Business Continuity Planning vs. Disaster Recovery Planning
In case of a catastrophic event, whether natural or man-made, a sound business continuity/disaster recovery (DR/BC) strategy can make the difference between a business glitch and a calamity. Progent's DR/BC consultants can help small and mid-size companies design and test a contingency plan that incorporates advanced technologies and proven processes to get back in business quickly after a catastrophic network failure while at the same time working within a restricted IT budget.
The terms "business continuity planning" and "disaster recovery planning" are often used interchangeably, but it is useful to distinguish them. Business continuity planning takes a high-level, holistic view of a business to determine what personnel, physical resources, and operational processes are required to keep an organization running at some minimally acceptable level after a catastrophe and how to restore normal operations efficiently. Business continuity planning takes into account information technology issues, which are vital to any business, but also addresses areas beyond computing. Will you need temporary office space? Substitute vehicles? Alternate vendors? Replacement personnel? Do you have an emergency notification system in place to alert workers and other stakeholders? Are you required to file regulatory reports or contact insurers? Do you need access to emergency funding?
Progent can provide the services of experienced consultants who can help you follow best practices to create and document a high-level business continuity plan that deals with these critical questions and provides a cohesive game plan to follow in case of a disaster.
Disaster recovery planning is more focused on information technology issues and involves the down-to-earth details of how to keep your crucial IT operations running, protect your data, and restore full network functionality as quickly as practical. Progent can provide the services of a certified IT professional who can help you create and implement a disaster recovery plan that utilizes the latest generation of technologies designed to provide a high degree of fault tolerance and recoverability at historically low prices.
What Is Involved in Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan?
It is still relatively rare for small businesses to have a comprehensive business continuity plan in place, but only businesses with an insatiable appetite for risk should go without a disaster recovery plan. Disaster recovery planning should address the IT resources needed to maintain a defined level of operational capability and restore full network functionality as quickly as practical. The plan should anticipate a broad variety of disaster scenarios such as fires, storms, earthquakes, chemical accidents, flooding, pandemics, loss of key personnel, equipment or system failure, human error, and cyber crime.
You should assess the worst-case impact of each of these disaster scenarios on your network infrastructure and business processes and prioritize the areas that are most critical for you to protect in order to limit business disruption to an acceptable level. For each scenario, you should develop a recovery strategy that addresses your local and remote workers, customers, vendors, facilities, hardware and software, communication services, support contracts, and lead-times for replacing equipment and services and restoring data. Your recovery strategies should include specific action plans, escalation procedures, and data retention and restoration policies. You should also test the plan and train your employees responsible for carrying it out.
Progent's Process for Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan
Progent has developed an effective and affordable process for helping small business create a viable disaster recovery plan. This process involves seven distinct phases:
Phase 1: Business Impact and Risk Analysis
In this phase, you differentiate between critical and non-critical organization functions. A function is critical if its loss for any significant period of time would result in damage that stakeholders regard as unacceptable. You can't realistically decide that all network functions are critical because you have to consider the probable cost of establishing and maintaining rapid business or technical recovery solutions. You also have to take into account that some functions may be dictated by law or contractual obligations. Progent can help you make informed prioritization decisions by assessing the cost and timing issues associated with various recovery strategies.
Once you have identified critical organization functions, you have to establish two values for each function:
The Impact and Risk Analysis phase results in the recovery requirements for each critical function. The recovery requirements consist of:
Phase 3: Solution Design
The goal of the Solution Design phase is to identify the most cost-effective disaster recovery solution that meets the requirements identified in the Business Impact and Risk Analysis stage. For your critical IT applications, this means determining how the minimum application and application data requirements can be restored within the target timeframe. Disaster recovery plans may also have to address areas beyond IT applications. A common example is the requirement to preserve information in hard copy format. Progent's expertise with Microsoft and Cisco technology, business application programming and support skills, experience providing Internet data center consulting and network management services, and extensive background helping small business recover from catastrophic network failures ensure that the solutions Progent proposes take full advantage of advanced technology to keep costs down while maximizing the chances of success.
Key areas defined in the Solution Design phase include:
Phase 5: Testing and Verification of Technical Solutions
Testing and adjusting recovery plans for specific anticipated scenarios is another critical element of a viable disaster recovery program. The complexity of fault-tolerant networks requires rigorous testing to verify that a recovery plan is feasible and that assigned responsibilities are understood. Recovery exercises will show whether backed-up data can be usefully restored, alternative connectivity technology provides adequate performance under realistic loads, fault-tolerant technologies perform failover processes as planned, and IT staff knows what is expected. Testing exercises will help you identify weak points in your recovery plan so you can make adjustments before disaster strikes. Progent's experience with system design and support ensure that the Testing and Verification phase of a disaster recover plan is thorough and meaningful without being unnecessarily protracted and costly.
