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📄 Contents

␡
  1. Management Reference Guide
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Introduction
  4. Strategic Management
  5. Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
  6. Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
  7. Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
  8. Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
  9. Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
  10. Instituting Practical Corporate Values
  11. Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
  12. Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
  13. IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
  14. IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
  15. Customer Management
  16. Identifying Key External Customers
  17. Identifying Key Internal Customers
  18. Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
  19. Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
  20. Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
  21. Service Management
  22. Identifying Key Services for Business Users
  23. Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
  24. How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
  25. FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
  26. FAQs About Availability (AV)
  27. FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
  28. FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
  29. FAQs About Change Management (CM)
  30. FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
  31. FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
  32. FAQs About Network Management
  33. FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
  34. FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
  35. FAQs About Release Management (RM)
  36. FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
  37. FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
  38. FAQs About Security (SE)
  39. FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
  40. FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
  41. FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
  42. FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
  43. Process Management
  44. Developing Robust Processes
  45. Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
  46. Change Management—Part 1
  47. Change Management—Part 2
  48. Change Management—Part 3
  49. Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
  50. Problem Management
  51. Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
  52. Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
  53. Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
  54. Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
  55. Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
  56. Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
  57. Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
  58. Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
  59. Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
  60. 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
  61. Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
  62. Evaluating the Physical Environment
  63. Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
  64. Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
  65. Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
  66. Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
  67. Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
  68. Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
  69. Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
  70. Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
  71. Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
  72. Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
  73. Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
  74. Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
  75. Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
  76. Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
  77. Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
  78. Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
  79. Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
  80. Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
  81. Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
  82. Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
  83. Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
  84. Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
  85. Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
  86. Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
  87. Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
  88. Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
  89. Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
  90. Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
  91. Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
  92. Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
  93. Supplier Management
  94. Identifying Key External Suppliers
  95. Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
  96. Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
  97. Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
  98. Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
  99. Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
  100. Application Management
  101. Production Acceptance
  102. Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
  103. Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
  104. Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
  105. The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
  106. Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
  107. Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
  108. Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
  109. Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
  110. Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
  111. References
  112. Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
  113. Organization and Personnel Management
  114. Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
  115. Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
  116. Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
  117. Alternative Locations for Database Administration
  118. Alternative Locations for Network Operations
  119. Alternative Locations for Web Design
  120. Alternative Locations for Risk Management
  121. Alternative Locations for Systems Management
  122. Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
  123. Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
  124. Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
  125. Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
  126. Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
  127. Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
  128. Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
  129. 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
  130. Useful Websites for IT Managers
  131. References
  132. Automating Robust Processes
  133. Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
  134. Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
  135. When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
  136. Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
  137. Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
  138. 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
  139. Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
  140. Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
  141. Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
  142. Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
  143. Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
  144. 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
  145. Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
  146. Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
  147. Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
  148. Asset Management
  149. Managing Hardware Inventories
  150. Introduction to Hardware Inventories
  151. Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
  152. Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
  153. References
  154. Managing Software Inventories
  155. Business Continuity Management
  156. Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
  157. Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
  158. Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
  159. Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
  160. 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
  161. The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
  162. The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
  163. The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
  164. The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
  165. The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
  166. Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
  167. Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
  168. Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
  169. Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
  170. The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
  171. The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
  172. The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
  173. The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
  174. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
  175. The Origins of ITIL
  176. The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
  177. Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
  178. The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
  179. Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
  180. Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
  181. Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
  182. Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
  183. Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
  184. Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
  185. Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
  186. Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
  187. Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
  188. Case Studies
  189. Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
  190. Case Study — The Linux Decision
  191. Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
  192. Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
  193. Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
  194. Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
  195. Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
  196. Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
  197. Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
  198. Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
  199. Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
  200. Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
  201. Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
  202. Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
  203. Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
  204. Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
  205. (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two

In the initial installment of this four-part series I described the results of comparing weather and natural disaster issues among 12 nation-wide areas to evaluate and rank potential disaster recovery. In this second part I continue the process by sharing the results of a similar analysis for two additional categories of man-made disasters and socio/economic issues.

My client and I selected the following three man-made disaster issues:

  • percent excess power
  • electric systems disturbances
  • likely terrorist target

We decided on these three issues because power outages and electrical disturbances had plagued several of the regional centers of my client during the past few years, and because Southern California, Chicago and New York have been, and to a large degree still are, targets of terrorist activities. Another reason for my client's interest in terrorist activities is that the company owns and operates several large facilities in India where civil unrest and physical security are major issues.

Websites for the electrical coordinating council, national electric grid, regional electrical utilities, homeland security and terrorist risk assessment provided the information I used to perform the analytical comparisons. Table 1 shows the results of these comparisons.

