Disaster recovery planning and management
Planning is the number one tool a business has at its disposal to prevent a crisis. Cyber attacks and natural disasters can be unavoidable and unpredictable. If DR teams plan for the worst, they can avoid being caught off guard. Get helpful disaster recovery advice, templates and tests that will prepare your organization for almost anything.
Top Stories
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Feature
13 Dec 2024
Disaster recovery glossary: 27 terms to know
Creating a disaster recovery plan is challenging, but critical for long-term business success. DR teams and IT can benefit from understanding these 27 terms. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Dec 2024
Free network disaster recovery plan template and guide
Proper network disaster recovery planning can mean the difference between a brief disruption and extensive downtime. Download our free template to get started building a plan. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Dec 2024
Prepare your business for natural disasters with this checklist
Protect your business and employees from a natural disaster with this preparedness checklist. Plan ahead with safety protocols, emergency supplies, and training to minimize risks. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Oct 2024
When to use a mirrored site disaster recovery
Mirrored disaster recovery sites are a good fit for businesses that require rapid failover and have the right resources to build a duplicate data center. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2024
CrowdStrike outage explained: What caused it and what’s next
A CrowdStrike update caused a massive IT outage, crashing millions of Windows systems. Critical services and business operations were disrupted, revealing tech reliance risks. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2024
6 disaster recovery site requirements for businesses
Building a disaster recovery site provides organizations with a high degree of control over the facility. It also makes them responsible for several critical requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Oct 2024
4 open source emergency management tools for DR teams
Emergency management can be a hectic and expensive process. Open source tools can help keep costs down and pool information from a wide array of resources. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2024
6 open source data recovery software options to consider
Data loss can plague just about every organization, and costs of recovery can add up. Open source software tools provide a reliable, cost-effective recovery option. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Sep 2024
What is a business continuity plan (BCP)?
A business continuity plan (BCP) is a document that consists of the critical information an organization needs to continue operating during an unplanned event. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Sep 2024
Use network fault monitoring to prevent malfunctions
Network fault monitoring systems are essential tools to optimize network performance and availability. They are also key components of proactive disaster recovery. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Aug 2024
Prepare your small business for ransomware attacks
Ransomware is a threat to all organizations, but small businesses are particularly at risk. Mitigation efforts and recovery planning are key to keep smaller companies in business. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Aug 2024
What is continuous data protection (CDP)?
Continuous data protection (CDP), also known as 'continuous backup,' is a backup and recovery storage system in which all the data in an enterprise is backed up whenever any change is made. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2024
Example disaster recovery plan for small businesses
Small businesses make significant investments in IT infrastructure. They must protect those investments from unplanned and potentially destructive events with a DR plan. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Aug 2024
Software testing lessons learned from the CrowdStrike outage
After the recent CrowdStrike outage, organizations are keen to prevent and prepare for potential future disruptions. These key security and quality lessons can help. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Aug 2024
6 business continuity plan software providers to know
Business continuity planning software can help organizations create a plan that automates time-consuming processes and accounts for critical aspects such as regulatory compliance. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jul 2024
8 communications basics the CrowdStrike outage highlights
Communications are critical during an emergency. This is especially true for highly unpredictable disruptions, such as the recent CrowdStrike outage. Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Jul 2024
What is high availability (HA)? Definition and guide
High availability (HA) is the ability of a system to operate continuously for a designated period of time even if components within the system fail. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jul 2024
Should you use open source for enterprise disaster recovery?
