In part two of our disaster recovery testing series, we explore the critical steps of executing a DR test. From coordinating teams and documenting issues to maintaining communication channels during the test, this episode covers everything you need to know about running an effective DR test.

Host W. Curtis Preston and co-host Prasanna Malaiyandi share practical advice from their extensive experience with disaster recovery testing. They discuss the importance of having backup communication methods, maintaining detailed documentation, and conducting thorough post-test analysis. Learn why testing your DR plan regularly is crucial and how to build a recovery mindset across your organization.

Whether you're planning your first DR test or looking to improve your existing testing procedures, this episode provides valuable insights to help ensure your disaster recovery testing success.

Looking for the best cloud backup for small business? This episode cuts straight to what matters. Host W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi share their expert insights on choosing the right cloud backup solution for your small business needs.

They break down the critical features every small business should look for in a cloud backup service, including true immutability, proper implementation of the 3-2-1 rule, and transparent pricing. The discussion covers why cloud backup makes sense for small businesses, how to avoid common pitfalls, and what questions to ask potential providers. Whether you're currently shopping for a backup solution or want to verify your existing setup, this episode provides practical, actionable advice from industry veterans who understand what small businesses really need.

A personal laptop restore that should have taken days stretched into weeks, highlighting critical lessons about backup and recovery. When our guest's laptop hard drive failed, he thought replacing it with an SSD and restoring from Carbonite would be straightforward. Instead, he faced constant system crashes, hardware challenges, and a restore speed that would make a snail look fast. (Carbonite did not cause the crashes.) Listen as we break down this laptop restore saga, including why the system kept crashing five times per day, how Carbonite handled the interruptions, and whether paying $100 for a physical drive shipment might have been worth it. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from someone else's restore challenges before facing their own.

Other episodes we talk about in this episode:

https://www.backupwrapup.com/how-to-properly-back-up-your-iphone-icloud-is-not-a-backup/

https://www.backupwrapup.com/videos/carbonite-lost-7500-customers-backup-data/

https://www.backupwrapup.com/carbonite-lawsuit-cloud-backup-cautionary-tale/

Getting the right backup IT budget can feel like pulling teeth, but it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi share real-world strategies for securing the backup IT budget you need to protect your organization.

Learn how to partner with the security and GRC teams to make your case stronger. Find out why ransomware has changed the game when it comes to backup IT budget discussions, and hear practical tips for documenting your needs. Whether you're struggling with outdated systems or fighting for resources, this episode gives you the ammunition you need to get proper funding for your backup infrastructure.

Here's a link to the Stoli story if you're interested: https://therecord.media/stoli-group-usa-bankruptcy-filing-ransomware

(For frequent listeners, I made a mistake with last week's episode. THIS is the episode I meant to publish last week. I know it has the same description. Sorry about that.)

This disaster recovery case study takes you inside a real DR scenario when a hurricane devastated an island's data center. Our guest shares his firsthand experience managing recovery efforts with limited resources, no mainland connection, and countless unexpected challenges. (This is the on-the-ground account of the story we told last week with "Harry Potter.")

Listen as we explore how basic DR assumptions fell apart, from authentication dependencies to satellite communication limits. Learn why sleeping on air mattresses and eating chicken and rice became part of this disaster recovery case study, and discover critical lessons about DR planning, testing, and documentation that could save your organization. This episode reveals the reality of disaster recovery when everything - including trees - gets stripped away.

When a hurricane struck an island data center, one backup admin faced a NetBackup disaster that tested years of experience and planning. This episode reveals the real-world challenges of recovering from a catastrophic event that flooded one data center and disrupted access to Iron Mountain's offsite storage facility.

Listen as our guest, a 20-year veteran backup administrator, shares his firsthand account of managing this NetBackup disaster. Learn about the critical decisions made during the three-week recovery process, the unexpected challenges they faced, and the valuable lessons learned about backup infrastructure, replication strategies, and disaster recovery planning.

(This is part one of two parts. Next week you will hear from the person on the ground during this disaster.)

Get ready for one of the most compelling disaster recovery stories we've ever featured on the Backup Wrap-up. (It's a very popular episode from a few years ago.) A veteran backup administrator shares his firsthand experience of what happened when a hurricane hit their island data center, leading to a massive flooding event that took out both their primary facility and their Iron Mountain storage location.

Our guest takes us through the three-week recovery process, sharing candid details about replicating between data centers, managing petabytes of data, and dealing with the unexpected challenges that arose during the restore process. You'll hear about the critical infrastructure dependencies they discovered, the systems that weren't backed up as thoroughly as everyone thought, and how they ultimately consolidated operations into their surviving data center.

Whether you're managing backups for a global enterprise or just getting started in the field, this episode offers real-world lessons about disaster recovery that you won't want to miss.

S2|DATA has released a free NetBackup reader that gives users complete control over their backup data without requiring a full NetBackup environment. This standalone application allows anyone to quickly catalog and restore data from NetBackup disk images, even if they no longer maintain their NetBackup infrastructure.

CEO Brendan Sullivan joins the show to explain why they created this free tool and how it helps organizations maintain access to their legacy backup data. We discuss the challenges of vendor lock-in, the importance of data ownership, and why companies shouldn't have to keep paying for access to their own information. We also cover how S2|DATA offers a range of services for accessing all legacy backup data, not just NetBackup.

Whether you're considering moving away from a backup product or simply want easier access to your backup data, this episode explains how this free NetBackup reader can help you take control of your data destiny.

You can read about it here: https://s2data.com/libertas-free-backup-reader/

In this eye-opening episode, we examine a real-world disaster recovery test gone wrong from Kodiak Island, Alaska. Our guest Paul Van Dyke shares his story of intentionally taking down an entire server environment over a weekend, armed with only backup tapes and determination. This disaster recovery test example showcases both what not to do and valuable lessons learned.

Paul walks us through his bold 2001 decision to reorganize storage across five servers by completely wiping them all at once. What was supposed to be a weekend project turned into a five-day marathon, including sleeping on his office floor to swap backup tapes. While he eventually succeeded in restoring everything, this disaster recovery test example demonstrates why proper testing and planning are crucial for any major infrastructure changes.

Join us for this candid conversation about backup testing, restoration planning, and the unique challenges of managing IT infrastructure on a remote Alaskan island. Learn from Paul's experience so you don't have to learn these lessons the hard way!

Ready to level up your disaster recovery testing game? This episode covers everything from basic restore testing to full-scale DR scenarios. Curtis and Prasanna share real-world experiences and practical advice for implementing effective disaster recovery testing strategies.

Learn why starting small is crucial, how to define clear success criteria, and ways to test without risking your production environment. We discuss different infrastructure types, from physical servers to cloud platforms, and explain how each requires its own testing approach. Plus, get insights on creating effective runbooks and ensuring your team can execute recovery procedures without depending on specific individuals.

Whether you're planning your first DR test or looking to improve existing procedures, this episode provides actionable guidance for building confidence in your recovery capabilities.

BTW if you want to watch/listen to the Alaska DR story, I'm actually going to repost it next week.