To complete the quantitative analysis of this evaluation, we selected the following four socio/economic issues:

  • distance from Irvine (primary data center)
  • cost of living
  • average housing costs
  • wages and salaries

My client emphasized that the supply and cost of labor was a primary concern of his in ensuring an adequate workforce would be available to staff whichever disaster recovery site we recommended. This point out the importance of tailoring the selection criteria to the particular needs and priorities of the company involved with the evaluation. For example, for this client, the network bandwidth was not a major issue because of the extensive network capacity they had previously installed nation-wide. This may not be

Table 1 Man-made Disaster Issues

City

Percent Excess Power

Electric Systems Disturbances (Last 7 Years)

Likely Terrorist Target

Total Pts

Dallas

37.1

(12)

2

(9)

(8)

29

Denver

27.4

(5)

1

(11)

(8)

24

Rolling Meadows

32.2

(11)

1

(11)

(2)

24

Phoenix

27.4

(5)

4

(5)

(8)

18

Kansas City

18.4

(1)

3

(7)

(8)

16

Las Vegas

27.4

(5)

3

(7)

(4)

16

St. Louis

18.4

(1)

2

(9)

(5)

15

Jacksonville

18.5

(4)

6

(3)

(8)

15

Northern California

27.4

(5)

7

(2)

(7)

14

Atlanta

18.4

(1)

4

(5)

(6)

12

Southern California

27.4

(5)

5

(4)

(3)

12

White Plains

30.2

(10)

9

(1)

(1)

12

the case for other companies who may place a much higher degree of importance on this criteria.

Websites for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cost of living by regions, realty firms and salary surveys were the sources of the information I used to conduct the analysis for this part of the evaluation. Table 2 lists the results and rankings of these comparisons.

Table 2 Socio/Economic Issues

City

Distance from Irvine(m)

Cost Of Living

Average Housing Cost

Wages And Salaries

Total Pts

Jacksonville

2130

(11)

-25.4

(10)

$ 162,490

(8)

-14.0

(11)

40

Kansas City

1340

(7)

-26.8

(11)

$ 155,441

(11)

-9.0

(8)

37

Phoenix

330

(3)

-22.0

(8)

$ 151,224

(12)

-10.3

(10)

33

Atlanta

1910

(10)

-17.9

(5)

$ 173,218

(7)

-9.5

(9)

31

St. Louis

1600

(8)

-25.3

(9)

$ 185,332

(5)

-7.4

(6)

28

Dallas

1210

(6)

-20.5

(7)

$ 161,982

(9)

-7.4

(6)

28

Las Vegas

230

(2)

-18.3

(6)

$ 155,672

(10)

-4.0

(3)

21

White Plains

2450

(12)

-11.1

(2)

$ 237,648

(3)

-4.0

(3)

20

Denver

825

(5)

-16.2

(4)

$ 179,452

(6)

-5.4

(5)

20

Rolling Meadows

1720

(9)

-15.4

(3)

$ 204,187

(4)

-1.8

(2)

18

Northern California

380

(4)

+40.3

(1)

$ 314,407

(1)

+6.3

(1)

7

Southern California

0

(1)

0.0

(0)

$ 300,000

(2)

0.0

(0)

3

The next step I took in the evaluation process consisted of combining all four quantitative analysis categories of weather/climate, natural disasters, man-made disasters and socio/economic issues. Table 3 displays the results of combining the individual rankings of these categories. The results show that the five most favorable cities with the highest number of ranking points were Phoenix (with 165 points), Las Vegas (159), Denver (157), Jacksonville (146) and Atlanta (144). The five least favorable cities with the lowest number of ranking points were Kansas City (with 102 points), St. Louis (108), Rolling Meadows (114), Dallas (128) and White Plains (128).

The first two installments of this four-part series on evaluating disaster recovery sites cover the quantitative analysis that I performed in this case study. In part three, I will discuss the qualitative analysis that I conducted for this evaluation.

Table 3 Summary of Quantitative Comparisons

City

Minimal Weather/Climate Issues

Minimal Natural Disaster Issues

Minimal Man-made Disaster Issues

Minimal Socio/Economic Issues

Total Points

Phoenix

75

39

18

33

165

Las Vegas

71

51

16

21

159

Denver

53

60

24

20

157

Jackson-

ville

50

41

15

40

146

Atlanta

48

53

12

31

144

Northern

California

69

50

14

7

140

Southern

California

80

36

12

3

131

White

Plains

41

55

12

20

128

Dallas

44

27

29

28

128

Rolling

Meadows

24

48

24

18

114

St. Louis

31

34

15

28

108

Kansas

City

30

19

16

37

102

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