Infographic: Business Downtime and Disaster Recovery
The Internet is the largest store of information ever created, and those who can harness its power stand to reap tremendous rewards. However, handling data is also a significant responsibility, and disasters can cause severe problems. Here are a few facts about downtime and how to recover from disasters.
Causes of Downtime
The most common cause of downtime is UPS battery failure, which is attributable to power failures. Many of these failures begin at the power plant, but some can be created by faulty wiring. Errors are a close second for causing downtime, and cyber attacks and equipment failure trail after them. Most causes of downtime are preventable through better security and better power management.
Effects of Downtime
Downtime has a clear effect on businesses that operate online. Customers cannot place orders when websites are down, and clients cannot rely on services hosted by offline servers. The long-term effects can be even more damaging. Customers may choose to make their purchases elsewhere, and clients may move to a different provider who promises better reliability.
How to Implement a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
The most effective way to deal with disasters is to use servers provided by experts. One option is to purchase a hosted dedicated server that is rated to handle problems gracefully and effectively. Those who choose to host their own servers will want to ensure that data is kept safe through RAID arrays and periodic backups. It is important to ensure that backups are also stored in a remote location where they will not be destroyed by local disasters.
Businesses will also need to ensure that everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes. UPS batteries provide a limited amount of time to respond, but they are worthless if employees don’t know what to do. Automation can help, but there are certain tasks and decisions people will have to make.
Data is the lifeblood of online businesses, and high uptime ratings are essential for keeping customers and clients happy. However, many companies still fail to plan for disasters effectively, and many have been bitten by small mistakes that led to disastrous results. Fortunately, there are a number of options available for handling disasters effectively and preventing greater harm.
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