Nothing Like a Temblor

By Cameron Sturdevant | Posted 2011-10-20

: A 4.2 magnitude earthquake centered in Berkeley, Calif. shook the Bay Area 3 p.m.

Regardless of where your data lives, the "big one"--in any number of forms, is coming. Contingency planning will make all the difference in the world.

For example, few things focus the mind more than an earthquake. Not that the 4.2 temblor we just experienced in the San Francisco Bay Area actually warrants much concern in and of itself. Even so, there is no other natural phenomenon that is as unpredictable.

As I rode the brief sway of the 15-story building that houses Ziff Davis West Coast offices, I automatically started ticking through the contingency plans I've made for just such an event. Food and water--check, boots--check, flashlight--check. I've even explored the emergency exit stairs. I highly recommend this...you might be surprised at the rather long and winding path these exits often have once you reach the ground floor.

Whenever there is an earthquake I can feel, I make a point of reviewing my emergency plan. So today, I'll pass that practice on to you. I wrote Updating Disaster-Recovery Plans after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that occurred in March in Japan.

Take this time to make locate your existing plan and make sure it is up-to-date. If you don't have a disaster plan, mark some time to start working on one. Take a walk through the data center and kick the tires on your UPS systems. If you're living in the cloud, take a minute to look over the commitments they made to keep you up and running in the case of a natural disaster.