Outsourcing disaster recovery operations, part 3: Finding the right partner

by Mike Talon | Sep 19, 2005 1:04:00 PM

Tags: Business structures, Data centers, Backups, Mike Talon, disaster recovery, outsourcing, partnership, storage, outsourcing firm, Disaster Recovery Newsletter

Takeaway: Mike Talon outlines some of the issues you should consider when shopping for an outsourcing partner to assist you with your disaster recovery operations.

Once you've made the decision about the functions of disaster recovery (DR) that you want to outsource, the next step is finding the right partner. Don't necessarily equate an outsourcing firm's size with quality of service. Your primary goal is to match the service or services you require with a partner that specializes in those areas. The one exception may be when you are looking specifically for a colocation hosting facility. In that case, the size of its data center will be important in evaluating its capacity for handling your data. TechRepublic's download, "Evaluate external data center providers with this 36-point checklist," will give you a start on some of the aspects that you need to consider.

The choice of what partner to go with will be highly influenced by how much of your organization needs to be outsourced. If you're just looking for a company to manage off-site storage of tape backups, you'll have a lot more flexibility in terms of what companies you can use. If you need someone to handle your entire DR plan, there are a limited number of specialized firms that can offer the entire package.

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Also keep in mind that just because a firm is able to perform a function that you need, it doesn't mean you should go with them. Tape backup storage is something just about anyone can do, if they have the space. However, you should remember that tape storage is a niche industry, and your preferred partner should have dedicated storage space that is climate controlled, along with the ability to return the tapes to you immediately if you need them. The best companies can offer a four-hour (or less) return of any tape in storage.

Many firms provide rented space (racks, power, shared servers, etc.) for you to use to host your DR solutions. They can also offer "hands and eyes," or trained personnel that can provide you with the ability to remotely administer your systems for reboots and the like. Solutions providers—as opposed to hosting providers—can also provide you with expertise and monitoring, while handing off to either your own data center staff or rented space from another firm. This can allow you manage your DR systems without adding the mind-share under your own roof. Some firms can offer both types of resources, so this could mean using one firm for both services and space, or splitting it up to allow you to manage them independently. Either solution set can work, but you'll need to think about this before going forward to ensure you don't leave anything out of the mix.

Outsourcing to foreign entities is a hot topic these days. Once more, I would like to point out that this column will not get into the political factors, as that choice is usually more of a business decision than a technical one. Using off-shore outsourcing firms can sometimes provide services at a lower price-point, so long as you have the expertise in-house to manage the outsourcing firm. This is the case in any outsourcing situation, but even more so if the partner is in a different time zone, or speaks a different language than your staff. Use the same criteria in evaluation of off-shore firms that you would to find a local firm, but keep in mind that you will have to find a happy medium between low cost and high-maintenance. There are also security issues to consider, since some countries do not operate under the same privacy guidelines, and if data theft occurs, it may also be more difficult to investigate and prosecute.

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Outsourcing disaster recovery to other countries http://www.data-recovery-reviews.com | 09/21/05