It’s no secret that in the world of business data is quickly becoming king. Thus, it is essential that organizations think deeply about how they will build a strong and effective data storage system. This must include a carefully thought out plan for surviving data crashes and emergencies.

Emergencies can come in the form of natural disasters, office fires, power outages -- you name it. If you haven’t considered the various ways that your data can be lost or destroyed, you aren't the first. We hope the following tips may help you plan for the future:

1. Take Inventory of Your Data Technologies

First and foremost, it’s vital that you know exactly the types of data you are storing on a regular basis and the types of technologies you are using to store it. In most business environments today, it is quite common for organizations to utilize a number of different data storage mediums.

For example, you may utilize a combination of disk and tape -- or a number of different tape formats. Taking inventory of them all will help pave the road for a solid emergency plan.

2. Get Your Backup Medium Selected and In Place

If you've been putting off data backups, it’s time to get moving. Failure to back up a disk-only storage environment or operating an archaic disk/tape data storage environment, can be dangerous.

A growing number of organizations are realizing the power of the latest versions of LTO tape for daily backups. Because of tape’s offline nature and stability, it is without a doubt the most reliable form of data backup.

We recommend that disk-only or cloud-based environments consider backing up or at least archiving and duplicating all data to tape for best results.

3. Develop Sound Policies and Procedures

Not only must you have the right technologies in place, it is important to set clear policies and procedures to be followed both prior to and after an emergency.

List every natural disaster that may occur in your geographic area and methods for assuring your data will be secure. For example, if you are commonly in the path of tornadoes, you may consider a combination of disk, tape, and cloud storage.

While cloud storage is growing in popularity, we still maintain that tape backups are the most stable form of storage, as the cloud can come with issues of its own. However, if there is a definite chance that your data library could be completely destroyed by a natural disaster, the cloud may be quite important.

4. Strategically Train Your Staff to Handle Emergencies

Make sure your team members know exactly how to handle the various emergencies that can hit. Assign point-persons to specific tasks and provide them comprehensive training for success.

Need to get started on emergency preparedness? We can help steer you in the right direction. Feel free to call our offices for advice! You can also e-mail our team, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.