When was the last time you tested your disaster recovery plan?

The truth is that most organizations don’t test their disaster recovery plans as often as they should. While management may require a DR plan for compliance or peace of mind, the technical teams tasked with implementation frequently express doubts about its effectiveness. Your team may have those doubts right now.

At R2i we often see these issues with disaster recovery plans:

• Lack of Regular Testing: Few companies test their DR strategies more than twice a year, most tests are only a partial section of applications, and many don’t test them at all.
• That means if you’re suddenly called upon to switch over to your DR site during an emergency, you may be jumping over to technology that hasn’t been tested in months.
• Partial Transfers: Even when core applications are successfully moved to a DR site, supporting applications often fail to transfer seamlessly. Without regular testing, IT teams may not be aware of this until they try to respond to a disaster and end up with a system that doesn’t work.
• Unaddressed Issues: Without testing, small but critical problems can arise, causing significant delays in recovery. Even a minor issue can render an application unavailable to users, disrupting operations. In the case of a real disaster, users will be in standby mode waiting for the application to become available, which costs the company serious amounts of money and critical client relationships.
• Management Expectations vs. Reality: Executives expect quick recovery due to their investment in DR systems, but untested plans can turn an expected one-hour recovery into a multi-day ordeal.

To truly protect your organization, it’s essential to go beyond having a DR plan on paper. Regular testing ensures that all elements work together and gives your team the confidence to execute effectively during a crisis.

Disaster recovery best practices

A robust disaster recovery plan is not just a document but a well-practiced procedure. Here’s how to ensure your DR strategy is ready when you need it:

1. Test Regularly: Schedule DR tests frequently (more than a few times a year) to identify and fix issues before they arise in a real scenario.
2. Create a Cookbook: Develop detailed, step-by-step procedures for failover and recovery. This “recipe” should include all necessary tasks, from transferring applications to addressing networking challenges. Sometimes the shift to your DR site requires updating a variable here and changing a name there. All this should be in your cookbook so that in a real emergency, when the IT team is under pressure, nothing is left to chance or faulty human memory.
3. Document Changes: As issues are identified and resolved during testing, update your DR documentation to reflect the latest procedures. You do not want to be in a situation where your DR procedure lives in one or two employees’ heads — especially if those employees aren’t available during the disaster.
4. Practice Fire Drills: Simulate disaster scenarios to familiarize your team with the DR process and ensure they can execute it smoothly under pressure.
5. Consider Cyberattacks: DR strategies must now account for cyberattacks in addition to natural disasters. Plan for data recovery and system integrity in the face of ransomware or other threats. Preparing for cyberattacks requires more than simple disaster recovery, but DR is certainly an aspect of larger security procedures.

R2i offers DR analysis services to help organizations test and refine their procedures, ensuring that their systems are truly disaster-ready. Learn more about disaster recovery strategies here.

Make the most of IBM Power for your disaster recovery strategy

IBM Power Systems offer unique advantages for disaster recovery, particularly for organizations with complex, centralized applications. These systems are designed to handle the challenges of replication, automation, and transaction integrity.

Key Benefits of IBM Power for DR:

• Advanced Tools and Software: IBM Power provides tools like journaling, high availability (HA) software, and replication mechanisms to streamline disaster recovery.
  • Journaling ensures that no transactions are lost during a failover by logging incomplete processes.
  • Replication tools automate failover tasks and reduce manual intervention.
• Scripted Failover Processes: Many IBM Power tools support scripting, allowing organizations to automate critical steps in the recovery process. This reduces the risk of errors and speeds up recovery. Instead of a “cookbook” to manually follow, adjustments happen automatically.
• Transaction Integrity: In high-stakes environments, such as financial services, transaction integrity is critical. IBM Power’s commitment control mechanisms ensure that all steps in a transaction are completed, avoiding data loss or inconsistencies.
• Networking Efficiency: IBM Power Systems are designed to handle the complexities of networking between primary and DR sites, ensuring seamless data transfer and connectivity.

With these features, IBM Power Systems provide a reliable foundation for disaster recovery, giving IT leaders the confidence that their systems can recover effectively. For more information about IBM Power Systems, visit this page.

It’s not having a plan. It’s making sure the plan works.

Disaster recovery is not just about having a plan; it’s about ensuring that the plan works when it’s needed most. By prioritizing regular testing, thorough documentation, and the right tools, organizations can truly prepare for unexpected situations.

IBM Power Systems stand out as a robust solution for disaster recovery, offering tools and capabilities that simplify complex processes and ensure data integrity. However, even the best technology requires diligent testing and preparation.

Are your systems as safe as you think? Take the time to evaluate and test your disaster recovery strategy to ensure your organization is ready for anything. If you need guidance, R2i is here to help with tailored DR analysis and solutions designed for your unique needs.