If “Knowledge is Power” as Sir Francis Bacon said, then certainly the 21st century rendition of his statement would say “Information is Money”.  Nothing will interrupt the cash flow of any business faster than the loss or inaccessibility of data.

Losing your data is very much the equivalent of losing business.

Yet, statistically, the decision-makers in most firms will not take steps toward safeguarding the operational continuity of their own business until some crisis - a server crash, power surge, or human error – hits home and causes a degree of data loss and organizational disruption.

According to a September 2006 study by a Minneapolis technology consulting firm, while 40% of respondents to a survey about data protection said that their data was “priceless”, almost a quarter – 23% - said that they had taken no steps to copy, protect, or preserve their data.

If those figures are representative of trends nationwide, then, from a vantage point in the Columbus Infotech Park, it’s important to provide some simple steps - an “everyman’s guide to data protection” – to guide area enterprises in implementing disaster recovery programs.

It may seem painfully obvious, but the first task is simple planning.  For example, what data will need to be recovered first? Will email be copied and stored? Any decision you can make in advance will be more reliable than one made in the midst of a panic.

Secondly, make backups regularly. The routine act of copying vital information to a magnetic tape or optical disk on a scheduled, methodical basis will provide a secondary copy which could be restored with minimal interruption. A back-up procedure forms the core for the operational viability of your business following an emergency.

In conjunction with a systematic back-up program, institute some procedure to ensure that your back-up copies are tested regularly.  Increase your peace of mind by knowing that you not only have safety copies, you have reliable safety copies.

Augment your backup program with off-site storage. The most diligent backup routine is less effective when the copies are stored on-site, where both the original and the duplicate could be damaged or destroyed simultaneously during the same event. A fire or broken water pipe could quickly negate all your efforts.

While the steps above provide essential guidelines, they quite clearly do not address all the options available for consideration.

For example, out-sourced recovery facilities provide an attractive and  practical alternative for many businesses.  Using the Internet as the transfer mechanism, many firms choose to utilize the capacity and stability of a data center facility to address a number of concerns that might be problematic on a local level;

     off-site storage,

     large file storage,

     access to redundant power sources and backup generators which are cost prohibitive for most businesses,

     and the flexibility to free on-staff personnel for more productive and effective work within the business itself.

Another consideration emerged from a 2003 report prepared at the request of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in which the concept of geographical dispersion was introduced.  Unfortunately, the report was not widely read until Hurricane Katrina underscored the value of dispersion.  While we, here in the Midwest, aren’t likely to face widespread regional devastation, it is easily conceivable that a tornado or flood could effect the majority of a community, making it more important to have data and recovery capacity in another city.

In a brief commentary, it is difficult to do much more than highlight essential guidelines and touch upon the most crucial of topics related to data protection and disaster recovery.

Hopefully, if you or your business are in the 23% with no recovery program in place, the material will prompt you to realize the value of the information that forms the backbone of your business and act to guard it. 

With data center facilities in Columbus, Indianapolis, and Chicago, TLS delivers geographically diverse disaster recovery solutions to businesses throughout the region.  Our success is in safeguarding your growing business.  For additional information call (812)378-4100 (or 877-DIAL-TLS toll free) or visit http://www.tls.net

Sources: U.S. Security and Exchange Commission Interagency Paper on Sound Practices, Boston Business Journal “Small Businesses Should Put More Stock In Data Recovery”, American Red Cross “Disaster Response Project Case Study”