Companies generally prepare for emergencies by reviewing insurance policies, implementing back-up computer systems and installing sprinklers, while neglecting the human cost of a workplace crisis and its resulting impact on a company’s productivity

VM or Virtural Machine is an IBM operating system that runs on large scale IBM computers. Even though this article is directed to those who have VM, the methods and the thought process is the same for all systems. DEFINING DISASTER RECOVERY System backup has generally been thought of as a tape management issue, with… Continue reading Disaster Recovery Planning in a VM Operating Environment

One aspect of disaster planning that seems somewhat overlooked is the question, How do you fund the recovery efforts? Recovering from a disaster requires a lot of unbudgeted funds which must be spent or committed very quickly

You attend a seminar on contingency planning and hear presentations such as “developing and maintaining your plan”, “testing your plan”, “business impact assessments”, and “lessons learned” from other people’

When I first started working in the business continuity planning industry over eight years ago, I sold contingency planning software tools. One of the buzzwords at the time was “relational database”. There were many in the industry who

It could be as innocent as a construction crew accidentally cutting through an underground stone wall that holds back a river. Or as sinister as a terrorist bombing of a skyscraper. Or as sudden as an earthquake. Or as devastating as a hurricane. The reality is that any business that relies on information technology, which… Continue reading When Disaster Strikes: Disaster Recovery Planning can make the difference Corporate Survival

Personal crystal balls are notoriously bad at predicting the future. They run on small number statistics, have ill-defined parameters, and small data banks incorporating elastic memories. The crystal balls are plagued or programmed with a logic that is

On October 17 I happened to be on a business trip in Florida for my California-based company. After a hectic day, I sat down to relax and watch Game Three of the World Series when the earthquake struck. Although I was obviously unable to assist during the disaster, my company responded quickly and efficiently during… Continue reading The Value of Planning

The terms disaster recovery, contingency planning, business resumption planning and contingency management have been defined, seminar-ed, white paper-ed and presentation-ed in every conceivable way and forum. In today’s corporate world, disaster recovery (DR) has been described as the “Rodney Dangerfield” industry. Its importance is acknowledged but not fully comprehended, recognized but not actually accepted, and… Continue reading Disaster Recovery Planning: Coming of Age

Recently, I was involved in helping my company, the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas, to develop a disaster recovery plan. The BPU is owned by the city and is Kansas’ largest utility district. It serves approximately 75,000 electric and 57,000 water customers. The actual disaster recovery planning process was made easier because… Continue reading Auditors Can Help Sell Your Plan