Components of disaster-tolerant computing: analysis of disaster recovery, IT application downtime and executive visibility. (25th February 2008)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lawler, Chad M.; Harper, Michael A.; Szygenda, Stephen A.; Thornton, Mitchell A.
• Is Part Of: International journal of business information systems. Volume 3:Number 3(2008)
• Page Start: 317
• Page End: 331
• Publication Date: 2008-02-25
• Subjects: disaster tolerance -- criticality-driven -- interdependent -- interaction -- complex infrastructure systems -- survivability -- IT application downtime -- disaster recovery -- business continuity -- information technology -- disaster-tolerant computing -- executive visibility -- IT application availability -- emergency management; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Business -- Periodicals; Business -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Management information systems -- Periodicals; System design -- Periodicals; System analysis -- Periodicals; 651.8
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-0972

Abstract

This paper provides a review of disaster-tolerant Information Technology (IT). The state of traditional disaster recovery approaches is outlined. The risks of IT application downtime attributable to the increasing dependence on critical information technology operating in interdependent, interacting complex infrastructure systems are reviewed. General disaster tolerance techniques are summarised. While content-specific approaches currently undertaken to understand and avoid cascading failures in systems are extant, opportunities exist to extend this complex systems independence analysis to the private business sector in the form of disaster tolerance. The high level of complexity of relationships between IT application availability and numerous secondary and tertiary effects of a disaster on systems that are dependent on other systems for availability has not yet been fully explored.