Information technology (IT) has become an integral part of business functions and can cause significant financial losses in the event of a disaster. Encompassing systems, applications and data, it is essential to have a disaster recovery plan for your IT so you can get your business up and running quickly if you do suffer a loss.
There are four main components to an IT system: connectivity, hardware, software and data. Since all of these components are required to run your system, they should all be part of a recovery strategy to restore your business functions. The more your business relies on IT to operate, the more critical a recovery strategy becomes to lessen the impact of a loss of any portion of your system.
The first step in establishing a recovery plan for your business is to take a complete inventory of your hardware, software and data that is required to operate your business. Ensure that you identify each software application and the hardware required for the critical operation requirements of your business. This will make it easier and much faster to replace any necessary components of your system. You should store any original software discs off site for quick restoration if needed and document any online applications and the instructions for retrieving them. Once you have your complete inventory, prioritize the needs so you know which steps must be taken first.
Remote backup is an integral part of a disaster recovery plan. If your data is safely stored in the cloud, once your hardware and systems have been restored your data can be restored quickly and easily. If you have access to a laptop that has the necessary programs to operate your business, you can easily restore your data to that and experience very little downtime at all.
Although you can perform an inventory and prepare a disaster recovery plan for your business, it is highly recommended that you seek the guidance of an IT professional. With their experience and knowledge you can be secure in the plan designed for your business and they will be able to help you restore your systems efficiently in the event of a loss due to disaster.
Revolution Networks are experts in IT solutions and disaster recovery plans. Contact us today to learn how we can help you develop a customized recovery plan designed for zero data loss and full system restoration.
