Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1012043
THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL | 9 www.datacenterjournal.com e key to a good DR test is that the whole infrastruc- ture be involved; testing small, disjointed elements doesn't necessarily serve as a comparison with a real-life outage, which may affect the entire environment. CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATE YOUR DR PLAN An important aspect of a DR plan is its ability to be a dynamic and evolving strategy that's open to improvement and evaluation. Because IT environments are constantly changing, continual assessment of the DR plan signals a stark move away from the realms of disaster recovery and into the concept of IT resilience, challenging companies to not only be prepared for downtime but also embrace change and data mobility. Woodforest National Bank is a perfect example of DR planning and data mobility working together to create a fully resilient IT environment in the face of potential hurricanes. In 2008, its primary data center was hit by Hurricane Ike; it had to rely on generator power for 10 days while the city recovered. As a result, because of its proximity to the Texas coastline and to truly protect customer data, Woodforest moves its entire data center every six months to protect it from hurricane season. In June, at the start of the season, all production applications preemptively move to a secondary site in Austin, Texas, then return to the primary site by mid- to late October, avoiding hurricane season. e bank uses IT-resilience technology to make this transition successful every year, and if a hurricane strikes the coastline, it can rest assured that all of its systems are protected. If you must activate your DR plan owing to unfortunate circumstances, you should always conduct a post-downtime review. is evaluation gives your IT team executing the plan an opportunity to see what worked, what didn't, what can be improved and how to prevent downtime in the future. is approach is exactly how Woodforest was able to establish its data-mobility schedule as part of its DR plan, in response to the damage that Ike caused. As we sit in the middle of hurricane season 2018, organizations in the path of hurricanes must be conscious of the potential damage and take steps to protect themselves. In today's data-dependent world, continuous availability of critical applications and data is the only way for companies to maintain, if not increase, their competitiveness, all while keeping customers at the core of their operational focus. n About the Author: Gijsbert Janssen van Doorn is a technology evangelist at Zerto. If you must activate your DR plan owing to unfortunate circumstances, you should always conduct a post-downtime review. This evaluation gives your IT team executing the plan an opportunity to see what worked, what didn't, what can be improved and how to prevent downtime in the future. This approach is exactly how Woodforest was able to establish its data-mobility schedule as part of its DR plan, in response to the damage that Ike caused. Simplify operations with reduced installation time. HARTING Han-Eco ® - The Power Supply Standard for Data Center Racks The Industry is moving to standardize designs with modular solutions that enable interoperability and an open platform. At HARTING, we have set the industry standard for Data Center connector solutions. Learn more at: HARTING-U.com/category/industrial-connectivity Cable gland Space-saving rectangular shaped hood with size options Modular inserts with different pin configurations. Easy installation with snap-in frame Space-saving rectangular shaped housing with size options Crimp pins Cable