Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• DIY disaster recovery cost vs. cloud disaster recovery

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey compares in-house, DIY disaster recovery cost to a cloud DR service.  Continue Reading

• How the benefits of server virtualization, mobility impact cloud DR

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses how the benefits of server virtualization and mobility impact cloud-based disaster recovery.  Continue Reading

• Is social media a blessing or curse for DR communication?

  In this Expert Answer, Paul Kirvan discusses why a social media policy for DR communication is an important part of a disaster recovery plan.  Continue Reading

• Five things you must do before a hurricane to protect your business

  Paul Kirvan lists five disaster-preparedness things you must do in the days leading up to a hurricane to protect your business.  Continue Reading

• How to compare in-house DR costs to cloud disaster recovery services

  Paul Kirvan discusses how to evaluate the costs of performing disaster recovery in-house vs. using cloud disaster recovery services.  Continue Reading

• Why the change management process is important for DR

  Paul Kirvan discusses the importance of the change management process for disaster recovery in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Include the VoIP system in your disaster recovery planning process

  Independent disaster recovery planning expert Paul Kirvan discusses why your VoIP system must be part of the disaster recovery planning process.  Continue Reading

• Your disaster recovery planning process must include your phone system

  Independent disaster recovery planning expert Paul Kirvan discusses why your disaster recovery planning process must include your phone system.  Continue Reading

• Conducting a tabletop exercise for disaster recovery testing

  Paul Kirvan discusses whether a tabletop exercise is sufficient for disaster recovery testing and issues that tabletop exercises should address.  Continue Reading

• Call center disaster recovery testing best practices

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan offers some best practices for call center disaster recovery testing in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Call center disaster recovery planning best practices

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan offers some best practices for call center disaster recovery planning in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Costs associated with various types of emergency notification systems

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses costs associated with in-house and outsourced emergency management systems.  Continue Reading

• Fire suppression system inspection and testing best practices

  Independent disaster recovery consultant Paul Kirvan discusses fire sprinkler system inspection and testing best practices in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Addressing common mistakes in network DR strategies

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan offers advice on addressing common mistakes in network DR strategies in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• What organizations can do to prevent internal network attacks

  Insider threats are a likely occurrence. Paul Kirvan discusses what organizations can do to prevent internal network attacks in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Is user authentication necessary to include in DR plans?

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses user authentication in disaster recovery plans in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Mitigating VoIP vulnerability

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan outlines common VoIP vulnerabilities and offers advice on how to mitigate them in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• How does information lifecycle management relate to disaster recovery?

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses information lifecycle management (ILM) in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Common disaster recovery test mistakes to avoid

  Here's a checklist to have close by during your next disaster recovery testing operation from independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• The importance of risk analysis issues prioritization

  Paul Kirvan discusses the five most important issues to consider when conducting a risk analysis in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Assessing the business impact analysis software landscape

  The business impact analysis is a key research component of a BC/DR initiative. Specialized software can simplify these time-consuming activities.  Continue Reading

• Does a cloud storage gateway offer DR-specific functionality?

  Paul Kirvan discusses whether cloud storage gateways offer disaster recovery-specific functionality in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Hot site disaster recovery testing

  Jon Toigo of Toigo Partners International discusses specific considerations for hot-site disaster recovery testing in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery test frequency

  Independent disaster recovery expert Jon Toigo discusses how frequently disaster recovery testing should occur in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Break mirrors as part of the disaster recovery testing process

  Independent DR expert Jon Toigo discusses the importance of breaking your mirroring scheme as a part of your disaster recovery testing process.  Continue Reading

• Today's biggest DR testing mistakes (and how to avoid them)

  Get all those cooks out of your kitchen. One of many DR testing mistakes is that too many people take part in the test and waste precious time.  Continue Reading

• Planning and performing linear disaster recovery tests

  In this Expert Answer, Jon Toigo offers insight on how disaster recovery tests can be simplified and made more effective.  Continue Reading

• Formal disaster recovery tests can skew the test outcomes

  In this Expert Answer, Jon Toigo offers insight on disaster recovery tests and suggestions for how the process can be improved.  Continue Reading

• The importance of a disaster recovery test

  Jon Toigo discusses the importance of a disaster recovery test for DR planning and change management in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• How is cloud replication performed?

