Data Recovery - Why Should You Have a Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan?

Data Recovery - Why Should You Have a Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan?
By W.Michael Anderson

The changing paradigms of business have left many established businesses at a loss. Often businesses do not even consider establishing a data center disaster recovery plan. For both new and old businesses, it is not just an optional convenience, a computer backup system is a necessity. To demonstrate both the convenience and the need for a data recovery plan, let us discuss several of 'today's' business perspectives: Security, Confidence, Efficiency and Profitability.

1) Security:

The computer age is not only upon us, it is dominating every business. All businesses store data. It could be something as simple as the accounting records. It could be complex sub-routines which control robotic manufacturing. From a security viewpoint there are three main concerns: loss from a system crash, virus corruption, and theft. Theft is outside the scope of this topic. However, an online computer backup system certainly addresses the first two concerns. The ability to replace data and programming after either a crash or virus attack is very important. But the ability to replace it simply from your own computer backup system, that is priceless.

2) Confidence:

A business strives to instill confidence in two groups: customers and employees. When the threat of data and programming loss is eliminating because a company has a data center disaster recovery plan in place, then employees can operate in a much less stressful environment. The knowledge that human error is now a minor inconvenience instead of a potential disaster makes for a more productive workplace. Furthermore, customer confidence will soar when the additional benefit to them is revealed: their customer records and data will be stored in a secure computer backup system. This allows for uninterrupted customer service in spite of main system disruption from a disaster, viruses or human error. Another aspect of a disaster recovery plan is the confidence it instills in both clients and employees as it demonstrates the desire of the corporation to plan ahead putting priorities on security and efficiency.

3) Efficiency:

Disruption of the normal business activities results in significant losses in efficiency. When data and programming can be restored quickly and fully, this potential loss is minimized. Attacks by viruses are common in today's marketplace either through purposeful attacks or pranks. Human error can crash systems. To avoid the major time delays required to clean and/or restore a system (if possible), computer backup not only is necessary but also becomes a major factor in an efficient business operation. Something as simple as a misplaced file can cause major production delays, now it can be retrieved simply and quickly.

4. Profitability:

There are many ways that computer issues can effect the profitability of a business. Most of these issues can be resolved by using a computer backup system.

-file corruption - efficient replacement from backup, eliminating slow operation due to corruption

-loss files due to misnaming or misfiling - efficient replacement from backup

-minor problems no longer cause significant delays as file restoration is simple and efficient

-employee productivity - working in a less stressful environment

-client confidence - 100% continuity without significant delay or disruption

-total loss due to disaster - restore all files from backup

When considering virus corruption and slow downs due to human error and file corruption, what is the balance between losses and the expense of data centre disaster recovery plan? When considering the likelihood of a complete computer disaster, how much would a company pay for complete system restoration? What is the cost of rebuilding the computer system from zero?

With a data center disaster recovery plan in place, you can rest assured that your business will keep running smoothly - no matter what.

Set up your data center disaster recovery plan today!

Go get more information on at: http://rbm-data-center-disaster-recovery.blogspot.com -Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W.Michael_Anderson http://EzineArticles.com/?Data-Recovery---Why-Should-You-Have-a-Data-Center-Disaster-Recovery-Plan?&id=783584

6 Important Reasons Why You Need A Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan

6 Important Reasons Why You Need A Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan
By Randall Christian

More often than not a new business does not think a data center disaster recovery plan is necessary, much less a priority.

They usually think that a disaster won't happen to them or think that since their business doesn't use software as much as other businesses that their isn't any reason to spend the money required of a sound data center disaster recovery plan. But let me tell you why you definitely need it right now:

1. Self-Confidence: Employees and customers both will be grateful for the peace of mind that comes with protection against any sort of disaster. They can rest easy when the corporation they are devoted to knows how to think ahead and plan for unforeseen events. When the company makes certain that it is prepared for any crisis that may come its way, people defiantly feel secure and this brings on loyalty. It also acts as a major selling point to potential clients, helping build a strong customer base that is crucial in every business.

2. Records: Data center disaster recovery plans always include computer backup systems so businesses enjoy the proper documentation that is included in the system. This is just one fringe benefit any business can enjoy. An extremely useful feature of some systems is the capability of sorting and organizing backup data easily in case there is a need to refer and restore original files and programs that have been deleted or misplaced as a result of human error.

