What are the best NOC disaster recovery practices?

1 Identify and prioritize critical assets

The first step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to identify and prioritize the critical assets that support your network operations, such as servers, routers, switches, firewalls, applications, and data. You should also assess the potential impact and likelihood of different types of threats, such as floods, fires, earthquakes, malware, denial-of-service attacks, or human errors. Based on this analysis, you can assign a recovery point objective (RPO) and a recovery time objective (RTO) to each asset, which define how much data you can afford to lose and how fast you need to restore it.

2 Establish backup and redundancy systems

The second step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to establish backup and redundancy systems that can protect your critical assets from data loss and ensure continuity of service. You should implement regular backups of your data and configuration files, and store them in a secure and accessible location, preferably off-site or in the cloud. You should also deploy redundant hardware and software components, such as failover servers, load balancers, and network switches, that can take over the workload in case of a failure. Additionally, you should consider having a secondary NOC site that can operate independently from the primary one in case of a disaster.

3 Define roles and responsibilities

The third step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to define the roles and responsibilities of the NOC team members and other stakeholders, such as management, vendors, and customers. You should create a clear communication plan that specifies who will be notified, how, and when in case of a disaster, and what actions they need to take. You should also assign tasks and responsibilities to each team member, such as initiating the recovery process, performing backups and restores, troubleshooting issues, updating status reports, and coordinating with external parties.

4 Test and update the plan

The fourth step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to test and update the plan regularly to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. You should conduct simulated drills and exercises that mimic realistic scenarios and evaluate the performance and outcomes of the recovery process. You should also review and update the plan periodically to reflect any changes in your network environment, such as new assets, threats, technologies, or regulations. By testing and updating the plan, you can identify and fix any gaps, errors, or weaknesses, and improve your readiness and confidence.

5 Train and educate the staff

The fifth step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to train and educate the staff on the plan and their roles. You should provide ongoing training and education sessions that cover the objectives, procedures, and policies of the plan, as well as the best practices and techniques for network recovery. You should also ensure that the staff have access to the latest documentation and resources, such as checklists, manuals, diagrams, and contact lists. By training and educating the staff, you can enhance their skills and knowledge, and foster a culture of preparedness and resilience.

6 Monitor and audit the network

The sixth step in developing a NOC disaster recovery plan is to monitor and audit the network continuously to detect and prevent any potential issues or incidents. You should use tools and systems that can collect and analyze network data, such as traffic, performance, security, and availability, and alert you of any anomalies or deviations. You should also conduct regular audits and assessments of your network health and compliance, and implement corrective and preventive actions as needed. By monitoring and auditing the network, you can maintain optimal network performance and security, and reduce the risk and impact of disasters.

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?