Disaster Recovery Planning: Preparing for Power Outages and Flooding
Minimizing Business Interruption
A Disaster Recovery (DR) plan outlines the steps a business will take to quickly resume mission-critical operations after a catastrophic event. In Kenya, this often means planning for power failures, server room flooding, and network infrastructure collapse.
Key Components of a DR Plan
- **Business Impact Analysis (BIA):** Identify the most critical functions (e.g., sales processing, customer service) and calculate the **Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD)** for each.
- **Backup Strategy Implementation:** Ensure the 3-2-1 backup rule is followed and that the off-site backup location is geographically separate and secure.
- **Failover Procedures:** Define clear steps and responsibilities for switching to backup systems (e.g., activating the generator, switching to the secondary ISP, or migrating operations to a cloud host).
- **Communication Plan:** Outline who communicates what, and to whom (staff, customers, stakeholders) during a crisis. Use communication channels that aren’t dependent on the compromised office network (e.g., SMS, personal WhatsApp).
- **Regular Testing:** Conduct a simulated disaster recovery drill at least once a year to find gaps and train staff.
A comprehensive DR plan is the only way to guarantee resilience in the face of unpredictable infrastructure challenges.