System restoration guidelines: how to set-up, conduct, and evaluate a drill

Once an organization has developed a restoration plan it needs a method to evaluate that plan. The evaluation method described here is the use of a system restoration drill/exercise. Simulating restoration conditions will provide a measure of an organization's ability to respond to a real incident. Periodic drills and exercises help to maintain a high state of preparedness for those individuals involved. These drills also test and validate the organization's restoration plan before it is activated during an actual incident. This paper describes a set of guides for: how to set up a restoration drill; how to conduct a drill; and then how to evaluate a restoration drill.