Hotsite Testing Points the Way To Quick Data Recovery

Disaster planning is acknowledged to be essential for corporate survival. But, unless disaster plans are thoroughly tested periodically, they can actually lull companies into a state of inadequate semi-preparedness. Fortunately, the Mead Corporation realized the importance of hotsite testing their data recovery process before it was too late. In preparing for their first hotsite test,… Continue reading Hotsite Testing Points the Way To Quick Data Recovery

A Successful Disaster Recovery is Measured by the RECOVERY…Not the Plan

When I first took up skiing, the instructor drilled us again and again on the proper way to fall. By the end of my first season, I had the theory and plan of action down pat. The problem was that every time I got into trouble, I rarely fell according to “the plan.” This type… Continue reading A Successful Disaster Recovery is Measured by the RECOVERY…Not the Plan

The Disaster Recovery Walkthrough: An Exercise in Reality

On November 3rd a pipe burst in the computer room ceiling sending water cascading into the controller resulting in the loss of the controller and some DASD. This coincided simultaneously with a breakdown of the telephone system . . . or so said the note handed to all Data Processing employees that morning at approximately… Continue reading The Disaster Recovery Walkthrough: An Exercise in Reality

Test the Pulse of Your Disaster Plan

The destruction caused by natural disasters across the country such as earthquakes in California, hurricanes on the Texas coast and tornadoes in the Midwest have made disaster recovery planning a major topic of discussion within many companies. Dependency on computerized operations means that large or small banks have a major need for disaster recovery planning.… Continue reading Test the Pulse of Your Disaster Plan

Practical Ideas for Auditing and Testing The Disaster Recovery Plan

It is fairly common knowledge that the business world is not immune to Murphy’s Law. However, because disasters do not occur often, even the best disaster recovery plan is subject to an immediate mellowing process. Therefore, in addition to developing a test plan to ensure the effectiveness of your DRP, it is necessary to develop… Continue reading Practical Ideas for Auditing and Testing The Disaster Recovery Plan

Test Last? Maybe Not

Much has been written over the past 10 years or so by many knowledgeable authors about how to develop a plan, and their thesis has generally been to gather the appropriate people together; garner their support; conduct a full business impact analysis including risk analysis, insurance review, mitigating influences, evaluation of controls and prevention techniques,… Continue reading Test Last? Maybe Not

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst

During the last several years, great strides have been made in the development of Business Resumption Plans (BRPs) in many organizations. However, having paper plans is not enough! In our contacts with many business resumption planners in other organizations, it became obvious that most of them did not realistically exercise, or ‘rehearse,’ the majority of… Continue reading Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst