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As Recovery Window Tightens, Developer Opportunities Grow
Data disaster time constraints make 24-hour turnaround critical
By Ed McKenna Disaster recovery products and services are becoming critical to large computer systems users as the definition of a disaster changes to reflect tighter deadlines for successful data recoveries.
In its recent study of data loss, data recovery specialist Ontrack Data Recovery, Eden Prairie, Minn., observed that both personal and corporate users are storing mission-critical data on their computers and networks. Combined with increasing vulnerability of systems, this trend is putting a great deal of pressure on organizations to devise strategies for potential disasters.
Key variables in devising a recovery plan are time and money. In deciding on a disaster recovery plan, a company must determine whether the loss of revenue or market share from a prolonged systems failure will jeopardize the company's position, said Joseph P. Flach, project manager with Contingency Planning Research, White Plains, N.Y. Increasingly, organizations are finding it difficult to go 24 hours without incurring significant costs.
These developments are spurring changes in the way industry defines a disaster. Previously, a disaster had been defined as any unplanned, extended loss of critical business applications due to lack of computer processing capabilities for more than 48 hours. But SunGard Recovery Services, Wayne, Pa., now says that window has narrowed "to 24 hours or to 12 hours, or in some cases, to 12 minutes."
This new level of vulnerability has prompted more firms to market products and services for protecting or restoring data. For example, MGE UPS Systems Inc., Costa Mesa, Calif., offers power management tools and solutions to guard against data loss from power outages. There are many companies marketing backup and data storage products, such as Procomm Technology, Irvine, Calif., with its RAID subsystems offering more than 1 terabyte of storage capacity. Stac Inc., San Diego, offers its Replica disaster and recovery software, which can back up and replicate a server while users are still on the system.
BMC Software, Houston, offers a three-tier data management system, including backup and recovery, pre- and post-recovery management and enterprisewide management. Since introducing its system in April, backup and recovery sales to the government total about $1 million, said Alfredo Perez, director of BMC's federal business division. Government clients include the Air Force, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Postal Service and NASA.
EMC Corp., Hopkinton, Mass., also offers a data management system, as well as a system that performs remote mirroring without intervention from the host computer. Database mirroring allows for instantaneous recovery because the central processing unit writes simultaneously to two databases at two different locations.
In addition, there are companies offering vaccines and treatments for computer viruses, such as McAfee Associates Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., as well as firms providing data recovery, such as Drive Savers Inc., Novato, Calif., and Ontrack. They have clean rooms, emergency 24-hour turnaround for critical data, and in some cases, on-site services. Ontrack became the first data recovery company permitted to offer data recovery services to government agencies on the General Services Administration Schedule and has provided services to numerous government agencies, including the FBI, NASA and the Department of Defense.