EAB - 1702-eab -Disaster Recovery Journal

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Spring 2004 Issue

DISASTER RECOVERY
JOURNAL

P. O. Box 510110
St. Louis, MO 63151
(314) 894-0276
Fax: (314) 894-7474
Internet www.drj.com
E-mail drj@drj.com

PUBLISHER &
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Richard L. Arnold, CBCP
richard@drj.com

SENIOR EDITOR
Janette Ballman
janette@drj.com

MANAGING EDITOR
Jon Seals
jon@drj.com

COPY EDITORS
Richard Sandhofer
richards@drj.com
Pamela Clifton
pamelaclifton@hotmail.com

ADVERTISING
Robert Arnold
bob@drj.com

_____________

Corporate

President/CEO
Richard L. Arnold, CBCP
richard@drj.com

Vice President
Robert Arnold
bob@drj.com

CONFERENCE COORDINATOR
Patti Fitzgerald, CBCP
patti@drj.com

CONFERENCE REGISTRAR
Merce Knese
mercedes@drj.com

CIRCULATION
Laura Baugh
laurab@drj.com

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Jeff Dato, MBCP, KPMG
John Jackson, IBM
Edward S. Devlin, E.S. Devlin & Associates
James Hammill, CBCP, JMH Consulting Inc.
Pat McAnally, SunGard Availability Services
Brian Turley, Strohl Systems
Belinda Wilson, Hewlett-Packard

INTERNATIONAL
CONTACTS
England: Thom Hetherington
Business Continuity
Phone: 0161-237-1007
thomh@tempus.demon.co.uk

Australia: Anthony J. Harvey
Journal of Business Continuity
Phone: 0011-613-953-0055-8
fax: 0011-613-953-0528
sector@notability.com.au

Japan: Shinji Hosotsubo
Quake Japan Co., Ltd.
Phone: 03-3215-2880
fax: 03-3215-2881

Brazil: Jose Carlos Ferreira
Disaster Recovery Mercosul
Phone: 55 11 3666-9506
conc2000@uol.com.br
www.drms.com.br

Click Here for a Printable Version

Testing. Testing. Testing.

By JERRY MONTELLA

A print-to-mail recovery plan is in place so a company has ensured that its revenue stream is protected against unforeseen interruptions, right?
Not exactly. Although a print-to-mail recovery plan may exist, there is no assurance that it will perform unless the plan – and every application included in it – has been tested to verify its effectiveness during a business interruption.
In fact, according to Madison Advisors, an independent research firm specializing in the study of high-volume, transaction print and output operations, “The number of changes that occur within normal printing and mailing operations dictates that regular testing of the plan should take place a minimum of four times per year – more often if the application is complex.”

Know the Failure Points
Seemingly simple revisions to documents – bar code placement, fonts, even a logo or signature change – can significantly delay efforts to recover and meet service-level commitments, but can be avoided through regular testing. However, testing – and eventually recovery – will be far more successful if you identify the critical points of potential failure, and answer specific questions concerning each before the test is conducted.
• Data Transmission – Probably the No. 1 cause of a transmission error is a change in the configuration of the communication devices between the data facility and the printing and mailing site. To avoid problems, test the circuit, and also confirm that there is sufficient bandwidth to meet your production needs. Also, if your data and print-to-mail operations are separate, be certain that you have connectivity between your data center and your print-to-mail recovery center. There are often interruptions in which printing and mailing capability goes “down” while the data capability stays “up.”
• Print – Missing resources are the primary cause of print tests failing at the recovery center: avoid this by providing all necessary print resources with the test data or, to assure accuracy, send a copy of all resource updates to the recovery provider on a scheduled basis. Print and insert samples must also be provided to confirm that the printed output matches your exact specifications. Also be aware that any proprietary software used in your production must be replicated at the recovery facility to ensure successful testing and recovery.
• Finishing – The recovery of complex inserting applications requires extensive preparation. Machine specifications and bar code logic must be provided along with insert samples in advance of the test. The complex array of bar codes can have multiple functions and the exact specifications – style, density, length, and placement – can impact the ability to recover the documents and ensure mail piece integrity. Additionally, adequate set-up time, often even pre-testing, is needed to ensure that all machines are configured to run your applications.

Know Your Liability
Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, and Rule 446 are just a sampling of the regulatory considerations that place an increasingly critical importance on knowing your recovery plan will work. Compliance is important to your company, and it is extremely important if you outsource your work to another vendor. Confirm who is liable in the event of an interruption, and make sure your company can meet its burden of liability.
If you think that your data recovery plan includes printing and mailing, make sure the following questions can be answered:
• Have they tested print and mail production vs. data recovery alone?
• Do they cover production volumes or only report documents?
• Do they have experienced production personnel to operate equipment during an extended outage?
Production throughput can also directly impact the effectiveness of your print-to-mail recovery plan. You should ask not only what equipment – continuous or cut-sheet printers, standard or intelligent inserters and sorters, and meters – is necessary to help you recover quickly, but also what are the capabilities of each piece of equipment? While data recovery may include system printers, production printers should only be recovered by a dedicated print recovery center and, similarly, complex finishing and inserting projects can only be recovered by experienced service providers.

Jerry Montella is general manager of Mail-Gard, a leading provider of business continuity and recovery services. He is also a member of the DRJ Editorial Advisory Board.

To comment on this article, go to 1702-eab at www.drj.com/feedback.