You are currently viewing 5 Best Practices for Data Center Disaster Recovery

Data Center Disaster Recovery undoubtedly is at or near the top of every organization’s list of strategic initiatives, considering the costs and implications of downtime. Nearly every business needs to ensure seamless and reliable data center disaster recovery in an unplanned outage.

Unfortunately, unplanned data center outages are expensive, and the cost of downtime is rising, according to research. When safeguarding applications, business services, and data against a wide range of threats, there are issues for organizations to consider, including staff resource constraints, budget limitations, and stakeholders’ hesitancy to change how they work, and many others.

Here are five best practices for Data Center Disaster Recovery that businesses must keep in mind.

 

  1. Identify the critical aspect of data and applications

Before implementing the disaster recovery plan, it is essential to classify and group applications on a critical basis. Such grouping of applications will help departments distinguish lines of applications from each other in terms of their importance and their relative scope of influence. Go over data centers, server rooms, virtual machines in the cloud and on-premises, and endpoints like workstations. Please pay more attention to hypervisors, the configuration of networks and servers that one has to restore in case of a disaster.

 

  1. Develop a Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan

Once the IT team identifies the risks, an organization can start developing a Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan that lays out the procedures for addressing them. The plan must include a thorough assessment of mission-critical systems and data assets. Detailed assessment inventories need to identify where the data is stored, which systems should be prioritized in the event of a downtime, and which compliance requirements impact services. Power redundancies need to be mapped out, and a method for replicating data put in place. Finally, the recovery plan must be readily available to IT employees so that everyone knows what roles they have to fulfill and which tasks must be prioritized in the event of a disaster.

 

  1. Set off-site backup locations

Disasters come in many forms, including natural disasters, such as fire, pandemic, or flood, and human-made disasters such as cyber-attacks or accidental fire deletions, all of which can destroy production systems. Disasters such as these can impact the on-site disaster recovery systems deeply. In many situations, cybercriminals target both the production systems and local backups. There are many reasons why it is essential to have an off-site disaster recovery strategy.

Off-site disaster recovery is not a choice; it is an absolute requirement. If you store your systems in an off-site data center located at least 150 miles from your production systems, you significantly advance your chances of recovering from a disaster. The internal IT team is responsible for developing, testing, and executing the off-site disaster recovery strategy, from replication through failover to failback.

 

  1. Test and validate the Recovery Plan

Securing assets and data from a disaster is only one part of the disaster recovery plan. A good disaster recovery plan must already have identified which systems to prioritize when services are offline, but eventually, things need to return to normal. Performing thorough analysis and developing recovery strategies are critical to a robust disaster recovery plan; however, testing and validating the plan is vital to successful disaster recovery planning.

The only means to validate that the plan will work is to test the plan daily and put a function in place to ensure it is updated to reflect environmental changes. It is vital to train assigned personnel on their roles in the disaster recovery situation and in the broader context of the plan itself.

 

  1. Think of disaster recovery as a managed service

Infrastructure, software, platforms, security, and customer support, all of these managed services are vital elements for any organization. As a result, IT leaders go for managed service providers that have proven experience and know-how in each area. The same should be true when picking a partner for disaster recovery. Managed service providers help by offering remote backup storage, disaster recovery tools for backup, archiving and restoring, and multi-platform storage management.

 

Disaster recovery strategy choices can be challenging to make, but there is good news. SPARK Services offers solutions for large and small-to-medium-sized businesses to ensure you follow the backup rule using one key. Developing a robust Data Center Disaster Recovery Plan is essential for ensuring business continuity in the face of substantial risk.

This point is where SPARK Services comes into the picture. To know more, connect with us!

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Robert E. Allen Jr.

About Robert E. Allen Jr. A Journey of Integrity, Innovation, and Impact Welcome to my corner of the web, where the confluence of technology, entrepreneurship, and ethical business practices come to life. I'm Robert E. Allen Jr., a proud native of southern Ohio, where my roots run deep into the fabric of community and hard work. My journey in the tech world began at Shawnee State University, a chapter filled with exploration and the beginnings of a lifelong passion for computer science. However, my academic path took a turn toward the prestigious halls of Penn State, where I completed my degree and set the foundation for what would become a nearly three-decade-long adventure in business. Building an Empire on Principles Nearly 30 years ago, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, not just to start a business, but to build an empire defined by a commitment to ethical practices and community service. Inspired by the Rotary four-way test—Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?—my business philosophy centers on these questions, guiding every decision and interaction. This ethos has not only shaped my professional life but has also fostered a culture of integrity, trust, and mutual respect within my company and with our clients. A Family Man at Heart Beyond the world of bits, bytes, and business, my life is rich with love and laughter, thanks to my wife and our two wonderful daughters. They are my why, the reason behind every late night, every early morning, and every decision to push the boundaries of what's possible. Together, we've created a life filled with memories, learning, and love—a true testament to the balance between professional ambition and personal fulfillment. Looking Forward As I look to the future, my goal is to continue leveraging technology to make a positive impact on the world, guided by the principles that have brought me this far. I strive to innovate, to lead with integrity, and to inspire those around me to do the same. Whether through my business endeavors, community service, or simply by being a role model to my daughters, my journey is about creating a legacy that transcends technology—a legacy of positive change, ethical leadership, and a commitment to making the world a better place for future generations. Thank you for visiting my site. I hope to not only share my journey with you but also to inspire you to pursue your passions, lead with integrity, and make a meaningful impact in your corner of the world.