Use the instructions below to help you complete the Backup and Recovery Policy template for each business process. The template has sample content so you can see a complete example.
Header and Footer Information
The information in the document header and footer populate automatically from information you enter in the content areas. If you change the style names used in these sections, the header and footer may not populate correctly.
Data
What type of data is being stored and utilized by the service? What is the purpose of this data? Where is this data stored?
Backup Schedule
Describe the backup schedule for the data identified above. Include what kinds of backups are performed (e.g. incremental, differential, or full) and what physical media is used to store the backup.
When deciding how to backup your data, consider that differential backups require a maximum of two media to complete a restore, and hence, are generally much less time consuming than the incremental method in the event a restore becomes necessary. However, this comes at a cost of increased storage requirements.
Hardware and Media
What physical devices are used to store and perform all of the backups? Where are these devices located? What type of media is used with each device? If tapes are utilized, how are they stored? Is there a defined process to move tapes to an offsite location?
Software
What software packages are used to perform and verify backup and restore operations?
Retention
How long are backups of each kind of data retained? Consider any contractual agreements that may contain specific requirements.
Verification
How are backups verified? Is verification performed automatically by the backup software or on a scheduled basis by an administrator?
Restoration
What is the process for requesting and performing restoration of each type of data from backups? This will vary based upon when the data loss occurs and is reported according to the backup schedule and retention policy. At what point is data no longer recoverable? Is there any data that, due to contractual obligation for example, cannot be restored at all?