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Catastrophes can't cripple companies that have a strong disaster plan.Douglas E. WelchInfoWorld, May 17, 1993 v15 n20 p47(1) COPYRIGHT InfoWorld Publishing Company 1993
If the last 12 months have not convinced companies of the necessity for disaster planning, then nothing will. Earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings, and blizzards have crippled businesses throughout the United States. Disaster planning might not be the most enjoyable item on the business agenda, but it certainly is the most pressing. A company without a disaster plan is abdicating its responsibilities to its customers and the market. No one likes to think about disasters, but if they happen, the companies that are ready will survive as the unprepared flounder. While there are many companies that specialize in disaster planning, hot sites, and off-site backups, there are procedures that any company can follow to provide a modicum of protection from the more obvious problems that might occur. All it takes is a little time, a little thought, and a little money. Many companies still have no system for off-site backup and archiving of their data even though it doesn't require great expense or large storage space. Companies that have several branch offices can develop a "round-robin" arrangement whereby tapes are archived at another branch. If one branch suffers a catastrophe, the others can continue working and provide the backups necessary to bring the damaged branch back on-line. This system works better if these offices are spread out geographically -- the more so the better. Branch offices can also be used as temporary "hot sites." You should provide procedures for moving equipment and staff to another office should the need arise. This will allow business to go on with the least possible interruption. If a company only has one location, it might be possible to work out arrangements with other companies in your area to provide reciprocal services. Trade off-site backup space and temporary hot-site provisions with another company in your area that is also looking to protect itself. Another important step is to develop plans for running a company without computers should the need arise. In this increasingly complex electronic world, there is a tendency to say, "The computer is down," and leave it at that. Companies need to develop paper systems that will allow them to continue doing business without the use of their computer systems. While it may be difficult doing business with pencil and paper, it could mean the difference between your company's survival and bankruptcy. If you have greater needs for computer disaster planning, there are many companies that are specifically designed to provide disaster services. Rates and services vary widely and require detailed investigation before signing a contract. Distributed computing also plays an important role in disaster planning. Having all your computer eggs in one basket might be fine from an operations standpoint, but as the EDS automated teller machine outage showed, it also allows a local disaster to have national and maybe even international effects. Each branch, department, or division should be designed so that it can operate autonomously for at least a short period of time. This requires planning and a system to automatically reconcile transactions that occur while a system is down. Distributed computing ensures that local disasters only affect local resources and not entire systems. Above all else, disaster planning must be integrated into all company planning. It should be an integral part of any system and not an afterthought at the end of a project. Only in this way will a truly useful disaster recovery procedure be developed. Otherwise it is too easy to ignore these concerns until a disaster occurs. The complex systems that companies are developing today are being relied on to a much greater degree than ever before. It is a company's responsibility to protect these systems and the trust that their customers have placed in them. "Peer to Peer" gives readers a forum for discussing computing and management issues. Send submissions to Rachel Parker, opinions editor (MCI Mail 340-4371). Submissions can also be faxed to (415) 358-1269.
Douglas E. Welch is a PC network support specialist with a Southern California entertainment company and a member of InfoWorld's Corporate Advisory Board.
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