Disaster recovery plan

This current requirements model is designed for a disaster recovery plan for a mainframe, but could also be used for basic housing when planning to implement a new system.

• Standards - Disaster recovery planning

The disaster recovery manual (DRP) is the key document that will be used at the moment of a declared 'disaster'. It needs to be kept up to date by the Disaster Recovery Co-ordinator so that all the elements in it can be relied upon at the moment of crisis. This DRP is based on a cold site plan but the structure can be used for cold, warm and hot disaster recovery plans. It contains examples of mainframe present and future requirements calculations and shortfall assessments. International IT planning document. See

This is the most rudimentary of all disaster recovery plans for a mainframe. It contains just the fundamental comparisons that underlies the DRP for a cold site, sometimes called the "current requirements" and "future requirements" comparisons. These are necessary because technology changes over time. It uses the calculations contained in the current requirements model. See

• Standards - Disaster recovery planning

Following the September 11 phenomenon, the Board of Directors has asked the DRP Manager to identify the options available to them for protecting the LAN from a major disaster and prepare a strategic plan for arriving at a formal DRP which will guarantee readiness. This simple white paper discusses 10 different DRP options for three different types of networks, and gives a model that can be used for generating the DRP based on 6 levels of readiness. This is just the headings; you have to give it meaning. But from this simple model, a full DRP can be built.

The disaster recovery manual is a set of agreed actions that will be implemented at the declaration of a disaster. The idea is that, upon such a declaration, you can open up the manual and follow the procedures agreed within it, precisely, without having to negotiate the details. It is done that way because usually at the moment of a disaster it is not appropriate to begin such negotiations. It therefore differs from contingency plans and risk management.

This disaster recovery manual shows the likely headings for any large system. These questions need to be completed in detail and to be maintained regularly, so that the detail is always fresh, when the disaster occurs. See

• Standards - Disaster recovery planning