Question:
Are there any bench-marks as to staffing a Backup and Recovery team?
I presently lead
a team of Systems Administrators who's primary
responsibility is to implement backup and restore services for the
enterprise. As new workload comes into the corporation (we are an IT
out-source) my team is responsible for implementing a backup solution,
monitoring the scheduled jobs, all brake-fix responsibilities, performing
user requested restores and participation in disaster recovery drills
and
initiatives. We are presently responsible for backups of over 10,000
servers and over 180 tb. of data.
My problem is validating the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) count for the
workload we have. My management keeps asking if there is any industry
guidelines that show FTE counts to servers or FTE to tb. backed up or
a
combination of both.
Answer 1:
I do not know of any standards for server or data recovery. I have seen some standards for DASD administrators but even those standards are just an average. It seems that the amount an individual could recover would directly depend upon the degree of complexity, degree of automation and the time objectives desired.
In a highly automated
shop where the recovery data is being replicated to a hot standby system
in another location which automatically starts when the primary system
goes down you might argue that it doesn't take any additional bodies.
If on the other hand you are going to have those 180 terrabytes of data
shipped on tape or disk somewhere and then restore you are going to need
a platoon of administrators.
Rich Rehak
Richard H. Rehak
The responses reflect the views of the individual EAB member, and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers, the DRJ, or the EAB as a whole.