IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning: A Practical Guide for Companies in Bangladesh

1 Understand Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Disaster recovery and business continuity are closely related, but they solve different problems. An organization needs both because restoring technology and maintaining business operations are not always the same thing.

What is IT disaster recovery?

IT disaster recovery (DR) focuses on restoring IT infrastructure, servers, databases, applications, network services, and business data after an incident. Its procedures may cover recovering a failed server, restoring an ERP database, rebuilding a compromised computer, or switching services to an alternative environment.

What is business continuity planning?

Business continuity planning (BCP) focuses on keeping critical business processes operating during a disruption. It addresses alternative working arrangements, communication, manual procedures, staff responsibilities, supplier coordination, customer commitments, and the order in which normal operations will resume.

How they work together

Suppose an apparel factory loses access to its production ERP. The IT team investigates the failure and restores the application and database. Meanwhile, authorized business teams follow approved temporary procedures to record essential production, inventory, and dispatch transactions. Once the ERP is restored, those records are reconciled and checked to prevent duplicate or missing transactions.

• Disaster recovery: Restore the technology and data needed to operate.
• Business continuity: Keep priority business activities moving during the disruption.
• Incident response: Contain the incident, assess its impact, and coordinate the immediate response.
• Recovery validation: Confirm that systems, data, integrations, and business processes are working correctly.

2 Identify Critical Systems Through Business Impact Analysis

Before selecting backup technologies or purchasing disaster recovery infrastructure, identify which business processes must recover first. Not every application has the same operational importance or requires the same recovery target.

A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) helps management understand how a disruption affects revenue, production, customer commitments, regulatory responsibilities, data integrity, and employee productivity over time.

Identify critical business services

Review the processes that depend on technology, such as ERP, production planning, inventory, payroll, accounts, merchandising, email, file sharing, warehouse operations, barcode printing, and shipment documentation.

Map system dependencies

Document which servers, databases, network devices, identity services, internet connections, cloud subscriptions, integrations, printers, and vendors each service requires. An application may be available while remaining unusable because a database, authentication service, or essential integration is unavailable.

Estimate the impact of downtime

Ask department heads what happens after 30 minutes, two hours, one shift, or one working day without a critical system. Consider delayed production, missed shipment cutoffs, inability to issue invoices, lost transactions, manual processing costs, and customer dissatisfaction.

• List critical business processes and their responsible owners.
• Identify supporting applications, databases, infrastructure, and third-party services.
• Determine the maximum tolerable period of disruption for each process.
• Record dependencies, manual alternatives, recovery priorities, and communication needs.
• Obtain management approval for the recovery priorities and required investment.

The outcome should be a prioritized list of business services, not merely an inventory of servers. That list becomes the foundation for backup frequency, recovery targets, technical design, and budget decisions.

3 Define RTO and RPO for Every Critical System

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are two of the most important measures in disaster recovery planning. They help translate business expectations into technical recovery requirements.

What is RTO?

RTO is the target time within which a system or service should be restored after a disruption. The target should be agreed with business owners and supported by a realistic recovery procedure.

What is RPO?

RPO is the maximum targeted period of data loss measured backward from the disruption. For example, an RPO of one hour means the recovery arrangement aims to limit lost changes to approximately the preceding hour, subject to the incident and the recovery technology.

Important: The values above are illustrative planning examples, not universal recommendations. Actual targets must come from business impact analysis, contractual obligations, application capabilities, and approved recovery budgets.

Check whether the targets are achievable

A business may request a 30-minute recovery time, but restoring a large database over a limited network connection could take several hours. Recovery also includes detection, authorization, system preparation, data restoration, application startup, and business validation.

Document the expected recovery sequence and estimate the time required for every major step. Where targets cannot be met, present the gap, operational risk, and cost of potential improvements to management.

4 Build a Reliable IT Backup Strategy

Backups are a core component of disaster recovery, but their effectiveness depends on coverage, frequency, retention, security, and successful restoration. A backup strategy should protect the data and system configurations required to rebuild critical services.

