| It is easy to see that data is the foundation | | | | lurch until they are located. |
| of a successful business. While most | | | | |
| businesses back up their data to removable | | | | With attention to detail and good |
| media, tapes or USB drives being the most | | | | communication two of these pitfalls can be |
| common, many businesses leave the backup | | | | eliminated. It is setting up a climate |
| tapes right next to the server. The risk they | | | | controlled media vault that poses the biggest |
| fail to foresee is destruction of the office | | | | expense for a small business. They are |
| by fire or flood. | | | | expensive to build because they are not |
| | | | designed for the limited space that a small |
| Both the server and the backup will be | | | | business would require. |
| useless if the room no longer exists. | | | | |
| Unfortunately, some owners discover that | | | | To avoid these problems, many businesses |
| getting back up and running is beyond their | | | | outsource their tape rotation to an offsite |
| cash reserves. | | | | tape storage provider. On a regular schedule |
| | | | a uniformed employee rotates the backup tapes |
| A data recovery plan should include creating | | | | from the business location. Once the tape is |
| backup tapes and then storing them in an | | | | picked up it is scanned into a tracking |
| offsite storage location. The tapes should be | | | | system just like an overnight delivery |
| rotated regularly, handled properly, and | | | | service uses. The tapes are transported in |
| stored in a secure, climate controlled | | | | un-marked vans and stored in secured, climate |
| facility. This provides insurance and gives | | | | controlled vaults. A tape rotation service |
| the business continuity after a disaster. | | | | also offers twenty four hour access to the |
| | | | tapes and delivery to a recovery location of |
| While this may seem like an easy process, the | | | | the business' choosing. |
| pitfalls for not doing it properly are deep. | | | | |
| Tapes not securely transported and | | | | A second solution is to use an online storage |
| inventoried may come up missing or be stolen. | | | | service. The data is backed up, encrypted, |
| Unaccounted for backup tapes is a data | | | | and then sent via the internet to a secure |
| breach. This breach must be disclosed to | | | | location. The issues with transportation are |
| those affected by laws in thirty-six states. | | | | eliminated as long as the data is properly |
| This bad press can be as damaging as losing | | | | encrypted. With small amounts of data this is |
| the data. | | | | a good solution but loses it economic |
| | | | benefits as the volume of information grows. |
| A second pitfall is how the tapes are stored. | | | | The business just needs to make sure there is |
| Without the proper environmental controls of | | | | large bandwidth at the recovery location. |
| a media vault, moisture and temperature | | | | |
| fluctuations will degrade tapes and leave | | | | Even more important for the small business |
| them un-readable. A worst case scenario is | | | | owner can be the consulting a service will |
| counting on a tape that can't be read after a | | | | offer. How to set up backup software and |
| server fails. Tapes must be stored properly | | | | hardware can be a mystery to the uninitiated. |
| and changed out occasionally. | | | | This disaster recovery expertise helps assure |
| | | | that the data is saved correctly and when |
| A third pitfall that may seem trivial but is | | | | needed will be easily loaded onto a |
| also crucial is the ability to physically | | | | replacement server. |
| access the tapes. Backup tapes are useless if | | | | |
| they can't be found or returned. A vacation | | | | No matter what solution you choose, make sure |
| or the inability to reach the employee who | | | | your business data is backed up periodically |
| stores the tapes can leave the company in a | | | | and stored in a secure offsite location. |