Posted by Jason Baron
Information Technology is littered with acronyms. It can be a daunting task for someone whose job doesn't focus on IT to decrypt the jargon. I hope to demystify some of the more common acronyms related to Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity as a quick reference for those who have no desire to commit this alphabet soup to memory.
Quick ReferenceDR - Disaster Recovery
RTO - Recovery Time Objective
RPO - Recovery Point Objective
DR: Hell or High WaterDisaster Recovery (DR) is an often under-funded and under-planned aspect of a company's Information Systems infrastructure. A good DR strategy goes far beyond just a company's data backup solution. DR and data backup are not synonymous and should not be interchanged. A backup solution is focused on the backup, archiving and recovery of files, email, system settings, databases, etc., whereas a DR plan address data backup and recovery, as well as the provisioning of replacement hardware, temporary office space or remote access, etc.
RTO: The Downtime DilemmaA company's Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines the length of time from when a disaster strikes to the time when the company is able to recover some or all of its business operations. RTO does not have to be designed using an all-or-nothing approach. For example, a company that does heavy online transaction processing might want its web site and database servers back up immediately, while its email system can wait a few hours. Conversely, a company whose business is centered on customer relations would likely want its email and phone system functional, while file access and database access might be a few hours behind.
The best way to meet a very short RTO is to have the right equipment and/or facilities already provisioned before a disaster occurs. Data center providers offer everything from rack space for servers and network equipment, to DR hot-sites with desks and workstations at the ready. Additionally, advances in virtualization technology have made the cloning and provisioning of systems fairly simple, expedient and cost effective. Lastly, several compliance solution providers offer Web-based email access while the company's primary messaging system is unavailable.
RPO: The Disappearing Data DilemmaA company's Recovery Point Objective (RPO) defines how current the available data will be. As mentioned above, this varies from company to company based on what applications are absolutely necessary for business to resume in some capacity. A company may be able to have up-to-the-minute data if they implement replication software or use storage-based replication. Most of these solutions offer continuous replication to make available up to the minute data, as well as point-in-time snapshots, to allow for recovery in the event of data corruption.
The less optimal solution is recovery of data from backup media, which may not suit the needs of a business. As it's very likely that backup jobs run over the course of an evening, a disaster occurring during midday, or worse, just shortly before the next backup occurs, could cause a company to lose an entire day's worth of data. If that data includes financial transactions, the loss could be extremely detrimental to the reputation of the company.
One can't emphasize enough how important it is for a company to draft a detailed DR strategy with clearly defined, realistic RTO and RPO requirements within given budget constraints to ensure the appropriate level of business continuity should there be an unforeseen disaster. Remember, as RTO gets smaller and RPO approaches data that is current as of the moment disaster strikes, the DR solutions that will meet these requirements are likely to become more costly and complex. Once a strategy is defined, it is a matter of finding the right people to help meet these objectives using an appropriate solution. Doing so means the difference between a swift, well organized return to business proceedings and hours to days of downtime coupled with user and customer frustration. Choose wisely.
Posted by Matt Stocking
Welsh Consulting continues to set itself apart by earning its fifth Microsoft competency.
Welsh Consulting, a leading provider of IT strategy, project consulting and computer system support to small and mid-sized businesses today announced the addition of its fifth competency in Unified Communications. As a Gold Certified Partner, Welsh Consulting has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and the proven ability to meet client's needs.
This certification marks the fourth year that Welsh Consulting has maintained its Gold Certified Partner Status. Gold Certified Partner status is dependent upon Welsh Consulting receiving high marks from client references for completed projects, high client satisfaction survey results and staff certification requirements.
Welsh Consulting is now certified in the following competencies:
- Advanced Infrastructure Solutions
- Network Infrastructure Solutions
- Information Worker Solutions
- Unified Communications
- Small Business Specialist
"Achieving and maintaining this Partner level is an achievement we take very seriously. Microsoft products are an integral part of our clients' computer environments, so it's imperative that we maintain the highest level of partnership available in the Microsoft Partner Program," states Matt Stocking, Vice President with Welsh Consulting.
About Welsh Consulting:
Welsh Consulting has been providing IT strategy, project consulting and computer system support to small and mid-sized businesses since 1984. Services include strategic computer system audits, computer system support, network design and implementation services, relocation and office build-out services, network monitoring, security, storage and remote access solutions.
Posted by Matt Stocking
Starting about a month ago, we, along with many of our clients, began receiving extremely high numbers of non-delivery receipt (NDR) email notifications.
