Predictions Say Winter Will Be Long and Cold, We Say Check Your Backup and Disaster Recovery Preparedness

Winter weather is no stranger to us Bay Staters. Unfortunately, predictions shared in both the Old Farmer’s Almanac and its rivaling Farmer’s Almanac put this year’s winter as significantly colder this year, and with snow falling more often.

So, we have to ask: is your business’ technology prepared for these kinds of weather conditions?

Let’s discuss what our fellow businesses in what the Old Farmer’s Almanac calls the Atlantic Corridor region should do now to prepare.

It’s No Secret that Bad Weather Often Causes Business Interruptions…

…and we aren’t just talking about hurricanes and tsunamis. Heck, here in Lakeville we have an earthquake index that is higher than average in Massachusetts (and above average for the rest of the US as well). Hail, floods, strong winds, and (speaking of winter) blizzards can all impact how much a business is able to accomplish. You can also experience data loss and downtime from user error, infrastructure failures, cyberattacks, ransomware, and hardware problems.

So, What Can a Business Do to Minimize These Interruptions and their Severity?

The answer: comprehensive business continuity planning.

What Goes Into Comprehensive Business Continuity Planning?

Quite a bit, actually. Let’s break it down into some of the major parts, and what each part requires you to do. Keep in mind that this is a generalized, and therefore not comprehensive, list. Your unique situation will dictate how to approach some of the minor points.

Maintain a Reliable and Trustworthy Backup

What do we mean by reliable and trustworthy?

Well, let me ask you this…when was the last time you tested your backup, attempting to run your business off of the data it contains? What comes to mind when we even say “backup?” Do you think of a duplicate folder on your network, where your employees are instructed to save a copy of the day’s work (although whether or not they do so is a different story)? Hint: that’s not a backup.

Or, when you hear the word “backup,” do you think of an automated process that fires off every 15 minutes that saves a copy of your files (along with a few past versions of your backup) in multiple locations, some of which being offsite and ideally in the cloud?

Hopefully, your first impression is more similar to the second scenario, which provides FAR better protection for your data while also allowing your team to remotely access the data they need to maintain some level of productivity.

This is what we mean when we discuss your backups, particularly when in reference to your disaster recovery strategy.

Your data backup solution needs to be built for businesses. Consumer-based backup devices work great in their intended environment, but they don’t serve a business very well. Your business backup solution should be able to automatically back up data including your open files, email inboxes, databases, and application data across your servers. It should then take that backup and securely store it offsite so a disaster that takes down your server room doesn’t touch your backup.

On top of all of this, restoration is an important factor. Our backup solution lets us restore your servers onto new hardware very easily, and usually within a few hours. Lesser backup solutions require you to build the new server, configure it, install everything, and THEN migrate the data. This adds precious additional hours or even days to the restoration process. Better yet, our solution can temporarily perform as your downed server, so you can theoretically be back up and running within minutes depending on the scope of the disaster.

Develop and Practice a Strategic Disaster Recovery Plan

Let’s say that, hypothetically speaking, your office was to catch fire. What would you do?

Hopefully, you and your team would evacuate…but what then? Could you quickly bounce back and resume operations in a matter of hours or even days?

The purpose of the disaster recovery plan is to take account of the many different disasters that could potentially befall your business and lay out a plan to get back in business as efficiently as possible. Naturally, this is a complicated process to undergo, so don’t hesitate to turn to us for assistance.

Also, notice that we said practice. Your disaster recovery plan will do you no good if your team doesn’t know what to do. Much like schools practice fire drills, you should occasionally simulate a disaster event to identify any areas where your plan or its implementation falls short.

An Example of Business Continuity in Action

So, let’s say that—as the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts—temperatures plunge in late January and one of the largest snowstorms in memory strikes. While the storm rages, it simply isn’t safe for your team to commute with the powdery mess hampering their visibility…and on top of all that, the office has lost power.

Fortunately, your business continuity plan has prepared you and your team for this eventuality. You’ve already enabled your team to remotely access the software and data they need via the cloud, so they are able to continue working in the safety of their homes—ideally, wrapped in blankets and sipping a warm beverage as they do so.

Your continuity plan needs to include contact information, a chain of command, and processes that will be taken in the event of a disaster. Communication is critical in any crisis, so including channels to communicate with staff, vendors, partners, and customers are all going to be important to plan out ahead of time.

At the End of the Day, You Need to Protect Your Greatest Asset: Your Team

With an apparently unpleasant winter on the horizon, it is important that maintaining your business operations doesn’t inherently involve putting your employees’ health and safety at risk. Proactively creating a backup and disaster recovery plan and incorporating it into your overall business continuity strategy is the best way to balance these two needs out.

We’re Here to Help

For assistance with preparing your business from disasters of all shapes and sizes, give us a call. The talented and experienced team at Datalyst can be reached at (774) 213-9701.