  Independent storage expert Greg Schulz discusses how to perform replication when using cloud storage as a target.  Continue Reading

• Using replication for remote site backup

  Independent storage expert Greg Schulz offers insight on how replication is used for remote site backup in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Using remote data replication, CDP for disaster recovery

  Independent storage expert Greg Schulz discusses how CDP, snapshot and remote data replication are used for disaster recovery.  Continue Reading

• Diesel vs. natural gas generator for data center disaster readiness

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan offers insight on choosing between a diesel and natural gas generator for disaster readiness.  Continue Reading

• Seven often overlooked colocation costs

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses seven colocation costs that are often overlooked during DR planning.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery training and staffing strategies

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses staffing and training strategies for disaster recovery in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Incident management systems vs. emergency notification systems

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan compares incident management systems and emergency notification systems in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery checklist for new building owners

  Independent DR expert Paul Kirvan offers a disaster recovery checklist for new building owners in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Protect your business infrastructure against lightning

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses steps you can take to protect your business infrastructure against lightning strikes.  Continue Reading

• DR/BC planning for an older building

  Independent DR expert Paul Kirvan discusses specific considerations for disaster recovery and business continuity planning in an older facility.  Continue Reading

• Costs associated with mobile recovery services for disaster recovery

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses the costs associated with mobile recovery services in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• How bidirectional replication can be used as part of a DR scheme

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses bidirectional replication in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Continuity of operations vs. business continuity

  Paul Kirvan discusses the similarities and differences between continuity of operations planning and business continuity planning.  Continue Reading

• Comparing enterprise resilience and disaster recovery

  Paul Kirvan discusses enterprise resilience and how it compares with and relates to disaster recovery in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Addressing workplace violence in the DR process

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan offers advice about how to address workplace violence in a DR process in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Account for BYOD in your disaster recovery policy

  Organizations should account for BYOD in their disaster recovery policy to protect work-related data.  Continue Reading

• Incorporating social media into DR communications plans

  Paul Kirvan explains how organizations can include social media in their DR communications plans.  Continue Reading

• The biggest roadblocks to DR in the cloud

  Paul Kirvan, an independent DR consultant, discusses the variety of roadblocks organizations encounter when considering DR in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Evaluating emergency power supply options

  Independent disaster recovery consultant Paul Kirvan discusses what you should consider when evaluating emergency power supply options.  Continue Reading

• WAN acceleration comparison on a budget

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan looks at how to make WAN acceleration comparison within a budget in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Lync 2013 offers new DR features

  Independent disaster recovery expert Paul Kirvan discusses disaster recovery upgrades in Microsoft Lync 2013.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-V Replica feature facilitates virtual machine recovery

  Storage expert Brien Posey explains Hyper-V Replica, a new disaster recovery feature that works to ease the recovery of virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• How FCD 1, 2 help organizations conduct a business impact assessment

  With some limitations, Federal Continuity Directives 1 and 2 can be used to help conduct a business impact assessment.  Continue Reading

• Identifying business impact assessment errors

  Find out what business impact assessment errors you can most easily identify in this Expert Response from Pierre Dorion.  Continue Reading

• Business impact analysis tools available to help companies

  Pierre Dorion highlights some of the business impact analysis tools available to help companies in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Defending against a supply chain disruption

  In this Expert Response, Pierre Dorion highlights some of the issues involved in protecting an organization from a supply chain disruption.  Continue Reading

• Debating quantitative impact vs. qualitative impact

  Pierre Dorion explains how to weigh a short-term financial risk against a damaged reputation in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Top five business impact assessment considerations

  Pierre Dorion lists the top five things to consider when conducting a business impact assessment.  Continue Reading

• How the risk analysis process and conducting a BIA differ

  The BIA is related but different from the risk analysis process. Pierre Dorion discusses what each should accomplish in this expert answer.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing DR to hot and cold site providers

  Learn when it is inappropriate to outsource DR to a hot or cold site provider in this Expert Response by Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Consider failover and failback when choosing a hot-site provider

  Learn about the importance of failover and failback, along with high-speed data mirroring, in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Comparing the costs of hot sites and cold sites

  Learn the differences in cost between hot sites and cold sites in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Incident response plans are an important part of your DR plan

  Find out why incident response plans are a key element of your disaster recovery plan in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Essential disaster recovery (DR) program activities

  Find out what must be part of a well-organized disaster recovery (DR) program in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Why you should exercise disaster recovery procedures

  Find out why all disaster recovery procedures must be exercised to ensure they work as intended in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• How to address employee relocation in a DR plan

  Find out what your DR plans must identify if your organization is faced with employee relocation in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• What must happen before activating a DR plan

  Find out what must happen before a DR plan is activated in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Build the right DR program by defining roles, responsibilities

  When launching a disaster recovery (DR) program, you need both planning and technical experts on the team, says Paul Kirvan in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Identify DR strategy before completing a DR plan

  Without a disaster recovery (DR) strategy, you will have a difficult time completing a DR plan, says Paul Kirvan in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Why choosing a data protection solution is critical

  Find out why choosing a data protection solution is so important in this Expert Response from Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• Risk assessments identify external and internal risks

  A risk assessment must identify external and internal risks and threats to your organization. Paul Kirvan discusses this important issue in his Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Why you need a business impact analysis questionnaire

  Paul Kirvan discusses the importance of using a business impact analysis questionnaire in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Securing senior management approval for a business continuity program

  Paul Kirvan discusses how to secure senior management approval and funding for a business continuity program in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Initiating a disaster recovery program

  Paul Kirvan, president of Paul Kirvan Associates, discusses how to initiate a disaster recovery program in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• How does server virtualization affect the way you do disaster recovery?

