| If you answered YES to that, you're dead wrong my | | | | databases for you real time. So if you're not technically |
| friend. Let me prove it to you by giving you real | | | | inclined to know this as a webmaster, you might |
| true-to-life examples.Recently, I asked this question to | | | | disregard it and face the risk of loss in the future. Yet |
| one lady webmaster named Dorothy and she said | | | | losing your business data is like losing your business |
| quite simply,"Well, why should I do that? My webhost | | | | continuity. Once it's lost, you'll find it hard to |
| said that they guarantee 99.9% of the time, my | | | | recover.Another website component is your website |
| website will be OK. Besides, I don't know how to do it | | | | scripts. They need a disaster and recovery plan too. |
| if that's technical stuff. So why should I care?"That is | | | | Say for example you purchased a PHP script that has |
| the mindset of many people like her who really | | | | an auto-install auto-update feature from the seller. |
| believed that the 99+% uptime guarantees found on | | | | Most often than not, you have no copy of this script |
| the promises page of their webhosts is already their | | | | on your local harddrive (since the seller might have |
| website insurance.First of, what's a "Disaster and | | | | installed it for you for free) much more the version |
| Recovery Program"?It's all about a business owner's | | | | updates that are automatically applied to your website |
| plan of actions, systems and procedures that ensures | | | | each time the seller releases a new one.If you fail to |
| business continuity when disruptions and disasters arise | | | | backup your whole PHP script configuration, then it will |
| in the normal course of business.Every major | | | | be very hard for you to restore this script to its last |
| corporations and businesses worldwide have this on | | | | state. Imagine getting back to version 1 or older version |
| their yearly agenda as part of their risk management | | | | of your scripts. You'll end up paying the seller or a top |
| assessment. It's also known as the "Business | | | | programmer lots of money to restore this for you if |
| Continuity Program" in the corporate world.I know your | | | | you're even lucky enough to have the script from the |
| online business and your websites are important to | | | | seller again for free. If not, you have to pay for it |
| you. So why then should it not apply to your online | | | | again.Crazy eh?What a waste of money just |
| business as well?You know that many times, disaster | | | | because you don't have a disaster and recovery plan. |
| strikes us when we least expect it. Sometimes it even | | | | Not only that. You will lose face, customers or visitors, |
| happens when you have a major product launch or a | | | | momentum, opportunities and most of all, time to |
| full-blown advertising campaign when, all of a sudden, | | | | recover and restore everything to its last working |
| your websites went down and boom, all your efforts | | | | condition.You sure wouldn't want to go back to where |
| and investments went down the drain as well.If | | | | you started, would you?So here are five (5) simple |
| hackers happen to pick your site for fun and notoriety, | | | | steps you can easily do to setup your own Disaster |
| managed to break in to deface it or release worms, | | | | and Recovery Program for your online businesses:1. |
| Trojan horses, DDOS attack bots and the likes that | | | | First, REALIZE that your websites and all the other |
| damage your websites as a result, what will you do | | | | components are always at RISK. If you still believe |
| after?What about fires in the datacenter where your | | | | your webhost that nothing can happen to your website |
| server is located or maybe a hard disk failure on your | | | | no matter what, you won't be able to know until you've |
| web hosting server? There are even cases of errors | | | | lost everything. I know this and I speak by experience. |
| in technical configurations, substandard server | | | | If you can sleep at night well knowing that as a |
| hardwares, overcrowded hosting servers, technical | | | | webmaster, you're in control, then it really pays to do it |
| incompetence of support staff and other problems | | | | yourself. If you're still not convinced, answer this |
| your host wouldn't tell you about.These disasters have | | | | question: "Would you really put on some stranger's |
| ruined too many online businesses in the past. And my | | | | hands the fate of your online business?" Remember |
| websites are not spared as well. Believe me when I tell | | | | that, most of the time, you've never even met or talk |
| you that it happened to my websites many times | | | | to your webhost.2. Second, BACKUP ALL your |
| even on my own dedicated server! It only shows that | | | | website files, scripts and databases on your local hard |
| disasters do happen and even your webhost | | | | drive, another remote server or another offsite media. |
| sometimes cannot do anything about it.Website | | | | This means you'll download, store and update these |
