Take Business Continuity to the Cloud
Modern IT departments are under constant pressure to implement new technologies that enable the business while simultaneously keeping critical data, applications and processes secure and the network running 24 x 7.
It’s no wonder, then, that planning for business continuity and disaster recovery often takes a back seat to the day-to-day challenges of managing IT for an enterprise. But failure to prepare adequately for technological or natural disasters that disrupt the business could lead to financial disaster.
Enterprise IT professionals need to develop a strategy and detailed plan for business continuity in the face of a disruptive event. Experienced disaster recovery service vendors can help IT pros assess the vulnerability of an enterprise’s operations, data, physical space, and assets. They also can recommend the right tools—the backup servers, software, and even physical locations—for an enterprise’s specific disaster recovery needs.
An emerging viable tool for disaster recovery is the cloud. Because cloud computing relies heavily on hardware-independent virtualization technology, it enables enterprises to quickly back up data, applications, and even operating systems to a remote data center (or cloud). Faster uploads and downloads of important computing elements naturally translate into faster recovery times for the business.
Using the cloud for disaster recovery and business continuity hinges on the design of an enterprise’s IT architecture. This is another area where a knowledgeable disaster recovery services vendor can prove invaluable.
The most effective design will automate as many processes as possible in the event of disaster, ensuring that computing resources are switched over quickly to a stable backup and remain operational.
Whether enterprises pursue cloud-based business continuity and disaster recovery plans or opt for an on-premise solution, it makes sense to work with a disaster recovery and continuity services provider that has the experience to conduct an accurate initial vulnerability assessment and formulate policies and plans that include selecting the DR technologies most appropriate for an organization’s IT environment, needs and budget.
As the cloud matures and continues to provide cost-efficient and scalable methods of computing for infrastructure, applications, and data, it’s likely to become an increasingly popular option for enterprise disaster recovery.
Thanks to Kurt Hidebrand for contributing this article. He blogs about business continuity and data recovery at cio.com.
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