With research and planning, businesses can benefit from using open source software for enterprise DR. But IT teams must be mindful of hidden costs and data protection capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2024
CrowdStrike outage shows business continuity still a must
Disaster recovery has centered on cyberattacks the past few years, but the CrowdStrike outage illustrates why companies can't forget about traditional business continuity. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jul 2024
8 reasons businesses have no DR plan (and why they're wrong)
In today's interconnected world, disaster recovery planning is not a luxury but a necessity for safeguarding the future of any business. Don't make the mistake of being unprepared. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Jul 2024
mirror site
A mirror site is a website or set of files on a computer server that has been copied to another computer server so that the site or files are available from more than one place. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2024
13 reasons your disaster recovery plan failed
Preventing failure is an important goal for DR teams, but disasters do not conform to how plans are designed. Familiarity with the causes of failure can help bolster a DR plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2024
6 benefits that make a disaster recovery plan worth it
Disaster recovery plans help reduce recovery time, ultimately saving time and money. Time spent testing and planning upfront pays dividends when a disaster strikes. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Jul 2024
What is risk mitigation? Strategies, plan and best practices
Risk mitigation is a strategy to prepare for and lessen the effects of threats faced by a business. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jun 2024
Avoid the high costs of downtime for small businesses
Small businesses often lack technical support and resources, but they face many of the same risks as larger companies. Strong BCDR efforts can mitigate the risks of downtime. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2024
The 4 phases of emergency management
To effectively recover from a disruptive incident, IT and DR teams must have a plan in place. This guide breaks down the four phases of an emergency management plan. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2024
Veeam executives discuss data protection trends, future IPO
Data protection trends include securing backups and planning for ransomware recovery. Veeam executives discuss these keys, plus why the 'data resilience company' can go public. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Jun 2024
IT incident management
IT incident management is a component of IT service management (ITSM) that aims to rapidly restore services to normal following an incident while minimizing adverse effects on the business. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2024
Users note testing, analysis as disaster recovery best practices
Administrators at VeeamON 2024 emphasize testing, having a business impact analysis and gaining support from management as key disaster recovery guidance. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 May 2024
Regulation SCI (Regulation Systems Compliance and Integrity)
Regulation SCI (Regulation Systems Compliance and Integrity) is a set of rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to monitor the security and capabilities of U.S. securities markets' technology infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 May 2024
Windows file share witness (FSW)
A Windows file share witness is a file share that is available to all nodes in a high-availability cluster. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 May 2024
Disaster recovery in healthcare: Free plan template and overview
Healthcare organizations handle critical, sensitive data in their IT infrastructures. They must protect those infrastructures from disruptive events with a disaster recovery plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 May 2024
7 ways to use AI in IT disaster recovery
AI is everywhere these days, and disaster recovery is no different. IT teams can use AI to mitigate, prevent and recover from disruptions faster than traditional methods. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 May 2024
ransomware recovery
Ransomware recovery is the process of resuming operations following a cyberattack that demands payment in exchange for unlocking encrypted data. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 May 2024
disaster recovery (DR) test
A disaster recovery test is the examination of each step in a disaster recovery plan to ensure that an organization can recover data, restore business critical applications and continue operations after an interruption of services. Continue Reading
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Definition
13 May 2024
ISO/TS 22317 (International Organization for Standardization Technical Standard 22317)
ISO/TS 22317 is the first formal standard to address the business impact analysis process. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 May 2024
Veeam Backup & Replication
Veeam Backup & Replication is a software product developed by Veeam Software to back up, restore and replicate data on virtual machines (VMs). Continue Reading
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Tip
02 May 2024
When is multi-cloud disaster recovery the right choice?
A multi-cloud disaster recovery strategy has numerous benefits, including enhanced resilience. It also brings in several technical and organizational hurdles for IT teams. Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Apr 2024
disaster recovery plan (DRP)
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented, structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume operations after an unplanned incident. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Apr 2024
disaster recovery (DR)
Disaster recovery (DR) is an organization's ability to respond to and recover from an event that negatively affects business operations. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Apr 2024
How to manage storage resiliency
Resilient storage has never been more important to an organization than it is now. Ensure storage systems can respond to issues with a strong game plan. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 Apr 2024
business impact analysis (BIA)
A business impact analysis (BIA) is a systematic process to determine and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident or emergency. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Apr 2024
business continuity
Business continuity is an organization's ability to maintain critical business functions during and after a disaster has occurred. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Mar 2024
change control
Change control includes the various steps needed to process changes made to a product or system. Completion of change controls in a systematic fashion is part of a change management process. Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2024
New SIOS console enables high availability visualization
IT generalists on Linux systems can avoid the complexity of HA management for mission-critical apps or databases with a new management console in SIOS' LifeKeeper software. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Mar 2024
4 disaster recovery plan best practices for any business
Disaster recovery plans are unique, built around an organization's size, type and industry. However, there are some key best practices that all businesses can implement. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Mar 2024
off-site backup
Off-site backup is a method of backing up data to a remote server or to media that's transported off-site. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Mar 2024
tabletop exercise (TTX)
A tabletop exercise (TTX) is a disaster preparedness activity that takes participants through the process of dealing with a simulated disaster scenario. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Mar 2024
