IT disaster recovery (DR) planning, having effective disaster recovery plans
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and DR
testing are all crucial aspects to business continuity (BC). Most organizations recognize the
importance and significance of implementing well thought-out DR plans, but that doesn't mean
they're testing them regularly. According to a June
2010 Storage magazine DR survey, 66% of respondents regularly test their plan. Although
that number is up from previous years, it's not entirely impressive, because "59% on our current
survey said they test at least twice a year, but that's down considerably from the 70% reported in
2008." So why do people test less frequently or not at all? The survey concluded that costs and
staffing are the problem, "with 27% claiming they lack the staff to do DR and another 15% citing
lack of funds."
To help alleviate the problems that often arise with disaster recovery planning and disaster recovery testing, we've compiled our top 10 disaster recovery tips from 2010. Download our most popular disaster recovery plan templates, discover the importance of incident response plans, evaluate your DR program's maturity level, learn about the pros and cons of cloud disaster recovery, find out how to reduce your DR costs, and more.
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Top
five free disaster recovery plan templates
IT disaster recovery plans help organizations better respond to unplanned disasters. With a good DR
plan in place in your environment, you could prevent hardware or software failure, network outages
and most importantly, protect your staff. But putting together a disaster recovery plan can be
challenging. This tip is a compilation of the top five free disaster
recovery plan templates on SearchDisasterRecovery.com. Download these free templates to help
you put together a well-organized DR plan.
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The
importance of incident response plans in disaster recovery
Incident response plans in disaster recovery and business continuity help keep critical company
data safe and secure; they are detailed step-by-step plans that outline what to do during a
security breach, and they're mandatory in today's computing environments. But many enterprises
choose not to implement an incident response plan in their DR environment because they don't think
it's important to have one. Find out why it's important to have an incident
response plan in disaster recovery in this tip.
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Evaluating
your disaster recovery program's maturity level
Disaster recovery plans do a company no good unless they are regularly tested. Unfortunately, only
a small number of companies strive to improve their disaster recovery plans until they reach a
point where they can no longer mature. This tip provides a table that describes the level of
maturity in a disaster recovery process, as well as a list of areas where many DR plans need
improvement. Read the full tip on evaluating the maturity level of your disaster
recovery program.
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Ten
things that must be included in IT disaster recovery plans
This tip looks at 10 critical items for a successful IT disaster recovery plan. They include the
following: An accurate communication or call list, a detailed script, testing and retesting the DR
plan, familiarity with defined roles, a list of 24-hour supply resources, an application list, a
current network diagram of the network and recovery site, map and directions to the recovery site,
a vendor contact list and insurance information, and an up-to-date copy of the DR plan. Read more
about these 10 things that should be included in your IT
disaster recovery plan.
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Fire
suppression systems and your data center disaster recovery plan
Fire safety is an important aspect in any data center disaster recovery plan and it's important to
have the right type of fire suppression system for your data center. This tip explains the types of
fires you might encounter in your facility, the different types of fire suppression systems
available and how to choose the right one for your data center. Read the full tip on fire
suppression systems for your DR plan.
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Are
cloud disaster recovery services viable for the enterprise?
Cloud disaster recovery is proving to be another viable option for disaster recovery planning. But
is it right for your organization? This tip discusses private clouds and how they might be an
economical solution for disaster recovery and, in some cases, better than traditional solutions.
This tip also explores one organization's use of a private cloud for disaster recovery. Read the
full tip on cloud
disaster recovery .
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Achieving
cost-effective disaster recovery testing and planning: Nine areas where you can cut
costs
Cost is the biggest problem for many people wanting to implement an effective disaster recovery
plan in their organization. Instead of trying to make options more affordable, people often opt for
the cheapest solution available. Instead, you should follow these tips to have both an affordable
and effective disaster recovery plan. Read more about the nine areas where you can cut disaster
recovery costs.
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Disaster
recovery site requirements: Building your own DR site
Building your own disaster recovery site is an appealing option because it allows you to create a
site specific to your needs, control your own DR staff as well as not deal with a vendor. However,
constructing your own DR site is a big project to take on. Before you take on the task, consider
factors and costs such as heating and cooling, raised floors, dropped ceilings and location. Read
the full tip on disaster recovery site requirements and building your own disaster
recovery site.
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Selecting
a managed business continuity service provider
Managed business continuity services are a good option for many organizations; these services
perform business impact analyses (BIAs) and risk assessments, as well as develop, exercise and
maintain plans and training programs. This tip looks at the different types of managed business
continuity service providers, the most affordable options, and how to get the most out of your
provider. Read the full tip on selecting a managed
business continuity service.
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The
pros and cons of IT disaster recovery outsourcing
Disaster recovery outsourcing is a tempting option because of its ability to reduce DR costs.
However, outsourcing is not right for every organization. This tip discusses the factors you need
to consider before outsourcing your DR, different DR outsourcing options, and how to determine
whether or not it's right for you. Read more about these pros and cons of disaster
recovery outsourcing.
This was first published in December 2010