Downtime consists of any unplanned event that means production or productivity comes to a halt. Downtime has the potential to cause a whole host of unwanted results such as customer dissatisfaction, reduced productivity, damage to the business’s reputation and an array of other problems that your business would need to quickly clean up after. In any business it’s a massive inconvenience, resulting in loss of capital and reduced sales, but in IT, downtime can also lead to cyber attacks, which no business ever wants.
We’ve put together some tips and tricks as to how you can help to keep downtime away from your business.
Downtime can occur for any number of reasons. Servers don’t like being overloaded, so when there are two many users trying to get onto them, downtime can set in. If the technology isn’t monitored, problems can’t be foreseen, which can also result in downtime. Let’s not forget that network issues can also cause downtime. Security flaws and software bugs can all make problems arise which ultimately results in downtime for a business. Outdated hardware is also a problem when it comes to downtime, as when your technology isn’t running as it’s designed to be, it leaves gaps in security.
Less well-known reasons for downtime include natural disasters and human error. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to prevent these from happening, so downtime is never completely avoidable. That’s why it’s essential to have some procedures in place to limit the damage and interruptions caused when downtime sets in.
When downtime rears its ugly head, it’s important to be prepared for whatever it might throw at you. Having procedures in place to limit the effects of downtime not only means that your data will be kept safe, but can also mean that you’ll be back up and running sooner than you thought. Having backup systems in place will mean that whatever is lost during downtime can be found again once you’re back in business. Ensuring your data centres and IT teams have battery and generator backup systems may means that you can avoid downtime altogether in the event of a failure. You could also consider using a secondary data centre site to make sure there’s a safety net for disaster recovery if your primary one fails.
It’s essential to make sure your IT staff are qualified and trained to respond quickly and effectively to downtime. Having the skills on board to get your systems back up and running could save your business a lot of time, money and resources.
Although downtime isn’t completely preventable in all cases, there are many scenarios where it can certainly be avoided. Keeping on top of the maintenance of your systems is essential. This lets you put your systems to the test, meaning you can identify and address any problems which are lurking in the shadows before they turn into the dreaded downtime. By also monitoring your servers and network, you can ensure they’re performing at their best. This way, if there is a problem, you can make sure you detect it early to nip it in the bud and forget about downtime entirely.
You could even automate some routine tasks to reduce the risk of human error. Even clicking on the wrong thing at the wrong time can result in downtime, so ensure your team know all about IT security and how they can do their bit to avoid downtime. Simple tricks such as not clicking on any links in emails from someone you don’t know can save a serious bout of downtime.
You should locate your systems in physically secure locations too, to ensure that nobody who shouldn’t have access can get to your data and applications, shutting down your systems and letting downtime take its course. Take the time to meticulously test any major upgrades so you and your team know what to expect and try and schedule them for a time when downtime won’t affect your team too badly.
Cloud-based hosting is also worth considering. This often means that downtime is significantly reduced, as you can simply hop on to another machine if yours fails. This kind of hosting also means that you don’t need to rely on an in-house data centre, meaning that there’s less technology that can fail you, and your data can be kept away from harm at all times.
Here at The Isobar, our Sage Hosting systems use Cloud-based hosting, ensuring that your data is safe and you can let business carry on without a hitch. Our Automatic Failover feature switches out any faulty or failing hardware, making absolutely sure that your Cloud server can continue working at its best, without a single hiccup. This means that a single-point of failure, such as an in-house server or a PC being inaccessible, is close to non-existent, and downtime becomes a worry of the past.
Hop over to The Isobar to let your business glide on with ease, without being interrupted by the effects of downtime.