Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting Support

Business Continuity Planning vs. Disaster Recovery Planning
In case of a catastrophic event, whether natural or man-made, a sound business continuity/disaster recovery (DR/BC) strategy can make the difference between a business glitch and a calamity. Progent's DR/BC consultants can help small and mid-size companies design and test a contingency plan that incorporates advanced technologies and proven processes to get back in business quickly after a catastrophic network failure while at the same time working within a restricted IT budget.

The terms "business continuity planning" and "disaster recovery planning" are often used interchangeably, but it is useful to distinguish them. Business continuity planning takes a high-level, holistic view of a business to determine what personnel, physical resources, and operational processes are required to keep an organization running at some minimally acceptable level after a catastrophe and how to restore normal operations efficiently. Business continuity planning takes into account information technology issues, which are vital to any business, but also addresses areas beyond computing. Will you need temporary office space? Substitute vehicles? Alternate vendors? Replacement personnel? Do you have an emergency notification system in place to alert workers and other stakeholders? Are you required to file regulatory reports or contact insurers? Do you need access to emergency funding?

Progent can provide the services of experienced consultants who can help you follow best practices to create and document a high-level business continuity plan that deals with these critical questions and provides a cohesive game plan to follow in case of a disaster.

Disaster recovery planning is more focused on information technology issues and involves the down-to-earth details of how to keep your crucial IT operations running, protect your data, and restore full network functionality as quickly as practical. Progent can provide the services of a certified IT professional who can help you create and implement a disaster recovery plan that utilizes the latest generation of technologies designed to provide a high degree of fault tolerance and recoverability at historically low prices.

What Is Involved in Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan?
It is still relatively rare for small businesses to have a comprehensive business continuity plan in place, but only businesses with an insatiable appetite for risk should go without a disaster recovery plan. Disaster recovery planning should address the IT resources needed to maintain a defined level of operational capability and restore full network functionality as quickly as practical. The plan should anticipate a broad variety of disaster scenarios such as fires, storms, earthquakes, chemical accidents, flooding, pandemics, loss of key personnel, equipment or system failure, human error, and cyber crime.

You should assess the worst-case impact of each of these disaster scenarios on your network infrastructure and business processes and prioritize the areas that are most critical for you to protect in order to limit business disruption to an acceptable level. For each scenario, you should develop a recovery strategy that addresses your local and remote workers, customers, vendors, facilities, hardware and software, communication services, support contracts, and lead-times for replacing equipment and services and restoring data. Your recovery strategies should include specific action plans, escalation procedures, and data retention and restoration policies. You should also test the plan and train your employees responsible for carrying it out.

Progent's Process for Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan
Progent has developed an effective and affordable process for helping small business create a viable disaster recovery plan. This process involves seven distinct phases:

Phase 1: Business Impact and Risk Analysis
In this phase, you differentiate between critical and non-critical organization functions. A function is critical if its loss for any significant period of time would result in damage that stakeholders regard as unacceptable. You can't realistically decide that all network functions are critical because you have to consider the probable cost of establishing and maintaining rapid business or technical recovery solutions. You also have to take into account that some functions may be dictated by law or contractual obligations. Progent can help you make informed prioritization decisions by assessing the cost and timing issues associated with various recovery strategies.

Once you have identified critical organization functions, you have to establish two values for each function:

• Recovery Point Objective (RPO) - the acceptable latency of data that will be recovered
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) - the acceptable amount of time to restore the function

The Impact and Risk Analysis phase results in the recovery requirements for each critical function. The recovery requirements consist of:

• The business requirements for recovery of the critical function
• The technical requirements for recovery of the critical function

Phase 3: Solution Design
The goal of the Solution Design phase is to identify the most cost-effective disaster recovery solution that meets the requirements identified in the Business Impact and Risk Analysis stage. For your critical IT applications, this means determining how the minimum application and application data requirements can be restored within the target timeframe. Disaster recovery plans may also have to address areas beyond IT applications. A common example is the requirement to preserve information in hard copy format. Progent's expertise with Microsoft and Cisco technology, business application programming and support skills, experience providing Internet data center consulting and network management services, and extensive background helping small business recover from catastrophic network failures ensure that the solutions Progent proposes take full advantage of advanced technology to keep costs down while maximizing the chances of success.

