Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan - Do it or "Die"?

Does your organization have a data center disaster recovery plan? If you belong to a very large organization like a bank or large corporate entity the chances are very high that the answer is affirmative. But, if you have a small to mid size business there is a fair chance that your business does not have a comprehensive data center disaster recovery plan. Very often, companies and individuals get bogged down in the day to day tasks of making money, paying bills, supplying merchandise etc. and a recovery plan is something that is always on the "to do" list but never quite gets "done".

It's never going to be convenient to take care of this crucial matter but it's really important to get it done. Many organizations have suffered for the lack of a data center disaster recovery plan. They were too busy dealing with other pressing issues and they did not take out the time to put together a viable plan. When the "crash" came the companies came crashing down along with all of their critical data.

Nobody gets warned before a disaster occurs. And, it doesn't necessarily mean an earthquake or nuclear disaster! Computers and disk drives are known to "crash" and when they do the results are nothing short of disastrous. Think of any company that holds data on their customers, billing and merchandise. Without this data the company cannot function. And, even if there is a data center recovery plan, it has to be one that can be activated at a moment's notice and retrieve lost data quickly. Some business pay dearly for each hour of downtime. I believe ebay was down for a mere few hours a few years ago and it cost them millions of dollars!!!

Don't take chances with your business, thinking, "it won't happen to me". It may just happen. And why take chances. Just like you pay insurance on the chance that something will happen, the same applies here. It's highly important to prepare your business for any possible disaster even if the possibility appears to be remote that anything will happen.

Having a computer backup system is important even if no major calamity happens. A good computer backup system will provide your systems with important features such as data security, file restoration (in the event that a particular file gets corrupted) and good quality documentation. If one or a few files get corrupted for some reason (and this stuff does happen) a good backup system will have your files back up and running in no time, minimizing damage to your business and reputation.

The cost of putting in place a good data center disaster recovery plan is always an important factor. Cost usually is comprised of a combination of the price of the system and the time you must take to implement the system. There is also a learning curve to take into consideration. But, when implemented properly a good computer backup system can give you a very good return on your investment. Not only can you sleep more easily at night knowing that your business data is secure, you will be saving money in the long run by keeping your business running properly even during or after a catastrophe.

So, don't put off setting up your own data center disaster recovery plan. Put one in place and protect yourself and your business so all your hard work and profits don't go down the drain in a matter of seconds, as a result of one bolt of lightning or earthquake.