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 Introducing PTWin32 |
In
light of recent events it seems sensible to review some common disaster recovery
procedures. Making preparations now for potential future disasters can make all
the difference when you are suddenly faced with the improbable. While
it seems there has been an increase in the human threat potential in recent
years, we believe the majority of catastrophes will still be the result of
natural disasters. Either way the recovery procedures remain the same. This
article focuses only on those aspects of disaster recovery that may be helpful
to PTWin32 users. Your jurisdiction will likely have existing recovery plans
that address other aspects of salvage and restoration. The
initial questions to address are those associated with your existing work site: Are
there fire suppression systems installed in your office? If so, does the method
of suppression damage your electronic equipment? Have
alarm systems been installed in your office? What type are they and how much
warning do they provide? Have
the power systems been conditioned to provide steady current in the event of a
surge or dropout? Is there a backup power supply? How much time before the
backup power supply runs down? Many
government buildings have designated bomb shelters with generators that can
provide power in your time of need. Find out what it would take for you to
receive some of this power in the event of a disaster. If
possible, arrange for an alternate work site. Consider the other sites at your
disposal from school buildings to processing plants. If you don’t have a
readily available alternate site you should consider sharing the cost of a
facility with other jurisdictions in your region. It
should not be hard to ensure a transfer of your operation to an alternate site
with a minimum of effort. If the alternate site has its own computers and other
hardware then all you will need is your data, your applications, and your
people. Let’s take these one at a time: You
should already be backing up your data on a regular basis. If not, you should
institute backup procedures immediately. Make
multiple backups and make sure there is a backup stored in another location that
is not at your work site. This off-site backup can be carried by hand or
transmitted automatically to the off-site location. And don’t forget to test
your backups from time to time to make sure the procedure is working properly. In
the case of PTWin32 you are permitted to make a copy of your master disk for
application recovery purposes. You
should also keep certain critical information at the alternate site like your
contact information and a Backup Position Listing, which designates the
secondary staff members who execute the duties of absent staff members. Establishing
a Disaster Coordinator and having some idea of your business interruption
costs are also desirable but the primary issue associated with how successful
your recovery effort will be is your diligence. Keeping
your application and data backups up to date is a continuous task that requires
constant maintenance. Most people
are willing to let backups slide when things get hectic. Disasters seem so
infrequent and unlikely that preparing for them ends up way down on the list.
This is a dangerous gamble.
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