Disaster recovery

Disaster recovery consists of the policies and procedures put in place to restore the service in the event of total failure. The term is often confused with business continuity which, in the case of HIT, represents continuation of care delivery rather than necessarily the technology which supports it. 

In the event of actual catastrophic failure one s priorities turn to service reinstatement and in particular the restoration of data. Whilst unavailability of the service may present some short-term risk, permanent loss of current and historical clinical data could affect patient care for months or years. Organisations need to have a strategy for how data is backed up and restored and, in particular, the relative timings of those activities. 

Many systans are backed up intermittently to high capacity removable drives dedicated to this purpose. The drive may then be physically transported to an archive which is geographically distant from the primary data centre. This process of backup and transport takes time and effort and the fact that it is undertaken intermittently means that the snapshot of data will be out of date the moment it is created. Should restoration of data be required it is only ever possible to reinstate the system to a point in the past. Transactions which have taken place since the backup was created run the risk of being irretrievable. The term data synchronisation point represents the absolute point in time when the data snapshot was taken. After restoration of the system the state of affairs would resemble that at the synchronisation point The further in the past the synchronisation point, the more data is permanently lost 

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Does the computer room have limited access (e.g., are the servers physically/ logically secure) 2. Are there provisions for power backup 3. Is there a disaster recovery plan and is it periodically tested 4. Is there environmental monitoring 5. Are there off-site back-up facilities for key documents and software Is it readily retrievable ... 

Are there SOPs or other procedural documentation for the computer room security, back-up/recovery and disaster recovery ... 

Establish system backups and disaster recovery plans. 

Establish a disaster recovery plan that allows for rapid recovery from any emergency (including a cyber attack). System backups are an essential part of any plan and allow rapid reconstruction of the network. Routinely exercise disaster recovery plans to ensure that they work and that personnel are familiar with them. Make appropriate changes to disaster recovery plans based on lessons learned from exercises. 

If an attack on a chemical asset or by a chemical or biological agent does occur, it is essential that the damage be contained, neutralized, and remediated as expeditiously and safely as possible. Most chemical production and storage facilities already have disaster recovery and containment plans in place in case of an accident. These plans are also generally applicable to intentional attack. By design, damage to production facilities and the potential for massive chemical release, especially outside the plant boundary, is expected to be limited. An industry-wide system is also in place for response to transportation accidents,... 

Alternative plans for system failure, disaster recovery, and unauthorized access must be developed. A problem-response system should provide controls in the event of a significant system failure. 

Managerial control is estabhshed and documented through a series of SOPs. These SOPs are system design, use, and control pohcy statements. They summarize procedures of system security, disaster recovery, normal use, data archive and backup, error response, documentation, testing, and other important aspects of control. 

Second, disaster situations represent real and potential threats to data integrity. Evidence of appropriate preventive action and recovery strategies must be presented, generally in the form of a disaster recovery plan with an annual practice drill. The disaster recovery plan is usually organized aroimd likely problems (flood from broken pipes, fire, electrical failure, etc.) and includes appropriate notifications, substitute activities, and recovery actions. The disaster recovery plan generally interacts with system backup, recovery, and archive SOPs. 

Business Continuity Planning (Disaster Recovery) A disaster recovery plan should be in place to ensure the continued operation of the laboratory in case of an adverse event that renders the instrument out of commission and hence causes interruption to the business processes which the system supports. Adverse events like the failure of the critical hardware components of the instrument and the failure of the application software do happen in the day-to-day operation of a laboratory. The disaster recovery plan should provide the necessary steps to restore the systems back to a functional state. The steps typically include instructions to reinstall the application software to the personal computer controlling the instrument, to reconfigure the instrument, and to restore the backup data to the instrument. 

Business continuity procedures, including disaster recovery procedures, should ensure minimal disruption in the case of loss of data or any part of the system. It is necessary to ensure that the integrity of the data is not compromised during the return to normal operation. At the lowest level, this may mean the accidental deletion of a single file, in which case a procedure should be in place for restoring the most recently backed-up copy. At the other extreme, a disaster such as a fire could result in loss of the entire system. For this situation a procedure addressing the following should be in place ... 

Physical access controls (limited access) (all listed implementation features must be present) This area is related to the procedures for limiting physical access to an entity while ensuring that properly authorized access is allowed. Disaster recovery Emergency operating mode Equipment control (into and out of site) Facility security plan Procedures for verifying access authorizations prior to physical access Maintenance records Need-to-know procedures for personnel access Sign-in for visitors and their escorts, if appropriate Testing and revision... 

