Definitions

Failover and Disaster Recovery are defined as follows:

Failover – This refers to the ability to automatically and immediately switch over to a separate redundant server, system, etc. in the event of a failure of a main production server, system, etc. Failover solutions are generally physical (i.e. failover servers) and are kept on-site.

Disaster Recovery – This refers to the ability to recover from a disaster, to a state that allows you to conduct your main business operations by switching to a new server, system, etc. Disaster recovery solutions keep your data off-site in a safe, secure location and are readily accessible at all times to be utilized in case of a disaster in which on-site, physical equipment is destroyed or somehow rendered unusable.

A Brief History

Failover and Disaster Recovery solutions are completely different today than they were just a few years ago. Before, only Enterprises could afford to implement such redundancy solutions because they were so complicated and costly. They were largely unknown to the small and medium business owners because they simply weren’t within reach. These smaller businesses would run the risk of critical data loss and downtime simply because the effort and costs were so extreme. It is actually still somewhat common for small and medium business owners to ignore these solutions because they feel that they are too time and resource consuming and are therefore near impossible to implement.

Great News

These solutions are now within reach for any business! Due to the widespread adoption of virtualization and cloud computing, these solutions are possible for even the smallest business to implement, and it is absolutely necessary that they do so. These solutions have always been a necessity for every business, but never before have they been so easy to achieve. With one simple phone call you can have one customized and implemented in a matter of hours. It really is that simple.

Virtualization and Disaster Recovery

Thanks to virtualization, disaster recovery solutions have become amazingly simple to implement. Virtualization has taken all the difficulty out of it by enabling IT professionals to set up virtual servers with the click of a button. This means that by making one simple call to your local Managed Services Provider, you can have a solution implemented quickly and at an affordable rate.

Why Should I Implement a Failover or Disaster Recovery Solution?

The real question is, “Why wouldn’t you?” Do you really want to risk losing all your business critical information or going through days of downtime? You may be saying to yourself, “My company is too small to justify paying for something like this.”, but even the smallest company needs to be safe from a failure or disaster. In fact, it’s the small companies that pay the biggest price if a failure or disaster occurs. One of the greatest things about the solutions that exist today is that they are fully scalable. This means that even the smallest company can justify implementing a failover or disaster recovery solution. The smaller you are and the less you need, the smaller the solution and the lower your cost. You can afford it! Others simply have not assessed the risk they are running by not implementing one or both of these solutions. Downtime is extremely costly. Check out this great blog by KI Technologies called Understanding the REAL Cost of your Computer Network Repair to get an idea of how much failing to implement a failover or disaster recovery solution could potentially cost you.

Testing Your Solutions

After your solutions have been implemented, it is absolutely imperative that you have experts test them. Making sure that your failover and/or disaster recovery solution is going to function properly the moment you need it is crucial. This is another place your local Managed Services Provider can be a big help. Whether it is a simple backup solution or a complex failover or disaster recovery solution, their computer support professionals will be able to proactively ensure that if the worst happens, you are protected and can be up and running again ASAP.

You Can and You Must

Don’t risk losing massive amounts of money on unnecessary downtime or business critical information. Failover and disaster recovery solutions are less expensive and easier to implement than ever before. There is no longer a reason to risk it. Contact your local Managed Services Provider today and protect your business!

Highroad IT is a Managed Services Provider in Newport Beach, California. They combine the advantages of solid partnerships with their expertise in a variety of products and services to provide you with the absolute lowest cost, highest quality solutions customized specifically for your business continuity needs.