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DISASTER BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY

Database Backup

Database backup is a way through which organizations secure and restore data through data replication. Traditionally, database backup is conducted by relational database management systems (RDBMS). Besides the RDBMS, which may be said to be a bit traditional, there are other technologically capable methods such as cloud. Database backup essentially reproduces copies of the data, and the copies are stored in such a way that they can be retrieved easily and quickly in the event that database will be corrupted, lost, or destroyed during a disaster. Database backup within an organization is systematically carried out by database administrators. Database backups can either be stored locally or inside a database backup server.

Organizations conduct database backups with the intention of preventing losing data in the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, database backup enables an organization strictly comply with authority business operations and regulations. Database backups help to restore a database to its original state before the occurrence of a disaster leading to deletion or corruption. There are various types of database backups based on the type of database (Hart & Freeman, 2006).

  Database Environment Database Backup
1 SQL         i.            Full (default) database backup

ii.            Differential database backup

iii.            Transaction log backups

2 Oracle         i.            Cold (offline) database backup

ii.            Hot (online) database backup

 

 

SQL Database Environment

  1. Full database backup – This refers to the point where database administrators start all database backups also referred to as default database backups. The database administrator captures the entire database including all transaction logs.
  2. Differential database backup – This captures the last changes to a database since the final full database backup. Differential database backup simply saves changes on the database.
  3. Transactional log backups – This type of database backup capture database modifications and changes. This means that the database backup captures various historical data records that the database has gone through. Database logs are used by the database administrators in the process of database recovery and restoration at some point.

Oracle Database Environment

  1. Hot (Online) backups – Hot (Online) database backups are conducted by the database administrators in case the database in question is critical to the organization’s or owner’s mission. Hot (online) database backups run throughout the day and the week.
  2. Cold (Offline) database backups – These database backups occur automatically when the database is at rest. When they happen, the database is not running, and users are not logged in. There are simply no activities.

Disaster Planning

Disaster planning is a detailed plan from an organization describing various ways in which database administrators and other personnel can quickly and effectively resume work after a disaster. Disaster planning makes one of the features of business continuity planning. The idea behind an organization or an individual having a disaster planning is enabling the IT functions to recover enough data and system functionality. An organization starts by creating a disaster recovery plan. However, a disaster recovery plan is not created immediately, but a proposal is created first instead of after which it is embraced by the organization before it is approved. Along the creation and approval of disaster recovery plan is the business impact analysis (BIA) which helps the organization to determine their most critical functions as well as what the organization requires to get the IT components and equipment of the business functions operational upon the occurrence of a disaster. Among the most important things in a disaster recovery planning is the comprehensive off-site data backups and on-site recovery plan (Wandrei, 2007).

Organizations might not be readily able to identify an alternate site having almost similar equipment with the original site. However, such organizations could rent data center and bandwidth during the disaster. Therefore, these are among the things which should be accounted for during disaster planning. While there are organizations which can start operations with only a single server, there are also which require an almost identical site regarding equipment with the original site to start operations. Therefore, organizations should always have this in mind and an extensive plan on how this can be possible.

In the event that an organization wants to relocate during a disaster, there is a possibility that they may relocate to a cold site or hot site. Employees may have to move to a hot site to resume their work if work cannot start on the current business site. A hot-site is an almost identical site to the original site. A hot site has the computer system and data an organization may require when it wants to resume working normally. When developing a disaster recovery plan, it should be comprehensively tested. Additionally, personnel should be taught in its application before it is put into use and assessed. Among the things that need to be tested are hot-site, data and computer resources. The personnel can exclusively access the hot-site to gauge how efficient it is and whether it can support all business functions and processes in case of a disaster in the original site (Smith & Haisley, 2002).

Integration of Database Backup and Disaster Planning

Database backup and disaster planning are developed, implemented, and managed with the help of a database administrator. Therefore, an organization that integrates both database backup and disaster planning can comprehensively protect and secure their database against loss in the aftermath of a natural or human-made disaster. Additionally, such an organization can easily reconstruct the database after the loss or corruption of the database. The integration of both disaster preparedness mechanisms helps an organization to monitor their database closely. By closely monitoring the database, the organization offers comprehensive protection of the database logically and physically. An organization that integrates both strategies will also spend less in recovering from a disaster because it will have good plans and strategies on how to start again in the aftermath of a disaster.

An organization cannot engage in the successful transfer of data without integrating both database backup and disaster planning. There are some instances where a database administrator may require migrating database or database components in which case he will have to rely on the benefits provided by the integration of database backup and disaster planning. An organization which integrates database backup and disaster planning in comparison to the one which does not integrate might not suffer the same data loss. Organizations keen on the integration of these techniques will suffer fewer data loss in comparison to the one which does not integrate since the one that integrates will have comprehensive and better-tested strategies for data recovery than the other one. Integration of database backup and disaster planning also helps an organization to include everyone in the fight against disaster (Min, Dan-dan, & Guo-qing, 2002).

References

Hart, M., & Freeman, R. (2006). Oracle database 10g RMAN backup & recovery. New York:       McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Min, C., Dan-dan, Y., & Guo-qing, T. (2002). Research of maintaining data consistency in            distributed database systems. Journal of National University of Defense Technology, 2             (24), 76-80.

Smith, K., & Haisley, S. (2002). Oracle backup and recovery. New York: McGraw-Hill    Publishers.

Wandrei, P. L. (2007). Maximizing backup and recovery of data and systems. Information            Systems Control Journal, 3 (3), 1-2.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in help writing nursing research paper if you need a similar paper you can place your order for customized papers.

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