The issue is not about the data recovery itself. The trouble lies in the reality that no single person is tasked to take action in the event of data loss and thus no proper plan is set up to be followed through.
Testing data recovery plans is considered risky by many since it usually involves simulating complete system failure, a scenario no one wants to get too acquainted with. Loss of data as a result of a minor glitch in data recovery could very well lead to a substantial amount of data mining work.
Its really quite sad that for many businesses, disaster recovery is a measure that only garners attention after some major catastrophe, like computer viruses, terrorist attacks, or natural calamities.
The September 11 attack on the World Trade Center made a great impact on the data recovery industry. Subsequently, several large companies looked on to data mining and data recovery as a worthy investment for their money.
'Initially and quite rightly, there was a gut reaction from many organizations to take a serious look at their disaster recovery plans, but investment has now levelled off as these plans have reached a more acceptable level', Bill Pepper, head of security risk management at Computer Sciences Corporation said.
Data recovery software Veritas outlines in their recent survey that about 97 % of respondents affirmed that system outages are their biggest problem but only 72 % have recovery plans, which they never even tested.
This serious deficit in maintaining truly effective plans could expose the careers of many. A lot of company board members are already in trouble because of this failure to keep their data recovery plans in top condition.
Head of business continuity at LogicaCMG, Jeanette ONeil explained that a process has been placed at board level to ensure that the board has the legal burden of assessing companies for any data recovery risks. This process would be executed via the Turnbull Report, which also contains the Code of Conduct and Ethics on Corporate Governance.
To seal success in this venture, the people responsible made it so that the board would be committing a breach in its legal obligations if they fail in providing a detailed understanding of the risks and potential losses involved with the plans used, and miss coming up with a solution for business continuity.
And yet, despite all these measures taken and even with todays technology, no program or software for data recovery could ever be considered fool-proof. Disaster recovery boards are only there to keep data loss and damage at a minimum.
An important safety device that every home needs is the smoke detector. However, in order to keep them working at peak performance you need to perform periodic maintenance. While inexpensive, a smoke detector is a complex piece of specialized equipment. Consider how you can keep your smoke detector operating at peak performance.
What Are Smoke Detectors?
A smoke detector is a little device that is installed in homes and businesses. It is designed to sound a warning alarm when it senses smoke or fire. Smoke detectors come in two types: photoelectric and ionization.
Photoelectric units emit a beam of light and an audible alarm will sound when the light is broken by smoke. Ionization units use an electrical charge to measure the nearby air and when the oxygen in the air decreases due to fire the alarm goes off.
Photoelectric detectors are better for smoldering fires like electrical fires. These detectors are best for bedrooms and kitchens. An ionization detector is better for areas where a fire can get out of hand such as a furnace room.
Both types of smoke detectors can either be powered by internal batteries or the household electrical current with an internal battery as backup. Consider how you can properly maintain and test any kind of smoke detector.
Tips to Maintaining Smoke Detectors
The death rate of homes with a smoke detector is half that of those that don't have smoke detectors installed. These facts show how important it is to have a working smoke alarm in your home. However, most people fail to maintain or test their smoke alarms which is just the same as not even having one in your home. Consider the following tips to test, maintain, replace and install smoke detectors in your home.
Your smoke detectors should be placed at least one foot away from any corner area. They should be located in a place that has a constant temperature such as the ceiling or a high wall. You should never place a smoke detector in places like the kitchen, furnace room or other work area since false alarms can easily be triggered and debris can clog the alarm.
Smoke detectors shouldn't be placed in breezy area such as near doors or windows since drafts can affect the readings of the detectors. In fact, smoke detectors should be kept at least four feet from any of these areas. You also don't want them located in any hard to reach place like tall walls or over the staircase. This would make it too difficult to replace batteries.
At least once a year you should clean smoke detectors with a vacuum. To do this you should open the cover and vacuum all of the dust and debris which can affect the detection of smoke or fire. Once your smoke detector is over ten years old you should replace it with a new one right away. Every six months you should replace the batteries to keep the unit working at peak efficiency. As a reference you can write the date on a piece of tape and place it on the side of the detector.
Test your smoke detectors at least once a week with the test button.
Both T J Madigan & Robert D. Thomson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.