Even if you feel confident about your organization’s disaster recovery (DR) strategy, it’s critical to your ongoing business success to ask yourself these eight crucial questions:
1. We have backups, why do we need disaster recovery?
A significant number of organizations don’t know the difference between backing up their data and disaster recovery. No matter how comprehensive, simple backups only protect from data loss and not a loss of business and revenue.
2. Has our DR testing come up short?
If your current DR strategy is not backing up all your critical data or is falling short of your organization’s recovery time or recovery point objectives, then it is time to upgrade to a solution that meets and exceeds your demands.
3. Have our DR expectations changed?
One of the key components to successful disaster recovery is a strategic DR plan that incorporates realistic recovery time expectations along with a plan on how you will manage business during the recovery process. If you do not have this, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the actual length of time it takes to recover.
4. How long can we really afford to be offline?
Some businesses can go hours or even days without their technology, while others cannot survive more than a few minutes. Without a realistic DR strategy in place that provides for business continuity while your systems are down, you may find that you lose customers, your reputation, and even your business.
5. Do we have an experienced recovery team in place?
Most organizations won’t experience disaster frequently enough to be experienced at recovery. That lack of experience can actually be a detriment. Fortunately, TECA’s team has worked with countless companies to minimize downtime and prioritize system recovery. With TECA’s recovery team, you will find that accountability and a step-by-step DR plan will ensure a faster, more successful recovery.
6. Do we really need to perform additional recovery tests?
Even if you have a DR strategy in place, you should be reviewing it at least once every year. Changes to technology, personnel, software, and systems can significantly alter your strategy and you need to adapt your plan to suit those changes. Recovering from an outdated DR roadmap might not be an effective recovery at all.
7. Are we relying on a single backup for our recovery?
Technology has evolved beyond this type of single point of failure DR solution. Having redundant backup and recovery infrastructure is critical to ensure a successful, timely recovery.
8. Is it my responsibility?
If the responsibility for the seamless functioning of IT systems at your organization rests on your shoulders, you owe it to yourself and to your company to review your disaster recovery plan to ensure that after a disaster, your return to business will be successful and rapid.
Questions about a disaster recovery strategy for your organization? The expert TECA technology team are happy to help. Contact us today.
Just because you regularly back up your data doesn’t necessarily mean it’s protected. For guaranteed disaster recovery success, you need to follow the industry gold standard — the 3-2-1 rule.
Not sure what that is? Learn more about the 3-2-1 rule today and what you need to do to make sure your business recovers faster after a disaster.
Questions? Contact us today to find out how TECA Data Safe can help you.
True or False?
It’s summer, so it must be time for fun and games.
In 1980, a virtual reality device cost $49,000.
True. And you thought wireless airpods were expensive.
In 2000, manufacturers of the FIFA 2001 game used scratch & sniff technology on their discs. They smelled like football stadium turf.
True. It probably would have been more successful if it had smelled like beer.
The US Air Force used a PS3 gaming console to create a cluster supercomputer.
True. Although we have a sneaking suspicion they just wanted to play Minecraft at work and get away with it.