How to Build a Resilient IT Infrastructure with Disaster Recovery

Technology is surely convenient. But, much like anything, it has its own set of downsides. Disaster recovery planning is all about having the right strategies and actions ready to bounce back after a disaster disrupts your IT systems and data. Whether it's a natural catastrophe or human error, a solid plan can be a lifesaver. It is a safety net for any business that leans heavily on technology. Without it, the aftermath can be devastating— prolonged downtime, data loss, a dip in productivity, tarnished reputation, and in the worst case, complete business collapse.

Here's why it's crucial to have disaster recovery plans in place:

• Minimizing downtime - When critical systems go down during a disaster, the costs add up rapidly in terms of lost transactions, sales, productivity and reputation. A solid DR plan helps restore systems much quicker.
  
  
• Avoiding data loss - From hardware failure to natural disasters, there are many threats that can lead to data corruption or deletion. A DR plan safeguards data integrity through backups, offsite storage and data redundancy.
  
  
• Maintaining compliance - Many regulations require the ability to recover and provide access to data within a specified timeframe. Disaster recovery preparedness helps meet these regulatory mandates.
  
  
• Protecting the business - Without contingency planning, businesses that rely heavily on IT systems would likely not survive a disaster. An effective DR plan is crucial for business continuity and resilience.
  

3 Types of IT Disasters

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms can completely destroy physical IT infrastructure. Data centers, servers, and networking equipment can be damaged or rendered inoperable. Fires and electrical surges frequently occur due to natural disasters as well. The geographic location of IT systems plays a major role in susceptibility to natural disasters.

Human-Made Disasters

Many IT disasters can also be caused by human error, whether intentional or accidental. Common human-made disasters include cyber attacks like:

• Hacking
• Malware
• Denial of service attacks

May destroy data and make systems unusable. Insider threats from employees intentionally stealing data or damaging systems are another concern. Accidental data deletion by staff and electrical or water damage to data centers also frequently occur.

Technological Failures

Even without external events, IT infrastructure can experience failures due to software bugs, hardware malfunctions, capacity overload, and network outages. Server crashes, storage failures, and critical system errors can all stem from technological failures. While not as severe as natural or human-made disasters, these technological failures can still significantly impact operations.

Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis

Defining Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)

Data Backup Strategies and Storage Locations

Communication Protocols and Crisis Management

Making A Disaster Recovery Plan Tailored To Your Business

The first step is conducting a business impact analysis to categorize systems and data based on criticality. This helps prioritize recovery efforts in case of a disaster. Focus should be on protecting mission-critical infrastructure like databases, servers, and networks that support core operations. Any system downtime translates to revenue loss, so recovering them quickly is imperative.

Step 2: Establishing Redundancy and Failover Mechanisms

Once critical systems are identified, the next step is to build redundancy into the infrastructure. This means having secondary systems that can seamlessly take over if the primary ones fail. Common techniques include:



• Database mirroring
• Redundant power supplies
• Backup Internet lines
  

Step 3: Creating Detailed Documentation and DR Policies

The disaster recovery plan should contain detailed steps for responding to various scenarios. Documenting the roles and responsibilities of DR teams is crucial. Policies for testing, maintenance, training, and plan updates should be established. Thorough documentation makes it easy for staff to follow response procedures during an actual disaster.

Testing and Updating the Plan Regularly

No disaster recovery plan is complete without regular testing. Simulated disaster scenarios validate that the steps and systems work as expected. Gaps identified during tests can then be addressed. It's also important to review and update the plan periodically to account for changes in the IT infrastructure. Neglecting to test and update renders the DR plan ineffective.

Challenges You May Encounter in Disaster Recovery Planning

On-premises vs Cloud Disaster Recovery

Organizations have two main options for implementing disaster recovery - using on-premises infrastructure or leveraging cloud-based services. There are pros and cons to each approach:

On-Premises Disaster Recovery

• Allows for greater control and customization of DR infrastructure
• May have higher upfront costs for servers, data centers, etc.
• Requires dedicated IT staff to maintain and manage DR environments
• Hardware lifespan and capacity must be monitored and upgraded
  

Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

• Utilizes public cloud or DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service)
• Converts upfront costs to predictable operating expenses
• Cloud provider manages maintenance and updates
• Provides flexibility to scale DR resources up or down
• Limited control compared to on-premises solutions
  
  

While disaster recovery requires significant investment, the ROI is clear when you consider the potential losses from extended downtime.