Course Details

Business Continuity Management Lifecycle Management Training Course

Introduction

In today's digitally driven world, the continuous availability and integrity of IT systems are non-negotiable for virtually every organization. A disruption, whether from a cyberattack, natural disaster, or hardware failure, can lead to catastrophic data loss, prolonged downtime, and severe financial and reputational damage. Our intensive 10-day "Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Systems" training course is meticulously designed to equip IT professionals, system administrators, and cybersecurity experts with the essential knowledge and practical skills required to develop, implement, and maintain robust Disaster Recovery (DR) plans. This program focuses on ensuring the swift and efficient restoration of critical IT infrastructure, applications, and data, minimizing service interruptions and safeguarding the organization's technological backbone.

This hands-on course will guide you through the entire DR planning lifecycle, from conducting a comprehensive IT-focused Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment to selecting appropriate recovery strategies, implementing data backup and replication technologies, and meticulously testing recovery procedures. Participants will gain the expertise to identify critical IT assets, define stringent Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for systems, and orchestrate a seamless recovery process. By the end of this training, you will be proficient in creating and managing a resilient IT disaster recovery framework, empowering your organization to withstand technological disruptions and ensure business continuity.

Duration

10 Days

Target Audience

The "Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Systems" training course is specifically tailored for IT professionals and those responsible for the availability and security of an organization's technology infrastructure. This includes:

• IT Managers and Directors: Overseeing the planning and execution of DR strategies.
• System Administrators and Network Engineers: Directly involved in the technical implementation and recovery of IT systems.
• Database Administrators: Responsible for the backup and recovery of critical data.
• Cybersecurity Professionals: Integrating DR with incident response and data protection.
• Business Continuity Coordinators: Needing to understand the IT component of overall BCM.
• Data Center Managers: Responsible for the physical infrastructure and its resilience.
• Cloud Architects and Engineers: Designing and managing cloud-based DR solutions.
• DevOps and Site Reliability Engineers (SREs): Focusing on system resilience and rapid recovery.
• Compliance Officers: Ensuring IT DR plans meet regulatory requirements.
• Internal Auditors: Evaluating the effectiveness of IT DR plans and capabilities.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the "Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Systems" training course, participants will be able to:

• Define Disaster Recovery (DR) and understand its critical role within overall Business Continuity Management (BCM).
• Conduct an IT-focused Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to determine RTOs and RPOs for critical IT systems and data.
• Identify and assess potential threats and vulnerabilities to IT infrastructure.
• Select and implement appropriate data backup, replication, and restoration technologies.
• Develop comprehensive and actionable Disaster Recovery Plans (DRPs) for various IT systems.
• Understand and apply strategies for recovering servers, networks, applications, and data.
• Plan and execute rigorous testing methodologies for IT DRPs.
• Manage communication and coordination with internal and external stakeholders during an IT disaster.
• Familiarize themselves with relevant IT DR standards and best practices.
• Maintain and continuously improve the organization's IT disaster recovery posture.

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Disaster Recovery (DR) & BCM Linkage

• Defining Disaster Recovery and its relationship with Business Continuity Management.
• The evolution of DR: from traditional tape backups to modern resilience strategies.
• The importance of IT system availability and data integrity in modern business.
• Common causes of IT disasters (natural, human error, cyber-attacks, hardware failure).
• Benefits of a robust DR plan: minimized downtime, data protection, compliance, reputation.

Module 2: IT-Focused Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

• Adapting BIA principles specifically for IT systems and applications.
• Identifying critical IT assets, dependencies, and their supporting infrastructure.
• Determining Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for IT components.
• Quantifying the financial and operational impact of IT system downtime and data loss.
• Prioritizing IT systems for recovery based on BIA results.

Module 3: IT Risk Assessment & Mitigation

• Identifying specific threats to IT systems (cyber threats, hardware failure, power outages, software bugs).
• Assessing vulnerabilities within the IT infrastructure (single points of failure, outdated systems).
• Analyzing the likelihood and impact of various IT disaster scenarios.
• Developing risk mitigation strategies for IT assets.
• Integrating IT risk assessment with enterprise risk management.

Module 4: Data Backup & Recovery Strategies

• Understanding various backup methodologies (full, incremental, differential).
• Selecting appropriate backup media and storage solutions (tape, disk, cloud).
• Implementing data replication techniques (synchronous, asynchronous) for high availability.
• Developing data retention policies and offsite storage strategies.
• Best practices for data restoration and integrity verification.

Module 5: Network & Infrastructure Recovery

• Strategies for recovering network connectivity (LAN, WAN, internet access).
• Designing redundant network architectures (e.g., active-passive, active-active).
• Recovering critical network devices (routers, switches, firewalls).
• Considerations for DNS, DHCP, and IP address management during recovery.
• Utilizing cloud networking for DR resilience.

Module 6: Server & Application Recovery

• Strategies for recovering physical and virtual servers.
• Understanding virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V) in DR.
• Application-level recovery procedures and dependencies.
• Database recovery techniques: point-in-time recovery, log shipping.
• Bare-metal recovery vs. virtual machine recovery.

Module 7: DR Site Strategies & Cloud DR

• Different types of DR sites: hot, warm, cold, mobile.
• Evaluating the pros and cons of each DR site option.
• Leveraging cloud computing for Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS).
• Designing cloud-based DR architectures (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud DR solutions).
• Cost considerations and service level agreements (SLAs) for DR solutions.

Module 8: Developing the IT Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

• Structure and key components of a comprehensive DRP.
• Creating detailed step-by-step recovery procedures for specific IT systems.
• Defining roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols for the DR team.
• Integrating the DRP with the broader Business Continuity Plan (BCP).
• Documentation best practices for clarity and usability during a disaster.

Module 9: DRP Testing & Maintenance

• Importance of regular DR testing to ensure plan effectiveness.
• Types of DR tests: walk-throughs, tabletop exercises, simulations, full-scale failover tests.
• Developing a comprehensive DR testing schedule and success criteria.
• Evaluating test results, identifying gaps, and implementing corrective actions.
• Change management for the DRP: updates based on system changes and test results.

Module 10: Communication, Coordination & Future Trends

• Communication strategies during an IT disaster (internal IT, business users, external vendors).
• Coordination with Business Continuity and Crisis Management teams.
• Post-disaster review and lessons learned for continuous improvement.
• Emerging trends in DR: AI for predictive failure, automation, immutable backups, cyber resilience.
• Compliance and audit considerations for IT DR plans.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

• Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com