Developing a Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan: Thinking Ahead
The main intent of developing a data center disaster recovery plan is to respond to an immediate problem, such as a disaster that threatens data center operations. This is as it should be since the enterprise expects critical business functions to be operational quickly.
Thinking ahead when developing your data center DRP is also a very good idea. Not only will it save time later on but it can be done when time is available and stress levels are low.
Just what might you consider when “thinking ahead”?
- Facility Restoration – Identify several vendors in the local area that can respond to either a cleanup and/or facility rebuild.
- Data Reconstruction – Identify several vendors that can reclaim and/or reconstruct data from damaged media. Wet tapes can be salvaged but it must be done carefully using the proper process.
- Temporary space – Identify several sources for temporary work space. Check out local real estate firms who are often aware of what is available at almost any point in time. Beyond that, mobile trailers can be contracted for at a fairly low cost. Both options work.
- Temporary Technical Staff – Identify sources for temporary help in the event that some of the current staff is not available. Requirements may be very technical, such as system administration or maintenance, or relatively straightforward, such as report deliveries.
These four are examples of thinking ahead. There are many more. Add the contacts to the current DR plan document, usually in the vendor contact list. The point is that it is far easier to do this ahead of time than to try and figure it out while responding to a real disaster situation.
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A sound Disaster Recovery Plan is essential for any data center. Jan Persson is the author of the GO.RECOVER-Data Center Template – a powerful yet easy-to-use tool for under $100.
