BDR Best Practices For Business

Life is unpredictable. Even in the business world, things go wrong. When they do, the better prepared you and your team are, the more likely you’ll overcome the hurdle and get back to business unscathed.

In light of this, backup disaster recovery (BDR) plans are critical. If your business hasn’t yet invested in BDR, it’s time to pull up your socks and get in touch with a reliable tech partner.

In this article, we’ll explain what disaster recovery plans are, and share three best practices for businesses. Have a read and protect your organization from the inevitable.

What is disaster recovery?

Here’s a fantastic quote that sums up what disaster recovery is and why it matters:

“A disaster recovery plan is your organization’s lifeline for continuity of operations. Without it, you may suffer financial loss, data loss and an inability to provide services for extended periods of time — and maybe even go out of business.” – Forbes

BDR documents cover fundamental procedures, key personnel and their roles, and essential business and contact information. They are designed to assist with your response to a whole host natural and human-made catastrophes: floods, fires, hurricanes, and even things like cyberattacks and security breaches, which are now a daily occurrence across the country.

Three BDR best practice tips

There truly is no over-selling the importance of BDR. To help you devise a plan that covers all areas of your business, we’ve detailed three best practice tips below.

1. Store backups of critical data away from your primary workplace

If you store data in your on-site data center, don’t then back it up on a separate server in the same building. A backup stored 20 miles down the road is no good, either.

When it comes to business-critical data, you want to maintain a geographically distinct backup. That is a backup stored at least 150 miles away. Why? Because if a hurricane strikes your primary workplace, chances are, the building down the street will be impacted, too.

2. Keep your recovery plan somewhere that will be fully accessible when disaster hits

This might seem like common sense, but it’s worth reiterating. Make sure that your disaster recovery plan is stored somewhere that will still be accessible in the event of a disaster.

For example, if a severe thunderstorm triggers a long-term blackout in your city, you might not be able to access files stored on the desktop computers in your office. If your office burns to the ground, any paper documents will be destroyed. And finally, if your business network is infiltrated with malicious software, you might have to shut off the internet in your workplace to prevent further damage. This will limit your access to files stored in the cloud.

Put simply, make hard copies and save the plan on both local computers and in the cloud. That way, whatever disaster you are faced with, you will still be able to access your recovery plan.

3. Remember that your BDR plan is not a set-and-forget document

Your business evolves. You introduce new features to your product or service, you streamline your operational processes, and you hire new team members. Your BDR plan should reflect these changes.

Creating an effective BDR is not a set-and-forget exercise. It’s crucial that you review the procedures and details covered in your plan regularly. That way, if something does go wrong, you can be confident that you have access to up-to-date information.