Apply the 3-2-1 backup principle

The traditional 3-2-1 principle recommends keeping three copies of important data, using two different types of storage media, with one copy stored off-site. Organizations should consider strengthening this approach with offline or immutable copies to reduce exposure to ransomware and compromised administrator accounts.

Choose the appropriate backup types

• Full backup: Copies the selected data set in full and can simplify certain restoration scenarios, but may require more time and storage.
• Incremental backup: Captures changes since the previous backup, reducing routine backup size but potentially increasing restoration complexity.
• Differential backup: Captures changes since the last full backup, offering a different balance between backup time and recovery requirements.
• Database-aware backup: Uses supported database backup procedures and transaction-log protection where required to maintain recoverability and data consistency.
• System and configuration backup: Protects essential operating system configurations, application settings, network configurations, and other components needed for rebuilding services.

Protect backups from ransomware

If ransomware compromises production systems and backup administration, attackers may try to encrypt or delete recovery copies. Keep protected copies isolated from ordinary production access and restrict who can modify retention policies or delete backups.

• Use separate, protected backup credentials and least-privilege permissions.
• Consider immutable storage or offline copies for critical data.
• Monitor failed jobs, unusual deletion activity, storage capacity, and backup coverage.
• Maintain suitable retention periods and protect encryption keys and recovery credentials.
• Test restoration in an isolated or controlled environment and verify data integrity.

Determine backup frequency and retention

Critical transaction databases may need frequent backups, transaction-log protection, or replication combined with independent backups. Less frequently updated files may require a different schedule. Define retention according to recovery needs, storage capacity, privacy considerations, and applicable contractual or legal requirements.

5 Prepare for Server, Storage, and Hardware Failure

Server failure can result from disk damage, memory errors, overheating, power problems, controller failure, operating system corruption, database faults, or aging hardware. A recovery plan should explain how to detect the problem, protect data, and restore service safely.

Reduce avoidable hardware risks

Monitor server health, storage capacity, disk and controller alerts, temperature, power conditions, and hardware warranty status. Maintain appropriate vendor support, spare parts, configuration documentation, and escalation contacts.

Evaluate redundancy carefully

RAID can protect against certain disk failures, redundant power supplies can reduce some power-related risks, and clustered systems can improve availability. However, redundancy is not a substitute for independent backups. Shared storage, common power sources, configuration errors, and cyberattacks may still affect multiple components.

Document the recovery sequence

1. Confirm the incident and identify affected services.
2. Assess data integrity and protect available logs and evidence.
3. Engage the responsible IT team, vendor, or hardware support provider.
4. Choose the approved repair, failover, rebuild, or restore procedure.
5. Recover the operating system, application, and data as required.
6. Validate services, integrations, permissions, and business transactions.
7. Monitor the recovered environment and document the incident.

Avoid repeatedly restarting failing storage or experimenting with destructive repair procedures when data integrity is uncertain. Preserve available evidence and use qualified recovery support when necessary.

6 Include Ransomware and Cybersecurity Incidents in Recovery Planning

Cyber incidents require more than restoring files. An attacker may have stolen credentials, altered configurations, created unauthorized accounts, accessed backups, or remained inside the network before detection. Restoring an affected system without addressing the cause can allow the incident to recur.

Prepare preventive controls

• Enable multi-factor authentication for privileged and remote access wherever supported.
• Keep operating systems, applications, security tools, and internet-facing services appropriately patched.
• Limit administrator privileges and separate backup administration from routine user accounts.
• Segment critical servers, user devices, backups, and operational technology according to risk.
• Maintain security logs, endpoint protection, phishing awareness, and incident escalation procedures.

What to do during a suspected ransomware incident

1. Activate the incident response process and notify the designated incident lead.
2. Isolate affected devices or network segments using approved procedures to limit further spread.
3. Protect unaffected backups and administrative credentials from potential compromise.
4. Preserve relevant logs and evidence and engage appropriate cybersecurity or forensic support.
5. Determine the scope of compromise before selecting clean recovery sources.
6. Rebuild or restore systems in a controlled environment and address the security weakness.
7. Validate data integrity and access controls before reconnecting recovered systems.

