Posts Tagged ‘IT tips’
Five Disaster Recovery Planning Tips
If your business is getting ready to set up or install an IT disaster recovery plan, make sure you cover all the bases. Few companies are able to fully recovery from the loss of data or significant downtime, so this is one type of safety net you simply can’t do without.
- Monitor and/or update your disaster recovery plan regularly. The business world and the Internet are both like living, breathing organisms – they change and adapt daily. This means that a disaster recovery plan put in place six months ago might very well be obsolete by the time the unthinkable occurs. Whether you rely on automated monitoring, regular back-up data storage, or an actual physical update of your system, it’s a good idea to include regular updates into your planning and your recovery budget.
- Test the system regularly. Although this is technically part of the monitoring step, it’s a step that 9 out of 10 companies fail to do. But if there are weaknesses in your disaster recovery plan, you might actually be worse off than if you had no plan at all. That’s because you and your team will go through your recovery efforts under the assumption that you were safe from the more pressing issues, and you might fail to perform the most basic - and necessary - steps.
- Keep data stored somewhere else. Whether you keep your backed-up data stored physically off-site or you use offshore storage for all your information needs, having the information away from your own system is the most important thing. This back-up data will need to be updated regularly, according to your recovery point objective (or how reliant your business is on having the most recent data possible).
- Protect the hardware that goes home. If you have laptops that employees take home for work use, you need to install the laptops with theft recovery and data delete options. The top-of-the-line options will be able to return all the necessary information to you and still disable the computer so that the thief can’t get access to the same data.
- Consider hiring someone to do the disaster recovery planning for you. Whether you are a small business without an IT department or a large business whose data planning needs span entire departments and cross-country facilities, this is one area where it doesn’t pay to cut corners.
Battery Life on the Road
It’s happened to all of us. You’re on a plane or somewhere out of the office steadily working. Just as you get into your groove, a little warning message comes up telling you your battery power is low, and if you want to save your important files, you’d better do it now. Sure, sometimes you’re near an outlet and you can plug your machine in, but why not take some steps to make sure this problem never surfaces at all.
- The easiest way to increase computer use is to recharge your battery at every opportunity. Are you at a coffee shop? Most of them have outlets next to some of the tables. Scout for one and plug your laptop in, and you can work for hours. When you are in your hotel room, charge up the battery as you prepare for your day or unpack your bags. There may not be time for a full charge, but every bit of power you can get into that battery can make a difference when you’re out.
- While you’re using your laptop, there is another important step you can take to conserve battery power. All you have to do is to lower the brightness. You’d be surprised at just how much extra power a small bit of light sucks up. There are usually buttons at the top of your keyboard that look like little suns. They are probably on your F1, F2, or other function buttons. Simply press “function” and also press the smaller sun, and you should see the brightness decrease. Lower the brightness as far as you are comfortable, and you’ll save battery life.
- Use travel energy options. You can purchase adapters that allow you to plug your computer into a car’s cigarette lighter. Planes also offer an in-flight power option in some of their seats, though you may need to purchase an adapter to make it work. You can also invest in a netbook or other energy efficient laptop for use during travel, since the battery life tends to be much, much longer in these products.
Now that you have some battery conservation tips, try putting them to use on your next foray out of the office. You won’t just save power, you’ll save yourself some hassle as well.
Business Productivity during a Power Outage
No matter what grid you are on, sooner or later there will probably be a power outage. It could be a few seconds or it could be for a day or more, but when it happens your business may come to a screeching halt. While you could install a generator, this step may seem like overkill for an outage that may just be a few hours a year. All the same, you need to be prepared. So, what’s a company to do?
- While you may not have Internet access when there is no power, you probably have laptops in your office. If they are on the desks and plugged in, their batteries should be full of juice when the power goes out. Just reduce their brightness to minimize battery drain, and you can keep on working for a few hours, which is usually long enough for the power to come back on and business to resume as normal.
- If you store your production servers and data servers at a remote location, they may still have power. While you still probably won’t have that Internet access, you may still be able to have access to your data and applications and be able to work as a team for as long as those laptop batteries hold out. It’s not a fancy system, but it’s a work around that will keep you from shutting down.
