Use case

Recovery plans are all about how to recreate a system and mitigate any issues that may arise from failures.

In our context, this is about restoring systems and ensure they are functioning. In a more real-world context, it would be part of a “business continuity plan”. In this light version, we are not talking about roles and notification of people.

Creating

1. Decide on a baseline

   What equipment and information must we have to complete this?

   Examples include backup files, .iso files, a server, internet connection and so on

2. Describe goals

   The recovery plan will cover some aspect of the world, not everything. Describe what we have when we have been through

3. Make the guide

   This is a ordered list of steps to take to go from the baseline as described in 1. and the goal described in 2.

4. Testing the system

   How do you know that the recovery suceeded?

   This is a list of actions to take to check that the system is working as intended. It could have the form of a checklist.

5. Testing the guide

   In order to know that the guide is actually working, you must test the guide. The author of the guide is a poor tester, since he reads what he knows to be correct. Someone external - with the proper qualifications - are needed to test the guide.

Remarks

• Business continuity is big topic.
• In a structured IT environment, guides are tested on a regular basis as part of training and resilience testing of the system.