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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Break Glass and Pull Lever in the event of an emergency
We’ve all seen fire alarms that ask you to break the glass and pull the lever. But what do you do in a computer emergency? That would depend on what went wrong and what things you need to get back on track as soon as possible. In this scenario one would set into motion a contingency plan, if you have one. The contingency plan is dependent on whether you took time during good times to have something to fall back on. In this article we will discuss the plans you need to have in place for emergency situations.
Let us take a step back. The only way you can have a contingency plan is if you have the proper equipment and take the time to use. What is the proper equipment? Did you know, MOHLTC technical staff suggests that you have a 3.5” floppy drives in your new computer even if you submit claims via EDT? Nowadays, computer manufacturers are removing certain devices like 3.5” floppy drives and conventional modems, replacing them with different types of drives and connection devices. This will continue to happen as the industry researches and develops new components and peripherals that are more efficient. Nevertheless, whether you use the technology or not it’s strongly recommended you have them. Since MOHLTC stipulates the medium and path for you to submit your claims, it’s always good to start with them to determine your minimum requirements. You can then speak with a computer professional to see what else is recommended. The backup process is a great example. Some people have chosen to use an automated tape backup and depending on the level of technology in your office, this may be best suited to you. However, if you computer is a few years old and the backup device is designed to work on older operating systems, you may not be able to use or take the technology forward if you have a crash or have to replace your hardware. What do you do if the manufacturer doesn’t produce that product anymore or if the manufacturer is no longer in business? What do you do if the device doesn’t work with your new operating system? Of course, if everything works, then you are in luck. If not, you will have nothing to show from you contingency plan. As technology rolls on, and our dependency on the equipment grows, we tend to take things for granted. We rely on modems and phone lines, believing that it will always work, that upgrading hardware or software will not affect anything in our existing set up, our computer will work trouble free for many years (not withstanding user error), and our staff will always be there to do the little things that need to be done. But that one instance when things don’t go our way, it can certainly be a huge inconvenience.
To help yourself you must provide your own safety net. Software and hardware companies can only help you if you have taken the proper precautions, so please be sure you have the following:
1. 3.5” floppy drives and disks.
2. Daily backups to work with.
3. Ensure that your existing office technology can be used with today’s current technology market.
By taking care of these issues, you will be in a better position to overcome emergencies.