A couple of thoughts here.

On 2/21/06, Gerard J. Nicol <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> If you are in, say LA, perhaps 40 miles away might be too far away at the
> wrong time of the day, but somewhere else this might not be a problem.


If you're in LA (and I'm assuming you mean Los Angeles, not Louisiana) this
is a perfect example of where you'd want a 40 mile separation form primary
place of business to storage of backup tapes.   Earthquakes and fires in the
LA area tend to have an impact over great areas and while it may take a bit
longer to get from point A to point B during heavy traffic, you have a much
smaller chance of your backups being damaged if they're farther away. As a
business, I  think I'd rather take a bit longer to get up and running than
risk not being able to at all.

As the last year has shown, the greatest risk is not where you store you
> tapes; it is who you entrust with the task of managing that storage.


Hmm... I wonder if the businesses in LA (Louisiana, not Los Angeles) and the
rest of the Gulf Coast would agree with you on this.  Given that many of the
locations records were stored were in the flood plain and severe losses were
suffered, (many of which have been chronicled but few that were directly
related to records thus far) I think these folks would tell you that WHERE
you store your records is pretty important. I think we've also seen this in
areas impacted by floods in the past, as well as in the 9-11 and some other
scenarios.

Your primary concern should be selecting someone who has a track record of
> good management, and who values your business. Avoid companies who would
> rather blame their problems on you, and push you towards other unworkable
> technologies.


Your primary concern should be ensuring you select a provider/location that
satisfies your business needs for continuity and minimizes your risk to an
acceptable level. Otherwise,  I agree with these comments, no matter where
the business is located.  Sufficient research should be done to ensure you
select a provider that follows sound business practices, values your needs
and is willing to negotiate terms and conditions that suit your business
requirements.

Larry
--
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

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