DISASTER

Types of Disaster
NATURAL HUMAN-MADE SYSTEM FAILURE

Fire Power Outages

Sabotage
Flood Drive Failure
Error
Tornado O/S Crash/Lock
DISASTER
RECOVERY
PLANNING
 DISASTER
This is a comprehensive statement
of all actions to be taken before, RECOVERY
during, and after any type of PLAN
disaster
 FOUR COMMON
FEATURES

Identify Create a Provide site Specify

critical disaster backup backup and
applications recovery off-site
team storage
procedures
Identify Critical Applications
•The first essential element of DRP

•Recovery efforts must concentrate on restoring those

applications that are critical to the short-term survival of
the organization.

•The task of identifying critical items and prioritizing

applications requires the active participation of user
departments, accountants, and auditors.
Creating a Disaster Recovery Team

•The team members should be experts in their

areas and have assigned tasks.

•Following a disaster, team members will delegate

subtasks to their subordinates
Providing Second-Site Backup

• A necessary ingredient in a DRP is that it provides for

duplicate data processing facilities following a disaster.

•Among the options available, the most common are

mutual aid pact; empty shell or cold site; recovery
operations center or hot site; and internally provided
backup.
 An agreement between two
or more organizations (with
compatible computer
MUTUAL AID facilities) to aid each other
with their data processing
PACT needs in the event of a
disaster
 An arrangement wherein
EMPTY SHELL the company buys or
leases a building that will
Or serve as a data center.
COLD SITE
 RECOVERY A fully equipped backup
OPERATIONS data center that many
CENTER companies share.

OR
HOT SITE
 Larger organizations with
INTERNALLY multiple data processing
PROVIDED centers sometimes rely
upon their own sites for
BACKUP backup in the event of a
disaster.
Specify Backup and Off-Site Storage Procedures

• All data file, applications, documentation, and

supplies needed to perform critical functions
should be automatically backed up and stored at a
secure off-site location.
 Operating System Backup
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
•If a company uses a cold site or other STORAGE
method of site backup that does not PROCEDURES
include a compatible operating system
(OS), procedures for obtaining a current
version of the operating system need to
be clearly specified.
 Application Backup
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
STORAGE
•In the case of the commercial software, PROCEDURES
this involves purchasing backup copies
of the latest software upgrades used by
the organization.
 Backup Data Files
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
•Databases should be copied daily to
high-capacity, high-speed media, such as STORAGE
tape or CDs/DVDs and secured off-site. PROCEDURES
•In the event of a disruption,
reconstruction of the database is
achieved by updating the most current
backed-up version with subsequent
transaction data.
 Backup Documentation
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
•The system documentation should be STORAGE
backed up and stored off-site along with
the applications. PROCEDURES
•This can be simplified and made more
efficient through the use of Computer
Aided Software Engineering (CASE)
documentation tools.
 Backup Supplies and Source
Documents
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
STORAGE
•The organization should create backup PROCEDURES
inventories of supplies and source
documents used in processing critical
transactions.
 Testing the DRP
BACKUP &
OFF-SITE
STORAGE
• The most neglected aspect of PROCEDURES
contingency planning; nevertheless,
DRP tests are important and should be
performed periodically.
Benefits Risks
• Failure to
• Improved core Perform
business • Vendor
performance Exploitation
Outsourcing the
• Outsourcing
• Improved IT IT Function Costs Exceed
performance
•Reduced
• Reduced IT Security
costs •Loss of
Strategic
Advantage
 Core Competency Transaction Cost
Theory Economic (TCE)
Theory
An organization
should focus Firms should retain
exclusively on its
core business
Theories certain specific non-
core IT assets in-
competencies, while
house
allowing outsourcing Outsourcing the IT Function
vendors to efficiently
manage the non-
core areas such as
the IT functions.
 Commodity IT Specific IT Assets
Assets Are unique to the
organization and
Are not unique to a support its strategic
particular objectives.
Distinction between
organization and are
Commodity and Have little value outside
thus easily acquired
in the marketplace. Specific IT Assets their current use

Examples:
Examples: Outsourcing the IT Function Systems development
Network Application maintenance
management Data warehousing
Systems operations Highly skilled employees
Server Maintenance trained to use specific
software
Help-desk functions