Cloud service illustration
Backup is a recovery process
Copying data is one part of recovery. Identify what needs protection, how often it changes and the application dependencies required to restore useful service.
Agree recovery targets
Recovery time objective is the intended time to restore service. Recovery point objective is the acceptable amount of recent data loss. Assess realistic targets for each workload before selecting a design.
Define copies and access
Review retention, protection from accidental changes, storage location, administrator access and costs. Separate the backup requirement from normal operational storage.
Test restoration
Agree representative restore tests and record results. Validate the restored data and application behaviour, not only the existence of a backup file.
Handover
Document scheduling, monitoring, failure escalation, restoration steps and the people authorised to start recovery. A disaster recovery design requires its own scoped validation.
Prepare for the assessment
Share the source environment, affected users, required outcome and business constraints. Scope, tools, platform coverage and delivery responsibilities are confirmed before implementation.