Enhancing BCDR through Effective Infrastructure Management

Infrastructure

As disasters and challenges can strike your organization at any time, the ability to maintain uninterrupted operations and protect critical data is paramount.

IT and operations managers bear the responsibility of effectively managing IT infrastructure, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, understanding the role of infrastructure management in BCDR is not just a choice but an imperative.

In this blog, you will explore the relationship between IT infrastructure and the BCDR of an organization and how it improves business resilience.

What is IT infrastructure?

IT infrastructure is the hardware, software and network resources required to deliver IT services within an organization. It enables a company to build and run the applications that underpin its business. IT infrastructure provides the structure for efficient management of technology and tools of an organization.

What is BCDR and why is it important?

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery is referred to as BCDR. It's an ensemble of procedures that an organization can employ to recover from a disaster and resume its business operations.

In the event of a disaster, almost 90% of businesses without a Disaster Recovery Plan fail within a year.

Everything from simple human error to extensive natural disasters and ransomware attacks may strike an organization.

The longer an organization cannot access its data and business processes, the more financial and reputational damage it faces. A comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) response plan is important if your organization aims for zero downtime.

Why is IT infrastructure management important?

IT infrastructure management involves supervising the crucial infrastructure elements necessary for providing business services.

"7 out of 10 organizations view IT infrastructure as a means to achieve competitive advantage and optimize business performance."

Backups and redundancy are components of an effective business IT strategy.

Here are the three crucial elements of the IT infrastructure and how redundancy of these components helps in business resilience.

Hardware:

It is the physical IT infrastructure needed for delivering IT services.

Hardware includes:

• Data centers
• Servers
• Network hubs
• Routers
• Computers
• Laptops
• Tablets
• Mobile devices & other endpoints.

Redundant servers or storage devices are necessary to ensure uninterrupted service in the event of a primary server failure and to prevent data loss.

Software:

Software comprises programs and applications that enable businesses to operate, provide services, and manage internal pipelines.

Here are a few categories of software that are commonly implemented:

• Operating system software
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Web servers 

Redundant databases and applications can take over the functions of the primary software in case of failure.

Networking:

Networks enable you to link devices to the Internet and group them into a single network.

The important functions of a network includes:

• Internet access

• Integrated security monitoring
• Configuration management
• Device access management

Redundant wide area network (WAN) connections and local area network (LAN) connections are important for uninterrupted communication within the organization.

How to Create a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Plan?

Robust infrastructure management is crucial for ensuring the resilience and reliability of your business operations.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to plan effective Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery integrating infrastructure management:

• Identify potential threats and risks and assess the impact of these risks on your IT infrastructure and business operations.
• Create a comprehensive inventory of all your IT infrastructure components.
• Identify and implement redundancy for the most critical systems, applications, and data.
• Store backups both on-site and off-site to mitigate data loss risk.
• Utilize cloud technologies to create a flexible and scalable infrastructure.
• Implement access controls and security policies to minimize the risk of data breaches.
• Regularly test your BCDR plan and infrastructure components.
• Simulate disaster scenarios to ensure your plan works as expected.
• Maintain detailed documentation of procedures, contacts, and recovery steps.

Maximizing Your BCDR Strategy

Even with all the safety measures in place, disasters can still happen. By prioritizing IT infrastructure management, you can minimize the occurrence and impact of a disaster. If you're wondering where to start, reach out to our team at Fourth Dimension Technologies. We offer a range of tailored solutions, from cybersecurity to disaster recovery, designed to safeguard your business. Contact us today to elevate your BCDR preparedness.