Tutorials · IT Leadership
How to Write a Network Disaster Recovery Plan (RTO, RPO and Runbooks)
Fires, floods, power failures, cyber attacks and failed upgrades happen. A network disaster recovery plan defines how fast you must recover, what you need and who does what.
Before you start
- List of critical business services
- Network diagrams and device configurations
- Management support
Step by step
Rank business services
With business owners, rank services and set targets: RTO (how long it can be down) and RPO (how much data can be lost).
Map dependencies
For each service, list the network parts it needs: Internet links, gateways, core switches, Wi-Fi, DNS, DHCP, VPN, cloud connections.
Remove single points of failure
Dual Internet links, redundant core switches with LACP/ERPS, two DNS/DHCP servers, spare devices on the shelf, UPS for network racks.
Back up everything needed to rebuild
Device configurations (automatically, daily), firmware images, licences, diagrams and passwords, with an offline copy.
Write runbooks
Step-by-step recovery for each scenario: core switch failure, Internet outage, site loss, ransomware. Include contacts and supplier support numbers.
Test
Run a recovery test at least once a year and a tabletop exercise twice a year. Update the plan with what you learn.
Pro tips
- Keep a printed copy of the plan: during a real outage you may not have network access.
- Check supplier hardware replacement times against your RTO.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between RTO and RPO?
RTO is the maximum acceptable downtime. RPO is the maximum acceptable data loss, measured in time since the last good backup.
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