  Learn about the impact of virtualization on your disaster recovery strategy in this expert answer.  Continue Reading

• Business impact analysis tools and what should be in your BIA

  Learn about the pros and cons of business impact analysis tools and what should be in your BIA.  Continue Reading

• Justifying the cost of virtual disaster recovery

  Paul Kirvan answers a reader's question about how to justify the cost of using virtual disaster recovery in this ask the expert answer.  Continue Reading

• Maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPOD) vs. RTO and RPO

  Learn what maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPOD) means for disaster recovery planners vs. the terms RTO and RPO.  Continue Reading

• Presenting your business impact analysis methodology to your company

  Learn how to present your business impact analysis methodology to your organization in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Cloud data backup is not cloud disaster recovery

  Biff Myre discusses the limitations of cloud disaster recovery, and outlines a more effective use case for cloud storage.  Continue Reading

• Hardware replication vs. software-based data replication tools

  Keith Erwood outlines the benefits and drawbacks of software-based replication and hardware-based replication in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What should be included in a VoIP disaster recovery plan?

  Keith Erwood outlines what you need to consider when putting together a VoIP disaster recovery plan and details the pros and cons of managed VoIP and in-house VoIP from a disaster recovery standpoint.  Continue Reading

• What is a disaster recovery appliance and how does it differ from a disk backup product?

  Harvey Betan outlines the similarities and differences between disaster recovery appliances and disk backup in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Pandemic flu planning lessons learned from H1N1

  Pandemic flu planning lessons learned from last year's H1N1 scare are discussed, and a pandemic planning checklist is provided in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Business impact analysis software: the pros and cons

  Learn what you need to consider before choosing a business impact analysis (BIA) software product.  Continue Reading

• Is cloud disaster recovery appropriate for SMBs?

  Learn when and how cloud disaster recovery fits into the data protection strategy for small to midsized businesses in this expert response from Greg Schulz, founder and analyst with StorageIO Group.  Continue Reading

• What is a bare-metal recovery, and what bare-metal recovery products are available?

  Learn about what a bare-metal recovery is, how it relates to disaster recovery and what bare-metal recovery products are available.  Continue Reading

• How can ITIL help with my change control management process?

  Learn how ITIL can help with your change control management process in this expert response by Paul Kirvan.  Continue Reading

• How should I implement a disaster recovery process in my SDLC approach?

  Paul Kirvan describes what steps you should take when implementing disaster recovery process in your SDLC approach in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What change management tools are available to help manage my change control process?

  Harvey Betan lists some common change management tools available as well as provides a template for recording changes in your IT environment in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What is a change control process and how does it relate to disaster recovery?

  Harvey Betan describes the purpose of a change control process and how it relates to disaster recovery in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What is a business impact analysis questionnaire and what types of questions should be included?

  Harvey Betan explains that a BIA questionnaire is used to gather valuable and important data about a company, the industry and other background information in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Why is remote data replication important for disaster recovery scenarios?

  Harvey Betan discusses why remote data replication is important for disaster recovery in this ATE.  Continue Reading

• How can mobile phones and mobile devices aid in disaster recovery efforts?

  Mobile phones can be helpful in DR and BC efforts with cameras, emails and internet access.  Continue Reading

• What is an IT risk assessment?

  Harvey Betan explains the steps you need to take in order to perform an accurate risk assessment in your DR environment.  Continue Reading

• How do IT disaster recovery plans for an earthquake disaster differ from preparing for other disaste

  Steven Ross explains how DR planning for earthquakes differs from preparing for other disasters in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the use cases for a VoIP telephone system vs. regular telephone services?

  Harvey Betan discusses the most common use cases for VoIP systems and the strengths and weaknesses of VoIP in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the best approaches for quick data restoration?

  Kevin Beaver explains the best approaches for quick data restoration in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of a VoIP product? Is it advisable for SMBs to invest in these?

  Greg Schulz explains the benefits of VoIP products and whether or not SMBs should invest in them.  Continue Reading

• What are some good disaster recovery strategies for email?

  Harvey Betan explains different disaster recovery strategies for email in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the main reasons a disaster recovery plan would fail?

  Harvey Betan explains that disaster recovery plans should not fail if constructed and executed properly in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading