Disaster Recovery Planning 101 – Full Guide for SMEs

A professional disaster recovery plan provides a data safety net if things should go wrong. SMEs often underestimate the likelihood and impact of downtime on business, as a result of data loss or other IT system failures. Sudden power loss, server crashes or even cyber attacks can put a halt to business operations and have long lasting effects on your overall operation. Customers can lose trust, employees become frustrated and efficiency will drop. All this can be avoided with disaster recovery planning, tailored to the unique requirements of an SME. Our 101 guide to DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service) will explore options and solutions to keep your data and business safe.

What is Disaster Recovery Planning? 

A few examples of these IT disasters could be: 

 – Hardware failure (physical damage to the computer, server crash, manufacturing defects, or overheating) 

  – Cyberattacks (Ransomware, malware, data breach, hacking)

  – Natural Disasters (Floods, fire, earthquake) 

  – Human errors (accidental deletion of important files)

Key terms to know in Disaster Recovery Planning 

• Backup – A copy of your data that can be restored in case the original data is lost or damaged. 
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) – How fast you need to get your system back on track online after a disruption. 

         Eg: “Our website must be up and running within 2 hours following the system crash.”

• Recovery Point Objective (RPO)- The  maximum amount of time a system can tolerate data loss after a disruption.

         Eg: “We can lose only up to 1 hour of sales data if the system “crashes.

• Redundancy: Having back up  systems or servers that can be used if the primary system fails. 
• Failover: A process that automatically switches to standby when the main system fails, ensuring continuity of service. 
• Business Continuity: The organization’s ability to keep its operations going during or after a disruption.

Understanding DRaaS Approaches and Models

Organisations often implement disaster recovery plans based on their IT infrastructure, compliance needs, and budget. There are 4 main models which include On-premises, Off-site, Hybrid, and DRaaS.

On-Premises Disaster Recovery:

In this model, all data backup and recovery infrastructure is located in the organisation’s own internal data center. Important applications, servers, and data are duplicated in local hardware. If there is a failure, organisations can switch to those internal backups for recovery. This is best for large enterprises with strong IT teams for on-site data storage. 

Off-site Disaster Recovery:

In this model, all data backup or replicas of data are stored at a remote data center or a secondary location. Here, data is continuously backed up at another geographical location. If there is a failure at the primary site, then systems are restored from this remote site. This is best for organisations that have moderate cost control and are looking for geographical redundancy.

Hybrid Disaster Recovery:

This approach includes, combination of on-premises and public cloud resources. In this, critical workloads and data are replicated between private infrastructure (the company’s own data center) and public cloud, such as AWS or Azure. If the primary on-site fails due to a disaster, then the operations can be quickly shifted to a cloud environment.

DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service)

DRaaS is like renting a disaster recovery plan from the cloud. Instead of managing all servers, backups, and recovery systems yourself, a DRaaS provider like Venom IT will take care of everything directly. It acts as a cloud computing service model that allows SMEs ad larger companies to back up their data and IT infrastructure in a secure, 3rd party cloud computing environment.

How can IT Providers help build your Disaster Recovery Plan?

Many SMEs don’t have in-house IT expertise or even resources to build one from scratch. This is where disaster recovery specialists can step in, from building the infrastructure that keeps your data secure, to actioning and restoring following any issues. DRaaS planning specialists help in a number of ways:

       1. Evaluating Business Risks and Critical Systems- An DRaaS  provider first starts identifying the most critical systems,                    applications, servers, and data. They assess what downtime would cost your business and then define Disaster Time Recovery (RTO)  and Disaster Point Recovery (RPO). (See our guide to what these terms mean further up)

      2. Designing a custom-made Disaster Recovery Strategy- No two organizations are alike. A good IT provider will customize a Disaster recovery plan based on the organization’s business type, budget, and size. Hence, it can be on-premises, off-site, or even hybrid. They will choose the right model which will offer affordability and flexibility. Eg: For SMEs, DRaaS is the best option.