Primary areas involved in the Testing and Verification phase of a business continuity plan include:
Phase 7: Handover
The handover of a turnkey disaster recovery solution includes three activities:
CRISC-Premier Network Risk Mitigation
The CRISC certification program was established by ISACA to validate an IT professional's skills to design, deploy, and maintain IS control mechanisms to mitigate risk. Progent offers the services of a CRISC-certified consultant to assist your company to create and execute a workplace continuity or disaster recovery strategy based on leading practices identified by CRISC and crafted to align with your organization's risk appetite, business goals, and budgetary guidelines. To learn more, see CRISC-Premier IT risk control specialists.
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 incorporated significant enhancements in scale, performance, management, cybersecurity, app compatibility, Linux support, container technology, and hybrid integration of on-premises and cloud assets. Headline enhancements of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for centralizing the management and monitoring of hybrid local/cloud-hosted deployments, System Insights for utilizing advance predictive analytics to manage on-premises networks, Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) Exploit Guard for host-intrusion prevention, container orchestration with Kubernetes, Cluster Sets technology for deploying and managing large high-availability scale-out clusters, and Storage Migration Service for streamlining the upgrade process from outdated versions of Windows Server. For more information, visit Microsoft Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering Expertise.
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity experts can help your organization to design a DR system built around Microsoft's latest Failover Clustering technologies such as Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance network-attached storage using industry-standard hardware, VM Load Balancing for improving the performance and resilience of Failover Clusters while reducing TCO and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for easy, economical deployment of a stretch cluster quorum arbitration point. For more information, go to Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Expertise.
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is an extension to VMware vCenter that lets you define, automate and verify a repeatable runbook for recovering applications and services quickly after an outage. SRM supports centrally managed and automated recovery, application mobility, and non-disruptive site relocation, failback and re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also allows non-intrusive testing for disaster recovery, updates and fixes and can produce audit reports to verify complete service restoration, validate SLAs and demonstrate disaster recovery compliance. Progent can provide the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consultant to assist your organization to design, deploy, test and manage a DR system powered by VMware Site Recovery Manager.
NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Platform
NetApp MetroCluster is a high-availability and disaster recovery software suite that combines failover storage clustering along with continual replication to provide fast, zero RPO disaster recovery (DR) between sites that are as far as 185 miles apart. Progent can provide the skills of a certified NetApp MetroCluster consultant who can help your business to design, configure, administer, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery solution built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can assist you to choose a topology for your MetroCluster deployment that aligns with your technical requirements and budget. Progent can make sure you follow best practices for installing your MetroCluster environment by delivering help with tasks such as assigning shelf IDs, determining aggregate layout, provisioning NetApp FlexVol volumes, setting up NetApp Snapshot, provisioning switches, implementing a tiebreaker mechanism, setting up a TCP/IP configuration replication network, and testing your MetroCluster DR system to show compliance with information assurance standards and regulatory requirements.
Fault Tolerant Load Balancing
Progent provides fault tolerant load balancing consulting that addresses system load balancing, load balanced applications, network infrastructure routing, and content delivery products such as F5 Networks 3DNS. Non-stop load balancing solutions for which Progent can provide consulting expertise include Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Access Suite and Access Gateway, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Content Distribution Manager and ACNS, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To read more, visit High Availability Load Balancing.
Non-stop Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center consultants can show you how to select fault-tolerant data centers that meet the particular needs of your company. High availability colocation sites are particularly appealing to small and mid-size businesses due to of their low cost and simplified logistics compared to pursuing a do-it-yourself strategy. Attempting to design an on-site data center with even a minimum degree of fault tolerance is too expensive for the majority of small companies. Progent can help you reap all the advantages of non-stop colo sites by offering a complete array of consulting and maintenance services. To read more, go to High-Availability Colocation Expertise.
High-Availability Branch Office Networking
Progent's multi-site network infrastructure consultants can help organizations achieve zero-downtime inter-site connectivity via redundant system architectures featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE engineers can plan and implement high-availability Inter-office connections supported by non-stop EIGRP network routers or zero-downtime OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can demonstrate how redundant connectivity and transparent fail-over offers economical 24x7 interoffice connectivity. To learn more, go to 24x7 Inter-office Connectivity.
High Availability Internet Connections
Progent's Cisco-authorized IT consultants can help you build an economical, high availability Internet configuration architecture that can achieve 24x7 Internet connectivity through a broad array of high availability Internet network technologies including non-stop BGP, transparent fail-over, and redundant ISPs. Progent can provide CCIE engineers to help you apply the most up-to-date techniques for high availability Internet access to create an affordable, completely redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other features to deliver fault tolerant Internet access. To read more, see Fault Tolerant Internet Connectivity Architecture.
