Disaster Recovery Life Cycle

IC_BL-DR-3_Mod3 Pre-reading [BL-DR-4] [M3-S1] When managing a IT disaster, what is the life cycle? How is this life cycle broken down into in logical steps?

Disaster Recovery Life Cycle

The main processes that form the complete DR Life Cycle encompass the the 6 Rs’ is referred to as the DR Life Cycle.

The 6 R’s of DR Planning or DR Life Cycle

Components of a DR Life Cycle

The Components of 6 R’s within the DR Life Cycle

In addition, these are the additional elements of the DR Plan. It should address the main areas:

Reduce

Minimize, avoid or prevent the threats from occurring
Prepare and exercise DR plan

Response

Detection:
- Detect a disaster event when it happens
Notification:
- Notify the core DR team for initial assessments and verifying whether a disaster has happened
Damage Assessment:
- Assess the degree of damages done and deciding on activation of DR Plan
Plan Activation:
- Activate the execution of the DR Plan
Disaster Declaration:
- Upon decision to declare a disaster, the Disaster Declaration Officer will contact the recovery center to declare disaster
- Check and confirm subscribed resources are make available
- Activate specialized DR Team to be on on-site and standby
- Confirm time to access the recovery center
Team Mobilization:
- Notification Call-Tree
- Activate all team members to assemble at designated assembly center or alternate sites
- Retrieve vital records from offsite storage
- Activate key support vendors
- Inform relevant parties

Recover

Execute the recovery procedures and recovering the business operation at a temporary site
Travel to Recovery Centre:
Ensure that all team members need to be familiar with the location of the recovery center
Consider validity of travel documents and work permit or VISA to enter another country for support to overseas offices

Re-sync

Re-synchronize Data
Input data captured during manual business operations
Perform audit check of data entered

Resume

Test critical components of each application as per DR Plan
Verify that the correct data are restored by Development or Application team
Perform audit on the readiness & integrity of data & security
Authorize data to be released for production

Return

Reconstruct the original site or acquire a new permanent site to return to the normal business operations
Prepare primary site
Equipment replacement or relocation
Re-establish telecommunication
Restore systems, network, and application.
Conduct a parallel run to ensure system at primary site is stabilized
Before cut-over to primary site from recovery center,
Review of IT ends users and auditors
Request recovery center to standby for at least one day after cutover to serve as backup

Timing of DR Life Cycle

This is the duration or estimated timing for the DR life cycle.

Reduce - the period before the disaster
Response - the hours and days immediately following the disaster
Recover - the period from the occurrence of the disaster until temporary operations are restored
Re-sync - the re-synchronization of data for all the systems
Resume - the resumption of business functions and operations as the systems are gradually made available
Return - the time when operations return to normal

Reference

Goh, M. H. (2016). A Manager's Guide to Implementing Your IT Disaster Recovery Plan. Business Continuity Management Specialist Series (2nd ed.). Singapore: GMH Pte Ltd.

Extracted from "Chapter 12: Plan Development"

More Information About IT DR Blended Learning

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