RMB Asset Management (RMBAM), including its subsidiary RMB Fund Managers, has signed a long-term contract with Business Recovery Services (BRS) to provide a full disaster recovery service to the company in the event of computer system failure. BRS is a new company within Computer Configurations Holdings Ltd. (CCH), providing disaster recovery and off-site storage facilities. Stephen Jones, Systems Analyst at RMB Asset Management, argues that very few off-site facilities have been able to keep up with the infrastructure changes in companies which have chosen to downsize their mainframe equipment. "We weren`t impressed with what has been available out there, up to now", he adds. BRS will mirror RMBAM`s hardware infrastructure with Axil and Corollary servers supplied by CCH at the high end, and Compaq servers at the lower end. BRS focuses primarily on companies using high-end midrange equipment, as well as on large-scale mainframe systems. "Disaster recovery services in their real sense have never been available to companies not using mainframe systems," points out BRS managing director Frederick Castleman, "yet it is obvious that more and more mission-critical systems are run in client/server and midrange environments." Data protection and disaster recovery has become a talking point since the release of the King Report following the Masterbond scandal. The report examines business conduct, and suggests that decision-makers in an organisation may be held responsible for the financial consequences of a disaster, unless steps to safeguard the eventuality had been executed. "In effect, a company director can be jailed if it can be proved that clients have incurred financial losses owing to the collapse of the company`s computer systems," expands Castleman. "The onus should be on company directors to ensure, wherever possible, that mission-critical data is protected. Jones agrees, "As part of the responsibilities of company directors, as far as being able to maintain the company is concerned, a certain amount of contingency planning for disasters needs to be adopted. Most people expect this responsibility to go beyond simple insurance." Insurance may protect the financial assets of clients, but, as Jones confirms, it is no safeguard against going out of business. "It is prudent to have an off-site facility to recover the business." RMB Asset Management is dependent on its computer hardware. However, not only are computer systems at risk during a disaster, but also the transaction network , office environment, and general operating infrastructure. The Johannesburg based BRS centre provides state-of-the-art facilities for a complete recovery of RMBAM`s business operation. Housed in a secure stronghold, the premises are equipped with uninterrupted power supplies, and diesel generators with enough fuel to last a 2-day blackout. The equipment mirrored on the site is entirely client-specific, customised to the recovery needs of the business. For the RMBAM contract, BRS has established an off-site data storage and mirror facility, as well as a fully-serviced dealing room. The facility is monitored by video and voice recording equipment, is fed by a direct cable link to Telkom, and provides a live feed from Reuters via satellite. Currently RMBAM and BRS are in the planning and testing phase of the implementation. According to Castleman the `testing` phase of the operation is an ongoing process designed to replicate a disaster recovery situation, and fine-tune the data delivery routine from the client`s site to the BRS facility. The planning exercise will take up to 18 months, "but by signing up early, you`re buying a pool of people who know what needs to take place during a disaster, buying their skills, and their commitment in a worst-case scenario", says Jones. During this time, and at each stage thereafter, RMBAM is responsible to ensure that the business, and their clients, are protected against the consequences of a disaster. According to Jones, 99% of all asset management data resides on computer systems, 95% of which is protected (5% of which accounts for miscellaneous data taken home by employees, or stored temporarily on disk). All client-related, mission-critical data is 100% protected, as is the data required to seamlessly resume transactions off-site. Contractually, BRS is required to ensure recovery equipment is in place, the facility is operational, and the machines correctly configured to the client`s specifications, since its business depends on being able to perform in the event of a disaster. BRS offers two primary recovery options. The first, dubbed a `complete smoke-and-rubble` plan, serves the client in the case of a critical site disaster, where the physical premises of the business are destroyed. RMBAM would then relocate a core team of people to the BRS facility, from which they would be able to recover the vital functions of the business, and establish an environment for a complete off-site operation until their own site is back on line. Every detail, down to the pot plants, desks, chairs, workstations and ablution facilities for the recovery staff are in place. The second, `portable services` plan, will cover a critical hardware failure at the RMBAM site. When required, BRS would ship fully-mirrored machines to the affected site, and set up and configure each machine as part of its service to the client. Depending on the contract, a client would sign for a combination of the two recovery plans, and BRS will customise the recovery schedule to the client`s specifications. Jones feels he has managed to settle on a combination of services covering what RMBAM requires, without breaking the bank. "In BRS we have found two key benefits that set it apart in this market:" says Jones, "people who have the background and experience to handle the type of disaster that would affect our business, and who have the right equipment and maintenance procedures to do so successfully."
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