Introduction to NonStop Operations Management

Contingency Planning
Introduction to NonStop Operations Management–125507
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Data-Ready Sites
Archived data is sent to the operational-ready site but is not loaded onto the system until
a disaster occurs.
During a disaster, you convert an operational-ready site to primary-processing status by:
•
Backing up and removing the low-priority processing
•
Loading the archived data
•
Starting the necessary applications
Plan on one or more days to convert an operational-ready site into a primary-processing
center.
Data-Ready Sites
A data-ready site is similar to an operational-ready site except that data-ready sites take
advantage of electronic vaulting. Data-ready sites are updated on a staged basis.
Archived data reside on the data-ready site systems and do not need to be loaded during
a disaster. However, the data-ready site systems are only as current as the last data
loaded onto the systems. You must determine how often backups are sent and loaded
onto the data-ready site systems.
To convert a data-ready site to primary-processing status, you simply switch all primary
processing to the data-ready site. The data-ready site already has the latest archived data
and the necessary applications. Plan on a few hours to one day to convert a data-ready
site to primary-processing status.
You might need to establish procedures for updating data on a regular basis in addition
to establishing procedures for moving primary processing to the data-ready site when a
disaster occurs.
Online-Ready Sites
Online-ready sites (also referred to as processing-ready sites) are secondary computer
sites that are ready to take over processing from a primary site within an hour, without
loss of data. Online-ready sites use concurrent processing to protect applications and
maintain a current database.
Determining Which Type of Backup Site Best Meets Your Needs
To decide which backup site best meets your needs, you must first determine your
window of recovery—the length of time your business can survive without your critical
applications—and then evaluate the costs of each recovery alternative that can support
that window.
Table 10-1 lists the different types of backup sites and the advantages and disadvantages
associated with each alternative.