The DR Tabletop Testing Simulator: what can it do for you?

Last week we launched our Disaster Recovery Tabletop Testing Simulator. This is one of our most powerful tools yet and so we wanted to give you a deeper look into how it can help your organisation.

Why did we create it?

In a nutshell, we strongly believe that SMEs should have the same access as large enterprises to the planning tools needed to build a robust BC/DR plan, regardless of budget. It's something we've championed for a long time – SMEs shouldn't be at a disadvantage due to budget or time constraints, and we're actively trying to level that playing field. Tabletop testing is an essential part of the DR plan testing process, and small and medium businesses should be able to perform testing like this just as effectively as large businesses.

What is a DR tabletop test?

The concept of tabletop testing is well known and used by larger organisations but it is not something we often see in smaller businesses. Your DR plan should be written with a broad scope to handle the various different impacts that a continuity event might have on their organisation, such as IT downtime or inability to access the office. By planning broadly, it means that the plan itself will be comprehensive enough to cover every eventuality rather than trying to address a large number of specific scenarios.

You have no idea whether your DR plan will serve its purpose in a disaster unless you test it, and in multiple scenarios. That's why a tabletop test is so useful – you can throw very specific scenarios at the plan and see how you will cope. It's a practical way to work through different scenarios without the time commitment of a full DR test. It helps to identify any gaps you may have in your plan, as well as helping to keep all contact information up to date.

Finding the time for testing is one of the biggest reasons we hear from organisations who haven't performed a DR test in the last 12 months. Whilst the risks associated with a tabletop test are low – you're not physically failing over any servers – it can take a substantial amount of time when done thoroughly. We created the DR simulator to give SMEs a solid starting point for tightening up their own plans, as well as providing access to DR planning best practice.

How does it work?

The DR Tabletop Testing Simulator takes you through three scenarios using a template DR Runbook. You take on the role of three different organisations experiencing a disruptive event: a fire in the server room, a SAN failure and a cyber-attack.

Using the runbook, which includes sections for key contacts, a call tree, server information and a network diagram, you complete step by step tasks to recover as you would in a real disaster. You score points for selecting the answers that are considered best practice, and you lose points for incorrect answers. At the end of each scenario you get a rundown of how you did.

This isn't a fully comprehensive test – you shouldn't just take the template runbook and use it as your own. What you should do is use it as a starting point from which to create your own bespoke runbook and DR plan, or refine your existing one. Running through the test scenarios will highlight gaps within your own plans, or areas on which you could improve. When you have completed all three scenarios you will have a great foundation on which to base your own tabletop test to use on your own disaster recovery plans.

Try the DR Tabletop Testing Simulator here.

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