7 Plan for Internet, Connectivity, and Power Outages in Bangladesh

Businesses in Bangladesh may face disruptions from local internet faults, provider outages, damaged fiber links, power interruptions, equipment failure, or connectivity problems between head offices, factories, warehouses, and cloud services. The impact depends on which systems and processes rely on those connections.

Arrange resilient internet connectivity

For critical locations, evaluate a secondary internet service from a different provider or an alternative technology. Check whether both services depend on the same last-mile infrastructure, building entry, upstream provider, or power source. Two subscriptions do not necessarily provide independent redundancy.

Configure and test failover

Where appropriate, use a router or firewall capable of detecting link failures and switching traffic to a backup connection. Test the behavior of important applications, VPNs, cloud services, DNS, and remote access after failover. Confirm that the backup connection has sufficient capacity for essential operations.

Prepare for power disruptions

Protect critical network devices, servers, and communication equipment with appropriately sized UPS systems and safe-shutdown procedures. Coordinate generator availability, electrical safety, earthing, surge protection, and cooling arrangements with qualified facilities professionals.

Define temporary operating procedures

Identify which business activities can continue offline and which cannot. Prepare controlled alternatives for essential communication, production records, inventory movements, and dispatch documentation. Assign responsibility for recording temporary transactions and reconciling them when systems return.

Do not assume that a local server automatically solves an internet outage. Cloud-based authentication, applications, integrations, and remote services may still require connectivity. Test actual business workflows under realistic failure conditions.

8 Keep ERP and Factory Operations Recoverable

ERP downtime can affect merchandising, order management, procurement, inventory, production planning, payroll, accounts, and shipment documentation. Manufacturing and garment businesses should prioritize recovery according to operational dependencies and production commitments.

Document the complete ERP environment

Record application servers, database servers, licenses, integrations, authentication services, reporting tools, barcode printers, scanners, interfaces, and vendor contacts. Keep supported installation packages, configuration details, certificates, and recovery instructions accessible to authorized personnel.

Protect application and database consistency

Use vendor-supported database backup and recovery methods. Determine how application files, database transactions, uploaded documents, attachments, and integration queues must be restored together. A database restore alone may not recover every required component.

Plan controlled manual operations

If ERP is unavailable, department heads should activate approved temporary procedures. For example, essential production output, material movements, or dispatch records may be captured in controlled forms or spreadsheets when operationally appropriate.

Every temporary record should have an identifier, responsible employee, timestamp, and verification process. When ERP returns, authorized users should reconcile these transactions against the recovered database to prevent duplicates, omissions, and inconsistent stock balances.

Coordinate with ERP vendors

Confirm support response times, escalation contacts, licensing requirements, recovery dependencies, and the responsibilities of internal IT and the implementation partner. Test recovery with realistic workflows rather than stopping after the application login screen becomes available.

9 Create a Practical Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan should explain how the organization will operate while normal systems, facilities, suppliers, or communication channels are unavailable. It must be practical enough for employees to follow under pressure.

Assign responsibilities

Identify who declares an incident, approves emergency spending, coordinates IT recovery, communicates with employees, contacts customers or suppliers, and authorizes the return to normal operations. Provide alternates for key roles.

Define communication channels

Maintain current contact details for management, department heads, IT staff, service providers, and critical vendors. Document alternative communication arrangements in case corporate email, collaboration platforms, or office connectivity are unavailable.

Document manual workarounds

Specify which processes may continue manually, who can authorize them, what information must be recorded, and how records will be reconciled. Protect sensitive information and apply appropriate approval controls even during an emergency.

Set recovery priorities

Agree which operations must resume first, what minimum resources they need, and which processes can wait. Consider staffing, alternate work locations, equipment availability, supplier dependencies, and the potential impact on customer commitments.

