Disaster recovery is the area of security planning that deals with protecting an organization, small business, or a home user from the effects, generally speaking, of major events, in our case regarding computer operations. Significant negative events, in this context, can include anything that puts operations or information at risk. This might be cyberattacks, equipment failures, human error, power outages, and/or natural disasters. 

For many of our business clients, we have a general disaster recovery plan, if the client supports and follows our recommendations.  A disaster recovery plan documents policies, procedures and actions to limit the disruption to operations in the wake of a disaster. Just as a disaster is an event that makes normal functions limited or impossible, a disaster recovery plan consists of actions intended to minimize the negative effects of a disaster and allow operations to maintain or quickly resume mission-critical functions.

In information technology, disaster recovery steps may include restoring PC’s or Servers with backups, placement of alternate systems for intermediate operation, and/or re-establish local area networks (LANs) or Internet to meet immediate business needs.

I strongly recommend you have your operations evaluated and a general plan of action defined and prepared.  It’s one of those things we always acknowledge we need to get to but sometimes never do.  When it’s too late – it’s too late.  Honest truth – I have had two (2) client facilities lost to fire.  We had a general plan of action, the most CRITICAL being good backups, and were able to get operational in a reasonable amount of time.  

The truth is, the extent of implementing a disaster recovery plan is a cost issue as well.  I always recommend what SHOULD be done but for example many operations may not be able to buy a second Server for fallback that in truth may never be used.  In our real world the best plan is relative to what you specifically do, how you do it, and how you rate being down affects your activities.  Our largest client has a backup, a virtual server backup that can be ‘spun up’ in the event of primary Server failure, an offsite backup, and an offsite Server that the offsite backup can be restored to and provide business functionality until full operations are recovered.  The other end of the spectrum is making sure you have your pictures backed up from hour home PC to a device you can recover from to a new PC.  Complicated to simple disaster recovery plans.  Pick one but do your best to plan.

NOTE:  These are suggestions only so USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our offices for professional service/guidance.

I hope our suggestions help you in your computer operations.  Until next time, don’t forget your backups!  For more information, contact Harv Oliver, HANDS-ON Consultations, (805) 524-5278, www.hocsupport.com