- If you really need Internet access to work, try taking the laptops to a coffee shop. They may have free wi-fi, you’ll also get an outlet and you can have a nice drink while you’re getting the job done. After all, even a power outage can have its perks.
- Consider other tasks. In the digital age, one of the most often overlooked benefits of the workplace is the ability to brainstorm and connect with others. Use the downtime as a chance to talk with your employees and tap into the resources not connected to a power source.
Have You Maximized Your Bandwidth?
You’re cruising down the highway, your music is playing, there are no cars in sight, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. All of a sudden, you hit the brakes because there’s a five car pile up and both lanes are blocked. What’s a driver to do?
Much like driving a car, your bandwidth is all about keeping data flowing and your network speed constant. Occasionally, something can get in the way and slow everything down, sometimes bringing your entire infrastructure to a screeching halt. There are a few steps you can take to avoid this, however. By maximizing your bandwidth you can keep your data moving at high speed.
Some programs put more drag on your bandwidth than others. Streaming music, videos, or even stock quotes can take up a tremendous amount of bandwidth, and they rarely offer much to your business in return. Sure, radios feel pretty ancient in our fast-paced world, but they don’t block the road, either. Removing access to programs and sites that stream data can remove roadblocks, keeping your data moving at high speed.
Keeping the roads clear, however, requires that you know jut where and what they are. Try mapping your system and looking for sudden spikes in usage. If you can pinpoint what is causing a bottleneck, you can find ways to eliminate it and get back to business.
So much depends on how quickly we can send information. By removing the hazards that are slowing down your network, you can keep your business moving and reach your destination with time to spare.
IT Tips: There’s Danger Lurking on the Web
The Internet contains a vast wealth of information. It has changed the way research and commerce take place, as well as how we are entertained. Most of us know how easy it is to spend hours lost checking out websites and checking email. The Internet’s not all information and fun, however. There are risks to mindless surfing, and if it’s happening on your network, your business could be in danger.
Any site could contain a virus, but the more reputable a site is, the less likely it is to be of harm. Any site that is inappropriate for the workplace is also very likely to contain viruses and spyware. Educating your employees to avoid these sites may feel like overkill, but it’s better to be clear about your expectations than to learn the hard way that someone just didn’t get understand.
Warez sites, which are common hubs for downloading illegal software, are another huge risk. Not only is much of the software pirated, it often contains viruses and spyware that you don’t want on your network. It’s not worth saving a few dollars if it means putting your company in harm’s way.
Even seemingly harmless sites can cause issues. Streaming music and video or large downloads can take up huge amounts of bandwidth. This waste of resources could slow your system to a crawl, hindering legitimate business. Not only that, social sites are now taking up record amounts of employee time—time when they are getting paid to do actual work!
The Internet doesn’t have to be a frightening place for your network. You already have security measures in place, but by eliminating some of these other risks you can save your system and resources from being sucked in to the dangers lurking on the web.
IT Tips: You Might Need to Back Up Your Back Ups
Backing up your data is common practice these days. We’ve all lost a document or a file, and no one wants to go through that again. We certainly don’t want to experience it on a grand scale, trying to recreate staggering amounts of data due to an oversight.
But where do you keep your backups? What are you storing them on? In the event you need them, will they be ready to access so you can get back to business?
We almost all know that a system could crash and our most recent data could be lost, which is why regular back up is part of our standard daily operations. But where do you store your backup? Having it on the premises sounds like a great idea because it’s convenient, since you can access it and get back to work as soon as possible. But what if there’s a fire or a flood? Not only are your systems down, but your data backup is likely destroyed as well, and that’s a terrible position to be in.
Storing your data off site is a much smarter solution. It’s safe if your main facility is destroyed or compromised, and if the backup is somehow destroyed, you still have access to your system and can create a new backup. Keeping this backup off of your network is also a smart plan because you want to keep it safe from hackers and viruses. If it’s not accessible, it can’t be trashed.
Backing up your data is so common it’s hardly thought of, and for good reason. You want to be protected, but you also want to make sure that your data and network aren’t going down together. The only thing worse than having to re-upload your lost data is trying to painstakingly recreate it. Do yourself a favor, and call your IT consultant today to learn how to keep your information off site and off of your network.