Key areas defined in the Solution Design phase include:

• The crisis management command structure
• The location of a secondary work site (where necessary)
• Telecommunication architecture between primary and secondary work sites
• Data replication methodology between primary and secondary work sites
• A backup plan that features immutability, air gapping, and offsite backup
• The application, hardware, and software required at the secondary work site
• The type of physical data requirements at the secondary work site.

Phase 5: Testing and Verification of Technical Solutions
Testing and adjusting recovery plans for specific anticipated scenarios is another critical element of a viable disaster recovery program. The complexity of fault-tolerant networks requires rigorous testing to verify that a recovery plan is feasible and that assigned responsibilities are understood. Recovery exercises will show whether backed-up data can be usefully restored, alternative connectivity technology provides adequate performance under realistic loads, fault-tolerant technologies perform failover processes as planned, and IT staff knows what is expected. Testing exercises will help you identify weak points in your recovery plan so you can make adjustments before disaster strikes. Progent's experience with system design and support ensure that the Testing and Verification phase of a disaster recover plan is thorough and meaningful without being unnecessarily protracted and costly.

Primary areas involved in the Testing and Verification phase of a business continuity plan include:

• Application security
• Hardware operability check
• Application operability/availability check
• Data verification

• Are all work processes for critical functions documented?
• Have the systems used in the execution of critical functions changed?
• Are the documented work checklists meaningful and accurate for staff?
• Does the recovery documentation include the proper order in which network components should be restored?
• Do the documented work process recovery tasks and supporting disaster recovery infrastructure allow staff to recover within the predetermined recovery time objective?

Phase 7: Handover
The handover of a turnkey disaster recovery solution includes three activities:

• The first activity in the Handover phase is to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in the written manual and the distribution of the documentation to the client's staff. Staff members whose roles are identified as critical for disaster response and recovery are provided training to ensure that they understand what they are expected to do and know how to do it.
• The second activity is testing and verification of technical solutions established for recovery operations.
• The third activity is an all-hands testing and verification of documented organization recovery procedures.

CRISC-Certified Network Risk Control
The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) program was established by ISACA to validate a consultant's skills to design, deploy, and maintain information system control mechanisms to mitigate network risk. Progent can provide the services of a CRISC-certified consultant to help you to create and carry out a workplace continuity strategy based on leading practices promoted by CRISC and crafted to match your company's risk appetite, business objectives, and budgetary guidelines. To find out more, see CRISC-Certified network risk mitigation experts.

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 incorporated important improvements in scale, throughput, management, security and compliance, app compatibility, Linux co-existence, Kubernetes networking, and hybrid combinations of on-premises and cloud assets. Headline enhancements of Windows Server 2019 include Windows Admin Center for unifying the management of hybrid on-premises/cloud resources, System Insights for taking advantage of advance predictive intelligence to control on-premises environments, Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) Exploit Guard for host-intrusion prevention, container orchestration with Kubernetes, Cluster Sets technology for creating and administering massive high-availability scale-out clusters, and Storage Migration Service for simplifying the migration from legacy versions of Windows Server. For more information, visit Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering Support.

Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity consultants can help your organization to plan and deploy a disaster recovery solution based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering technologies such as Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-intrusive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for enterprise-class network-attached storage using commodity equipment, Virtual Machine Load Balancing for enhancing the performance and resilience of Failover Clusters while reducing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for easy, economical creation of a failover cluster quorum witness. To read more, see Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is a component of VMware vCenter that lets you specify, automate and test a repeatable runbook for recovering applications and services quickly after a breakdown. SRM supports centrally managed and automated recovery, application mobility, and non-disruptive site migration, failback and re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also enables non-disruptive testing for disaster recovery, upgrades and patches and can produce audit reports to confirm full service restoration, validate SLAs and prove compliance. Progent offers the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consulting expert to help you to plan, deploy, test and manage a DR system based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.

