(Virtual) Disaster Recovery

As virtualization takes the IT world by storm, the disaster recovery (DR) plans are only just beginning to catch up. The problem is this… you have a server and it runs an application. Traditional DR looks at the server and says ‘we need another one of those’ - so this is a little simplistic, but in essence its true, and more to the point, it works. Now lets bring in virtualization, one machine is no longer one machine it is multiple machines. Each could well be at different patch levels and so it is not just a case of duplicating the hardware but ensuring that the virtual environments are also up to date.

Results from a recent survey has said that 55% of people are revisiting their DR plans because of virtualization - which is good. BUT… it also highlighted that only 37% of respondents back up their virtual systems! Before virtualization that would be seen as a travesty and an accident (or disaster) waiting to happen, so why is this the case now? Lack of tools is the basic problem. But if you haven’t got the tools why go with the technology. There are the tools out there, including those to backup virtual systems - its time to look at the risks and avoid the hype. Virtualization offers great benefits, but treat it with the respect it deserves or it will come back to bite you.

September 2, 2008 | Filed Under Virtualization, disaster recovery 

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