Imagine yourself enjoying an ocean cruise. Suddenly there is a problem and you are told to “Abandon ship!” So, you race to a lifeboat and pull back the cover. To your shock you see that the bottom of this vessel that is intended to save you is completely rotted out. As a result, your lifeboat is now effectively an anchor. While that’s a dramatic example of the need for testing your disaster recovery plan, the reality is you could encounter the business equivalent of this scenario if you aren’t prepared.
Regular Testing Breeds Confidence
Developing a disaster recovery plan and then establishing a relationship with a company like FRII that operates state-of-the-art disaster recovery servers are two great steps toward being confident that your company can recover quickly if disaster strikes. The final step in the process is to test your plan. That way you’ll be certain it will work. Here’s how to do that:
- Get a firm time commitment from participants. In today’s hectic business world, it’s difficult to get members of your disaster recovery team to set aside time for testing. However, it’s critical that they do if you want to be sure the process will unfold as intended in an emergency. Conducting the test over a long lunch hour or in a few hours reserved at the end of a workday can help ensure you get the participation you need. And, of course, adding the test to everyone’s calendar well in advance is helpful.
- Ensure everyone is clear about their role in advance. Spending your valuable testing time introducing people to the disaster recovery plan is not effective and not the point. They should know coming into the drill what their role is. Give them a clear, concise description of their responsibilities to review well before test day.
- Simulate the failure in as much detail as possible. No, we’re not encouraging you to flood your data center or set fire to it! But the more realistic you can make your drill, the more you will drive home the importance of your disaster recovery procedures. Take the network down if you can. Turn the lights off in the room you use as your emergency operations center to mimic a power outage. Paint a vivid picture of an emergency situation.
- Execute the plan as fully as possible. First of all, simulate calls to first responders, thinking about exactly what you’d say. Restore your files. Perform data checks. Complete the actions on your disaster recovery plan as completely as you can. And be sure to make note of the time and effort involved.
- Do an honest assessment of the results. Now is the time to address any issues you uncover in your recovery process. Don’t let pride get in the way. What drives you should be developing the confidence that everything will go smoothly when it really counts.
- Repeat regularly. A successful test today does not ensure that your plan will execute flawlessly in 18 months. Because your IT environment is continually evolving, it’s important that you test your plan on a regular basis. This will ensure that it accounts for changes in everything from hardware and software to personnel.
A Technology Provider You Can Trust
In preparing for an emergency that you hope never comes, you’ve got a lot on your plate. One aspect that you can entrust to others is the operation of a disaster recovery server and other business continuity services. As a leader in this area for more than 20 years, FRII can help. Get in touch using our Contact Us form, stopping by our facility, or calling us at 800-935-6527 to learn more.
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