3. Safekeeping Files: The risk of data destruction is extremely high with all of the worms and viruses threatening computer systems on a daily basis. These malicious programs could wreak devastation on a data center, bringing the business to a complete stop. When you have a computer backup system you can fix this chaos quickly by replacing the corrupted files. Then it is back to business to usual at its normal speed.

4. Effectiveness: Computer backup systems support work efficiency by restoring damaged or deleted files, so the work stoppage is just a small blip of the chart instead of a major downtrend in production that a major delay would cause. You have to realize that data center disaster recovery plans are useful in minor problems or accidents as well as a full-blown disaster.

5. Investments: A data center disaster recovery plan saves the business a ton of money the first time it needs to be used. You are saving money in the long run by preventing any type of software problem, no matter what the size from affecting and slowing down business.

6. Worst Circumstance: If you are struck with any type of disaster and your valuable data is completely wiped out, not to worry; all you have to do is go to your online computer backups that can restore all the data that was lost. You can be sure that any businesses without any online computer backups will be wishing they had a serious data center disaster recovery plan in place when they are trying to remember what they lost!

You need a total system and data protection solution that combines ease-of-use with robust performance. It allows you to perform fast backup and recovery jobs reliably, and protects all MS Windows based desktops, laptops, and networked systems against various types of threats such as system failure, human error, and disaster. Go to my Blog to learn about a FREE trial of the program. Go to http://data-disaster-recovery-plan.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randall_Christian http://EzineArticles.com/?6-Important-Reasons-Why-You-Need-A-Data-Center-Disaster-Recovery-Plan&id=793620

How to Define A Business Emergency Strategy Before It Is Too Late

How to Define A Business Emergency Strategy Before It Is Too Late
By Bruce A. Tucker

We all remember how New Orleans, LA looked after it was ravaged by hurricane Katrina. How can anyone forget? The sites of homes flooded up to the rooftops, people sitting by the Superdome with what seemed like no hope in sight.

Take into account the many businesses that were up and running before Katrina hit, and how many have disappeared because of it.

Imagine for a moment you are building your business. You sell widgets, you are buying, selling, tracking orders, doing account, and the many other facets of tasks that go into your business`s daily operation. In a moment`s notice, your business is wiped out. Not by bad financial planning, not by some bad accountant you hired or a lost account, but because of a natural disaster.

Is your business prepared to rebuild after a disaster? Is ready to pick up where it left off, as if nothing happened? If you answered no to both those questions then you need to get an emergency plan in place.

Backup your data. Believe it or not, even in today`s high tech world, a lot of businesses do not back up data properly. Some do it once a night and then the backup is in the same location as their main data centers. This makes no sense. If your building is wiped out, all of your data and all of your backup data is in the same place. You need to separate the two. You should do a backup of your system every night. There are many services out there that offer this at a nominal cost. When compared to what the cost will be when you lose all that data, hiring a firm that specializes in data backup and recovery will be well worth it.

Team organization. Even if you are able to rebuild your data center from your backups, if you and your team, meaning your employees, are not on the same page, and have no idea what the next steps are, or what their roles in the recovery are, you and your team will look like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. You should have a written plan in place as to what the efforts of each team member will be after a disaster occurs. Keeping everyone involved, and informed as to what they are responsible for, will make a transition to getting your business up and running again, a smooth one. This plan must be updated periodically, especially as employees come and go.

Write it all down. Finally, get the entire plan in writing. This plan, must be a detailed outline of steps and procedures as to exactly how to get the business up and running. It should also outline what each person is responsible for, how to get the data backup and running, who handles acquiring a temporary space to run the business and so on. This document, will be the most important item of your emergency plan, because it is the actual plan. Make sure each employee has a copy, as well as a saved version on your computer system so it gets backed up with all of your other data. Since you now have a separate vendor handling backup and recovery, your plan is safe. You may want to consider using document version control software such as Documentum. This type of software versions your plan with the ability of people making the changes of checking the document in and out, just the way a library works. When someone has it checked out, no one can make changes to it until they check it back in.

Get your emergency plan in place. You never know when a natural disaster is going to hit, and for that reason, you do not want to be unprepared when it does.

By: Bruce A. Tucker

About the Author:

Bruce A. Tucker is the Associate Director of http://www.Indocquent.com, an online resource for individuals and businesses to post their products and services for sale and hire. You can follow Bruce on Twitter at http://twitter.com/indocquent

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Online Document Imaging Mitigates Corporate Disaster and Data Loss - Pay Attention!

