Business Continuity

Business continuity helps you maintain availability across a broad spectrum of recovery point and recovery time requirements during planned as well as unplanned downtime.

In 1992, the SHARE user group in the United States, defined a set of business continuity tier levels. This was done to address the need to properly describe and quantify various  methodologies for successful implementation of mission-critical computer systems for business continuity.  Within the IT Business Continuance industry, the tier concept continues to be used, and it is very useful for describing today's business continuity capabilities. They need only to be updated for today's specific business continuity technologies and associated recovery time and recovery point objectives.

The seven tiers of business continuity solutions offer a simple methodology of how to define your current service level, the current risk, and the target service level and target environment.

Tier 0: No off-site data

Businesses with a Tier 0 business continuity solution have no Business Continuity Plan.

• There is no saved information, no documentation, no backup hardware, and no contingency plan.
• Typical recovery time: The length of recovery time in this instance is unpredictable. In fact, it may not be possible to recover at all.

Tier 1: Data backup with no hot site

Businesses that use Tier 1 business continuity solutions back up their data at an off-site facility. Depending on how often backups are made, they are prepared to accept several days to weeks of data loss, but their backups are secure off-site. However, this tier lacks the systems on which to restore data.

Tier 2: Data backup with a hot site

Businesses using Tier 2 business continuity solutions make regular backups on tape. This is combined with an off-site facility and infrastructure (known as a hot site) in which to restore systems from those tapes in the event of a disaster. This solution tier will still result in the need to recreate several hours to days worth of data, but it is less unpredictable in recovery time.

Tier 3: Electronic vaulting

Tier 3 solutions utilize components of Tier 2. Additionally, some mission critical data is electronically vaulted. This electronically vaulted data is typically more current than that which is shipped via PTAM. As a result there is less data recreation or loss after a disaster occurs.

Tier 4: Point-in-time copies

Tier 4 solutions are used by businesses who require both greater data currency and faster recovery than users of lower tiers. Rather than relying largely on shipping tape, as is common on the lower tiers, Tier 4 solutions begin to incorporate more disk based solutions. Several hours of data loss is still possible, but it is easier to make such point-in-time (PIT) copies with greater frequency than data can be replicated through tape based solutions.

Tier 5: Transaction integrity

Tier 5 solutions are used by businesses with a requirement for consistency of data between production and recovery data centers. There is little to no data loss in such solutions, however, the presence of this functionality is entirely dependent on the application in use.

Tier 6: Zero or little data loss

Tier 6 business continuity solutions maintain the highest levels of data currency. They are used by businesses with little or no tolerance for data loss and who need to restore data to applications rapidly. These solutions have no dependence on applications in order to provide data consistency.

Tier 7: Highly automated, business integrated solution

Tier 7 solutions include all the major components being used for a Tier 6 solution with the additional of automation. This allows a Tier 7 solution to ensure consistency of data above that which is granted by Tier 6 solutions. Additionally, recovery of the applications is automated, allowing for restoration of systems and applications much faster and more reliably than would be possible through manual business continuity procedures.

It is important to understand that the cost of a solution must be in reasonable proportion to the business value of IT. You do not want to spend more money on a business continuity solution than the financial loss you would suffer from a disaster. The quicker the recovery the higher the cost.

For more information about business continuity with regards to your requirements please contact us at info@datacomstor.de.