Facts
Backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity
The difference between backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity:
A backup of your data is simply a copy of the data. While it may be possible to use the copy to recover your systems, this is not a certainty.
Having a disaster recovery capability means that you are able to rebuild your systems and that it is possible to use your backed-up data to help recover those systems. Regular tests would normally be executed to confirm this capability.
Having a business continuity capability means that you are able to keep your business running while you recover your systems and bring your business back-to-normal.
90% of businesses without a disaster recovery plan will fail after a disaster. A disaster recovery capability for your information technology systems is therefore fundamental for your business continuity.
Take the headache out of disaster recovery
Velvet Systems can help you create a disaster recovery capability that is cost-effective, reliable, simple, and quick to execute. Our Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) takes the headache completely out of disaster recovery by providing you with:
Disaster recovery assessment and recommendations using our proven consulting methodology.
Creation of a secure off-site backup capability for your mission critical systems and data either in the cloud, or in our own secure, private cloud facility.
Creation and testing of your disaster recovery processes.
We can also help with the creation and testing of your business continuity plans.
If you prefer a disaster recovery solution on your own premises, Velvet Systems can help you with:
Disaster recovery assessment and recommendations using our proven consulting methodology.
Implementation of new on-premises disaster recovery infrastructure using our proven project delivery methodology.
Upgrading your existing on-premises disaster recovery infrastructure
Creation and testing of disaster recovery processes
Creation and testing of business continuity plans
Business continuity planning
Your business continuity plan enables you to continue running your business (generating profits and maintaining shareholder value) during a disaster event.
Your business continuity plan would usually include:
A disaster management structure – a designated disaster management team and associated disaster management support processes and infrastructure.
A communication plan – to ensure your customers, suppliers and other stakeholders are kept aware of your response to the disaster.
An information technology disaster recovery plan – to allow you to bring your mission-critical systems and data back into service.
A services continuity plan – how your business will continue to provide goods and services to your customers initially and as you recover from the disaster. This would include process work-arounds and technology work-arounds, plus a human resources plan.
A return-to-normal plan – how your business will get from initial recovery fully back to normal.
Two pieces of information are required to inform your information technology disaster recovery plan:
- How long can you survive without your mission-critical data and systems? This is known as the Recovery Time Objective (“RTO”).
- What are the mission-critical systems that must brought back on-line, and how much data can be lost? This is known as the Recovery Point Objective (“RPO”).
RTO and RPO goals should balance cost against business need. For example, the statement “we can’t afford to lose any data” may lead to a prohibitively expensive and unnecessary disaster recovery solution.
Managed services
Velvet Systems specialises in managed service solutions for all your information technology needs.
Get in touch today
Velvet Systems brings years of experience in all aspects of information technology disaster recovery. One of our specialists would be pleased to discuss disaster recovery with you.
