Overview

A disaster recovery drill is the examination of each step in a disaster

recovery plans outlined in an organization's business
continuity/disaster recovery planning process.
Disaster recovery testing helps ensure that an organization can
recover data, restore business critical applications and continue
operations after an interruption of services. In many organizations,
however, DR testing is neglected because creating a plan for disaster
recovery can tie up resources and prove costly. Companies may
consider their DR plan as sufficient, even if there is no evidence that it
can carry out that plan if disaster strikes.
 Why Disaster Recovery Drill is needed ?
If an organization doesn't invest time and resources into testing
its disaster recovery plan, there's a real chance the plan will fail
to execute as expected when it's really needed.
Communications, data recovery and application recovery are
typically the focus of disaster recovery testing. Other areas for
testing vary, depending on the organization's recovery point
objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO).
Experts recommend conducting disaster recovery tests on a
regular basis throughout the year and incorporating them into
all planned maintenance and staff training. Once a test has
been completed, audit logs and other data should be analyzed
to determine what worked as expected, what didn't work as
expected, what changes need to be made to the DR plan's
design and what tasks need to be scheduled for retesting.
 Metrics
The primary objective is to protect the organization in the event that all or part of
its operations and/or computer services are rendered partially or completely
unusable.

A DR plan illustrating the chronology of the RPO and the RTO with respect to the MI.

Minimizing downtime and data loss during disaster recovery is measured in

terms of two concepts:
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO)- The amount of time it takes to bring back
data in an accessible form.
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO)- The amount of data loss which is acceptable
in case of any disaster occurs.
 The Auditor's Role
An auditor examines and assess-:
• that the procedures stated in the BCP and DR plan are actually consistent with
real practice
• that a specific individual within the organization, who may be referred to as the
disaster recovery officer, the disaster recovery liaison, the DR coordinator, or
some other similar title, has the technical skills, training, experience, and abilities
to analyse the capabilities of the team members to complete assigned tasks
• that more than one individual is trained and capable of doing a particular
function. Tests and inquiries of personnel can help achieve this objective.
 Documentation
To maximize their effectiveness, disaster recovery plans are most effective when updated frequently, and should:
1. Be an integral part of all business analysis processes,
2. Be revisited at every major corporate acquisition, at every new product launch and at every new system development
milestone.
Adequate records need to be retained by the organization. The auditor examines records, billings, and contracts to verify that
records are being kept. One such record is a current list of the organization's hardware and software vendors. Such list is
made and periodically updated to reflect changing business practice. Copies of it are stored on and off site and are made
available or accessible to those who require them. An auditor tests the procedures used to meet this objective and
determine their effectiveness.
Disaster recovery plan
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a documented process or set of procedures to execute an organization's disaster
recovery processes and recover and protect a business IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster. It is "a comprehensive
statement of consistent actions to be taken before, during and after a disaster". The disaster could
be natural, environmental or man-made. Man-made disasters could be intentional (for example, an act of a terrorist) or
unintentional (that is, accidental, such as the breakage of a man-made dam).
Types of plans
Although there is no one-size-fits-all plan, there are three basic strategies:
1. Prevention, including proper backups, having surge protectors and generators
2. Detection, a byproduct of routine inspections, which may discover new (potential) threats
3. Correction
The latter may include securing proper insurance policies, and holding a "lessons learned" brainstorming session.
 Benefits of Disaster Recovery Drill
Like every insurance plan, there are benefits that can be obtained from proper planning, including:
• Minimizing risk of delays
• Guaranteeing the reliability of standby systems
• Providing a standard for testing the plan
• Minimizing decision-making during a disaster
• Reducing potential legal liabilities
• Lowering unnecessarily stressful work environment
 PLANNING AND TESTING METHODOLOGY
Steps involved in developing a Disaster Recovery Plan :
• Performing a risk assessment: The planning committee prepares a risk analysis and a business impact analysis (BIA) that includes a range of
possible disasters. Each functional area of the organization is analysed to determine potential consequences. Traditionally, fire has posed the
greatest threat. A thorough plan provides for "worst case" situations, such as destruction of the main building.
• Establishing priorities for processing and operations: Critical needs of each department are evaluated and prioritized. Written agreements for
alternatives selected are prepared, with details specifying duration, termination conditions, system testing, cost, any special security
procedures, procedure for the notification of system changes, hours of operation, the specific hardware and other equipment required for
processing, personnel requirements, definition of the circumstances constituting an emergency, process to negotiate service extensions,
guarantee of compatibility, availability, non-mainframe resource requirements, priorities, and other contractual issues.
• Collecting data: This includes various lists (employee backup position listing, critical telephone numbers list, master call list, master vendor list,
notification checklist), inventories (communications equipment, documentation, office equipment, forms, insurance policies, workgroup and
data centre computer hardware, microcomputer hardware and software, office supply, off-site storage location equipment, telephones, etc.),
distribution register, software and data files backup/retention schedules, temporary location specifications, any other such lists, materials,
inventories, and documentation. Pre-formatted forms are often used to facilitate the data gathering process.
• Organizing and documenting a written plan
• Developing testing criteria and procedures: reasons for testing include
• Determining the feasibility and compatibility of backup facilities and procedures.
• Identifying areas in the plan that need modification.
• Providing training to the team managers and team members.
• Demonstrating the ability of the organization to recover.
• Providing motivation for maintaining and updating the disaster recovery plan.
• Testing the plan: An initial "dry run" of the plan is performed by conducting a structured walk-through test. An actual test-run must be
performed. Problems are corrected. Initial testing can be plan is done in sections and after normal business hours to minimize disruptions.
Subsequent tests occur during normal business hours. Types of tests include: checklist tests, simulation tests, parallel tests, and full
interruption tests.
 Issues in Disaster Recovery Drill
THERE IS NO PLAN:-MOST BUSINESSES HAVE SOME KIND OF BACKUP PLAN.
BUT A BACKUP PLAN IS NOT A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN.
IN SOME CASES, THE CLIENT HAS THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY, SUCH
AS STORAGECRAFT SHADOWPROTECT, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE A PLAN TO
DEFINE HOW THEY’LL USE IT. THEY SIMPLY START CREATING IMAGES.
THE PLAN IS WRONG OR INADEQUATE:-FINALLY, A DISASTER RECOVERY
PLAN CAN BE INADEQUATE IF IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE MOST COMMON
SCENARIOS. WE BUILD A PLAN FOR “THE BIG ONE,” BUT IT ALSO HAS TO
COVER LITTLE DISASTERS SUCH AS A SIMPLE HARD DRIVE FAILURE OR A
FAILED POWER SUPPLY.
THE PLAN RELIES ON THE WRONG TECHNOLOGIES:-IF YOU DON’T HAVE A
COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE RECOVERED, YOU
CAN END UP SELLING THE WRONG SOLUTION.
 The plan is not properly tested:-Just as with backups, if you don’t test
your disaster recovery plan, you don’t have a disaster recovery plan.

 Without proper testing and refining of the disaster recovery plan, you
won’t have a solid understanding of the client’s business. This is what
they call an iterative process. You keep refining, keep testing, keep
refining, keep testing, etc.

 The plan has insufficient information management:-Information and

documentation are the most important elements of a successful
disaster recovery plan. This includes communications during a disaster
and during the recovery. In other words, information needs to be
managed before, during, and after the disaster.