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V O L . X X I I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 34 T he top 15 employers in the state of Maine are all medical centers, universities, fi nancial institutions or government entities. All of these organizations have something else in common — they have serious privacy and security concerns and are under pressure to protect their business sys- tems, applications and data. ese Maine organizations, and many others, must develop compre- hensive disaster recovery plans to keep their operations running smoothly. Disaster recovery refers to the strate- gies, procedures and contingencies an organization uses to recover tech resources after an unplanned IT outage or network disruption. ese resources include the software, data and hard- ware involved in carrying out mission- critical tech operations. Without these resources, an organization can suff er devastating consequences, including lost revenue, customers, productivity, equipment and brand loyalty. As you develop or review a disaster plan, a good fi rst step is to evaluate your data center locations — the ones you operate and third-party sites you use. ese should include your primary data center where your business systems run as well secondary data centers, which are available as back-up sites. Many organizations are moving company systems to facilities oper- ated by data center providers. When considering a third-party provider, consider the following: ¡ Infrastructure that ensures consis- tent power to computing resources in the data center is absolutely critical for a disaster recovery site. Business owners need to know that they will not lose access to their systems due to a power outage at their data cen- ter site. When evaluating a service provider, check that they have battery and generator backup. ¡ If the primary data center goes offl ine you need to be able to tap into the disaster recovery site quickly and reliably. A service provider needs to be able to deliver 24/7 connectivity through a high- speed data network. ¡ When data center infrastructure is of paramount importance, business own- ers should also consider the expertise and availability of the on-site staff. Many service providers have experts on site that can help you trouble- shoot any issues that arise. ese experts can also help perform some management tasks, if you are unable to be at the data center in-person. Outside the data center Businesses too often overlook the phys- ical environment where the data center resides. e location of the data center can aff ect the performance, security and costs associated with a disaster recovery site, so they must be considered. ¡ e building that the data center is housed in should be evaluated. Some service providers may cut corners by hosting their data center in a hastily built warehouse, while others off er a more secure and stable environment designed to limit exposure to the ele- ments, with a service center structure that was designed for tech equip- ment and data traffi c. ¡ e city or town where the data cen- ter is located matters. While service providers may gravitate to major metropolitan areas like Boston, providers located in smaller areas can be more aff ordable due to lower costs on real estate, taxes and power. Still, areas that are too rural may lack public transportation systems and proximity to main highways, airports and train stations that enable easy access to the data center. It is best to look for an area where you can tap into the best of both worlds. The result: peace of mind Developing a sound disaster recovery plan is a key factor in determining how well your organization will respond to an unexpected outage. Your primary goal is to successfully manage a crisis without suff ering signifi cant losses in cost, productivity or customer service. By evaluating potential secondary data center sites both inside and out, you can rest assured that you have the right infrastructure in place to support your disaster recovery plan. M R i s F a i r P o i n t Communications' Maine state president and has more than years of experience in the telecom industry. He is based in Portland. Dec 9, 10, 11 THEATRE TICKETS MAKE GREAT GIFTS Professional Theatre in Lewiston/Auburn Professional Theatre in Lewiston/Auburn PROFESSIONAL THEATRE FOR MAINE Season Underwriters: Austin Associates, Maine Magazine, Platz Associates, Sun Journal, WOXO, Z105.5, MEalerts.com Sponsored by: Norway Savings Bank, P&G - Tambrands Androscoggin Orthodontics, Mount Auburn Dental, Six actors and a fiddler bring this classic story to life in a way you've never imagined and will never forget. thepublictheatre.org 782-3200 Dec Fri 7 pm, Sat 2 pm & 7 pm, Sun 2 pm $20 Adults / $17 Group (10+) / $5 Kids by Charles Dickens adapted by Christopher Schario Six actors and a fiddler thepublictheatre.org Fri 7 pm, Sat 2 pm & 7 pm, Sun 2 pm $20 Adults / $17 Group (10+) / $5 Kids ALL KIDS $5 Bring the Whole Family! ALL KIDS ONLY $5 Prepare a data center for disaster recovery B Y M I K E R E E D H OW TO

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