Backup and Restore Solutions Consultants
Progent can provide economical online support from consultants skilled in a broad range of utilities and technologies that provide solutions for backing up Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux/UNIX servers and workstations as well as laptops and handhelds. Progent can provide help for leading data protection platforms such as Acronis Backup and Recovery, Symantec Backup Exec, BackupAssist Software, CrashPlan, Double-Take Software, Mozy, Retrospect, Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery (VDR), and FLARs. Progent can help you to design, upgrade, or troubleshoot backup/restore systems for a variety of topologies including on-premises, remote, cloud, or a mix. To learn more, see Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting.
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Backup and Restore Consulting and Support Services
Progent's expert Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager consultants can assist you to develop a practical disaster recovery plan, implement a cost-effective high-availability network infrastructure, deploy a Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager-powered recovery system, comprehensively validate your system, train your administrative staff or regular consultants how to manage System Center Data Protection Manager, or provide complete information technology outsourcing including remote hosting of virtual or physical SCDPM machines in Progent's secure data center facility. To learn more, see System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Consulting Services.
Barracuda Backup Local, Offsite and Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup and disaster recovery platform for small and medium-size businesses. A Barracuda Backup solution can include a purpose-built hardware appliance built by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with comparable features but which utilizes your existing storage hardware. Barracuda Backup safeguards vital company data produced locally, at one or multiple remote sites, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon Web Services (AWS), or to any location with a Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants offer a wide range of consulting support services to help you to design, configure, operate and troubleshoot a backup and disaster recovery system built on Barracuda Backup. For more information, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting.
ProSight Altaro VM Backup Software for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup offers small and mid-size businesses a reliable and affordable platform for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines. Altaro VM Backup can be used for on-premises, offsite, distributed, and cloud-hosted environments and also enables cost-effective cloud backup to Azure Block Blob storage. Altaro VM Backup includes advanced features such as Immutable Cloud Storage for an extra layer of protection from ransomware. Progent is a certified Altaro partner and can provide a broad array of remote or onsite consulting services to assist you to design, install, optimize and troubleshoot a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solution based on Altaro VM Backup. With ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a fully managed backup/recovery service powered by on Altaro VM Backup software. For details, go to Altaro VM Backup certified consultants.
ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers simple archiving but does not include integrated support for crucial data protection capabilities such as Exchange backups or long-term point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup delivers a feature-rich platform for programmable backup and rapid recovery of all your organization's M365 mail, Microsoft Teams Chats, SharePoint sites, OneDrive for Business data, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is a certified Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and has designed ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup to provide end-to-end managed services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup delivers a low-cost backup-as-a-service (BaaS) solution that guards M365 apps against data loss or corruption caused by human or system error, malevolent corruption, and malware attacks like ransomware. For more information, visit ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup services for Microsoft 365.
Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO provide small and mid-sized businesses an affordable and fully managed service for reliable backup/disaster recovery (BDR). Available at a fixed monthly rate, ProSight DPS ECHO automates and monitors your backup activities and allow rapid restoration of vital data, apps and VMs that have become unavailable or corrupted as a result of hardware failures, software glitches, natural disasters, human mistakes, or malicious attacks such as ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO can help you back up, retrieve and restore files, folders, apps, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Important data can be backed up on the cloud, to an on-promises storage device, or to both. Progent's cloud backup specialists can deliver world-class support to set up ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO to be compliant with government and industry regulatory standards such as HIPAA, FIRPA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, whenever necessary, can assist you to restore your critical information. Read more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed cloud backup and recovery.
ProSight MSP360 Backup Services
Progent's data protection experts can assist your company to create, implement and troubleshoot a backup/restore plan built around MSP360 technology. MSP360 offers file or image backup/recovery for VMs and physical computers, supports all popular public clouds, and allows businesses to build a data protection solution with a minimum RTO and a granular Recovery Point Objective. With ProSight MSP360 Backup, Progent can provide comprehensive monitoring and management of your backup system to protect against data loss resulting from human mistakes, computer glitches, ill-intentioned insiders, and external assaults like ransomware. For more information, visit ProSight MSP360 Backup solutions.
Consulting for Double-Take Solutions for Backup/Restore
Double-Take offers a selection of products designed to deliver small and midsize companies a range of affordable solutions for replicating and recovering vital applications including Exchange, SQL, Blackberry, and Microsoft SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants have in-depth backgrounds integrating Double-Take technology into small business information systems to achieve an advanced state of fault tolerance and disaster recovery readiness at a budget-friendly cost. To read more, visit Consulting for Double-Take Software for Data Backup.
Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning Solutions?
Since Progent is a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner and provides professional application support for a wide range of business software programs, Progent is able to assist clients to arrive at efficient IT solutions that substantially enhance the business value of your network. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent offers the support of certified consultants and specialists with experience in architecting, deploying and troubleshooting networking environments built on Cisco technology. The extent of Progent's IT know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the requirements of small companies make Progent a great partner for creating and running a cost-effective, high-availability network.
How You Can Contact Progent's Engineers for Disaster Recovery Planning Help
If you wish to contact Progent about consulting help for disaster recovery planning, phone