Enhancing Business Continuity and IT Capability

Book excerpt: Enterprise servers play a mission-critical role in modern computing environments, especially from a business continuity perspective. Several models of IT capability have been introduced over the last two decades. Enhancing Business Continuity and IT Capability: System Administration and Server Operating Platforms proposes a new model of IT capability. It presents a framework that establishes the relationship between downtime on one side and business continuity and IT capability on the other side, as well as how system administration and modern server operating platforms can help in improving business continuity and IT capability. This book begins by defining business continuity and IT capability and their importance in modern business, as well as by giving an overview of business continuity, disaster recovery planning, contingency planning, and business continuity maturity models. It then explores modern server environments and the role of system administration in ensuring higher levels of system availability, system scalability, and business continuity. Techniques for enhancing availability and business continuity also include Business impact analysis Assessing the downtime impact Designing an optimal business continuity solution IT auditing as a process of gathering data and evidence to evaluate whether the company’s information systems infrastructure is efficient and effective and whether it meets business goals The book concludes with frameworks and guidelines on how to measure and assess IT capability and how IT capability affects a firm’s performances. Cases and white papers describe real-world scenarios illustrating the concepts and techniques presented in the book.