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Backup and Recovery

 

Large scale businesses must have 24/7 access to their systems so a backup and recovery plan must be decided on. Backups should be regular, routine or regular. The backed up data can and should be kept away from the computer system to a site that is fireproof or better still of site.

 

Previously backup systems used the grandfather, father, son method for batch processing but more recently it has been over taken by the Redundant Array of Inexpensive Discs (RAID). This is a system that mirrors your system to a backup disc. As you usethe system it is backed up automatically to three or four discs simultneously.

 

Advantages of this are:

  • Real-time storing of data on both disks at once

  • If the main disk fails, the second, identical disk is available

  • The second (mirror) disk can be stored in a different location (so data is protected in case of fire or a terrrorist attack).

 

 
Grand Father, Father, Son Method
 

This method consists of a backup made at the end of each day called 'son' backups. At the end of the week the 'oldest son' would be kept away as the 'father'. The father backup is made at the end of each week and the oldest 'father' at the end of the month the 'oldest father'would become the 'grand father' an 12 grandfather back ups woud be made at the end of the year.

 
Disaster Planning
 

Every business or organisation should have a plan for if the worst happens and their data is lost. The plan must be put into action immediately to recover all data as soon as possible Your plan should be such that it minimises disruption, get systems up and running and ensures all staff know what to do to recover.

 

 

Restoration
 

It is no use to have a backup if they cannot be checked to make sure that they workOccasionally companies run mock disaster recovery checks to ensure everything works properly

 

Risk Analysis
 

The risk analysis process allows organisations to develop awareness of potential threats to their systems so that they can establish an appropriate recovery plan.

Risk analysis involves:

  • Identifying each element of the system

  • Placing value on that item

  • Identifying any threat to that item

  • Assessing the likelihood of such threats occurring

 

Data recovery plan

 

The data recovery plan works closely to the risk analysis as it is dependent on it's result.

 

Different levels of recovery need to be considered:

  • Partial or full loss of data

  • Loss of data and applications software

  • Loss of data, applications software and operating system

  • Loss of everything including hardware

 

Disaster Avoidance
 

These are used to try and minimise the risk of problems occurring, some organisations use a fault-tolerant computer systems to protect against hardware failure. This has extra hardware (memory chips, processors, disk storage) in parallel. This system can detect a problem and switch to backup set-up

 

  • To protect against fires: CO2 extinguishers and detectors are put in place, backups are stored in fireproof boxes or rooms

  • To protect against flooding: Computers can be put on the upper floor

  • To protect against damage: Physical methods such as swipe cards can be used, 3 attempts to login before you get locked out, encryption and firewalls

  • To protect from power outage: use of UPS

 

Contingency Plan

 

The Contingency Plan Is used to help recover from failure. It covers how you are going to get equipment, data, staff and Business functions running again The plan chosen will depend on the size of the organisation and its’ ICT systems, methods of processing, length of time before alternative systems need to be up and running, financial losses sustained while system is down. Cost of various backup and recovery options and the likelihood of the disaster happening based on risk analysis.

 

Recovery options

 

There are a number of recovery options that can be used depending on the size of the company and the importance of the data.

 

  • In house: A different building were you have hardware and software that you can use on a different site

  • Reciprocal: An arrangement between two companies that allows you to use their hardware and software if yours is down and vice versa

  • Subscription Service: This has two parts hot and cold. The hot one would give you a place with all the needed hardware and software ready and all you need to do is put your data in the system to begin working. The cold system is where you have a building with electricity and space but no installed equipment or hardware

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