Bad backups can ruin more than just your movie
June 28, 2012 by Caleb Tennis · Leave a Comment
We all know that backups are important. But beyond just having backups, having a comprehensive validation and restoration strategy is paramount as well.
Case in point, Toy Story 2, which was accidentally deleted through an errant command by an administrator. But beyond that, the admins found that the backups were bad. Think about that for a second – they go to their backups, and find out they’re worthless. Nobody thought to check that stuff ahead of time. Only when they really needed them did they realize they weren’t going to work.
Luckily, someone had archived a backup copy on a computer at home, which ultimately kept the movie from going away forever. But the story is clear, the Popeil method of “set it and forget it” related to computer data backups isn’t sufficient.
Periodic restoration and checking of backups is essential to make sure you know you’ll have what you need when you need it.
Learn more about Disaster Recovery and Offsite Backup to make sure you are prepared. Check out our whitepaper with Tips for IT Disaster Recovery Planning.
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Data Cave is a privately owned and operated fully redundant Midwest data center located in Columbus, Indiana convenient to Indianapolis, Louisville and Cincinnati. Please contact us for more information at 866-514-2283.
Disaster Recovery Planning Can Save Your Business
March 23, 2012 by Kara Manon · Leave a Comment
Today’s businesses rely on electronic data, from simple customer information to complex server and network connectivity needs, and are one power surge away from serious data loss.
Even small to mid-sized businesses are vulnerable to an IT disaster – whether caused by a simple gas leak, an extended power outage, a hacker or virus attacking a server, or serious natural disasters such as devastating tornadoes, floods, ice storms and fires. Any one of these events can destroy an organization’s data, their software applications and connection to the internet – leading to complete server loss or worse.
An IT disaster can cripple your business and most businesses aren’t prepared to respond. A study by the Info-Tech Research Group, found that nearly 60 percent of small to mid-sized North American businesses lack an IT disaster recovery plan. A disaster recovery center such as Data Cave can provide you services that will protect your data and make recovery quicker and more efficient. Midwest data centers can be particularly appealing to businesses looking for a disaster recovery center. Since Data Cave is located in rural Indiana, land, power and operating costs are substantially less than data centers located on the east and west coast. This allows us to pass on savings to customers.
An extended period of downtime can cost you big time — in lost revenues, lost credibility and ultimately, lost clients.
At Data Cave, we’ve just published a whitepaper entitled, “Top Ten Tips for IT Disaster Recovery Planning.” Check it out and learn the steps you need to take to protect your IT assets.
When the levee breaks – no Zeppelin about it
November 7, 2011 by Kara Manon · Leave a Comment
Recently, Southwest Dubois County School Corporation in Southeast Indiana ran into some problems when a water pipe was cut during construction at Southridge High School. The pipe was quickly capped. But as they later learned, when water rushed onto the school’s computer servers, the pipe had been capped improperly. The estimated damage of $500,000 was covered by insurance. Equipment is replaceable and sometimes salvageable but that doesn’t cover data that could be lost from such an incident.
Things like this do happen and we all need to be prepared. Whether or not you have offsite backup or disaster recovery, you should make sure your servers aren’t near ongoing construction, overhead water pipes or windows. The equipment should not be in a basement or first floor, if possible. This reduces the chances of water damage from flooding. This won’t help you if a pipe bursts on a higher floor like at Abilene Christian University where a pipe burst due to cold temperatures and flooded the third floor back in February. The school’s IP server was damaged and no new computers could be connected to their network. That seems like a fairly lucky incident. Lost data or lost internet connectivity would have been much worse for staff and students.
Not everyone is as fortunate. Last year, a water main break caused a massive flood in the basement of the Dallas County Records Building in Texas. Their servers were located on the fifth floor but UPS systems and key electrical equipment were six feet under water in the basement. The County had no backup system at the time. It took three days to get critical computer systems back in place. During those three days, half of the civil courts and one-third of the criminal courts could not operate. Police officers were unable to run background checks during traffic stops. The building remained closed to the public for a month and the reported cost of repairs: $10 million dollars.
This is a risky business. Lacking a backup system leaves you extremely vulnerable in the event of a disaster. Some business couldn’t bounce back from an incident like Dallas County, Texas suffered. According to the Red Cross, 40% of small businesses do not reopen after a major disaster. A water main break might not be a major disaster but what about ice and snow causing impassable roads and power outages? What about a tornado, hurricane, fire or flood? Do you have a contingency plan for these situations?
Downtime is easily avoidable and Data Cave can help.
Questions? E-mail us at info@thedatacave.com or call 866-514-2283