To ensure the availability and uninterrupted operation of virtual machines (VMs), a “disaster recovery drill” is conducted where we practice responding to a crisis.
The main goal here is to see if the organization’s recovery strategies work and to ensure the successful restoration of services in the event of an actual disaster.
How the test works?
We create a special testing environment on a separate network that’s distinct from the regular production network, which ensures that any simulated disaster does not impact regular everyday operations. Once the test environment is ready, a simulated disaster is initiated, triggering the failover mechanism which starts the process of moving copies of workloads into the testing environment.
To make sure the recovery process is reliably functional, various factors are assessed. First and foremost, access to the recovered workloads is tested to ensure connectivity, and then a deeper examination of the workloads is done, focusing on the verification of critical services functionality. This ensures that all crucial service components are running smoothly, allowing for the seamless continuation of the organization’s operations once needed. Additionally, system and service logs are carefully reviewed to confirm that the recovered test environment is operating as intended.
Once we’ve looked at all these check points, and we’re confident that everything’s working well, the test environment is cleaned up. This testing process provides the organization with valuable insights and control over their disaster recovery capabilities. By simulating the effects that different disasters (storms, power problems, fires, etc.) may have on IT systems, we can get better at handling such situations when they really occur.
It’s like practicing for a sports game – the more we practice, the better we get at playing. – Nikola Poljak, IT Team Lead
Overall, these tests instill confidence in an organization’s ability to mitigate potential disruptions and ensure business continues smoothly in the face of adverse events.
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