asynchronous replication
Asynchronous replication is a store-and-forward approach to data backup and protection. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
Pure1, Evergreen expand self-service and data protection
Pure Storage continues to transition into an as-a-service model by building out more automation and data resiliency in its Pure1 data management service and Evergreen portfolio. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Mar 2024
ghost imaging (disk imaging)
In computing, ghost imaging, also called disk imaging, is a data backup process that creates an image of a computer's hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or one of the drive's partitions. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Mar 2024
What is BCDR? Business continuity and disaster recovery guide
Business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) are closely related practices that support an organization's ability to remain operational after an adverse event. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Feb 2024
Free business continuity testing template for IT pros
Business continuity testing can be a major challenge for any organization. This free template offers ways to incorporate testing into the business continuity management process. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Feb 2024
4 long-term data backup options
Data backups ensure copies of critical data are available in the event of a crisis or failure. When backing up long-term data, cost and capacity are vital considerations. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Feb 2024
crisis management plan (CMP)
A crisis management plan (CMP) outlines how an organization should respond to a critical situation that if left unaddressed, could negatively affect its profitability, reputation or ability to operate. Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Komprise adds disaster recovery with granular restorations
The Komprise Intelligent Data Management platform gains new DR capabilities that enable granular recovery of file and object resources through the existing user console. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2024
7 top business continuity certifications to consider in 2024
Organizations can bolster and validate the expertise of their IT teams with a variety of certifications. There are several options aimed at business continuity professionals. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Feb 2024
disk mirroring (RAID 1)
Disk mirroring, also known as RAID 1, is the replication of data across two or more disks. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jan 2024
Best practices for a strong disaster recovery testing strategy
Testing is a critical part of the disaster recovery planning process. Without proper testing, IT teams might miss crucial updates or make avoidable missteps in a recovery. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jan 2024
What is the link between sustainability and business continuity?
At first glance, business continuity planning and sustainability efforts might seem separate. But at their core, both aim to create a resilient organization. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Dec 2023
The emerging role of the chief resilience officer in BCDR
Business continuity, disaster recovery and resilience are often managed by a variety of different personnel. Appointing a chief resilience officer can bring BCDR to the forefront. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Dec 2023
disaster recovery team
A disaster recovery team is a group of individuals focused on planning, implementing, maintaining, auditing and testing an organization's business continuity and disaster recovery procedures. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2023
High availability and resiliency: A DR strategy needs both
An organization's resiliency during and after a crisis depends on many factors. High availability is one aspect of overall resiliency that DR teams can't afford to overlook. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Nov 2023
synchronous replication
Synchronous replication is the process of copying data over a network to create multiple current copies of the data. Continue Reading
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Definition
15 Nov 2023
network load balancing (NLB)
Network load balancing (NLB) is a feature in multiple versions of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system (OS), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other cloud service providers that distribute network traffic among multiple servers or virtual machines (VMs) within a cluster to avoid overloading any one host and improve performance. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Nov 2023
fault tolerance
Fault tolerance is the capability of a system to deliver uninterrupted service despite one or more of its components failing. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Nov 2023
crisis communication
Crisis communication is a strategic approach to corresponding with people and organizations during a disruptive event. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Nov 2023
emergency communications plan (EC plan)
An emergency communications plan (EC plan) is a document that provides guidelines, contact information and procedures for how information should be shared during all phases of an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Nov 2023
Top 5 IT disaster scenarios DR teams must test
While most organizations are prepared to face small-scale interruptions, they cannot overlook a larger, more complex crisis just because it seems less likely to occur. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Nov 2023
call tree
A call tree is a layered hierarchical communication model used to notify specific individuals of an event and coordinate recovery if necessary. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2023
Real-life business continuity failures: 4 examples to study
Business continuity failures are costly and can significantly harm a company's reputation. These four high-profile examples demonstrate what can go wrong when a plan fails. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Oct 2023
natural disaster recovery
Natural disaster recovery is the process of recovering data and resuming business operations following a natural disaster. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Oct 2023
Risk assessment matrix: Free template and usage guide
A risk assessment matrix identifies issues that present the greatest potential for business disruption or damage. Use this free template to focus risk mitigation plans. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Oct 2023
Business continuity maturity model: An at-a-glance guide
Business continuity maturity models are effective tools to improve disaster recovery processes and define an organization's desired level of BC preparedness. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2023
Nutanix adds ransomware alerts, recovery tools to HCI SaaS
Hyperconverged infrastructure specialist Nutanix preps for further hybrid cloud adoption by adding ransomware recovery tools to SaaS products. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2023
Everbridge 360 emphasizes communication, preparedness
Everbridge envisions its new 360 critical event management platform as a multiyear release. Features are heavy on the ability to communicate in a disaster. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Sep 2023
How to use a SWOT analysis for IT disaster recovery planning
A disaster recovery IT SWOT analysis can identify the good and the bad aspects of a DR plan, as well as highlight potential risks and opportunities for improvement. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2023
MSP shares details of Kaseya VSA ransomware attack, recovery
Progressive Computing was one of 60 victims of the Kaseya VSA ransomware attack in 2021. Now, a co-founder tells the story of discovery and recovery. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Aug 2023
What are 5 good reasons to do yearly disaster recovery testing?
