As you begin to undertake your disaster recovery planning, you may start to wonder what you’re actually planning for. What kind of disaster could really do that much damage? If you live near the shore, perhaps you could encounter problems from a serious storm like Hurricane Sandy. If you live in the Midwest, you could be exposed to damage during tornado season. But how often do these headlining-type disasters really happen? The reality is that those kinds of disasters may spur you into action, but the actual disaster your company may face could look very different.
The Everyday Disaster
Imagine, for a moment, that your company is just one floor below another company’s kitchen. Just above where your data center is located sits their “industrial-strength” dishwasher. Now imagine one Friday evening, the dishwasher encounters a plumbing issue or a clog. By Monday morning, your data center could easily be awash in five inches of water.
Not sure that could happen to you? Here’s another fairly common scenario. Your property manager has hired a contractor to rewire a few electrical circuits. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and by morning, your entire data center is dark, or filled with smoke and fumes.
It may seem impossible, but every single day, there are activities that may seem harmless, but could cause serious setbacks inside companies. From the ceiling collapsing because of a over-weight jewelry safe upstairs, to the failed pumps of your chilled water supply, the kinds of disasters your company could face are very real. They just don’t always involve tsunamis or nuclear meltdowns.
No matter what the disaster, though, the proper disaster recovery plan can mean the difference between instant recovery and weeks of lost business.
