Looking for a Disaster Recovery Solution

[Guest_imported]

I'm looking for a disaster recovery plan. Here's the criteria I've been given:

-cheap software
-minimal PC saviness required

More specifically, my boss wants a testing tool. She wants a simulator that is preferably similar to a game. I have been searching but have not found anything like this. Does anyone have a recommendation that fits any of these specifications?

 

[chiph]

Maybe I don't understand what she's looking for - a disaster recovery simulator??

Why not simply turn a couple of PCs off for the day (lock up their power cords!), and pretend that they got destroyed in a hurricane. Then see what it would take to get the business back running.

Chip H.

 

[AIXSPadmin]

Are you just looking for software? or are you also wanting a procedure? DR involves more than just software, which of course you would be talking backups. MS already has backup software for Windows that you can choose to install. Or do you want network backups? How many machines are you backing up? Are they workstations? Or are they file servers?

The company I work for has 4 IBM 390 Mainframes, around 90 AIX/6000 SP nodes, 30 Sun/Solaris Enterprise Servers, 250 NT Servers, and thousands of workstations. The workstations have network drives connected that use Tivoli Storage Manager to backup, though local drives of course are not backed up. The AIX/Sun servers also backup to TSM. Oracle databases are backed up using OBSI Backtrack. We also use DB2 and Sybase databases that are backed up.

We of course have 2 annual DR tests at an IBM BCRS site and there are people dedicated to the tests and everything around them, including contracts and making sure the correct configurations are there for testing (i.e., DASD, memory, high node, thin node, etc). They also plan for which nodes are going to be recoverd in the tests. That is which systems are business critical for the company to stay in business.

So, besides just software, you asked for a disaster recovery plan. Much planning to do, and backups are critical because they may be needed anytime, not just for a disaster.

 

[Sifer]

DR is a big subject and is unique to every company. Software and hardware only play a supporting role and can be quite expensive. Ask yourself or your boss these sorts of questions.
- What level of disaster? A dead hard drive or the building burning down?
- What specific systems (computer and business) are to be covered in the plan?

I don't know of any simulators. Only drills like a fire drill. for instance, part of our plan is to periodically recall a tape from our off-site tape storage contractor and restore the tape to ensure there is no corruption or other problem with the backup process. As you may guess, this protects our data from fire. Insurance can replace any buildings or equipment we have lost but it can't replace our intellectual property. What's the use of making a tape of everything if it is destroyed in the fire too?

 

[AIXSPadmin]

The SANS Institute Reading Room under Disaster Recovery has some good articles on DR. You will need to register and receive a password for the reading room, but it is well worth it. There are numerous other topics available in the Reading Room.

 

[pansophic]

Oh, and don't forget to call it a "Business Continuity Plan" instead of Disaster Recovery. We must keep up with the latest trends in buzz words!

pansophic

 

[sarahol]

I'm not sure your boss knows what she really wants.

a) A Plan? You build one. You can use a template (eg: BCP Generator) software or just write one (if you knwo what you are doing)

b) A testing tool? How do you test a BCP with a tool? I guess the closest is an audit toolkit of some sort.

She sound like she wants some sort of magical mystery game that will produce all things for DR/BC planning. Forget it.

The best I can suggest is to look at somewhere like The Disaster Recover Shop (

http://www.disaster-recovery-plan.com

) which offers planning tools... but nothing 'like a game'!

 

[IntrepidLeader]

Haven't got a clue what your boss is asking for. Can suggest a publication and its Web site that covers about every topic related to disaster recovery planning and business continuity. It's Disaster Recovery Journal and its Website is

http://www.drj.com.

 

[brice10]

AIXSPadmin- Do you plan to be at SHARE San Francisco next week, if so, I would like to speak to you about several things if you could stop by our booth. You could call at 918-269-8586 and I'll explain. Didn't have a direct email for you, so sorry to post this here.

Regarding the question of Disaster Recovery Planning, I agree that there is no cookbook or cookie cutter approach. You might also be able to get some details off of the IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services, or Sungard, web sites. These guys focus their livelihood on Disaster Recovery services and might have some light reading on this topic, but I wouldn't expect to find any tools right off the shelf that will do what your boss is asking. Most large companies have teams of IT personnel that do nothing but focus on Continuity Planning/Disaster Recovery. How big is your organization? It might make sense to look outside to third parties to consult with your boss in this area at some point in time, because even if you find a template somewhere, it was most likely created for a specific client somewhere else that has completely different circumstances than your company.

Brad

 

[Guest_imported]

Call EMC Corp. DR is what they do. All day long.