Grow Your Business

Disaster recovery planning for computer systems is an area that many small businesses in the Philippines overlook despite the fact that the country is hit every year by at least 20 typhoons and any number of destructive floods, earthquakes, and landslides--not to mention volcanic eruptions. Disaster recovery planning is not a glamorous task, but in today's IT intensive business climate, it is a necessary part of a successful business strategy. In today's IT-intensive business environments, however, disaster recovery planning is imperative to a successful long-term business strategy.

 

In the event of a disaster that leads to substantial damage to computer hardware or to considerable loss of data, such planning can save a company precious time, money, and manpower--possibly even the business itself. This is because a good plan for independent system recovery would enable a company to quickly recover data, save and restore critical software, reestablish customized settings, and--even more important--get back to business much faster. For most small companies, in fact, the ability to deal with information systems failure during a disaster could spell the difference between simple disruption of the business and going out of business altogether.

 

The approach to effective disaster recovery planning is actually not a very complicated process. For small businesses, in fact, it can be done by taking the following five relatively simple steps:

 

1. Create plans for disaster recovery and business continuity. Small businesses need to put in place a systematic written plan for dealing with problems in the event of a disaster. The plan should include all important contact information and specific information to ensure recovery and business continuity as well as the specific procedures to implement in case of a major IT disruption. If these procedures are already in place, it is also important to keep them periodically updated. In addition, changes in the company's IT systems and infrastructure changes should be duly recorded and incorporated into the plan.

 

2. Install security software. Aside from those posed by natural disasters, other disruptions to IT systems can also happen due to everyday problems like hardware failure, application failure, and human error. In particular, threats in the computing environment such as computer viruses and spyware could shut down the company's information system. Hackers can wreak havoc on unprotected systems by taking outright control over them, by stealing valuable information, by taking down or immobilizing servers, or by shutting down e-commerce sites. To protect their information systems against these threats, businesses need to install highly reliable antivirus and antispyware as well as firewall and intrusion-prevention technologies. This should be done not only on their system perimeters but also on all of their computing machines, including desktops and laptops.

 

3. Implement independent system recovery solutions. Businesses need an independent system recovery solution to recover quickly from an IT disruption, whether caused by a natural disaster or by other threats in the system environment. It is best for such recovery solutions to be a disk-based, bare-metal Windows system that's independent of the hardware used, and they should be implemented on all of the company's desktops and servers. This way, the business can have its system up and running again within minutes after the disruption, with the added benefit of being able to temporarily restore the system into a virtual environment in the event that the system's hardware has been rendered unusable. The damaged hardware can then be replaced later without unduly disrupting the business.

 

 4. Test recovery solutions. As soon as a business puts a disaster recovery plan in place, it is important to have it properly tested so the employees would know what to expect in the event of a disaster. When testing its recovery solutions, the company should also be on the lookout for ways to improve its disaster recovery plan taking the following factors into account: (a) how long it would take to retrieve a server backup; (b) how to access data even if staff are unable to get to the office; and (c) where to access uncorrupted copies of software if the system is shut down by a computer bug. By judiciously testing and adjusting its recovery options, the company can assure itself of much faster recovery from a system disruption.

5. Educate employees. Having a disaster recovery and business continuity plan in place is a good start, but it is equally important for a company to properly inform employees on precisely what to do in the event of a disaster. A lot of cooperative effort is needed for a company to recover from disruptions to its normal business, so it is crucial to give employees a clear and systematic set of directions when disaster strikes.

 

With a well-thought-out disaster recovery and business continuity plan, companies need not unduly fear that a disaster could knock them out of business for long or for good.

Al Ramon dela Cruz is the country sales manager for the Philippines of Symantec Corporation, a global leader in infrastructure software. He is a veteran in the Philippine IT industry and has extensive industry experience in data security and availability.

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