The need for disaster recovery management<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The attack on New York and Washington has prompted many
\ncorporations to review their disaster recovery management
\nsystems. In addition to the loss of human lives, corporations
\nbased in the twin World Trade Center buildings have lost millions
\nof dollars in computers, office equipment and vital documents.<\/p>\n
A few years ago, these losses would have been enough to
\nbankrupt a company as it would have taken time for them to
\nregroup, reorganize and rehire the resources needed to continue
\ntheir business. If a company plans for disasters properly, they
\ncan get back in business within hours. In short, they should have
\na disaster recovery plan.<\/p>\n
What exactly is disaster recovery? According to Ian Whalley of
\nJakarta's Global Hostnet (http:\/\/www.globalhostnet.com), disaster
\nrecovery is \"a component of business continuity planning and
\nrepresents the preparation and activation of alternative
\noperating facilities in times when the primary facilities are not
\navailable\". All companies should have business continuity plans
\nto anticipate disasters such as earthquakes, riots or fire.<\/p>\n
One of the most prized assets for a company is their digital
\ndata. All documents will have a digital copy stored on the
\nnetwork and it is vital that the data is backed up continuously.
\nThere are many ways to do this. One way is to make backups daily
\nor weekly using magnetic tapes and then store them offsite.
\nAnother is to make instantaneous copies of network data using a
\ndedicated connection to a separate offsite server, a concept
\nknown as \"mirroring\".<\/p>\n
The first option is less expensive but subject to data loss.
\nIf for example a company makes backups every 5 p.m., and a virus
\nwas to hit the server at 4 p.m., all new data from yesterday
\nwould be lost. The mirroring option is more secure as it copies
\ndata the moment it is created. Should a virus hit the server, the
\nnetwork administrator would switch over to the backup server and
\ncarry on. This option is a bit more expensive, as it requires a
\ndedicated line and network but then again, how much is your data
\nworth?<\/p>\n
According to Djarot Subiantoro of Sigma Indonesia
\n(http:\/\/www.sigma.co.id), disaster recovery is not only vital for
\ncorporations, but also mandatory for the banking industry. Bank
\nIndonesia has ruled that every bank should have a disaster
\nrecovery center at least 20 to 30 kilometers from their operation
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
Global HostNet and Sigma, well-known for their IT company Bali
\nCamp, offer disaster recovery services. Both companies have
\nworld-class data centers along with redundant power backups and
\ndedicated backbone networks to secondary centers outside of
\nJakarta. The data centers are manned and managed 24 hours a day.
\nBut more importantly, both companies offer disaster recovery
\nconsultancy services to undertake the integration of a customer's
\ndisaster recovery plans with a clients operational plans.<\/p>\n
As Subiantoro states: \"It's worthless if the IT is up and
\nrunning but there are no people or mechanisms to do the
\ntransaction or operation\".<\/p>\n
There should be set procedures during emergencies such as
\nestablishing a chain of command and installing key
\ndecisionmakers. What are the priorities of the business, what
\nshould be done, who should be contacted, etc. Some companies may
\nfocus too much on the IT angle without even considering the
\nbusiness aspects in an emergency.<\/p>\n
Should the staff not be able to get to the office for any
\nreason, such as flooding, fire or earthquake, both Global Hostnet
\nand Sigma can offer a secondary office space far from the
\nclient's main site for their staff to handle the most important
\nand time sensitive transactions. This is extremely vital for
\nbanks, IT companies and financial institutions.<\/p>\n
More information can be found online via the Disaster Recovery
\nInstitute (http:\/\/www.dr.org). The institute also offers
\nprofessional certification to ensure the high standards of the
\ndisaster recovery industry. Whalley is an associate disaster
\nrecovery planner.<\/p>\n
These past few weeks have shown the vulnerability of the
\nworld's business and economy. Business continuity planning and
\ndisaster recovery management are vital for companies to continue
\nto operate and employ millions of people. Should they encounter
\nproblems, it is fundamental for these businesses to solve them
\nimmediately in order to continue serving the public.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, these companies could go out of business, lay off
\npersonnel and start a cycle that could eventually shake the
\nconfidence of the local and world economy. A teacher once told
\nme: Luck favors the prepared mind. Anticipating and preparation
\nare vital for business survival.<\/p>",
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