AV Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Services Process
A disaster recovery (DR) plan is a critical part of any business’s IT infrastructure. It outlines the steps that will be taken to recover from a disaster, such as a natural or man-made event, that disrupts or destroys IT systems.
The DR plan for Active Directory (AD) should include the following steps:
- Identify critical systems and data. The first step is to identify the systems and data that are critical to the business. These systems and data should be prioritized so that they can be restored first in the event of a disaster.
- Create a backup of AD. A full backup of AD should be created and stored off-site. This backup can be used to restore AD in the event of a disaster.
- Test the backup. The backup of AD should be tested regularly to ensure that it is restorable.
- Develop a recovery plan. A recovery plan should be developed that outlines the steps that will be taken to restore AD in the event of a disaster. The recovery plan should include the following information:
- The steps that will be taken to restore AD
- The people who will be responsible for restoring AD
- The resources that will be needed to restore AD
- Test the recovery plan. The recovery plan should be tested regularly to ensure that it is effective.
The DR plan for AD should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it is current and meets the needs of the business.
Here are some additional details about the steps involved in the DR process for AD:
1. Identify critical systems and data.
The first step in the DR process is to identify the systems and data that are critical to the business. These systems and data should be prioritized so that they can be restored first in the event of a disaster.
Some examples of critical systems and data include:
- Domain controllers
- Active Directory Users and Computers
- Exchange Server
- SQL Server
- Financial data
- Customer data
- Employee data
2. Create a backup of AD.
A full backup of AD should be created and stored off-site. This backup can be used to restore AD in the event of a disaster.
There are a number of different ways to back up AD. Some common methods include:
- Using Windows Server Backup
- Using a third-party backup solution
- Using a cloud-based backup solution
3. Test the backup.
The backup of AD should be tested regularly to ensure that it is restorable. This can be done by restoring the backup to a test environment.
Testing the backup will help to ensure that the recovery process will be successful in the event of a disaster.
4. Develop a recovery plan.
A recovery plan should be developed that outlines the steps that will be taken to restore AD in the event of a disaster. The recovery plan should include the following information:
- The steps that will be taken to restore AD
- The people who will be responsible for restoring AD
- The resources that will be needed to restore AD
The recovery plan should be documented and stored in a secure location.
5. Test the recovery plan.
The recovery plan should be tested regularly to ensure that it is effective. This can be done by simulating a disaster and following the steps in the recovery plan.
Testing the recovery plan will help to ensure that the business is prepared to recover from a disaster.