Disaster recovery is a topic that should be a top priority among IT managers, directors, and system administrators. Anticipating natural and man-made disasters and making contingency and recovery plans are essential to securing the future health of any business. By accurately determining the risks and putting appropriate safeguards in place, a company maximizes its chances of resuming its operations and services within the shortest amount of time possible after a calamity, data breach, or a power outage.
One of the key elements of an effective disaster recovery plan is a having implemented a great backup and recovery solution. The solution should include a robust backup disaster recovery appliance that suits both their environment and their needs. It’s sometimes a challenge to find the exact specs of the appliance that an organization should aim to get, as each company has different business growth projections. However, there are particular aspects that system administrators and IT managers and directors should look for when shopping for an effective disaster recovery solution. Here are some of them:
Ease of Use and Setup
Not all backup and disaster recovery solutions are made equal. Some of them can be quite challenging to set up and maintain more than others. Ease of use is an essential factor for those who are in charge of configuring and checking the backup solution on a daily basis. If they choose to go with a more complicated backup plan, then IT managers will have to spend more time setting up the system and ensuring that it’s performing its function as expected. This small task can end up increasing the workload of the IT staff, who, more often than not, already have enough on their plates.
Setting up backup frequency should be done should also be an equally simple process. More importantly, the data recovery process should be made as easy as possible. If recovery is a complicated process, then downtime will increase, and costs associated with the downtime will increase as well, sometimes in an exponential way.
Set It and Forget It
How much maintenance work should a backup solution require? Can it perform when it is needed?
A good disaster recovery system should be designed to make implementation and maintenance as easy as possible. Many IT managers and directors prefer working with a disaster recovery solution that they can simply set and forget, one that won’t need constant attention in order to ensure that it works properly. For instance, if the solution has been programmed to back up the system every hour, then it should provide the company with recoverable data every hour. There should be absolute certainty that the company can rely on its backup solution and that, in case of a ransomware attack or a calamity, the IT team can access the latest version of the company’s data and systems from its chosen backup disaster recovery solution.
Automated Testing
A disaster recovery solution should work all the time as it’s programmed to do so, and it should provide companies and IT teams with peace of mind. To check the integrity and dependability of a backup, tests should be done regularly. This activity can be quite time-consuming though, which is why you should look for a solution that automate the testing process. For example, an IT manager can preprogram the solution to run backup tests after a certain interval, then he’ll only have to check to see whether those backup tests were successful or not. Running tests regularly allows IT teams to confirm that their backup solution is functioning properly. It also helps them detect issues as soon as possible. This way, they can confidently count on their disaster recovery plan should something unexpected happen.
Scalability
A company’s backup disaster recovery needs may change as the company grows and expands. In a few months or years, a small company that’s fast growing may find that its current backup solution is no longer capable of meeting its requirements. That’s why choosing a properly-sized disaster recovery appliance that can scale up with the business is a smart move. This eliminates disruptions caused by the need to upgrade appliances or switch to other providers down the line, which then ensures that the company has a backup and disaster recovery plan in place at all times.
Support Capabilities
In case of an outage, the IT manager should be able to count on the services of their disaster recovery solutions provider for support. It’s a good idea to look for a provider that has earned glowing reviews from their clients due to the level of assistance they offer. This way, the company can get the adequate support when they need it the most.
Conclusion
IT managers and system administrators should keep this list in mind when they shop for a disaster recovery solutions provider. Doing so will simplify their search and help them quickly qualify providers that can offer their businesses the exact services and solutions they need.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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