good to have in the case of minor problems which on their own can cause long delays in production. So these plans are important to have for both major disasters and smaller malfunctions.

Peace of mind
The people who will appreciate the assurance that the protection against disaster brings are both the employees and the customers. Knowing that the company they are loyal to knows how to plan for the worst contingencies will allow them to rest easy. They will realize that the company is well prepared for any setback that may come along and this is a reason that will act as a big selling point for potential clients and something that is crucial in all businesses is a strong customer base.

Saves money
If you invest in a data center disaster recovery plan it will prevent and solve problems of all types from affecting and slowing down business, thus saving money in the long term. Also in a worse case scenario if a catastrophe should occur and claim valuable date the organization that it affects will be grateful that they had online computer backups that will restore all the lost data.

Sorting documentation

Because computer back systems are always found in data center disaster recovery plans, proper documentation is probably one of the side benefits that any organization can enjoy. What can be very useful is that some systems are able to easily sort and organize backup data. This is beneficial if, because of human error, there is a need to refer and restore original files or programs that have been misplaced or deleted.

Those who have no online computer backups will regret that they did not take data center disaster recovery plans seriously as they discover they need to start their business from square one.

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ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP IN YOUR DATA CENTRE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN

I came across this article about the importance of having a good back up contingency in your Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan

That phrase has been a cornerstone of good engineering practice since the earliest days of broadcasting. In the digital era, where information such as client lists, commercials and music libraries can be worth more than the hardware it runs on, backing up data should be an important part of every station’s routine.

Basic concepts

Current storage technology for the music, commercial and log data in automation systems is based on hard drives.

As mechanical devices with moving parts, they are the most likely failure point in the system. Manufacturers quote a Mean Time Between Failures of over 1 million hours, or greater than 100 years. More frequent failures occur due to infant mortality and environmental conditions such as heat and vibration being exceeded during shipping or in the field.

In addition to bad sectors on a hard drive disk, the data on drives may also be corrupted by software glitches or computer viruses. The challenge for broadcasters is to make sound decisions regarding the tradeoff between performance vs. fault tolerance.

Tape backups have long been used to preserve data. Backup software is used to stream data from the hard disk onto some sort of tape cartridge, which is removable. The transfer rate of data is very slow when compared to hard drive speeds, and backing up takes considerable time. These backups represent a snapshot of data at a given time, and are always somewhat out of date.

Since tapes store the data in a linear fashion, recovering a particular file which has been corrupted or lost can be time-consuming. Despite some of the drawbacks, tape systems have been a convenient way to recover from catastrophic failure.

A more elegant system of backing up files involves disc mirroring or Redundant Array Inexpensive Drive systems. RAID systems have a multi-channel controller and three or more drives. Other systems provide full or partial backup of files on different machines throughout the station.

Storage, small, medium, large

Storage systems need not be complex or expensive, especially at the small-market level.

Jim Trapani, owner of JT Communications, notes that stations on a tight budget may wish to prioritize and backup only commercials and other locally-produced materials. “Music libraries are more generic, and can be easily replaced. Not so with local spots.”


To read the rest of this interesting article CLICK HERE

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Monday, 5 November 2007

THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SELECTING A BACKUP PROGRAM FOR YOUR DATA CENTER DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN

The main application that keeps a business flowing is the data center which houses the most important files, programs and applications without which a business could not survive in the ever changing world of information technology. It could cause a severe or even final blow to a previously successful enterprise if any harm was caused to these files, so investing finances and time in a reliable data center disaster recovery plan is absolutely essential.

While hardly “the be all, end all” in data center disaster recovery plans, computer backup systems play the all-important role of preserving the relevant data that keeps our business alive, and restoring that data when something happens to it. Because of the significance of its role, selecting the right backup program is critical to our data center's disaster recovery plan.

Of course, even if we are convinced that this is necessary rather than supplementary (which is not always so for a number of businesses), this gives rise to a particularly pressing question: what exactly are we supposed to look for in a data center disaster recovery plan anyway?

Regardless of whether they are a huge conglomerate or a small one-man business just finding their feet, this is a very important point for them to think about and it is essential they come to the right choice in finding the best computer backup system.

Here are some questions worth asking before making your final choice for your computer backup system.

Is there enough storage space?
One thing that is always an issue in online computer backups is space because even the smallest of organizations can have a big library of files that will need to be secured and so you need to be certain that your online computer backups will be capable to handle all your important data.

Is it easily accessible?
Even though your backup files must be secure it must also not be difficult to access. This will encourage updating and make documentation easy so boosting efficiency and frees up time to work on other important endeavors.

Is it reliable?
It is obviously common sense that your program must be able to store your data and should the need arise to completely restore it. This is of paramount importance!

Is it simple?
It is a definite bonus if you can find a user-friendly program. Although this is by no means essential a program that is effective but also easy to use will be maintained more often so lessening the chance of file recovery disaster and greatly increasing the chances of a full recovery should the worst happen.

Too many businesses pay little attention to their data center disaster recovery plans, neglecting to check if their computer backup system is up to the task of restoring whatever data is lost. These saps may later find out that there are severe complications in file restoration due to a flaw in their backup program, setting the stage for a fatal file recovery disaster.

Try to always bear in mind that what could make or break your data center disaster recovery plan is your computer backup system. If this does not do its job effectively it could spell disaster for your organization, so it is essential to make the right choice.

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