Correctly generated, NDRs are a helpful way of being notified of email transmission problems. The NDRs in question however, are being generated by spammers falsifying the "FROM" address of an email. NDRs can be generated for many different reasons. Two valid reasons are:
1) if an email is sent to an address that does not exist
2) if the receiving email server has a system in place to determine if the "FROM" address matches the Internet address that is assigned to that domain
If either of these conditions are met an NDR is generated. When the NDR is generated, it needs an email address to respond to and the only address available is the one in the "FROM" field. An NDR is then sent to the user's address that was "spoofed".
Spammers have used these methods to create large amounts of NDRs which slow down business and deny email service.
While we were able to manually resolve this issue for ourselves and our clients, by tweaking settings within Postini, Postini officially released this Technical Bulletin on May 6, 2008 addressing the issue.
Posted by Matt Stocking
It's our experience that most companies don't take advantage of the full functionality of the IT systems that they use to run their businesses? While their systems are "working", key product features are not enabled, thus resulting in either decreased employee productivity or increased IT support costs.
These findings are the result of either strategic computer systems audits or a result of our initial assessment of client's networks once we begin providing ongoing computer system support.
The following are a representative sample of frequently misconfigured or unutilized product features:
Volume Shadow Copy - a built-in component of Windows Server software - allows all users to have all their documents regularly backed up on a scheduled basis, with multiple versions available for restore without IT intervention. Example: a CFO makes changes to a spreadsheet at 2pm, doesn't catch the mistake until 4:30 and has already saved over the current version. With Volume Shadow Copy, the prior version(s) are available for restore!
Exchange Server 2003/Exchange Server 2007 - in addition to personal email and calendars, Exchange can be configured to allow "resources" such as conference rooms and other physical assets like projectors and laptops to be reserved or scheduled for use during a meeting.
Distributed File System (DFS) - another built-in component of Windows Server software - allows all corporate data to be stored on multiple servers, yet still appear to end-users to be in one location, simplifying the search and retrieval of data.
Print Management - all company network printers can be managed from one centrally located console. Printers can then be deployed via Microsoft Group Policy, thereby decreasing IT support costs.
Windows SharePoint Services - a free tool included with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 that allows for information sharing and document collaboration.
Properly implemented, these built-in features of Windows Server and Exchange Server can greatly improve employee productivity and help to minimize administrative tasks associated with the management of your computer systems.
Posted by Matt Stocking
Welsh Consulting, an IT consulting firm specializing in providing IT strategy, ongoing support and project consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses, has formed a new partnership agreement with
EqualLogic.
EqualLogic is the leading provider of enterprise-class midrange storage area network (SAN) solutions that provide enterprises of all sizes the best return on investment in the storage industry.
EqualLogic's iSCSI SAN solutions offer an affordable, easy-to-manage alternative to traditional storage systems which gives customers a range of choices in performance, capacity and cost. EqualLogic's dynamic virtual storage technology delivers simple set up, automated management, reliable data protection, on-demand scalability and multiple tiers of storage in a single SAN.
"We've watched our clients' data storage requirements grow exponentially. Being able to provide them with solutions like the ones which EqualLogic provides helps our clients by not only giving them a cost effective means of storing data, but also an effective tool for retrieving that data when needed and backing it up to secondary and tertiary locations without having to look outside of the EqualLogic suite of products," writes Matt Stocking, Welsh Consulting's Vice President. "Having been acquired by Dell, we're confident that the EqualLogic product line will have both the staying power and support infrastructure on which both we and our clients depend."
Posted by Matt Stocking
Maybe we're a bit biased, since this is our area of expertise, but more often than not IT is an afterthought for many small and midsized businesses when undertaking an office move. Engaging your in-house IT staff or computer network consultants early in the planning process will ensure that your new office space is ready to go when your move date arrives.
Keep these suggestions in mind the next time you plan to move:
1) Don't assume that your architect is going to provide the appropriate amount of space for your servers and networking equipment. Advising your architect of your space, cooling, power and physical security requirements before final blue prints are approved is a must. Your computer system support provider can assist with these calculations. However, it's certainly important to verify that your IT staff or IT support company has experience doing this work.
2) Include IT in your build-out meetings. I can't begin to tell you some of the things that have come up during these meetings. Over the years, I've had to point out missing power outlets and data connections, question why sprinkler heads were located directly above the future location of server racks and why architects did not plan to place a lockable door on a room that contained tens of thousands of dollars in computer equipment.
3) Order new Internet service early. A new T1 Internet connection will typically require 4-6 weeks lead time once the order for new service is placed. Ordering this service is your responsibility as the tenant. Even if Internet service is being provided to the current tenant (if there is one), you'll need to arrange for new service to be installed well in advance of your move date.
4) Test, Test, Test. Your IT support staff should test your new Internet connection, as well as any newly purchased equipment prior to your move date. Doing so will help to avoid any last minute surprises.
While there are numerous contingencies to consider, engaging IT early in the process will help to ensure a problem free office move.