The thought of disaster recovery is never an easy one. To be prepared for disaster recovery, effective organizations have one thing in common: they begin with a 5 Star Systems List that helps give everyone involved a common starting point.
The List
Often called an IT Asset List or Applications List, the idea of putting this information together isn’t quite as daunting as you might imagine. It could even be gathered from the documentation you already have on hand. Whether you take it from a product catalog, your application support agenda, or other documentation, the key is to make certain that you build the list and it’s kept updated and complete.
The Rationale Behind the List
Your 5 Star Systems List will serve as a starting point for your IT department in the event a disaster does occur, but it can do much more than that. It may help you to focus on what you’re currently maintaining and running for users. It may also help you to learn exactly what your current efforts are. What’s more, though, a list like this can help to bridge the gap between what your users find important on a day-to-day basis and what your IT staff manages, operates, and enhances each day.
Building Your List
As you start the process of creating your list within your IT department, it’s important to note that you’ll likely have a mix of applications and technical components, which may include hardware, servers, appliances, network components, and storage devices. Mid-sized companies usually have more than one hundred applications on their list and several hundred technological components.
No one wants to think about disaster in any terms, but a 5 Star Systems List can help you think about disaster recovery in concrete terms that help you learn more about which systems need to be recovered immediately.