Establish activation and closure criteria

Document the conditions for activating the plan, escalating an incident, changing operating arrangements, and returning to normal service. Record key decisions and obtain the required approvals before declaring critical systems fully recovered.

10 Test the Disaster Recovery Plan Before a Real Disaster

An untested disaster recovery plan is an assumption, not proven recovery capability. Testing helps identify missing credentials, incomplete backups, undocumented dependencies, vendor delays, insufficient capacity, and unrealistic recovery targets.

Start with a tabletop exercise

Bring together IT, operations, finance, HR, management, and relevant vendors. Walk through a realistic scenario such as an ERP database failure, ransomware incident, or extended internet outage. Ask who makes each decision, which procedures are followed, and how business activities continue.

Perform actual restoration tests

Restore selected files, databases, virtual machines, or applications into a controlled environment. Check that the restored data is readable and consistent, that access controls work, and that essential business transactions can be completed.

Test failover where appropriate

Under an approved test plan, validate secondary connectivity, standby infrastructure, recovery environments, and application dependencies. Use suitable safeguards to avoid affecting live production systems or creating data inconsistency.

Record and correct the findings

• Record the scenario, scope, participants, and test date.
• Measure actual recovery time and the recoverable data point.
• Confirm application functionality and business-user acceptance.
• Document gaps, corrective actions, owners, and target dates.
• Retest important failures and update the plan after significant changes.

Set a testing schedule based on business risk and system criticality. Critical services may require more frequent restoration checks, while a wider recovery exercise should also be conducted at an appropriate planned interval.

11 A Practical 90-Day Disaster Recovery Roadmap

Days 1–30: Assess risk and current readiness

• Inventory critical servers, applications, databases, network links, and cloud services.
• Identify essential business processes and perform an initial business impact analysis.
• Review existing backups, retention, access controls, and recent restoration evidence.
• Identify single points of failure, unsupported systems, and undocumented dependencies.
• Assign incident owners and collect vendor escalation contacts.

Deliverables: Critical system inventory, initial risk register, backup assessment, and business recovery priorities.

Days 31–60: Design recovery and continuity procedures

• Agree RTO and RPO targets with business owners and management.
• Document backup, restoration, incident response, and communication procedures.
• Identify gaps in isolated backups, secondary connectivity, power protection, and recovery capacity.
• Define temporary operating procedures for ERP and other critical business services.
• Prepare a costed action plan based on business risk and achievable recovery targets.

Deliverables: Draft disaster recovery plan, business continuity procedures, recovery matrix, and prioritized investment proposal.

Days 61–90: Test, measure, and improve

• Perform a tabletop exercise for a realistic major disruption.
• Test restoration of selected critical data and applications.
• Validate the recovery steps, escalation process, and business acceptance criteria.
• Record actual recovery times, data recovery points, and unresolved issues.
• Present findings and a phased improvement roadmap to management.

Deliverables: Test report, corrective action register, approved recovery documentation, and ongoing testing schedule.

The 90-day schedule is a suggested starting point. The scope and timing should be adjusted to the size of the business, the complexity of its systems, and the risks identified.

12 Measure Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Readiness

Management needs measurable evidence that recovery arrangements are effective. A small set of well-defined indicators can highlight risks before an actual incident exposes them.

• Backup success rate: Percentage of scheduled backup jobs completed successfully, alongside investigation of failures and missing coverage.
• Restore-test success: Percentage of planned restoration tests completed successfully with verified data and application functionality.
• RTO compliance: Whether measured recovery time meets the approved target for each critical service.
• RPO compliance: Whether recovered data meets the agreed data-loss tolerance.
• Plan coverage: Percentage of critical services with documented, approved, and accessible recovery procedures.
• Corrective action closure: Number of unresolved recovery-test findings, their risk levels, and overdue actions.
• Incident performance: Downtime, service restoration time, data integrity issues, and lessons learned from actual incidents.

Define each metric clearly and review it at an agreed management cadence. A high backup success rate alone does not prove recoverability, so combine operational indicators with actual restoration evidence.