Network Recovery Strategy ~ BCP

       This is to show example for Network Recovery Strategy ~ BCP for network part that can be applied to your business. The network and operations facilities at data center provide business application systems for your business and include:

• Core Network Services: (Exchange Email, File and Print Services, Internet / Intranet)
• Business Applications: (ERP, Financials, A/R, A/P, AM, billing), Mainframe printing.
• User Workstations and associated application software for approximately 150 users in Marketing, Finance, Staff / IT etc.

Disaster Classification:

• Level 1 – Temporary (less than 7 days)  Loss of power / water to your building.  This would require the shutdown of the computer room and servers but loss of equipment or data would be minimal.
• Level 2 – Significant (greater than 7 days) – building cannot be occupied (fire/water damage, disease, other threat) but city infrastructure is intact.
• Level 3 – Significant widespread damage to the city infrastructure (earthquake). Many core services are unavailable; employees are unable to report to work etc.

The IT recovery strategy is primarily designed to respond to level 1 or level 2 disasters.  Level 3 disasters are within the scope of your business resumption plan where the primary focus is on ensuring the safety and security of employees and company assets and providing disaster assistance to the community.

Key Assumptions Example:

• The primary recovery site for your site is the …
• The backup site facilities have the minimum network and hardware components required to establish basic network operations.  The alternate site emergency response facility and equipment (laptops/printers) are available for use.
• A portion of the backup office facilities and equipment (workstations / printers) are available for your users.
• The recovery of business application systems (ERP etc.) would require sourcing appropriate hardware (via hardware vendor)
• All recovery documentation and required backup tapes are available offsite.
• Current IT staff is available to perform recovery processes.  Additional resources are available from other your company locations.

Recovery Phases:

Phase 0  Day 1
     Disaster
     Ensure safety of employees
     Notification / communication / Formal Disaster Declaration
     Assembly of recovery team / roles
     Assessment of Impact, stability of recovery facility, and recovery timeframe
     Determine Recovery Strategy
     Order recovery tapes

Phase 1 Day 2-4
     Recover Core Network Components:
        • Exchange Server
        • File Servers
        • WAN connectivity

Phase 2 Day 5 - 10
     Recovery Core Business Applications
     ERP
     Mainframe Printing

Phase 3 Day 10 - 30
Complete Recovery of All Systems or reactivation of data center

Notification and Declaration of a Disaster
       The first and foremost objective when a disaster happens is to ensure the safety of all staff and takes precedence over any recovery activities.
       During a recovery process, recovery personnel must take appropriate and adequate rest breaks and use safety controls to ensure their personal safety.  The maximum length of a recovery shift is 12 hours and includes periodic rest breaks.

       The primary responsibility for declaring an IT/Network disaster and invoking the disaster recovery plan rests with the Manager of Information Technology.   Secondary responsibility rests with the Network Team Lead and Office and Information Services Team Leads in consultation with your company Leadership Team.  Specific responsibilities are:

• Communicate disaster to your company Leadership team – what happened, why, when, initial assessment and recovery overview.
• Identify and contact the IT recovery teams, recovery team leads as well as a recovery coordinator.  The recovery teams will be created from the existing IT organization based on who is available.  For a disaster requiring recovery to an alternate site, or where the recovery time is likely to exceed 12 hours at least 2 teams should be created. 
• Facilitate the assessment of the disaster and development of a recovery plan.
• Ongoing communication to your company Leadership team, management and employees as appropriate.