Is that so? Are You Sure You Need a Plan B in Case of Website Disaster? Why?
There is no way in hell you could be right if you said yes to it. Here are some concrete, real-world examples to back my claim up.
When I asked this question of a female webmaster named Dorothy not long ago, her response was straightforward:
"So, what's the point?" According to my web host, my website will be up and running 99.9% of the time. Anyway, if that's technical stuff, I'm lost. That being the case, what's the rush?
There are a lot of others who think the same way as her; they think that the 99+% uptime assurances that webhosts provide on their promises page cover all of their website insurance needs.
A "Disaster and Recovery Program" is the first thing I need to know.
It's all about the owner's strategy, systems, and procedures for keeping the company running smoothly in the face of unforeseen challenges.
As part of their annual risk management evaluation, this is something that every big firm and enterprise on the planet does. Within corporations, it is referred to as the "Business Continuity Program" as well.
You have a successful online business and I know how essential your websites are to you. Then why wouldn't it also apply to your internet company?
Tragedies happen to the best of us at the worst of times. In extreme cases, such as during a big product launch or advertising campaign, all of a sudden, your websites go down, and your hard work and investment are for naught.
What would you do if hackers decided to target your site for attention and fun, broke in, and defaced it or released harmful software like worms, Trojan horses, and DDOS attack bots?
What if your web host's server were to suffer a hard disk failure or a fire broke out in the datacenter where it was housed? Your host might be hiding a number of issues from you, such as inadequate server hardware, technical incompetence on the part of support personnel, overcrowding on hosting servers, and mistakes in technical configurations.
Far too many internet companies have failed because of these catastrophes. Even my websites aren't safe. Even on my personal dedicated server, this has happened numerous times to my websites, so believe me when I say this! It just goes to demonstrate that accidents do happen and sometimes not even your web host can prevent them.
You might be out of business in an instant if your website is subject to hacking, defacement, viruses, worms, crashes, hardware failures, datacenter fires, electrical issues, technical support mistakes, lengthy recurring service outages, or any number of other disasters. One of the impacts is that. Not to mention the time, opportunity, and face that you'll lose as a result.
Why?
Because in this day and age, leisure is simply not tolerated. People who visit your site and use your services are becoming tired of waiting for you to go live again. They will not be able to do business with you or purchase from you if they are unable to locate you, and they will simply go to your competitor. Websites that don't work render all of your marketing and advertising dollars in vain. The costs of repair and rehabilitation, not to mention the chances you will lose out on, add up quickly.
That's why, if you're producing a substantial amount of money from your internet business, catastrophe and recovery preparation should be one of your top priorities.
Just so you know, I'm not trying to frighten you. Consider that, though, for a second. Envision yourself and your websites in complete disarray, with no idea of what to do due to a lack of backups, restoration plans, and any idea of who to turn to for help.
Every webmaster needs a detailed strategy, you know. Websites (including images, photos, audio, zip files, and HTML) shouldn't be the primary targets of your disaster recovery procedure. You should be aware that there are more aspects of the website that require your attention as well.
For instance, MYSQL databases are commonly used by many websites these days for storing and managing many types of data, including but not limited to: customers, sales, products, files, and visitors. Many individuals are adopting MYSQL for their website scripts because it is free to use. Most likely, you are using it or have used it at some point as well.
Your priceless MYSQL databases are just as vulnerable as your webpages in the event of a calamity. The majority of webmasters regularly create and maintain restoreable local copies of their websites, files, and scripts on their hard drives. However, in order to retrieve it directly from your website's control panel, you will need to follow a specific backup procedure for MYSQL databases. Unlike HTML, PDFs, and ZIP files, it is difficult to create and upload. These databases are created and grown in real time by your web hosting server. Thus, as a webmaster, you run the danger of losing out in the future if you aren't technically inclined to know this. However, it's the same as losing company continuity if you lose your company data. It will be difficult to get it back once you've lost it.
Your website scripts are another part of your website. The same goes for a disaster and recovery strategy. Take the case of a PHP script you bought from a vendor that offers automatic installation and updates. Unless the vendor installed it for free, you probably don't have a local copy of the script on your hard disk. What's more, your website gets updated automatically whenever the vendor releases a new version.
Restoring this script to its previous condition will be a huge challenge if you don't back up all of the configuration settings for your PHP script. Envision reverting to an earlier version of your scripts, like version 1. Even if you manage to get your hands on the script from the seller again without paying, you'll still have to shell out a big penny to get it fixed. Reimbursement will be required in such a case.
Quack, huh?
Oh, what a colossal waste of cash that would have been saved had a catastrophe and recovery plan been in place. Beyond that, yes. Time is the most valuable resource, and you stand to lose a lot of it along with any respect, clients, momentum, possibilities, and, most importantly, face.
Surely you would prefer not to start all over, would you?
In order to build up your own Disaster Recovery Program for your internet enterprises, here are five(5) easy steps:
1. It's important to understand that your websites and other components are constantly vulnerable. Until you've lost everything, you won't know if your webhost is telling the truth when they say your website will be fine no matter what. From personal experience, I can say this is true. Doing it yourself pays off if you can rest easy knowing that you are in charge as a webmaster. To help you make up your mind, I'll ask you this: "Would you really trust a complete stranger with the destiny of your internet business?" Keep in mind that you have probably never spoken to or met your webhost in person.
2. The second piece of advice is to create a backup of your entire website, including all scripts, databases, and files, and save it on a separate drive, remote server, or offsite media. This necessitates periodic file downloads, storage, and updates. Schedule this patiently; ideally, once weekly; for database-driven websites with heavy traffic, it's best to perform it daily. When catastrophe strikes, you can utilise these backup files to get your website back to its most recent condition. You can usually find this functionality on the backup and restore page of most web hosting control panels, such as Cpanel, Plesk, Ensim, and Webmin. For details, consult the handbook that came with your control panel.
3. Lastly, get knowledge on how to restore and recover your websites to their most recent state. Your ability to swiftly recover from any crisis is crucial for the success of your internet business. While things are going well, you should be making preparations for when things go bad by creating and practicing a rapid restoration plan. It goes without saying that you should be able to rebuild a website just as well as develop it. In the event of a calamity or while switching to a new web host or server, this is essential.
Lastly, if you lack technical expertise in areas such as programming, scripting, or MYSQL databases, it is recommended that you collaborate with someone who does. You must to be ready to swiftly assemble a team capable of handling technical matters in the event that you are unable to do so alone. My recommendation is to hire someone through Scriptlance.com or Elance.com. You will receive better service at a lower price because these sites are working on a project bidding mechanism. Additionally, there are dangers associated with this, but that is a separate issue. Knowing where to go for assistance in times of need is crucial.
5. Lastly, remain committed to your plan and execute it with utmost care. You need to be prepared at all times because you can never predict when difficulties will arise. This can only be accomplished if the preceding four (4) procedures are followed with utmost seriousness.
A backup plan in case of an emergency is like insurance for your web store. Paying someone else to do it is unnecessary. This is within your reach if you can accept the fact that your internet business is vulnerable at all times yet crucial to your success in the long run.
You will learn the value of command and control as you emerge victorious from the many online challenges you will face.
My friend, that is an incredible sensation.