NetApp MetroCluster High Availability and Disaster Recovery Technology
NetApp MetroCluster is a disaster recovery platform that uses array-based storage clustering with replication to deliver rapid, zero data loss disaster recovery (DR) between datacenters that are up to 185 miles apart from each other. Progent can provide the skills of a certified NetApp MetroCluster expert who can help you to plan, configure, manage, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery system built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can assist you to select a topology for your MetroCluster deployment that aligns with your functional requirements and IT budget. Progent can ensure you follow leading practices for configuring your MetroCluster solution by delivering help with tasks such as assigning disk pools and shelf IDs, arranging aggregate layout, provisioning volumes, setting up NetApp Snapshot, installing Cisco and Brocade switches, implementing a tiebreaker mechanism, setting up a configuration replication network between your storage clusters, and verifying your DR solution to prove compliance with industry standards and government requirements.

Fault Tolerant Load Balancing
Progent provides fault tolerant load balancing support covering network load balancing, load balanced applications, network infrastructure routing, and content delivery technology such as Cisco Content Engine. High availability load balancing products for which Progent can provide consulting services include Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Access Suite and Access Gateway, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Distributed Director and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks 3-DNS. To read more, go to Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.

Fault Tolerant Data Centers
Progent's Data Center professionals can show you how to find zero-downtime data centers that meet the particular needs of your business. High availability colocation sites are especially appealing to small and mid-size businesses due to of their low cost and simplified logistics in comparison to pursuing a do-it-yourself strategy. Trying to create an on-site data center with even a minimum level of fault tolerance is too costly for typical small businesses. Progent is ready to show you how to get all the benefits of 24x7 colo sites by offering a full array of engineering and maintenance services. To read more, go to High-Availability Internet Data Centers Solutions.

Fault Tolerant Interoffice Connectivity
Progent's inter-site network infrastructure professionals can help businesses achieve zero-downtime branch office connectivity solutions by means of fully redundant networks with automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE network engineers can plan and implement ultra-reliable Inter-office connections based on zero-downtime EIGRP network routers or non-stop OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can demonstrate how multi-path connectivity and transparent fail-over offers affordable non-stop interoffice networking. For more information, go to 24x7 Interoffice Connectivity.

Non-stop Internet Access
Progent's Cisco-authorized IT experts can help you design an economical, fault tolerant Internet configuration architecture that can achieve non-stop Internet connectivity through a wide range of high availability Internet access solutions including high availability BGP, transparent fail-over, and redundant ISPs. Progent can provide CCIE engineers to show you how to apply the most advanced techniques for fault tolerant Internet connectivity to build an economical, completely redundant Internet network with automatic failover and other capabilities to create non-stop Internet availability. For more information, visit High Availability Internet Connectivity Architecture.

Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting Services
Progent offers economical online support from engineers with expertise in a broad array of utilities and services that provide solutions for backing up Windows, Mac, and Linux servers and workstations plus notebooks and handhelds. Progent can provide expertise for leading data protection products such as Acronis, Backup Exec, BackupAssist, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Backup, Mozy, Retrospect for Macintosh, Apple Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery, and Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can help you to deploy, upgrade, or maintain backup systems for a variety of environments including on-premises, edge to datacenter, cloud-based, or a mix. For details, go to Backup and Restore Technology Consulting Services.

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Backup and Restore Consultants
Progent's certified Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager consultants can help your company to create an effective business continuity strategy, design a cost-effective high-availability IT infrastructure, configure a System Center Data Protection Manager-powered recovery solution, comprehensively test your system, educate your administrative personnel or local service providers how to maintain SCDPM, or provide extensive information technology outsourcing including off-site housing of virtual or physical SCDPM servers in Progent's secure data center. For details, see System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting and Support Services.