Online Document Imaging Mitigates Corporate Disaster and Data Loss - Pay Attention!
By Alani Kuye

You are better off decommissioning and destroying your records than having it and not being able to find it. Thats the bottom line of compliance regulatory requirements. While some companies have found themselves in the uncomfortable position overable data, others have to deal with staff spending half the workday looking for information. Research has shown that employees spend at least 40% of the work day looking for information relating directly or indirectly to their jobs. From Google, to the windows search (under Program Files), some have even downloading the Google desktop search facility.

While this may be a stop gap approach, having a compliant, fully configured document management and work flow solution is key to ensuring the security, auditability, availability, and manageability of records. Including documents and email.

Notwithstanding, most companies are very hesitant to shell out $200,000 for a new enterprise class system. Those who do spend $200,000 or more usually put the vendors through a frustratingly long sales cycle, validation process, procurement process and final approval process before the project is even undertaken. Once the project commences, turnover, staff departure, layoffs, project implementation snags usually further convolute the process.

In comes Saas (software as a Service)! For a fraction of the cost, any company can implement an enterprise class version of an ECM / Workflow / Document management system at a fraction of the cost. This is the same software, but now over a secure internet connection, and usually browser based. That is the difference between financing a $200,000 system upfront, and paying $2,000 monthly for the very same product, same SLA (service level agreement), better support infrastructure, automatic upgrades and additional value added services.

This is where companies can really negotiate their SLA (service Level Agreement). Most companies tend to forget that thick enterprise class systems installed on site come with a "checklist" of SLA options, but in the Saas world, you can really negotiate the language of the SLA.

A web based system will ensure auditability and tight user access controls over a reliable connection. This is because the Vendors, fully understanding the implications of loosing clients data will utilize the best, most secure and advanced data centers, coupled with Department of Defense grade security and backups.

This automatically eliminates the pressure on the client to maintain, staff, upgrade, train, retrain and manage an in - house system. Which usually runs at an additional 85% of the system cost itself, plus overhead.

Alani Kuye is Managing President of Phantom Data Systems Inc.

A Connecticut based Online Document Imaging, Management, Data Recovery, Data Storage and E Mail Security Solutions Provider. He has consulted and designed enterprise data storage, recovery, records management and security solutions for large corporations, government agencies and small businesses alike. Featured in CRN, Infoweek, and various publications alike.

He resides in Connecticut and can be reached at 1-203-809-2465 or [mailto:alani@phantomdatasystems.com]alani@phantomdatasystems.com
Online document imaging - Phantom Data systems Inc.
Norwalk, CT.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alani_Kuye [http://ezinearticles.com/?Online-Document-Imaging-Mitigates-Corporate-Disaster-and-Data-Loss---Pay-Attention!&id=968877 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Document-Imaging-Mitigates-Corporate-Disaster-and-Data-Loss---Pay-Attention!&id=968877

Offsite Data Backup Plan - What Online Backup Services Vendors Must Have

Offsite Data Backup Plan - What Online Backup Services Vendors Must Have
By Mike Blough

Having an offsite data backup plan is a necessity to support your business continuity and disaster recovery needs. To support these objectives, you may also have ascertained that using an online backup services provider to be viable but find it a challenge to identify suitable vendors.

If so, here's a two-stage methodology that can make life easier for you:

- Stage 1: We will use an initial set of criteria is used to identify a short list of candidates that are able to provide a minimum standard of service for immediate and longer term.

- Stage 2: We will determine your provider of choice by assessing the short-listed candidates against a final set of criteria.

Today, we will discuss the details of Stage 1 and outline key requirements that must be fulfilled by all short listed candidates.

I. Established operations

In the past, many impressive start-ups have gone bust. Based on experience, vendors who have been in business for 5 years or more are more likely to be able to support in the long haul.

II. Large customer base comprising of business clients

A sizeable business clientele usually co-relate with the vendor's proven ability to provide a satisfactory level of service for business requirements that are usually more stringent by nature.

III. Premise that is secured

As a rule of thumb, consider candidates who use world class data centres for their operations. This is because data centres often have good physical security equipment and measures to prevent unauthorised access. Data centres also have built-in protective measures against natural disasters that include earthquake and fire.

