Business continuity and disaster recovery...

[odeniyi]

Given recent terrorist activity the issue of business continuity and disaster recovery has resurfaced in strength.

However, many SMEs feel too small or incapable of taking appropriate steps to protect themselves, their businesses and their clients.

We have been focusing on this area in our blog.
http://newprospect.blogspot.com/

You can take some simple steps to ensure some level of business operation is possible. At the very least take a blank piece of paper and write the heading:-

"The 5 most critical aspects to running my business".

For example:-

1)Incoming calls
2)Access to email
3)Contact data base & appointments
4)Office access
5)Critical company & customer documents

Then write another heading " what I would do if anything happened to the above"

What would you do in each of the above cases?

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

It's never too late to put in place a simple plan....

I'm not superstitious but you have been notified.......

I'd also be interested to see if any members here do have a business continuity plan?

[webit]

Very much so.

All data is backed up to a second hard drive and second machine.

Also weekly off site backups and remote daily FTP backups.

We have control of the DNS so we could swithc and be up and running in a matter of hours.

[Rob Holmes]

Yep as much as we could be.

Phones, extra pc's, backups (off site), even got details with people in the event of my death - what they should do etc etc.

Rob

[odeniyi]

Impressed with webit and matrixx.

I'm sure you have also tested your plans? (obviously not the event of death bit :)

As circumstances change, companies ought to test their plans around 4 times per year.

Accommodation to you both.

[webit]

My bigest worry is what would happen if our hosts dissappeared overnight. Not lightly to happen but I like to be in control.

I think everyone should think like this (I have been involved in DR planning with many Blue Chips over the years).

What would happen if your webhost went bankrupt and they switched off your service overnight.

Would you be able to switch DNS, recreate your sites and create/populate your supporting databases.

[odeniyi]

I think we need to talk webit.

I've realised there are many aspects to DR planning and am building a list of associates to be able to provide a complete solution.

The idea is we spearhead with a risk management / benchmarking activity (standard questionnaire, interviews, consultancy etc) and then offer packaged or "menu" type solutions to mitigate risks.

Clients can then alleviate whichever aspects of their business they are most concerned about.

[daveashton]

We have one but then we have been lucky.

Before I went into sales development to help people like you I worked in IT sales and for a company called Altor which was bought by www.icm-computer.co.uk . These people have won the award for the top supplier for this service for the last 3 years.

So as I said lucky

[Alpha]

In one of my previous incarnations as a systems manager I was part of a group steering committee responsible for (amongst other things) the group disaster recovery policy and implementation. (t
The group contained such household names as Rawlplug, Policell, Crown paints, Berger - Magicote, Swish and many others so a not insubstantial group.

[odeniyi]

Daveashton, good you have been lucky to be involved in this area before.

We've realised a total business continuity plan also encompasses non IT factors too.

I know one can almost go too far, but methinks it's good to consider the most important aspects and decide if one wants to cover them or not.

Good thing about working with associates is we get choices and a wide range of possible remedies.