✱ 7 Disaster Preparedness Tips Intelinet Systems Customers MUST Know ✱

It’s a fact—99% of y’all will read the first few lines of this article and then delete it. Please do not! Take a few minutes to read this…

As I walked into my doctor’s building today (a four-story building over by Medical City in Dallas) I saw box fans in every office – all throughout the building. I asked the receptionist what had happened. Apparently, a patient from the hospital’s psych ward had escaped and decided to sleep in the stairwell overnight. At some point, he must have turned on the fire hose and flooded the entire four floors!

Well, my doctor’s office had all of their PC’s and their sole server sitting on the floor…YEP! You guessed it…DONE. These devices are no longer working. And the data…well, let’s just say when you put a hard drive under water, the outcome isn’t good. This true story serves as a reminder that the unimaginable is also quite tangible. Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Here are my top 7 disaster preparedness tips to help ensure your priceless data stays safe

• Make a Checklist
  When it comes to disaster recovery (fire, flood, weather, thief, etc.), there is no time to just “wing it”, so making a checklist is your first key to success. Don’t have one? Right now is the time to make one. Make sure to include your Energy, Internet and IT service provider’s phone & account number on the list.
• Conduct a Risk Assessment
  What is the risk of X? It’s up to you to define “X”, but some examples are – loss of power, loss of servers, loss of the building. What risk does it pose to the health of the business?
• Identify the Top Causes of IT Outages
  If you’re not sure about this, please ask your IT professional. Have them create a list for you. The loss of data is 99% of the reason companies go out of business. Do you only have one server? If it dies without good, tested backups, what happens to the business? How long would you be able to keep the doors open and customers happy without backups?
• Establish Communication Protocol
  If you do not have a building because of a fire, flood or damage, where is your go-to spot? Can your phones be transferred in the blink of an eye to keep the business going? If they are VoIP phones, they most likely will. Again, it’s important to ask your phone administrator before disaster occurs.
• BDR Education
  Maybe you don’t know it, but Intelinet Systems offers our customers an amazing BDR (Backup Disaster Recovery) Solution. Do you have a comprehensive BDR Solution Plan? If not, GET ONE… It’s easy to justify the cost – If you lost your servers and data, the $400‒$500 is well beyond worth it!
• Discuss Various Storage Options
  Is your data stored correctly? Is it set up in a redundant fashion (meaning you have 2 copies of it)? If not, DO IT! Trust me, this is a big one and you’ll thank me later.
• Test Your BDR Processes
  Don’t just trust that your BDR plan is solid—do a test restore and request the data from your BDR solution provider to make sure it’s REALLY going to work in the event of an emergency.

Although these are all important details to consider, they’re just some of the tips and tricks that will aid in a smooth disaster recovery. For more details, please call Jeff Wheeler @ 972-331-3311 or email me: jwheeler@intelinetsystems.com

Providing Solutions for Real Results,

Jeff Wheeler
Managing Partner, VCIO

At Intelinet Systems our mission is to exceed your technology needs and expectations with our proven solutions, knowledgeable support staff, industry leading consulting and sales services, and skilled technical experts.