Failing to choose the right disaster recovery partner can be – well, disastrous! For example, when companies suddenly find themselves having to move masses of data. Sometimes their service provider collapses for either financial or structural reasons. You have to be sure that your data is safe at all times. And if you can recover it if there is a problem. How do you choose the right disaster recovery partner? Start by asking the following questions when speaking to prospective service providers.
How will you ensure the protection of critical data?
Each company’s requirements are unique. Your DR provider should work with you to understand your systems. You need to communicate a thorough understanding of what data is critical. Your DR provider should devise a data protection plan that fits your needs perfectly.
How often do you test your DR systems and how do you coordinate this?
Systems should be tested at least once a year. A good provider will work alongside your IT team to keep up to date with changes in the environment and make adjustments as needed, in a proactive manner. They will also keep a close watch on your user experience, as the test will be a good indicator of what would happen in a real DR scenario.
Is your backend infrastructure equipped to handle my workload in the event of disaster recovery?
If there is a disaster, your operations will have to revert seamlessly to working from the DR data center. Not all providers are equipped to deal with this, though. Ask upfront if they have the tools necessary to ensure that your business carries on running during a DR scenario and if they know how to allocate their resources efficiently so as to facilitate client workloads.
Other points…
You could also ask how the provider measures service level agreement (SLA) performance and delivery, and how they will meet your recovery point objectives (RPO). These are all crucial, non-negotiable elements of disaster recovery.
Grace Federal Solutions is a healthcare consulting solutions provider that offers a range of support services to the healthcare industry, including IT support and disaster recovery. Contact us for more information.
