service continuity
stimulated by vendors offering
more attractive deals than they
were previously.
Assess locational risks of where
the data is housed and how it
is protected. Taylor argues that
the risks are dynamic and evolve
over time. These risks could even
include adjacent businesses,
but more pertinently he wonders
whether it is still acceptable for
data centres to be located in a low
flood risk area – close to rivers –
and whether they can rely 100 per
cent on flood defences.
A flood on both sides of the country could knock out an entire industry.
Invest in at least two or even
three disaster recovery sites and
they shouldn’t be located within
the same circles of disruption.
Traditionally data centres have
been located far too close together
because of an inability to mitigate
the effects of network latency
with existing technologies, but this
needn’t be the case today.
L
ook for solutions beyond
the traditional monolithic IT
companies – SMEs tend to be
more innovative. They may offer
solutions that can mitigate the
effects of latency and permit
data recovery sites to be placed
outside the Circle of Disruption,
a distance apart from each other
without being impacted by latency.
Velocity of data transfer need not
be impinged by latency.
D
on’t focus on short term costs
based on the lowest price because
these ‘insurance policies’ are
there to protect your data centre
and therefore your business
well into the future whenever
an unexpected disaster occurs.
Having the right business
38
Prevention better than cure
continuity technology in place
for your data will potentially save
millions in the long run.
Remember that it’s not just about
downtime, it’s about trust and
protecting your reputation as
a company. So don’t put your
livelihood at risk. Consulting firm
Deloitte’s director of construction
advisory, data centres and
infrastructure, Christopher Taylor
explains that a flood on both sides
of the country could be disastrous
because it might even knock out
an entire industry. The problem
is that businesses tend to cluster
together and in London they
include financial services firms and
data centres. T