"In smaller companies it is amazing: something bad has to happen before they invest. Bigger companies have solutions”
- Canalys Channel Panel, June 2004

Small businesses may have more to lose than large companies when a disaster-natural or otherwise-strikes. Because of costs or lack of resources, many smaller companies have less-rigorous business-continuity plans in place, and some have no formal processes at all.

Burnbank Systems are able to provide a cost effective solution to this problem. The solution is to put in place an off-site duplicate network infrastructure, allowing employees to access data via a Web browser from any location using either Citrix or Terminal Services software or a secure Virtual Private Network Client.

In an emergency key users can work from home or temporary office space, with secure access to current information because it's unlikely that all of their home phone and network access will simultaneously fail.

Data can be replicated (on a single to single or many to single server basis) to a backup centre hosted at our secure data centre, on a real-time basis, using a proprietary data replication software and accessed from a dial-in or permanent Internet link.

Using industry-standard servers, Data Replication is a viable, lower cost service offering than the traditional disaster recovery programs, which rely on access to alternative office premises offering limited desk-space and a minimal IT resource. These may also have been oversold with multiple organisations paying for the same limited space only to be affected by the same disaster and contending for the same resource.

The solution provides for a seamless business continuance, with the only time constraint being the time taken to log on the data centre or reach alternate premises. In the case of say a major network system failure, but with no damage to premises this is likely to be measured in minutes. Without data replication the scenario changes. Traditional methods of restoring both the data and software components of a server could take as long as 4 to 10 hours to return a system back to its original state.

While component replacement may only take a few minutes, the installation of the operating system and restoring system data will require the most time. Costs vary depending on the amount of data to be replicated & backed up, how many servers required, and the method of accessing the data centre.