How to convince companies to backup data 8

[KimberTech]

Suggestions?

I routinely refuse to work on systems and servers because the backup is either absent or not verified.
Most of the time I end up doing a backup myself before I start to protect myself from liability.

Does anyone have any ideas for policy or a "script" for convincing people to protect critical data?

I have tried the "what if" scenarios on them, but they always think it is going to happen to someone else.

I am all ears! There is no such thing as a dumb question. Only a dumb mistake because you didn't ask...

 

[KimberTech]

Peter,

This is an excellent article.

I am going to link to this in my next email promotion to my current clients. Perhaps if they wont listen to me, they will pay attention and realize that we ALL need to protect our valuable information.

Funnily enough, it is quite often in my experience that the TECHNICAL people are the WORST for backing up!
I suppose we are better equipped to get the data back if required, in some instances, but fire and flood are not preferencial when it comes to destroying one's belongings is it?

Any other ideas for convincing companies to do backup or for policies etc to protect ourselves much appreciated.
If I could be so bold, I would like to request that perhaps if someone were willing to share a snip of a current contract-non identifying please-it could be e-mailed to me.
I would prefer that it were not posted here.

I think I have enough information, but the wording can be tricky.

Again, thank you to ALL members who have shared time and experience while helping answer my post. I truly appreciate it! The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know!
Kimber

 

[KimberTech]

KimberTech's e-mail address

kpe@rogers.com
The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know!
Kimber

 

[Zarcom]

Jeez pEte didn't know this was a personal issue.

I may have gone off on a bit of a rant. I was just disputing the idea that was mentioned of charging more than your regular amount to teach someone a lesson.

I didn't believe it was right, which goes to the last part of my post. Convince your clients to backup don't scare them into it. That'l do donkey, that'l do
Mark

 

[petermeachem]

hello. It wasn't me. I wouldn't do that. Read back. I was the one who got the discount for my customer. The teach them a lesson one was the father of a friend of my daughter. Wish I'd never mentioned it.
Bit of a rant was it. I'd hate to be downwind of you in full flow!! Peter Meachem
peter @ accuflight.com

 

[Zarcom]

I think... we may be arguing about being on the same side then. Sorry to go off I do that on occassion. Prolly been reading to many daily victim stories.

http://www.gamespy.com/dailyvictim

That'l do donkey, that'l do
Mark

 

[petermeachem]

That's ok. It's mostly me I'm afraid. I've had a very stroppy week. I'm writing a help file which is not tremendously interesting.
I like that last dailyvictim. Must get on, must get on. Peter Meachem
peter @ accuflight.com

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

I didn't read the entire thread. I would just let time takes it's course. I am sure you have tried many senarios. How about explaining this to them. All payroll information, gone. All tax information, gone. Government after you for not paying enough taxes, company gone. Backing up data as we all know if VERY critical. If you loose more than a day's work, you loose that many days worth of work trying to enter it all back in.

This might work better. Show them how much it costs to use a service to restore data from harddrives. I believe it is upwords of tens of thousands of dollars. Mike Wills
IBM iSeries (AS/400) Programmer

http://www.koldark.net

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know.

 

[KimberTech]

Koldark...

As I stated before...I have tried the whatif scenarios....but it is a bad case of "it will happen to someone else" syndrome...a common ailment of managers everywhere.

Accounting data...the only copy....on Floppy disk only...overwritten every night.

Where is the disk kept?
Wherever it gets thrown....managers desk etc etc
So easy to have a corrupted diskette...but to no avail.

I have had to satisfy myself that eventually there will be an I told you so....cover my butt...and be there when it is time to run to the rescue.
I was not able to back this one up because the repair that was needed was file deletion on a very small hard disk...it was too full.
I did what I could with the system and temp stuff...but the rest of it has to be moved or just deleted.
Can't do anything until that is done....and I haven't had a phone call yet.

Thanks for all your posts.....I will keep monitoring this thread...and hopefully get an email or two with terminology help for my service contract.

Kimber

The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know!

 

[edfair]

You could sneak in a small ram disk and write it out there also. At least there would be another copy until power was pulled. Might save them if they didn't do something stupid.
What you describe is a ticking time bomb. Be careful. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.