Many organizations rely entirely upon databases – more so than the majority of us realize. In fact databases have become such a vital part of our lives that we tend to take them for granted. Just to take a few examples:

• School and Varsity Marks Databases
• Police – Profiles of criminals, DNA and fingerprints
• Libraries, Chain stores, Realty, On line stores, Banks, Brokers, Air traffic control.

The list goes on and on. Databases have become such a part of our daily lives that for one to fail can mean disaster for an organization if the data is not recovered. Quick and efficient database recovery is imperative. It follows then that it is vitally important that an organization should make regular backups of their databases or have the data stored in such a way that it can be recovered easily, by using RAID configurations, for example. Database recovery is made easier if you take a few precautions.

South Africa has recently been beset by power cuts, or load shedding, and this has been a curse that we have had to tolerate as best we can. There are two ways of minimizing the risk of data loss through sudden power failure. The first is to have your database server running on a UPS, or uninterrupted power supply. This vital piece of equipment will keep your server running for long enough for you to close it down safely, eliminating the risk of data loss and preventing the need for database recovery. Most load shedding has been done at fixed pre-notified times, and if you are in an area where you know that a power cut is imminent, you should shut down the database server before the power is cut. Not all organizations can meet these requirements, so if you do suffer from data loss following load shedding and need the services of a database recovery company, we are there to assist.