Business downtime can be extremely costly. Just one day offline can be hundreds if not thousands of pounds lost. And this only gets worse as time continues. This is why it is imperative to have measures in place to combat downtime, put together in a comprehensive disaster recovery plan.
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CAUSES OF BUSINESS DOWNTIME
Before you can begin to put measures in place to combat downtime, you need to understand the reasons for this occurring. Some of the main causes of downtime include:
- UPS battery failure
- Cyber attack
- Weather-related
- Human error
- IT equipment failure
- Heat / CRAC failure
- UPS capacity exceeded
- Water incursion
- CDU / Circuit breaker failure
These are some of the main reasons for business downtime. UPS battery failure is arguably the most common, but human error and exceeding UPS capacity aren’t far behind. Cyber-attacks are also on the rise. It seems that a day does not go by without news of a data breach of some sort. Hackers are getting more and more sophisticated with their approach too, which is why robust defenses are a must.
HOW TO MINIMIZE DOWNTIME FOR YOUR COMPANY
Now that you are aware of some of the most common causes of business downtime, it is important to put some measures in place to ensure your business can get up and running again as soon as possible.
The first thing you need to do is put together a disaster recovery plan. This is a document that will state all of the steps you need to take should a catastrophic failure happen. There are three key aspects your plan should cover: the data, communication, and people.
With regards to data, your plan should cover backup options and regular reviews. You also need to decide on intercompany communication methods to use if you cannot enter your office, and make a contact list you can access if you are online. Finally, for the part concerning people, you need to decide roles and responsibilities.
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Now is also a good opportunity to find the best company to provide you with network support services. If you do not have the expertise in-house, the last thing you want to do is go through the hassle of trying to find expert assistance once the worst happens. You need to have this in place beforehand.
Other important steps to take include performing a risk assessment and regular tests of your vital systems on your computer network. This includes your network server, UPS and backup systems. You should also conduct routine maintenance on your computer systems too. Use the latest security patches to keep your server and computer systems updated.
Downtime can cost your business a small fortune. In fact, a lot of businesses do not come back from significant downtime and consequential data loss. This is why you need to be prepared. Follow the tips that have been mentioned above to make sure your business can reduce the impact of any potential downtime in the future.
