IBM Cloud Computing for Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

¶ … Cloud Computing for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for IBM What are the technical, economic, and managerial implications for business continuity and disaster recovery plans in relation to cloud computing and SaaS? The emergence of cloud computing brought about a transformation in economics of organizations' continuity and disaster recovery strategies. In view of this emergence, it's imperative that several companies review their organizational strategies and ascertain that they are fulfilling business needs. Organizations have frequently portrayed a disparity between continuance/recovery plans and business continuity needs.

The reason behind this discrepancy is that corporations are unwilling to divert funds towards disaster recovery until the time managers wholly comprehend the risks they are facing -- this, often, doesn't happen. Technology experts were experiencing a tremendous rise in both complexity and expenditures in shifting from elementary disaster recovery systems to a faster, more dependable recovery strategy, until cloud computing came into the picture (Boyd, 2014; Murukutla, 2010). Ninety-three percent of companies that lose data centers for a span often or more days become insolvent within a one-year-time period.

A more alarming finding is this: forty-three percent of companies that face a disaster cannot recover from it at all. Cloud computing allows companies a chance to reconsider a number of conventional IT procedures; it may prove especially beneficial and effective with regard to business continuity and disaster recovery (Boyd, 2014).

Any special considerations for your chosen industry/organization in relation to applying cloud/SaaS for BCP/DR A majority of big businesses possess backup plans; however, quite often, companies often do not just transmit company data offsite, they also do not transfer data to places sufficiently far off to escape a disaster that covers a wide geographic expanse. Understanding the probable regional disasters/problems that may ensue (power outages, hurricanes, and earthquakes) and planning appropriately is imperative.

Cloud computing enables most companies to conduct their operations from any place via the internet, thereby radically lowering the span of time a company needs to reorganize and restart operations after a regional catastrophe has occurred (Think Cloud, Re-think Disaster Recovery, 2013). Another important aspect is that cloud technology grants organizations offsite storing capability of their business continuity and disaster recovery strategies. Astonishingly, numerous organization fail to take this into account, and frequently, a company loses its business continuity strategy as well, at the time of disaster.

The continuity plans are crucial, however several companies make the mistake of storing recovery instructions as well as continuity/recovery plans onsite, with no offsite backup. This renders the whole concept of a recovery plan redundant, when a disaster leads to inaccessibility or loss of data center. Online plan storage allows recovery personnel access to it from virtually any place (Think Cloud, 2013; Murukutla, 2010). A majority of large firms have understood the importance of disaster recovery, and implemented highly comprehensive plans. Still, several advantages arise from the use of cloud technology.

SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and similar cloud applications help in dramatic reduction of recovery time. One among the most crucial applications in the field of business is email; email loss for even some hours may considerably affect a firm (Think Cloud, 2013). How does moving to cloud computing/SaaS affect existing business continuity/DR plans? Cloud technologies help companies store their applications and data on remote servers connected to organizational network effortlessly.

Flexibility in server location and data stored 'in-the-network' enables performance of functions in a more cost-effective manner, owing to economies of scale at remote location. Conventional modes of disaster recovery, entailing every-day and weekly backup of data, and the belief that rebuilding the network computing system, is quick and easy, in the wake of a disaster has, repeatedly proved to be ineffective and insufficient. Companies have moved towards using web-based applications for managing supply chain, sales, real-time accounts, medical records, customer assistance, and other business-transaction related applications.

Recovery of many transactions would prove tough if the organization has to restore its database to an older version. Even in the event that log files may be utilized for updating the database copy to cover all transactions, this process hinges on qualified employees who may not be available for carrying it out (Murukutla, 2010). What areas of your plan do you need to re-evaluate? Traditionally, the data backup process for onsite data-center servers has involved recurrent backups to media (e.g.

tape) and utilization of offsite data centers (probably of any service provider). Steps involved in the process of file backup are: 1) Identification of directories having files whose backup is needed (and identification of files requiring backup, as well) through Windows Server software for backup; 2) Selection of a time for carrying out backup, also through the Windows Server software; 3) Identification of destination server.

This approach survives from the time when batch systems were at large; at some juncture of nightly processing, files would be marked "updated," followed by performance of nightly backup (Murukutla, 2010). Backup plans that are periodic in nature have the following shortcomings: 1) Human error is likely to crop up in tape backup methods that necessitate manual tape movement. 2) Missing essential files is quite likely, particularly files created only during specific times in the year. 3) Data stored is only as recent as the last-performed backup.

Moreover, with an increasing number of web-based transactions, this proves inadequate. 4) Recorded tapes aren't always readable, particularly if they are old. 5) Backup doesn't suffice when it comes to dealing with recovery times triggered by a need for reconstructing technological infrastructure after a disaster; this system availability gap disappoints companies that end up with frustrated power users and customers, because of outage.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a modification of tape backup method, electronically transfers files over a TCP/IP network (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) to offsite storage; the files remain on disk till they are required (disk-disk backup). FTP's drawbacks are the same as that for tape backup, with the exception of manual handling of tapes (Murukutla, 2010; Boyd, 2014).

What questions should you be asking of cloud computing/SaaS vendors, with respect to their own business continuity/disaster recovery plans? Bandwidth: Bandwidth limitations at provider's end or the primary storage facility are one of the major obstacles to replicating between sites. Bandwidth stability, and throughput and latency between sites must be focused upon. One aspect crucial for attaining recovery point aims is speed, while stability is vital to.