The Service of Disaster Recovery Site

Most of the companies regularly back-up their data and store it‘s copies in a remote data center or in another specialized location, e.g. bank or security company. If company’s IT infrastructure is irreparably damaged or becomes unavailable for other reasons (theft, vandalism, etc.) do we think of how quickly it would be possible to make use of backup copies and restore disrupted IT systems? In order to restore IT systems we need:

- to procure new servers that are compliant with the software used;
- to find a location for server placement;
- to secure the functioning of a computer network, power supply, cooling;
- to install and configure operating systems;
- to install and configure databases;
- to restore data from back up copies.
 

These tasks may require weeks or, taking into account the long equipment delivery terms, even few months. Such duration of the disruption of IT systems might negatively affect the operations of a company or organization.

For the solution of the problem we offer a service of disaster recovery site – resources for temporary IT system hosting and start-up.  While using the service, virtual servers that operate in customer’s infrastructure are regularly copied to Blue Bridge data center. In the event of an accident, customer’s IT systems can be quickly restored under the framed plan and used for business operations.

UNIQUENESS ON THE MARKET

This is a new service in the Lithuanian market – a combination of measures that allow restoring the full functionality of IT infrastructure. Data archiving solutions, often used by companies, protect important information but does not answer the question of where this information should be restored if IT equipment is damaged? The service of disaster recovery site solves this problem: provides IT resources, restores data and, until the consequences of an incident are removed, adjust IT systems for the company’s activities. 

 

FUNCTIONALITY

Service consists of three components:
1. The copies of customer’s data, servers and software, stored in a data center.
2.  Data center resources reserved for the restoration of customers’ IT systems (processors, memory, disk space, network access).
3. System recovery plan: an action plan, following which the systems are restored and access to the restored IT systems is ensured.  

 

IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLE

This service is recommended for elimination of such risk factors as: hardware failure of critical IT system; system errors; fire; flooding, theft of hardware, etc.
Example: In the upper storey of a building where the customer’s data center is located occurs a fire. Firefighters extinguish the fire using water and thus the data center is flooded. The flooded hardware gets out of order irreparably. The data center stops running.
 

Customer’s IT infrastructure is restored in virtual space of Blue Bridge data center using the back-up copies of data, servers and software. Following a framed plan the systems are configured so that via encrypted internet channel they are available to company’s employees.

Using this solution company can continue its operations. And at the same tame take action to liquidate the consequences of an incident: reconstruct the space where servers are located, procure hardware, restore data, etc. If the liquidation of consequences is very expensive, the temporary solution can be modified and further used as the main IT infrastructure of a company.  

 

BENEFITS

- There is no need to buy and store a back-up hardware;
- Back-up copies are stored in a remote and safe location;
- Secured operations of critical IT systems and  business continuity;
- Secured operations of IT systems without having or having lost the Harare part of server systems.  


FAQ
 

What are the necessary conditions for using this service?
We can copy and restore data of both physical and virtualizes infrastructure. In both cases, the system compatibility test has to be performed as well as the assessment of whether customer’s IT infrastructure can be restored in the virtual space of the data center.
Depending on the systems and the amount of data, the service can be provided via an encrypted internet channel or a leased line (in Vilnius city).

What are the stages in the process of service delivery?
The stages of service delivery:
- planning;
- analysis of existing systems;
- documentation of the solution;
- designing the scheme of the solution;
- testing of the solution under real conditions.

Is the solution tested regularly?
In order to ensure the reliability of the solution when customer is using the service, the pilot recovery and launch of customer’s systems would be performed once every three months.