IT DR Plan: Recovery Procedures for Critical Systems and Applications

IT Disaster Recovery Plan: Recovery Procedures for Critical Systems and Applications

This sample template provides a general structure for the IT disaster recovery procedures related to the recovery procedures for critical systems and applications.

Critical Systems Identification

1. Identify and prioritize the critical systems and applications essential for business operations.
2. Document the dependencies and interconnections between different systems and applications.
3. Define each critical system's recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).

Application Recovery

1. Document the recovery procedures for each critical application, including installation, configuration, and customization.
2. Specify the order of application recovery based on their dependencies and business priorities.
3. Coordinate with application owners and vendors to restore application functionality and data.

Database Recovery

1. Identify the critical databases and their associated recovery procedures.
2. Specify the steps for restoring and recovering databases from backup or replica copies.
3. Validate the integrity and consistency of the recovered databases and perform necessary data validations.

Application Integration and Interoperability

1. Restore the integration points and interfaces between critical systems and applications.
2. Verify the interoperability and data exchange between various applications and systems.
3. Conduct end-to-end testing to ensure the seamless operation of the integrated applications.

User Access and Authentication

1. Restore user access rights, privileges, and authentication mechanisms.
2. Validate user access controls and permissions to ensure secure and authorized access to critical systems and applications.
3. Communicate the restoration of user access and provide instructions for password resets or account re-activations.

Documentation and Knowledge Transfer

1. Update the recovered systems and applications documentation to reflect any changes made during the recovery process.
2. Ensure relevant knowledge and procedures are transferred to the appropriate teams or personnel for ongoing support and maintenance.
3. Conduct training sessions or workshops to familiarize key stakeholders with the recovered systems and applications.

Business Continuity Validation

1. Conduct comprehensive testing and validation of the recovered critical systems and applications.
2. Perform end-to-end testing scenarios to simulate real-world business processes and ensure their functionality.
3. Obtain user feedback and verify that the recovered systems and applications meet business requirements and expectations.

Monitoring and Performance Optimization

1. Implement monitoring tools and procedures to track critical systems' and applications' performance and health.
2. Set up alerts and thresholds to proactively identify and address performance issues.
3. Continuously optimize the performance and scalability of the recovered systems and applications based on monitoring data and feedback.

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.

More Information About IT DR Blended Learning

They are the DR-3 Blended Learning DR-300 IT Disaster Recovery Implementer and the DR-5 Blended Learning DR-5000 IT Disaster Recovery Expert Implementer.

Please feel free to send us a note if you have any questions.