Disaster Recovery Plans and Data Recovery Alternatives

Generally, disaster recovery, when applied to business continuity planning, can be defined as the process, policies, procedures, and plans of restoring operations crucial to business resumption. Disaster recovery might include regaining data access (hardware, software, and more), and regaining workspace after either a human-induced or natural disaster.

For a successful recovery of files, operation, workspace, and whatever else is needed to resume business, a disaster recovery plan must be developed. A disaster recovery plan is critical, especially when concerning data and file recovery. In the modern world of advancing information technology, a disaster recovery plan for one's computer data is essential.

The best disaster recovery plan in this case involves the use of more than one data backup system. A business' precious data should be backed up on multiple secondary data storage devices such as CD's, DVD's, and USB flash drives. Should one or more secondary data storage devices become lost or damaged, having one's data saved onto others ensures that this data is still accessible.

Another sensible disaster recovery plan involves setting up several off site data backup locations. These are other offices containing computer systems that mirror the home office's computer system. It can even be just another site where hardcopy files and secondary data storage devices are stored for safekeeping.

With this disaster recovery plan in place, disaster can strike the home office and the computer systems set up there, but the data remains safe at the off site data backup locations.

With advancements in data storage technology, another off site data backup option exists with online data storage. An online data storage provider gives its client software that encrypts it data and then sends it via the Internet to its servers. It's saved there and, even if one of the servers falls to a natural or human-induced disaster, it is still safe inside servers at other sites. The client can access the data from any computer with a working Internet connection so long as they have the decryption key.

The Internet's capacity for information is infinite and even if the home office and other off site data backup locations fall to disaster the data remains safe and accessible. The encryption keeps the data private and out of third parties' hands. So long as the client has the proper decryption key, they can identify themselves as the client or representing the client and will be able to access the data.

Obviously, this remote data backup plan utilizing the Internet is a part of any well thought out disaster recovery plan including data and file recovery. However, a working Internet connection may not always be available. As a part of this disaster recovery plan, it would be sensible to have that data also available on secondary data storage devices such as CDs and DVDs.

While online data storage is one of the most viable strategies for a disaster recovery plan, it is not the only one. A truly effective disaster plan will have several backup systems in place to help overcome whatever disasters occur and the difficulties they might present.