IV. Scalable offerings

Data storage requirements will increase along with the growth of your business. While your immediate need is the priority, the short-listed vendors must have expandable data backup plan offerings to accommodate additional storage when the need arises.

V. Affordable plans

Vendors who offer "too good to be true" free storage for life are hard pressed to survive in the long run and therefore should be excluded from the short list. Instead, identify candidates who can provide the required service at prices that are affordable, based on a budgeted price range.

By evaluating using the five criteria above, you will have a short list of candidates that can offer the minimum level of online backup services to support your offsite data backup plan objectives.

If you are looking for a top rated offsite data backup plan provider, please go to Mike Blough's blog at: http://allondatabackups.uni.cc/top-rated-online-backup-services-provider-for-offsite-backup/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Blough http://EzineArticles.com/?Offsite-Data-Backup-Plan---What-Online-Backup-Services-Vendors-Must-Have&id=978564

Backing Up Your Computer Verses Archiving

Backing Up Your Computer Verses Archiving
By Stephen Richards

The concepts of backing up a computer and archiving documents often get confused.

To clarify the difference, let's start with what a backup is. Generally, a backup is a short-term retention copy of a file or record that is made in case the original is lost or damaged beyond repair. Making a backup of your files is meant to create a snapshot of something so that you can restore your data back to a certain point.

Therefore, you're really not concerned that you're going to be backing up the same data over and over and over again. All you're really concerned with is, if this application goes down, can I restore the data?

An archive is similar with the difference being its life span. An archive is typically viewed as a means to meet a requirement to retain a record for future reference.

Many companies archive information as a way to retain company records and meet regulatory requirements. The SEC had changed regulation 17A, which has required companies to retain specific electronic records.

An archive is set up so that information can be accessed relatively quickly in the event of an audit. In the old days, when everything was on paper, archiving meant storing numerous files in cabinets with an offsite vendor, for a certain period of years. Electronic archiving is similar. At the end of the retention period, your files can be deleted.

When archiving, it is important to date information so that one knows when the expiration date comes about. In this way, archiving is different from backup information. Traditional backups are usually part of a sequence, which is typically a series of weekly full backups followed by daily incremental backups that are kept for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 30 days). In order to keep a copy for a longer period than usual, an out-of-sequence copy must be created. This is where the attributes of an archive start to take shape. We can think of an archive as an out of sequence copy; a copy that is not associated with other copies for retention purposes (i.e., full and incremental).

Other attributes that differentiate an archive from a backed up file are:

1. Archives should not be retained simply based on the number of existing copies. Each archive should be a unique object bearing a time stamp, descriptor and a retention parameter.

2. Data is backed up to protect it from being lost or altered and because it must remain readily available; it would therefore go against the rules to delete a file after backing it up. Conversely, data is often archived so it can be deleted from its original location because immediate access is no longer required.

3. Archived data can be extracted from its original context and catalogued or indexed for later retrieval. This is the case for CAS or email archiving products where a message or attachment is taken out of its usual structure and stored elsewhere.

To summarize, if a record is copied for protection, we can probably call it a backup. If the same record is stored on some media with particular concern with immediate access, it's probably safe to call it an archive.

Stephen J. Richards has 25 years experience in Data Management and Information Technology. This information is provided as a public service by Neon Enterprise Software, a leading provider of [http://www.neonesoft.com/ISV.shtm]Compliance Software For more information, please visit neonesoft.

About the Author: Stephen J. Richards has 25 years experience in Data Management and Information Technology. This information is provided as a public service by Neon Enterprise Software, a leading provider of [http://www.neonesoft.com/br.shtm]mainframe disaster recovery and [http://www.neonesoft.com/TAR.shtm]data retention technology.

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Backup Strategy to Avoid Data Loss & Data Recovery

Backup Strategy to Avoid Data Loss & Data Recovery
By Park Oskar

You must have always come across the phrase “Data Backup” when you talk about data loss. It’s not that we don’t understand its importance completely but just that we pay little less attention to it than required. Each day, we hear about several data loss incidences seeking data recovery software or data recovery services options. If you feel that your data is valuable, then why not keep it safe? Why not have a Backup strategy?

A concrete backup strategy is important to any recovery plan. The following are the main elements to a solid backup strategy:

Define what type of data needs to be backed up.

You create a variety of documents, customer databases, financial records, or employee records. Hence, by defining the order of importance of data, you should decide on what to backup.