The current good manufacturing practices (GMP) state that Laboratory records shall include complete data derived from all tests necessary to assure compliance with established specifications and standards [5]. This includes all electronic and hard copies of raw data, laboratory notebooks, and/or worksheets and reports. Additionally, the regulations require that records shall be readily available for authorized inspection [6]. Consequently, the organization must have a well-defined audit trail for the generation, storage, and retrieval of reports and raw data. It must also be shown that there is adequate document management and security of all raw data and reports in terms of both disaster recovery and prevention of falsification of results. 

The information technology (IT) group should provide such network services as backup, recovery, continuity planning, and disaster recovery. 

List the SOPs that must be developed in order to use the VUS in an appropriately compliant fashion. Include SOPs on operation, maintenance, administration, security, backup, and disaster recovery. Some of these may be combined into one document. If the exact document names and number are known, list them otherwise use generic names. 

Definition of accountability of data authenticity Determination of which party will complete the release process Disaster recovery... 

Individual Assistance. Immediately after the declaration, disaster workers arrive and set up a central field office to coordinate the recovery effort. A toll-free telephone number is published for use by affected residents and business owners in registering for assistance. Disaster Recovery Centers also are opened where disaster victims can meet with program representatives and obtain information about available aid and the recovery process. 

After a major disaster, FEMA tries to notify all disaster victims about the available aid programs and urge them to apply. The news media are encouraged to visit a Disaster Recovery Center, meet with disaster officials, and help publicize the disaster aid programs and the toll-free teleregistration number. 

Public health nurses have a central function in the public health system and, as such, become invaluable resources both to the community and to other nurses during times of disaster (see chapter 31, The Role and Preparation of the Public Health Nurse for Disaster Response, for further discussion). Public health nurses are expert in population health care and routinely conduct disease surveillance, implement programs in health promotion, and are knowledgeable in healthy standards for food, water, and sanitation. Public health nurses working at the local level are extremely dedicated to serving their communities, routinely form informal partnerships that are essential for disease surveillance, and effectively use informal communication channels to obtain critical surveillance information (Atkins, Williams, Salinas, Edwards, 2005). Increased surveillance activities for disaster recovery add more responsibilities to the work of public health nurses. In all types of... 

In the aftermath of a disaster, the evidence of death, injury, and devastation can overwhelm both victims and responders. The evidence of destruction and the inevitable life changes that the disaster has caused become rapidly apparent. The disaster continuum plays out—leaving its victims and responders in its wake. Yet the disaster response is not over—in fact, the final recovery and evaluative phases of the disaster continuum are just beginning. And in all probability, the role of the nurse is never more important than during recovery. Nursing, with roots firmly planted in health promotion and wellness and the provision of holistic health care, now needs to address holistic disaster recovery with the goals being to assist individuals and communities to recover and create a more sustainable future. 

Disaster recovery is a social process that encompasses [a) planning for future events, (b) public policy development, and (c) social learning. This mandates the establishment of organizational relationships and intergovernmental linkages—and the processes for collaboration and coordination that enhance recovery efforts. 

Nurses need to understand how the disaster recovery process can be used to maintain and enhance the quality of life. We need to design recovery strategies for enhancing quality of life, pursue new strategies for improving the quality of life, and institute systems for the ongoing monitoring of the quality of life. 

These are difficult questions at best, yet the foundation for successful disaster recovery and the creation of disaster-resistant sustainable communities lies within them. As a nation, we must not succumb to the apathy factor as Dr. Erik Auf der Heide has described, but force ourselves to plan for the unexpected, prepare for the unlikely, and to establish sustainable community partnerships with effective avenues of communication. These discussions will most likely take place at the highest levels of our government—and no one is better prepared to contribute to this discussion than a nurse. 

The fnndamental challenge to confignration management record keeping is whether it can make a Ml system rebnild possible by relying solely on these records. A good test is to assess the measure of confidence the responsible person has that the system conld be successfnlly restored on a first attempt. At a practical level, this capability is the fonndation of disaster recovery, directed at the effective snpport of bnsiness continnity plans. 

Procedures and plans supporting business continuity (Disaster Recovery Plans and Contingency Plans) must be specified, tested, and approved before the system is approved for use. Business Continuity Plans will normally be prepared for a business or an operational area rather than for individual computer systems. It is likely that the only way to verify the plan is to walk through a variety of disaster scenarios. Topics for consideration should include catastrophic hardware and software failures, fire/flood/lightning strikes, and security breaches. Alternative means of operation must be available in case of failure if critical data is required at short notice (e.g., in case of drug product recalls). Reference to verification of the Business Continuity Plans is appropriate during OQ/PQ. 

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