> On Dec 15, 2009, at 12:00 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system wrote:
>
>> From: Carol Choksy <[log in to unmask]>
>> Date: December 14, 2009 7:57:56 AM EST
>> Subject: Re: Data Center in a Box as a component of RM
>>
>>
>> This is a really important topic. Many of us are unaware that this  
>> is even
>> happening. Thank you, Hugh, for alerting us to this issue. ARMA is  
>> writing a
>> guideline on Records in the Cloud, and this is an important piece  
>> of the
>> puzzle!

If Records Manager's take a few moments to analyze the overall import  
of this concept of Data Center in a Box, you will find a harsh  
reality. The IT Community has finally demoted records to a non- 
existent status.

With the advent of Virtual Tape, Virtual Servers and Virtual Data  
Centers, things became ambiguous.  Then the Cloud made it even more  
so.  Their world is the computer hardware, what it processes is zero  
and ones and who cares about one over another. IT has never had any  
designation for vital records versus short term records or any other  
classification. They have no designation for Human Resource records  
versus Legal Records or Accounting Records.  They are just bit of data  
and where it is stored is no more important for one set of zeros and  
ones than for any other.

But in the past, the Data Center was protected within a safe building  
and the equipment was located in the most secure inner hub similar to  
the way the Pentagon protects its most secure information assets.  But  
the Data Center in a Box approach is a departure from that.  It  
basically follows the tenant that if valuable data can just float  
around in the etherspace then creating the cheapest possible  
environment for this data center is not out of line.

A consultant asked me yesterday, if a crane can set this container in  
the back alley, why can't some competitor or a saboteur or just a  
thief seeing a truck load of servers valued at over a million dollars  
come along with a crane and lift it on a truck and drive away?

The consultant saw a weakness the computer industry does not even  
acknowledge.  The computer industry at first did not even see a threat  
from opening the end doors and allowing snow, sleet and dust blow into  
the data center.  All that matters is selling equipment and all other  
considerations pale by comparison.

Our economy is tethered to the internet and email now; and this is a  
fragile environment. This failure to see the records existing in these  
environments allows the IT Industry to ignore important issues.

FIRELOCK has always vaulted things:  Vital Records, Historical  
Records, Rare Artifacts, Priceless collections and archives and in the  
last 20 years; Server Rooms and small data centers.  So vaulting the  
data center in its smallest container (SAVE) makes sense to us but not  
without security as the first and last consideration.

But as I have said many times here, when the records manager gave up  
the Vital Records Vault as part of their sphere of control, some of  
the foundation blocks for a strong records management program went  
away.  IT just followed the lead.

ARMA national trade show in past years had Schwab Safe, Sentry, Mosler  
Safe and FIRELOCK exhibiting fireproof file cabinets, vital records  
vaults, data safes and data vaults but the lack of interest from  
records managers in protecting their records resulted in these vendors  
crossing ARMA off their show lists for lack of interest. Risk Managers  
and Chief Security Officers have moved into this realm. When RM's quit  
caring, it signaled the IT community that Virtual Clouds in a Tin Can  
were appropriate technology for their data.

I have watched the blogs and only Larry Medina speaks out against  
these dangerous trends right in the lair of the IT Lions.  And the IT  
wizards have no response to his truths. But one voice alone from the  
records management community will not stem this tide to desensitize  
executive management about the risks to their electronic records  
platform.

If you look out the window and see a shipping container being unloaded  
in your parking space with IT dancing around it like a new Christmas  
bike, it is too late. Search Google for "Data Center in a Box" and  
put  http://www.servervaulting.com/save.asp in your browser and you  
can see two sides of the debate. One side of the debate says security  
is not an issue here and the other says security and fire protection  
are the primary issue.  RM have not weighed in yet or as Carol noted,  
you may note have been invited to this debate as yet.  Well come on  
in.............  Its going to get loud! Microsoft, Google, SUN,  
Rackable, IBM and HP have already staked a claim in this world. They  
are easy to spot, like the King in the Invisible Clothes walking on  
parade, and only stupid peasants see a problem in placing the  
corporate information assets in ever more insecure environments.  Who  
would want to hurt American Business Interests. Hmmm??

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM



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