Creating a disaster preparation plan (DPP)

Last published : Apr 02, 2026
Disaster preparation planning is the implementation of strategies and procedures that minimize damage in the event a catastrophe destroys your data.
The following basic methods are available for disaster recovery:
  • Automated recovery. Backup Exec's Simplified Disaster Recovery (SDR) feature automates the disaster recovery process for Windows computers.
  • Manual recovery. You can manually recover both local and remote Windows computers.
The purpose of a Disaster Preparation Plan (DPP) is to return to an operational status as quickly as possible. Backup Exec is a crucial component of the DPP. The DPP you put in place with your Backup Exec system should be customized to your network environment.
For more information about how to perform a manual disaster recovery, refer to the following sections:
See Performing manual disaster recovery of a local Backup Exec server on a Windows computer.
See Performing manual disaster recovery of a remote Backup Exec server or remote agent on a Windows computer.
While environments vary in different organizations, consider the following elements when creating a comprehensive DPP.
Table: Key elements of a DPP
Element Description
Hardware protection The hardware devices on your network (CPUs, drives, video) are susceptible to damage from many disaster situations. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), surge protectors, and security monitoring devices are the equipment most often used today to protect hardware. If you do not already have these items in place, you should consider installing them. The initial investment could be justified many times over in the event of a disaster.
The ability to maintain business operations during a disaster period Make sure that proper precautions are taken by everyone to implement plans for network interruptions. For example, the phones in the sales department won't stop ringing because the server is down, so orders may have to be handwritten until the server is up again. Each department should work out strategies for such occurrences. If the proper precautions are taken, the server can be rebuilt quickly and operations can still continue.
A sound backup strategy. A well-designed backup strategy that includes a strong media rotation scheme plays a key role in quickly restoring your file server.
Off-site and duplicate stage backups. It is imperative that you regularly move the backed-up data to an off-site storage facility. If you use disk as your storage medium, consider adding a stage to duplicate backups to other storage This ensures that if something happens to your facility, all of your backups are not destroyed. Depending on the importance of your data, you may choose to use several off-site storage facilities.
Effective DPP management A person or group of people should constantly supervise your organization's disaster preparation efforts. This person or group should install and maintain hardware protection devices, make sure all departments have a plan if the server goes down temporarily, and make sure that backups are made and rotated off-site regularly. Document your Disaster Preparation Plan for reference purposes.
See Getting started with backups.
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