In this column, I present some basic thoughts on how to accomplish these goals. The purpose of a Disaster Recovery Plan is to protect operating capabilities in case of a disaster. The first step is to determine which operating capabilities are most important and need fast recovery and which are less time sensitive and can wait a few days or weeks. Traditional methodologies use complex algorithms and models to assess which functions are more critical and time sensitive than others. For most of us, these models take too long and are too cumbersome to use.
Many traditional planners develop threat and risk models.
These models establishe that probabilities that certain events will occus within established time frames with expected results. We believe this is unnecessarily complicated. Instead, we investigate disaster and failure based on their effects rather than their types and probabilities. A quick analysis will show what consequences can be expected - those consequences become the threats against which we protect. This simple approach can save weeks or months of analysis paralysis.