Written by Scot Clark, Field Consultant for Data Network Group

I recently had the opportunity to help a client recover from a water disaster. A tenant upstairs from the client left the water running over the weekend and the water cascaded down through the floor and right down on their server and network rack. Water managed to find its way into all their equipment. I went onsite to help assess the damage and found standing water inside their server. As I removed their primary network switch from the rack, I had water pour out of the vent holes down the front of my shirt. Needless to say they were in bad shape.

Fortunately they had systems in place where they were able to still work and service their customers. This particular office was a branch office and the email and other critical applications were at the main office in another state. They had backups and once they got their servers and other equipment replaced they were back up and running.

Since your business could be one plumbing mishap away from disaster, it is important to look at where your IT equipment is located and make sure there is no major plumbing facilities nearby that can flood your equipment. It is also a good idea to review your backup plan and make sure you are truly protected in case of any disaster.