Do you think yearly disaster recovery testing is overkill? You're not alone, but you are missing out on some key ways DR testing can help backup and recovery efforts. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2023
6 ways to support business resilience at your organization
Without enough support, resilience initiatives are unlikely to succeed. Here are six ways individuals and departments can support business resilience. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jul 2023
Avoid data loss in a natural disaster with the right backups
In recent years, changing weather patterns have kept backup admins on their toes. Preparation is critical to prevent data loss and recover quickly after a natural disaster. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jul 2023
How often should you review a business continuity plan?
Business continuity plans are not a one-and-done deal. Before a disaster strikes, ensure your organization's BC plan is up to date with regular reviews. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Jun 2023
uptime and downtime
In computing, uptime is a measure of how long a computer or service is on and available. Downtime is the measure of how long it is not available. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2023
Veeam execs examine backup and security blend, other trends
Veeam leaders break down how cybersecurity issues have changed the data protection conversation. The discussion also details future plans, such as in SaaS backup and potential IPO. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Jun 2023
data replication
Data replication is the process of copying data from one location to another. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2023
Users dish on ransomware protection, recovery at VeeamON
To help protect against and recover from ransomware attacks, IT professionals at VeeamON 2023 recommended planning, testing and other key security measures. Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2023
Veeam ransomware protection highlighted in Kasten, detection
Veeam unveiled security updates to its Kubernetes backup product at VeeamON. In addition, IDrive released an object storage appliance for users of Veeam and other backup vendors. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 May 2023
10 game-changing disaster recovery trends
Recent trends in AI, ransomware and data regulations have a major impact on disaster recovery teams. Don't let the rapidly changing IT landscape hurt your DR initiatives. Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2023
20-year evolution of Everbridge critical event management
Everbridge critical event management has reached Ukraine and work-from-anywhere users. CEO David Wagner explains how he's guided the company through difficult times. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2023
10 disaster recovery questions to ask in 2023 and beyond
There are many factors to getting a disaster recovery plan to run smoothly. Here are 10 questions disaster recovery teams should ask themselves, their vendors and their leadership. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2023
12 business continuity trends to keep an eye on
As technology rapidly evolves, IT pros are bound to see countless trends come and go. In business continuity, there are some significant trends shaping up to change the field. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Apr 2023
cloud disaster recovery (cloud DR)
Cloud disaster recovery (cloud DR) is a combination of strategies and services intended to back up data, applications and other resources to public cloud or dedicated service providers. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Apr 2023
disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS)
Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a cloud computing service model offered by third-party vendors that provides failover in the event of a natural catastrophe, power outage or other type of business disruption. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Apr 2023
operational-level agreement (OLA)
An operational-level agreement (OLA) is a contract that defines how various IT groups within a company plan to deliver a service or set of services. Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Apr 2023
Technology decisions and technical debt in data protection
In this video, two expert analysts discuss digital transformation, IT spending and technical debt, as well as how these topics fit into a data protection strategy. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Mar 2023
Network documentation best practices for DR teams
In the event of a disaster, IT teams often think of servers and storage, but forget about networks. Find out what you should document as part of your network DR plan. Continue Reading
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Definition
27 Mar 2023
triage in IT
Triage is a term referring to the assignment of priority levels to tasks or individuals to determine the most effective order in which to deal with them. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2023
How to maintain network continuity in a DR strategy
Disaster doesn't just come in the form of fire, flood and ransomware. Loss of network continuity is a real issue and must be appropriately addressed in disaster recovery planning. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2023
Prevent different types of network attacks with DR planning
Disaster recovery and IT security teams must protect the network on several fronts to keep data safe from potential attackers. A dedicated disaster recovery plan can help. Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2023
Veeam launches Data Platform, ransomware warranty
Veeam Data Platform features Backup & Replication v12 and other management capabilities. In addition, Object First released its appliance focused on storage for Veeam users. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2023
Fine-tune a social media emergency plan with ISO 22329:2021
Social media and its effective management are major interests for emergency management professionals. Find out how ISO's recent standard can help guide a social media strategy. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2023
FAA outage highlights importance of high availability
An outage of a critical FAA system highlights a need for enterprises to ensure availability and recovery of critical systems, even if industry best practices aren't attainable. Continue Reading