Disaster management and recovery

[StarPhoenix]

I have been asked to find out as much as I can about disaster management and recovery and the policies that
apply to it, with a particular focus on the public sector, ie government.

Where should I be looking for this.

I have not enjoyed much success with google ...yet.

thank you

[rustypup]

1) Disaster
2) PANIC!
3) Beach + Alcohol
4) ....

[doo_much]

Are you talking physical SHER or do you mean with specific relevance to IT?

[StarPhoenix]

5)Commission of Enquiry/Team-Building Weekend away

Uh....no.....boss will tell me that I am being facetious.

It should relate to IT, Dood.

[rustypup]

start by categorising business functions, then determining the maximum amount of time they can be out of commission. then develop the recovery timepath (core functions need to be up an running in x hours, ancillary on day 1, reporting on day 2, etc).

identify recovery responsibilities and requirements.

you will need to interface with 3rd party suppliers for testing, so be sure to get your requirements hammered out before approaching them. they will also have to have some input.

you will need to have redundancy built in for certain pieces of hardware, (spare routers + routine backups of the active router configs, etc), as well as comms, (redundant ISDN/ADSL/VOIP/switchboard lines).

it's also a good idea to have a DR site, such that core personnel can be relocated to an office provisioned for recovery...

it's a pain to get it rolling... it's even more of a pain to get everyone together for testing, (or play the sod like me and pull the plug at random moments at least twice a year).

[StarPhoenix]

Sorry, I failed to explain myself properly.

We already have such policies in place, I am told.

What I need to know is what the South African Government IT Disaster Recovery Management and Recovery policies are.

[doo_much]

You need to contact SITA and find out what their policy on DM is.

In terms of the Sita Act this would fall within the ambit of their responsibility.

[StarPhoenix]

Thank you.

I did poke around on SITA's website earlier, but nothing jumped out at me.
Perhaps an e-mail is in order? [Or will they send hefty men with guns after me if I do that?]