Real disaster recovery testing - Storage Technology Magazine - Page 1

Real disaster recovery testing

It's not enough to have a DR plan--you need to know it will work. Repetitive, detailed tests will tell you if your DR plan is up to snuff.


We've had more than our share of disasters--hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, acts of terrorism and blackouts--but the good news is that most companies are now focused on dealing with a disaster and have a disaster recovery (DR) plan in place. Companies are paying more attention to the next level, which includes keeping DR plans current and periodically testing them. While this represents a dramatic improvement in disaster response planning, more often than not the testing component is the part of the equation that's often delayed, fails at some level or doesn't properly mirror the response activities during a real disaster.

    Requires Free Membership to View

    When you register for SearchStorage.com, you’ll also receive targeted emails from my team of award-winning editorial writers. Our goal is to keep you informed on the hottest topics, the latest news and the biggest challenges you face as a storage professional today.

    Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchStorage.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchStorage.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

Key lessons learned in DR testing
  • The nontechnical aspects are as important as the technical.
  • Every staff activity should be role-based.
  • Don't assume key "utilities" are available, including air travel, power, cell phones and so forth.
  • Overly aggressive recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives usually aren't realistic. Can you fully recover from a disaster in three hours?

That said, it's time to take a detailed look at DR testing and the specific steps to take to ensure that your DR plan will perform as expected. A solid DR strategy isn't a small-ticket item. However, it should be treated as fundamental, must-have insurance to safeguard the company's information assets. There are two key aspects to a DR plan: nontechnical details, which focus on the people, policy, process and procedures of DR testing; and technical details (see "Key lessons learned in DR testing," at right).

This was first published in July 2006