disaster recovery documentation

[russdev]

disaster recovery documentation has anyone got any examples of this?


Russ

[Dos_Box]

I did an entire module at Lancaster Uni on this. It's quite a deep subject to get into and you can make it as big or small as you want. What is the aim of your DR policy?

[RobC]

My disaster recovery policy:

Phone Fujitsu & tell them to pick up the pieces...

Ya know, this managed service lark isn't 100% bad! :P

[russdev]

well as it comes we are redoing all the network documentation..

updating it, combing stuff and putting it all into one handbook..

and we need a ICT dr policy nothing massive just enough to cover us an legal front and also if someone comes in they can understand what they need to do etc and prooccess to follow if we ever need to.

Russ

[ChrisH]

This is something I have been trying to do for ages but never had the time to complete. I have most major settings outlined in my documentation but wanted to do some scripting stuff as well in case the backup doesnt work etc. I was playing with netsh to script setting up dhcp etc.

[Dos_Box]

Eeek. No small undertaking that. Just try and work out a step-by-step guide to recovering and restoring your data after, say a server room fire.

[russdev]

thats good idea with settings in it lot of stuff will be in handbook but might as well have in it dr plan as well.

Russ

[Ric_]

The GP Management Console will generate a report of the settings in your GPOs. This can then be saved (HTML or XML) or printed to add to your documentation.

As for your DR plan, I would pick a disaster scenario (e.g. fire in the server room) and make plenty of strong assumptions (e.g. water damage in server rack, destruction of cabling infrastructure) and plan for that. As you then have time at a later date, you can then refine the plan and add different scenarios.

[spc-rocket]

disaster recovery documentation has anyone got any examples of this?


Russ

Russ,

I'm in the process of doing this right now and will be going through the scenarious, fire in server room, etc complete HDD failure etc. This will give you an idea as to what to include in the DRP, do a quick brainstorming session on what kind of info you require i.e if server goes down.

IP Addresses, Domain name, serial no, spec of server, disk sizes and partition sizes etc. Recovery CDs, who to phone for tech support if a managed server.

Don't worry if the document you end up is 30 pages because its well worth it in the end.

When i complete my DRP i will forward it here if that's allowed ?? don't know all the rules of what kind of stuff you can post on this forum.

Ashok.

[russdev]

pretty much anything apart from advertsing in your posts for posts sake, and being rude etc

so feel free to post it up

Russ

[SpuffMonkey]

And don't just write a DRP - actually test it works! Its a nasty job - but well worth the effort.

[tarquel]

What? start a fire in your server room?

..............*goes to get matches & petrol*......

[RobC]

No, no, no Tarq. You want to test the policy that covers theft of vital & rather expensive ICT equipment such as the file servers and the gigabit switches... :P

[Gatt]

once things settle down in my school I'll need to sit down and start a DR plan - no idea what its gonna involve yet, or even how to start

Also need to look at a proper AUP policy - been in the other threads and looking at the examples that have been posted - also requested a copy of FITS to look at.

There is no documentation in the school whatsoever - no net diagrams, no policy docs, handbooks - bugger all!

Gotta lot of work to do

[witch]

This is probably somewhere else on the forum, but can someone point me to where I can find out what sort of documentation I need to make up a complete set. We have very little, only a Teacher's Laptop policy and an Internet usage one. (both of which I wrote)
And I am sure that this has been asked before as well, but how do I work out a network diagram if I have no idea where cables etc go and they are all in the ceilings?- Oh yeah, and anything I need has to be free because there is no money for anything at the moment (unless the head wants it)
thanks