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Disaster Recovery
For advice please feel free to call our tech support hotline @
281-992-1700 or
contact us.
To ensure that you are not a victim of a disaster here are some suggestions:
Let’s start by asking some questions you should ask yourself about your backup procedures;
1. How are they actually done and who does them?
2. What are the procedures for off-site storage?
3. What are your security procedures and are they adequate? (This includes physical and password security)
4. Are your backups stored separately away from the computer?
5. Are your program disks stored off-site?
6. Are your smoke and heat detectors working? (Change the batteries at the same time as you change you clocks, twice a year elsewhere)
7. Do you have covers (even plastic bags) nearby to cover your computer against water damage?
8. Have you talked to your insurance agent to see what your coverage is against loss of computers and data?
9. Do you know who to call for help in case of any emergency? (Fire, police etc but also your computer professional and someone for the water damaged)
10. Do you know how to protect disks and tapes that are wet until you can get help?
It is a popular misconception that electronic equipment exposed to water and moisture is permanently damaged. Water, which is sprayed, splashed or dipped onto electronic equipment, can be easily removed. Even equipment that has been totally submerged can be restored. However, in every case of water damage, immediate countermeasures are imperative. It is most important to turn off all electrical power to the equipment; i.e. DO NOT ENERGIZE ANY WET EQUIPMENT and do the following:
1. Open cabinet doors, remove side panels and covers, and pull out chassis drawers, to allow water to run out of equipment.
2. Set up fans to move room temperature air through the equipment for general drying. Move portable equipment to dry air-conditioned areas.
3. Call a PROFESSIONAL as soon as possible.
WHAT TO DO IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS
What to do in the first 24 hours for damaged electronic equipment and magnetic media. This article details the necessary recovery steps to be taken after a disaster has occurred to electronic equipment. The equipment under discussion includes office computers, word processors, telephone switching equipment, test equipment, audio-video equipment and other electrical and electronic apparatus.
The dangers include fire, heat, smoke and water damage. WARNING: It is most important that power be disconnected from all wet and smoke contaminated electronic equipment immediately. Not only is there a continuing danger from electrical shorts to the equipment, but also voltage potential within the circuitry tends to plate contaminants onto printed circuit boards.
SMOKE DAMAGE: Primary damage to electronic equipment is caused by smoke that contains corrosive chloride and sulphur combustion by-products. Smoke exposure during a fire for a relatively short period of time does little immediate damage. However, the particulate residue left after the smoke has dissipated, contains the active by-products, which will corrode metal contact surfaces in the presence of moisture and oxygen.
The ultimate objective in the restoration is the removal of the contaminant. Since all of the equipment cannot be cleaned simultaneously, it is most important that immediate steps be taken to arrest the corrosion process.
1. Move the exposed equipment into an air-conditioned and humidity controlled environment as soon as possible. 40-50% relative humidity will generally prevent an acceleration of corrosive activity.
2. If moving the equipment is not possible, make sure the equipment area is sealed off from outside elements. (Caution-do not wrap the individual pieces of equipment in any material that tends to trap moisture inside the chassis).
3. Spray connectors, back planes and printed circuit board surfaces with
Freon or
Freon-alcohol solvents for preliminary cleanup.
4. Follow-up with any corrosion inhibiting aerosol spray to stabilize metal contact surfaces. This will leave a thin but easily removable coating helping to prevent oxygen and moisture from activating the corrosion process. Once the corrosion process is stabilized, an analysis can be made of the contaminants and appropriate decontamination processes can be applied by a professional restoration organization.
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