Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery

The Harmony Technology Services leadership team has extensive experience in restoring and rebuilding after natural disasters. We can assist in the long road of recovery after Hurricane Harvey.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed two shipyards for which we had operational technology responsibility. Our data center was scattered over two miles of the countryside by the storm surge. We were successful in rebuilding and recommissioning the environment in a remote location, providing connectivity and business continuity faster than anyone thought possible. Everything was up and running after two weeks.

Here are some lessons we learned from our IT recovery approach after Katrina:

We had to focus first on the needs

of the people who had suffered the greatest losses, but who understood what needed to be rebuilt. Once they felt safe, they could focus on recovery.

We had to take a total system approach

to restoration. None of the infrastructure (including public infrastructure) could be relied upon, so we had to carefully assess what was absolutely required and focus on prioritized restoration.

We restored emergency communications

by putting in place a network of personal devices that did not require public networks. We rebuilt data center capabilities in remote locations not impacted by the storm. We recovered systems and data to restore operations in record time.

We managed the full spectrum of

logistics required to plan, execute, and sustain the recovery effort. This included providing fuel, food, water, and clothing for the people who were working toward recovery.

This included providing temporary power

satellite-based connectivity, temporary workstations, as well as basic hardware. It also meant restoring data from obsolescent backups, identifying and constructing a recovery environment, and overcoming inadequate business continuity planning.

We set up systems

that not only managed people in the area but managed programs that required engineers from companies around the world to work on designs of complex platforms protecting our national security as well as our allies.

We leveraged remote people

and the capabilities to achieve operational restoration while enabling the eventual rebuilding and restoration of damaged facilities. Harmony is in it for the long haul. It’s our Texas, too, and we want to get it up and running.

Contact Harmony

For more information about taking the next step toward optimizing your company’s performance.

Tell us how we can help.