Decide the Backup Media

You must know the storage media for backup. You may consider backup data to be stored from a computer to a rewritable CD or DVD, a network server, a USB key, or a ZIP disk.

Define the time limit you have available for backup.

You must know of the product that is reliable enough to perform the backup at the scheduled time. If you are a traveler and usually connect to the network remotely, then you must know of a backup strategy that covers your information accurately.

Decide the level of access to the information.

You must know the security requirements and concerns, and that your backup software ensures 100% data accuracy while restoring. You must also ensure that your backup software prevents unauthorized access to the information, through a password or a variety of encryption algorithms.

Define the schedule of backups

You must set the schedule of backups i.e. the frequency of backups needs to be determined. You must ensure that all the workstations (from where you need to backup the data) are ‘On’ at the time of performing backups. For remote workers, you must develop standard operating procedures.

Define the backup policies

You must decide when to perform a full system backup or incremental system backup. It is recommended to store the backed up data offsite i.e. you can keep your data in two different locations away from each other.

Work on the ease to backup the data

What if you have successfully performed the data backup but it takes time while restoring it? You must work on the set up where you can backup the data with one command. Agreed that it will take little more time and work but will be very useful when the system crashes.

Perform daily backups

You must ensure that there is less time between the two subsequent backups otherwise if there is longer period between backups, you may lose quite a lot of data.

If you do not understand the way to implement a backup strategy, you might have to check with the local expert.

Stellar a data recovery Software & service company provides range of [http://www.stellarinfo.com]data recovery software & data protection software. Stellar has recently launched a data backup software i.e. Stellar InstaBackup is very useful software for backing up and protecting valuable data. This software simplifies the process of data backup and is a powerful solution for both business and personal needs. It can also be used both in a networking environment and on a single machine. Although the software is easy to use, a number of advanced options such as Full / Incremental backups, strong File Encryption, and Zip Compression are also available. The software has a simple graphical user interface, requires no prior knowledge of data backup, and is a comprehensive data protection solution for all Windows File Systems. [http://www.stellarinfo.com]Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Park_Oskar http://EzineArticles.com/?Backup-Strategy-to-Avoid-Data-Loss-and-Data-Recovery&id=293636

Outlook Backup - What Is The Best Way to Do It?

Outlook Backup - What Is The Best Way to Do It?
By Alexander Golishev

Outlook backup is a bare necessity for those who use MS Outlook email client for everyday communication. If you are like most people, who like to start their day with a hot steaming cup of coffee looking through morning mail, you sure can imagine how frustrating it can be to lose your important messages and contacts.

There are several reasons why you can lose your email. First of all, you can lose your Outlook messages as a result of hardware failure. Secondly, there can be a disaster like flood or fire, which is hard to prevent so it is strongly recommended to back up Outlook/Outlook Express to secure against the temperament of nature.

A far more frustrating occurrence of message loss is an accidental deletion by the owner. There is no way to prevent such things, but there are several ways to make sure you do not lose your data, if you get in any of the above mentioned situations.

One ways is to copy your contacts and messages manually each day and record them to some storage media such as a CD. This is a viable solution and it is the cheapest in terms of money, but not time. It is going to be hard to keep track of all incoming and outcoming messages and not to forget to do Outlook backup regularly.

However, with the simple yet reliable Outlook backup software, you can immensely simplify the task of data protection. In fact, for a reasonable fee of 39 bucks you can get a professional backup program with the backup functionality which allows backing up your important messages on a specified schedule with the options of data compression and encryption.

When choosing your backup software, pay attention to the specific features of a program. Some backup programs offer Outlook backup functionality as a default feature, while others may require installation of special plug-ins for doing target backup of email. Also, make sure that the program can do backup of all versions, including backup of Outlook 2007.

The minimal feature set that you need to do quality [http://www.handybackup.net/outlook-backup.shtml]Outlook backup includes automatic Outlook file search, automated task execution according to a minute accuracy schedule, data compression and encryption and a wide choice of storage media including flash drives, external hard drives, optical disks, FTP and online servers.

Alexander Golishev is a copywriter for [http://www.handybackup.net]Novosoft LLC software developer, with a great deal of expertise in data backup and recovery matters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Golishev http://EzineArticles.com/?Outlook-Backup---What-Is-The-Best-Way-to-Do-It?&id=947628