What are the best practices for documenting and communicating backup and recovery policies and procedures?

1 Define backup and recovery objectives

The first step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to define the objectives and requirements for each database. These include the recovery point objective (RPO), which is the maximum amount of data that can be lost in a disaster, and the recovery time objective (RTO), which is the maximum amount of time that can be spent on restoring the database. Other factors to consider are the backup frequency, retention period, storage location, encryption, compression, and verification methods. These objectives should be documented in a backup and recovery policy that specifies the roles and responsibilities of the backup and recovery team, the backup and recovery schedule, and the backup and recovery tools.

2 Test backup and recovery scenarios

The second step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to test the backup and recovery scenarios for each database. These scenarios should cover different types of disasters, such as hardware failure, human error, malware attack, natural disaster, or corruption. The tests should verify that the backups are complete, consistent, and restorable, and that the recovery procedures are accurate, efficient, and secure. The tests should also measure the actual RPO and RTO achieved, and compare them with the expected values. The results of the tests should be documented in a backup and recovery report that includes the test details, outcomes, issues, and recommendations.

3 Train backup and recovery staff

The third step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to train the backup and recovery staff on the backup and recovery policy and procedures. The staff should be familiar with the backup and recovery objectives, tools, schedule, and scenarios, and be able to perform the backup and recovery tasks correctly and confidently. The staff should also be aware of the backup and recovery best practices, such as following the 3-2-1 rule (having at least three copies of the data, on two different media, and one offsite), encrypting the backups, verifying the backups, and documenting the backup and recovery activities. The training should be documented in a backup and recovery manual that provides step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and examples.

4 Communicate backup and recovery status

The fourth step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to communicate the backup and recovery status to the relevant stakeholders, such as the database owners, users, managers, auditors, or regulators. The communication should inform them of the backup and recovery objectives, policy, procedures, results, issues, and actions. The communication should also solicit their feedback, suggestions, and approval. The communication should be done through appropriate channels, such as emails, reports, meetings, or dashboards. The communication should be documented in a backup and recovery log that records the date, time, sender, receiver, subject, message, and attachment of each communication.

5 Review backup and recovery performance

The fifth step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to review the backup and recovery performance on a regular basis, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually. The review should evaluate the backup and recovery objectives, policy, procedures, results, issues, and actions, and identify the gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement. The review should also consider the changes in the database environment, such as the data volume, growth, usage, or structure, and the impact on the backup and recovery requirements. The review should be documented in a backup and recovery audit that summarizes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

6 Update backup and recovery plan

The sixth and final step in creating a backup and recovery plan is to update the backup and recovery plan based on the feedback, suggestions, and recommendations from the previous steps. The update should reflect the changes in the backup and recovery objectives, policy, procedures, tools, schedule, and scenarios, and ensure that they are aligned with the current and future database needs. The update should also be tested, trained, communicated, and reviewed, following the same steps as before. The update should be documented in a backup and recovery revision that tracks the changes, reasons, and effects of each update.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?