Floods in Singapore may be a good thing

By SMBWorld Asia Editors | Jul 22, 2010

At least for disaster recovery [4]preparedness. Business in Singapore, especially SMBs, have realized that being prepared for the unexpected may save more than money. Disaster recovery is not just for the 'big-boys'. Events such as a mere flood can cost businesses millions.

Businesses in Singapore were found salvaging damaged goods on the morning of 17th July after an intense downpour that triggered a series of flash floods island-wide for the 3rd time since June.

Losses from the previous June floods were estimated at more than S$10 million along Orchard Road and at nearly S$1 million in other areas.

With more thunderstorms expected due to unstable weather conditions in the region such as Typhoon Conson [5], preparing for natural or man-made disasters can spell success or failure for businesses in Singapore.

Acronis [6], a backup and disaster recovery software vendor, offers business owners the following tips to ensure business-critical data surviving under the extreme weather events. 

Design the drill
The time for developing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan is before any disaster hits home. But it is equally important to keep that plan current. 

For example, in just six years since the Indian Ocean earthquake which triggered a series of lethal tsunamis, storage technology has evolved from tape backup to more advanced disk imaging technology and the emergence of cloud-based services. 

While all three approaches can get a company operational again in the face of a natural disaster, the newer technologies – particularly in a hybrid approach – translate into doing it faster, better and cheaper.

With today’s expectation of technology “always on”, companies that can normalise their operations the faster have a greater opportunity to keep customer satisfaction high and business performance optimised. 

Know the drill
Plans should not simply gather dust on the bookshelf. Employees need to embrace the plan and understand their roles in its success. 

Best practices should always be in play: whether it is the expectation that employees perform a local backup before they leave for the day or a rule that IT administrators back up digital assets onsite or via the cloud on a more frequent, scheduled basis, without having to take servers offline.

For example, disk imaging backup is more than just protecting data files; it includes settings, applications and more that enable users to restore to their pre-disaster capabilities quickly and easily. Good backup habits under normal conditions bode well for emergency situations.

Do the drill
For maximum effectiveness, the disaster recovery plan must be well-rehearsed.

There is a reason that civil emergency teams regularly hold mock disaster drills. They want their plans to kick into automatic high gear when disaster strikes, rather than lose precious time and resources interpreting directions and reviewing assignments.

Prepared companies run mock disaster drills designed to protect not only people and place but also data. With the convergence of physical and virtual environments, these mock drills can help companies identify any shortfalls in their current disaster recovery plan or plans, and make adjustments to improve their recovery efforts before disaster happens.