| hacking and defacing, viruses and worms, server | | | | files from time to time. You have to do this patiently on |
| crashes, server hardware failures, datacenter fires, | | | | schedule (better once a week or best daily if you |
| network failures, electrical faults, technical support | | | | have high traffic database-driven websites). You will |
| errors, long recurring service downtimes and other | | | | use these backup files to restore your website to its |
| website disasters can immediately put you out of | | | | latest state when disaster strikes. Usually, web hosting |
| business. And that's just one of the effects. Not to | | | | control panels like Cpanel, Plesk, Ensim and Webmin |
| mention loss of face, loss of opportunities and loss of | | | | have a backup and restore facility page where you |
| time.Why?Because downtime is just not acceptable | | | | can do this. Please check your control panel manual |
| these days. Your customers and visitors can't wait all | | | | for details.3. Third, LEARN how TO recover and |
| the time for you to be back online. If they can't find | | | | RESTORE your websites to its latest state. Since |
| you, they can't buy from or trade with you and going | | | | your online business is important, you must be able to |
| to the competition is easy as a click of a mouse. Your | | | | quickly recover from any disaster. A quick restoration |
| advertising and promotional campaigns are put to | | | | plan should be in place and rehearsed during the "good |
| waste because of your dead websites. Lots of | | | | times" so that when "bad times" come, you're well |
| money are lost in recovery and restoration as well as | | | | prepared for it. Remember, if you know how to build |
| in lost opportunities that you will surely miss out.That's | | | | your websites, you must also know how to rebuild it |
| why we all need to make the planning for disaster and | | | | too. This is needed not only during disasters but also if |
| recovery a high priority item in our online business | | | | you're transferring to another web host or web |
| especially if you are seriously making a lot of money | | | | server.4. Fourth, COLLABORATE, if you're not a |
| from it.By the way, I'm not scaring you at all. But think | | | | programmer or technically knowledgeable about |
| about it for a moment. Imagine a situation wherein you | | | | websites, scripts and MYSQL databases, with |
| and your websites are in total chaos, you don't know | | | | someone who has that knowledge. When disaster |
| what to do because you don't have a website backup, | | | | strikes, you should be able to quickly pull someone who |
| you don't have a restoration plan and you don't really | | | | can do the technical stuff for you if you don't know |
| know who to run to or talk to about it.You see, each | | | | how. My suggestion is to get someone from or Since |
| webmaster should have a comprehensive plan of | | | | these sites are working on a project bidding system, |
| action. Your disaster and recovery program should not | | | | you'll get better service at lesser price. There are risks |
| only target your webpages (html, images, photos, | | | | involved here also but that's another matter. What's |
| audios, zips and other files). You should know that | | | | important is for you to know the places where to get |
| there are other website components that you need to | | | | help when you need it.5. And lastly, STICK WITH |
| take care of too.For example, many websites | | | | YOUR PLAN and do it DILIGENTLY. You can never |
| nowadays have MYSQL databases installed to store | | | | tell when problems will occur so you have to be ready |
| and manage their customers, sales, products, files and | | | | all the time. And this can only be achieved by being |
| visitors data among other things. MYSQL is free to | | | | serious to the above four (4) steps.Remember, this |
| use so many people naturally are using it for their | | | | disaster and recovery plan is your own insurance for |
| website scripts. There is a good chance that you are | | | | your online business. You don't have to pay someone |
| using or have used it too, right?So when disaster | | | | to do it for you. You can do this if you'll just realize that |
| strikes, not only are your webpages at risk, your | | | | your online business is always at risk and it's important |
| precious MYSQL databases are also at risk. Most of | | | | that it continue so that you will benefit from it in the |
| the time, webmasters have local backups of the | | | | long term.As you become triumphant over any online |
| webpages, files and scripts on their hard drive which | | | | disasters you will be facing, you will know how good it |
| can be easily restored. But MYSQL databases need a | | | | is to be in total control.And that, my friend, is a great |
| special backup procedure for you to extract it straight | | | | feeling.Manny Jao II is self-taught webmaster whose |
| from your website control panel. You can't easily | | | | aim is to improve the lives and working habits of other |
| create it and upload it like your html, pdfs and zip files. | | | | netrepreneurs just like him. |
| Your web hosting server creates and grows these | | | | |