The right solution can present a consolidated view of the entire IT infrastructure that shows all deployed assets (hardware, software and network components), their locations, configurations, their associated users (employees, business partners and customers), and their physical and logical interrelationships. This consolidated view not only masks the complexity of the infrastructure but also helps the staff make more intelligent decisions related to business continuity.

Moreover, business continuity involves several BSM disciplines, including change and configuration management, service impact and event management, incident and problem management, and infrastructure and application management. As a result, it's vital that the business continuity solution operate in concert with solutions that support these various disciplines.

By implementing intelligent automation across the IT infrastructure, based on a sound BSM strategy, companies can move their IT mind-set beyond the simple, reactive disaster recovery plans of yesteryear and into a more dynamic model of proactive engagement with IT performance and stability. The result, of course, is happier customers, and a healthier business overall.

Ralph Crosby is the chief technology officer for the Mainframe Service Management Business Unit at BMC Software. He is responsible for setting the strategic technology direction for the entire portfolio of IBM Mainframe products.