Disaster recovery in data centres is the process of preparing for and responding to an unexpected interruption or loss of data or services due to a natural or human-caused event. It is an important process for organizations that rely heavily on data and services to conduct their business. The goal of disaster recovery is to minimize the impact of a disaster on the organization’s operations and to restore the services and data as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The potential cost of data centre downtime can be immense. According to a study conducted by Gartner, the average cost of data centre downtime is estimated to be around $5,600 per minute. This cost includes expenses related to lost productivity, customer dissatisfaction, and other costs associated with the disruption of services. Additionally, a 2018 survey by the Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of a data centre outage was approximately $926,000.

One of the most important aspects of disaster recovery planning is to create a detailed plan of action that outlines the steps to take in the event of a disaster. The plan should include detailed information on the critical elements of the data centre, including the location of servers and other IT equipment, procedures for data backups, and contact information for vendors and other service providers. It should also outline the steps to be taken in the event of a disaster, such as how to shut down and power up equipment, how to restore data, and how to communicate with stakeholders.

1. Establish a Disaster Recovery Team:

Establish a team of IT and business professionals who are responsible for planning, executing, and monitoring the disaster recovery process. This team should include individuals with knowledge of the data centre and the business processes that rely on it, as well as expertise in disaster recovery planning and operation.

2. Plan for Data Replication:

Plan for the replacement of data during a disaster recovery scenario. This includes identifying which data should be archived and replicated, as well as determining how frequently backups will be made.

3. Determine the Level of Disaster Recovery Preparation Required:

Determine the level of disaster recovery preparation required for your organization based on the level of risk posed by the potential disaster.

4. Assess Your Data Centre’s Critical Components:

Assess the critical components of your data centre, including servers, storage, and networking systems, to determine what needs to be backed up and replicated.

5. Back Up Your Critical Data:

Back up your critical data using multiple backup options, including off-site storage and portable hard drives.

6. Test and Monitor the Plan:

Test the plan to ensure it is effective and monitor the plan on an ongoing basis.

7. Update and Maintain Documentation:

Maintain up-to-date documentation of the disaster recovery plan, including all changes and updates.

8. Train Staff:

Train all staff on the disaster recovery plan and ensure they are familiar with the process.

9. Implement the Plan:

In the event of a disaster, implement the plan to restore operations and services.

In order to ensure the success of the disaster recovery plan, it is important to test it regularly. Testing should be done in a controlled environment, such as a simulated disaster, to ensure that the plan is effective. Additionally, it is important to review and update the plan regularly in order to ensure that it remains up to date and relevant.

Overall, disaster recovery in data centres is a critical process for businesses that rely heavily on data and services. It is important to create a detailed plan of action, to test the plan regularly, and to review and update it regularly in order to ensure its effectiveness.

Sources:

1. Gartner. “The Cost of Downtime”. https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/insights/cost-of-downtime

2. Ponemon Institute. “2018 Cost of Data Center Outages Report”. https://www.ponemon.org/2018-cost-of-data-center-outages-report