OnBase Database and Disk Group Validation Services supplement existing backup strategies and best practices for business continuity. All too often, the effectiveness of a backup solution isn't tested until there's a disaster, which can range from something as mundane as a server failure to a full-blown natural disaster. Yet one of every five backup tapes sent to OnBase Disaster Recovery Services by a first-time customer is not restorable. This means that if the worst were to happen, that data would be lost.

Unrestorable tapes aren't a sign of incompetence. Incomplete, insufficient or otherwise failed backups can result from things as simple as the installation of operating system service packs, newer versions of backup software and agents, database software or virus detection software. Adding file groups, drives or Disk Groups can also affect backup integrity. That's why even among regular Disaster Recovery Services customers with a history of successful backups, 10% have sent unrestorable backup tapes.

Not only does this potentially affect operations, it also increases the risk of non-compliance. OnBase Disaster Recovery Services ensure that data is readily available to auditors, regulatory agencies and as part of legal discovery. organisations working with Disaster Recovery Services mitigate risk by employing a professional third party and eliminate the single point of failure created by relying solely on in-house resources. Even if the database and Disk Groups have no serious flaws, the validation report is objective proof that best practices were followed.

Database Validation

Subscribers to OnBase Database Validation Service send database backup media to Hyland's corporate headquarters at regular intervals determined by the OnBase customer in conjunction with the system administrator and/or solution provider. Disaster Recovery Services professionals run through the actions taken during an actual server failure, including restoring the database to a different server.

Tests are run to verify that the data has been successfully and completely restored, the media is readable and the database itself is free of internal errors. If a problem is encountered, the customer is notified immediately and a Hyland Software technician helps to resolve the problem. To be certain a problem has been solved, a follow-up tape is validated at no extra charge. Following a successful restoration, a statistical report is generated and symptoms of potential problems, such as an increasing number of orphaned document pages or keywords, can be identified.

Disk Group Validation

OnBase Disaster Recovery Services will also ensure the integrity of OnBase Disk Groups for clients who are using Database Validation Services. With this option, after the database has been tested and validated, the existence of all of the Disk Group files is verified. Files are checked byte-by-byte against the database for proper format and size. Disk Group Validation establishes readability of the disks and whether each file is present and complete. After testing is complete, a detailed report outlining all findings is generated

Onsite Emergency Recovery

If an OnBase user subscribes to the optional Onsite Emergency Recovery Service, s/he contacts their first line of support to report a database failure. In response, a technician is dispatched to that customer's designated U.S. location on the first available commercial flight. The technician will be available onsite for up to five days to provide assistance in getting the OnBase system back online. For customers who cannot afford even the brief downtime associated with restoring a database online, the  OnBase Hosted Disaster Recovery Site is the fastest option for making OnBase available to users after a disaster.