How much does technology affect performance in your business? Do you dread the day the unexpected happens and stops all production and processes, and threatens your profitability? Even if you have the best business continuity plan in place, you may still feel the pressures of the over-reliance on technology. The right out of band management partner can help, but there are some basics you can consider.
A 2013 Ponemon Institute (News - Alert) study found that 91 percent of respondents had experienced some form of unplanned downtime over the previous two years. For those who work regularly in the cloud space, this isn’t a shocking statistic. The more staggering figure is the fact that 30 percent of organizations that experience a server outage never recover.
A recent Entrepreneur article explored the very real reality that outages happen, the unthinkable happens and disaster does strike for some companies. Data is valuable and if it’s lost in the process, it could easily cause the doors to shut forever. If you’re managing more than one location and rely on out of band management to monitor and adjust network settings, you’re on the right track.
To ensure the unexpected doesn’t leave you without a job, however, let’s take a look at a few things you can do to prevent that instance that you can’t afford.
Planning – While it should be a given, a number of companies don’t take the time to truly plan ahead. They don’t identify critical IT systems, estimate how long systems can be down without business impact and the tolerable period in which data could be lost due to downtime. Put together a business continuity plan that takes all of these things into consideration and more. Make it a living document and test the plan regularly.
Solutions – Options do exist that can help you protect your assets. Backup solutions can help ensure what is safe and recovery solutions will ensure data can be brought back up in minutes. Don’t examine one without the other as they address different critical elements. Also consider whether or not you need appliance- or cloud-based solutions. Identify your needs and then examine available solutions to meet those needs.
Backup Planning – The tape and disk backups you’re used to may not meet the need in today’s market. Consider hybrid-cloud solutions as they are less expensive and less complex when compared with traditional methods.
Testing – Always be testing whatever methods you have in place. The Aberdeen (News - Alert) Group suggests that organizations can experience as many as 4.4 business disruptions per year. Restore times can easily range from one hour to more than nine hours – could the latter render your business in trouble?
The reality is the unexpected is going to happen in some form or another, so you’re safer to expect it and plan accordingly. In doing so, you’re more likely to protect your network and business operations.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson