Data Recovery Planning and Implimentation

Network administrators well recognize the need for data backup in case of hardware failure due to human error or unforeseen disasters. Protecting the data of a company - its very life blood - should be give the highest priority of any large or small company.

Yet, we at SalvageData are frequently contacted by companies that know the importance of data backup but still find themselves in the middle of a data disaster. Why is this so?
Even technologically savvy companies experience such data accidents because they have come to believe that having in house personnel and some backup equipment is enough to prevent data lost. But it isn't  Before a data disaster occurs every company should have a thoroughly tested Data Recovery Plan in place.

Having a practical Data Recovery Plan in the event of disaster should be the top priority for any company's network administrator. Think about it. No company would buy an insurance policy without carefully understanding its coverage and provisions. Similarly, no network administrator should rely on a backup system that hasn't been well thought out and tested. It's not a question of if your will have a data disaster, it's a question of when. To go one more day without a tested Data Recovery Plan in place is like playing Russian Roulette with the company's database - and it very survival!

Putting in place a good Data Recovery Plan is not a guessing game. Time has to be put aside to analyze which data is the most critical to your company and how fast this information can be recovered. Factors such as how long a company can run with an interruption in critical data  should be considered. However, to simply say data should be restored immediately without any concrete steps to make this happen is not a plan. Any serious Data Recovery Plan includes a study of how the business would continue running in the event of a prolonged outage.

Some companies we consult with say they already have a plan in place, but have no idea how it was generated of what factors were considered when it was drawn up. The chances are that such a plan would prove sadly lacking for many possible and real data-loss scenarios. Sometimes the existing plan is so complicated that no one in the company fully understands it. Such a plan has little chance of salvaging data, when a data disaster occurs.

Successful Data Recovery Plans unfold in a logical sequence. Careful analysis, thorough testing and thought-out preparation are the cornerstones of a good plan. We at SalvageData see the results of failed plans every day, that is why we can help your company create and put in place a Data Recovery Plan that ensures your business continues even after the unthinkable data disaster occurs. Contact us today. We look forward to helping put a real-world plan in place.