Disaster Recovery Plan

When disaster strikes an organization ,the first thing that will come to mind would be a disaster recovery plan,why because this offers business continuity.

Without a recovery of data then the business is completely doomed because it relies heavily on information and data for it to run.

The question that may arise now is What exactly is a disaster recovery plan?

Disaster recovery plan can best be define as a document that explores how a network recovers from a disaster that either imperils its data or stops its functioning.

With a disaster recovery plan in place an organization is more prepared for the unexpected.But in order to maximize the use of the disaster recovery plan the plan its self must focus on problems that are at least likely to occur.Not on problems that do not even occur in the environment that the organization is.

An example of disaster scenarios:
   An electrical problem of some kind of causes power failure

·         A structural building failure.

Format for a disaster recovery plan

Introduction and statement of purpose

Why the plan has been written,what is the intended goal or ain=m of it.

This should include information about who developed it and how it can be kept current.

Authority

This part has to do with the designation of responsibility over the plan,as in who will coordinate the execution of the plan and the line of succession

Scope of the pl;an

Events planned for ,where the writer has to itemize each of the events that the plan is put in place for

Locations planned for

This is especially essential if there is more than one building involved so there is a need to indicate which sites are covered

Relationship to other plans If the organization has other plans then it is important to highlight how these plans will relate with the disaster recovery plan.

Emergency procedures this mostly has to do with who is to put the plan into use and under what circumstances exactly.

Benefits of a disaster recovery plan

Improved Technology this is because there is a need to improved IT systems in order to fulfill recovery objectives,this makes your IT system more consistent with the plan at hand

Fewer disruptions.,as a result of improved IT there will be fewer disruptions since the IT systems will now be more stable than in  the past

Higher quality services

Because of improved technology there is a higher chance for the organization to improve services

Competitive edge
having a good disaster recovery plan gives a company bragging rights over its rivals because the organization is able to claim higher availability and reliability.

With today's increasing technology solutions a disaster recovery plan is one of the essentials of any business  Or organization.But it is important to recognize that though this technology improvements come with great solutions there is a need for the solutions such as the disaster recovery plans to become even more complex in order to stay at par with up coming threats to the computer system,everyday there is new threat that pose harm to the world of computing and so increasing the complexity of the recovery plan is very essential .

Sources

Introduction to nursing informatics, Volume 243

 By Kathryn J. Hannah, Marion J. Ball, Margaret J. A. Edwards

IT disaster recovery planning for dummies

 By Peter Gregory