Mother Nature has been letting us know that she is in charge lately. With Hurricane Harvey’s recent destruction in Texas, we are reminded of how important it is to be prepared for a disaster. Today, Hurricane Irma is threatening Florida and we felt that now is the time for companies to be sure that they are prepared in the event of a disaster. As a result, we have created a guide with 25 steps to help ensure that you are prepared before a disaster strikes.
If you’re fortunate enough to not be in the path of Irma, now is a good time to verify that your disaster recovery plan is in good order. Mother Nature may not be a threat to your business today, but tornadoes, wild fires, and major snow storms can also wreak havoc on your availability. If you don’t have a plan, then how will you ever recover from a disaster? If you don’t test your plan, how do you know it will work?
Having high availability is by far the best way to protect your business and ensure that you can keep the business running in the event of a disaster. Companies often think that high availability is cost prohibitive, this isn’t the case anymore. iTech Solutions can offer high availability in our Tier III data center for a low monthly fee. This includes the software for replication.
You may think you have everything covered with your backups, but are you sure that you can recover from your existing backup tapes? When is the last time you did a full system save? If it’s been awhile you may be more exposed than you think. If you do a full system save regularly, you could still be exposed if your tapes are not stored offsite. If they are stored offsite, do you know how to get them in the event of a disaster?
In the event that you don’t have high availability and can’t just do a role swap and keep the business running, we have created a guide with 25 tips to help you to be prepared in the event of a disaster. Here are a few of the topics we discuss:
- Have a decision matrix
- Access to tapes
- Contact lists
- Encryption
- Alternative method for employees to charge their cell phones
You can read all of our tips in our Will your IBM i Be Ready When Disaster Strikes white paper. We want to help you be prepared before a disaster strikes, so you don’t have to worry about your IBM i when Mother Nature decides it’s time for a storm. We want you to be able to focus on what is most important during these times, your family and your own safety. We hope all of our customers in Florida fair well from the storm and we’re thinking of those who have been affected by Harvey.
If you need help to ensure that you are ready before disaster strikes contact iTech Solutions at sales@itechsol.com. We’re happy to help you develop a disaster recovery plan that works for your company.