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Service continuity and the recovery plan
A continuity plan answers two quantified questions: how long the service may stay unavailable, and how much data may be replayed. Those two values drive the whole architecture that follows.
Two values decide everything else
Acceptable downtime states how long the business holds without the service; acceptable data loss states which backup point you are willing to fall back to. An organisation that sets those two figures with the business immediately holds the specification for its architecture: backup frequency, equipment redundancy, presence of a fallback site, power autonomy. Without them, any sizing is debated endlessly.
- An acceptable downtime, agreed with each business unit
- An acceptable data loss, which sets backup frequency
- An off-site backup whose restore is dated and signed
- A written switchover procedure, rehearsed at least once a year
- Sized power autonomy, uninterruptible supplies and generator included
The switchover drill, the only check that counts
- 01
Announce the window
A drill is scheduled with the business. Announced, it becomes training rather than an event endured.
- 02
Actually switch over
The service restarts from the fallback site. A paper-only switchover leaves every surprise intact.
- 03
Time it
Actual time is compared with acceptable downtime. The gap becomes the year's action plan.
- 04
Return and record
Returning to the primary site is part of the drill, and the report stands as evidence to an auditor.
The programmes that build this skill
Infrastructure, security and power converge on continuity. All three programmes approach it from their own craft, with taught volumes as published in the catalogue.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Credits and hours | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Networks and Cloud | Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 h | 5 600 000 GNF per year |
| Cybersecurity programme — Bac+5 level | Master's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 h | 7 500 000 GNF per year |
| Industrial Maintenance and Energy | Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 h | 5 400 000 GNF per year |
Continuity questions
How often should a restore be tested?
Quarterly for critical data, annually for everything else. A dated, signed test is the only proof that a backup genuinely exists: a file sitting on a disk is not one.
Do I need a second site?
The answer follows from acceptable downtime: a few hours makes it necessary, a few days allows rebuilding from backups. That is why those two values are set before any architecture decision.
How is acceptable downtime set?
With the business, by quantifying what one hour without the service costs: suspended orders, halted production, obligations falling due. That costing turns a matter of opinion into a documented decision.
Explore next
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- Industrial maintenancePreventive plan, vibration analysis, thermography, alert thresholds, spare parts and availability indicators: organising a site's maintenance.
- OHADA accountingChart of accounts, journal, ledger, trial balance, financial statements, value added tax and fixed assets: OHADA accounting applied.
- Reading financial statementsBalance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement: the profitability, structure and liquidity ratios that support a reasoned diagnosis.
- Forecast budgetVolume and price assumptions, cost structure, break-even point, seasonality and variance tracking: building a budget that serves steering.
- Steering cashRolling cash plan, working capital, payment terms, customer chasing and short-term financing: steering cash day to day.