Barracuda Backup Local, Offsite and Cloud Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription backup and disaster recovery platform for small and medium-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup deployment can include a purpose-built physical appliance manufactured by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with similar features but which utilizes your own storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup protects vital company data produced locally, at one or more remote locations, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon Web Services (AWS), or to any site with a physical or virtual Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consulting experts can provide a wide range of consulting services to assist your business to design, integrate, operate and debug a BDR system based on Barracuda Backup. For details, visit Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.

ProSight Altaro VM Backup Software for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Hornetsecurity's Altaro VM Backup software provides small organizations a reliable and affordable platform for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines (VMs). Altaro VM Backup can be used for on-premises, remote, distributed, and cloud-hosted environments and also enables low-cost cloud backup to Azure Block Blob storage. Altaro VM Backup supports advanced capabilities like Immutable Cloud Storage for an extra layer of protection from ransomware. Progent is a Hornetsecurity Altaro partner and offers a wide range of remote or onsite consulting services to help you to plan, install, optimize and troubleshoot a modern backup/restore solution powered by Altaro VM Backup. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a fully managed backup/recovery service based on Altaro VM Backup software. To find out more, go to Altaro VM Backup certified consultants.

ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers rudimentary archiving but does not have native support for crucial data protection services such as Exchange backups or greater than 30-day point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup delivers a full-featured BDR solution for programmable backup and quick restoration of all your company's M365 mailboxes, Teams Chats, SharePoint sites, OneDrive for Business files, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is an authorized Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) 365 Total Backup to deliver end-to-end management services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup delivers an affordable backup-as-a-service (BaaS) solution that defends M365 components against data loss resulting from human or system error, malevolent corruption, and malware attacks like ransomware. For details, go to ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup solutions for Microsoft 365.

Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO from Progent offer small and medium-sized businesses an affordable end-to-end service for reliable backup/disaster recovery. For a fixed monthly cost, ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO automates your backup processes and allow fast restoration of vital data, applications and VMs that have become lost or damaged due to hardware breakdowns, software bugs, natural disasters, human mistakes, or malicious attacks such as ransomware. ProSight DPS ECHO can help you protect, retrieve and restore files, folders, apps, system images, as well as Hyper-V and VMware images. Critical data can be protected on the cloud, to an on-premises device, or mirrored to both. Progent's backup and recovery specialists can deliver advanced support to set up ProSight DPS ECHO to to comply with government and industry regulatory standards like HIPAA, FIRPA, and PCI and, whenever needed, can help you to restore your critical information. Read more about ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO managed backup.

ProSight MSP360 Backup Solutions
Progent's data protection experts can assist your company to design, implement and debug a backup plan based on MSP360 technology. MSP360 offers file/folder or image backup/restore for VMs and physical computers, supports all popular public clouds, and permits businesses to build a backup solution with a minimum RTO and a defined Recovery Point Objective (RPO). With ProSight MSP360 Backup, Progent offers end-to-end monitoring and remote management of your backup system to prevent data loss caused by user mistakes, system glitches, malicious users, and malware attacks such as ransomware. To learn more, go to ProSight MSP360 Backup solutions.

Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for Data Backup/Restore
Double-Take publishes a family of products designed to provide small and midsize companies a variety of affordable solutions for replicating and restoring business-critical applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and Microsoft Office SharePoint. Progent's business continuity planning experts have in-depth backgrounds integrating Double-Take products into small business IT systems to create a high level of fault tolerance and business continuity readiness at a budget-friendly cost. To learn more, see Consulting for Double-Take Solutions for Backup.

Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning Solutions?
Because Progent is a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner and provides specialized application consulting for a wide variety of business software programs, Progent can help customers to find complete information technology solutions that substantially enhance the productivity of your information system. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent can provide the services of certified engineers and specialists with expertise in architecting, configuring and supporting infrastructure environments based on Cisco technology. The depth and breadth of Progent's technical know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the needs of small and midsize companies make Progent the perfect partner for building and running a cost-effective, high-availability network.

How You Can Contact Progent's Experts for Disaster Recovery Planning Support
In order to ask Progent about engineering expertise for business continuity planning, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.