     3. Implementing Backup and Cloud Solutions – They set up automated backups, replication of data, and cloud storage, ensuring your data is safely copied to a secondary location. So, if your main system fails, your business will not be affected.

      4. Testing the Recovery Plan- A plan written on paper needs to be tested in the real world to check that it works properly. Your IT        provider will simulate disaster scenarios and check everything works. Whether backup gets stored, applications load, servers run            properly, and the team knows how to work. Regular testing helps in keeping updated with tech and business changes.

      5. 24/7 Customer Support and Monitoring –IT Disasters can occur at any time, even after business hours. IT providers like Venom  IT offer 24/7 monitoring and provide quick response, ensuring your system remains safe during downtime or a cyberattack.

      6. Ensuring Compliance and Security –Many industries have strict data protection and compliance standards. IT providers stick to  the right protocols in their disaster recovery plans, so your business stays out of legal trouble.

Our approach to Disaster Recovery Planning – 4 key steps

     1.  Consultation: To understand your requirements, current IT configuration, and problems, we will schedule a friendly and                      straightforward consultation meeting. 

     2. Tailored Proposal: With an understanding of what solution will work best, we will put together a proposal plan that fits your          business needs, which includes a technical audit. 

    3. Onboarding and Initial Setup: Once you’re ready, our tech team will move to implementing the recommended plan. They will do installation, manage full systems implementation, oversee data migration, and build integration with the cloud. 

    4. Continuous Support: With the above successfully completed, a dedicated and experienced  account manager will stay in touch as a point of contact, monitor performance, and make sure your new  system is always running at its best.

Professional Grade Data Recovery

Venom IT works with some of the leading DRaaS software systems to make sure your business works with complete protection and best performance. They include: 

• Microsoft Azure Site Recovery
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) Disaster Recovery
• Veeam Disaster Recovery as a Service

Common Disaster Recovery Planning Pitfalls and how to avoid them

Even with the best intentions, a disaster recovery plan can fail if a few small things are neglected. This is why it’s imperative to use an expert IT provider such as Venom IT. These are some of the common mistakes businesses can make, and  how we can avoid them.

• No thorough testing of the recovery plan

Many companies create a disaster recovery plan but fail to test it again and again. When an actual disaster strikes, they discover that half of the plan did not work as expected. 

How to avoid it: Schedule regular testing at least twice a year. Create different disaster scenarios as trials, so your team knows exactly what to do and can fill the gaps immediately.

• Outdated Backups

If there is an old or incomplete backup, it won’t help much during a crisis. 

How to avoid it: Automate backups wherever possible and check that they are running successfully. Also, test restoring your data occasionally and make sure the backups are usable.

• Relying on a single location

If all your data and systems are stored at one location, then you’re putting everything at risk. 

How to avoid it: Consider using cloud-based Disaster recovery, like DRaaS or hybrid systems. In this way, even if the main system fails, you can access your data easily.

• Ignoring Human error

We always focus on technical errors, but forget that even humans can make mistakes. Deleting files, clicking on misleading links, etc.

How to avoid it: Train your employees regularly on cybersecurity practices and also set up permission-based access to critical data.

• Poor communication during downtime

When systems go down, there is a lot of confusion. Teams don’t understand what is happening, and even customers are left in the dark. 

How to avoid it: Define clear communication in your disaster recovery plan, which includes who should be informed and when. Also, keep all contact lists updated.

What comes next? 

Disaster recovery is ultimately all about keeping your company safe, secure, and prepared for a number of scenarios no SME wants to deal with. Venom IT is an award winning provider of disaster recovery planning,  and understand that SMEs may have limited funding and resources. In order to detect potential risks, pinpoint weak points in the current setup, and create a customized disaster recovery plan that meets your company’s demands, we are providing a FREE disaster recovery audit. 

Take the first step towards data safety and business continuity by scheduling your free disaster recovery audit with Venom IT right now.