Disaster Recovery
Introduction
A Disaster Recovery Plan is a recovery process that covers critical data, hardware and software so that a business can begin operations again in the event of a natural or human-caused disaster. This should also include projects to deal with the unexpected or sudden loss of key personnel, although this is not covered in this article, the purpose is data protection.
The Disaster Recovery Plan can be considered as one of the subplans within the IT Contingency Plan.
Business
With the growth of information technology and trust in critical data, the landscape has changed in recent years in favor of protecting irreplaceable data. This is especially evident in information technology; with larger computer systems that hold digital information to limit data loss and aid data recovery.
It is believed that some companies spend up to 25% of their budget on disaster recovery projects, however, this is done to avoid larger losses. Of the companies that had a major loss of automated records, 43% never reopen, 51% close in less than two years, and only 6% will survive the long term.[1].
The existing data protection market is characterized by several factors:
• - The permanent change in customer needs determined by data growth, regulatory issues and the increasing importance of having quick access to data while keeping it online.
• - Back up data from time to time having backup conventional tape technologies.
As the disaster recovery market continues to undergo significant structural changes, this shift presents opportunities for next-generation companies to specialize in business continuity planning and off-site data protection.
Reasons to resort to a DRP
There are different risks that can negatively impact the normal operations of an organization. A risk assessment should be carried out to see what constitutes the disaster and what risks a specific business is susceptible to, including:
• - Catastrophes.
• - Fire.
• - Failures in the electrical supply.
• - Terrorist attacks.
• - Organized or deliberate interruptions.
• - System and/or equipment failures.