Chapter 21 - Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Change Management

Change Management

The structured process of managing the transition of large software systems from development to implementation, including tracking changes during development and operations.

Configuration Management

The application of processes to manage changes to both software and hardware configurations.

Business Continuity (BC)

Keeping a business operational during and after disruptive events through advanced planning.

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Focuses on recovery after a disaster, prioritizing human safety and critical systems.

Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

Documents the impact of disruptions on operations, identifies critical systems and prioritizes backups/restoration.

Backup Types

1. Full Backup: Copies all files/software. 2. Differential Backup: Copies files changed since the last full backup. 3. Incremental (Delta) Backup: Backups only new/changed data since the last backup. 4. Snapshots: Point-in-time copies of virtual machines (VMs).

Hot Site

A fully equipped off-site facility that offers immediate recovery for operational continuity.

Warm Site

Partial backup site that requires some additional setup for recovery process.

Cold Site

A backup site that takes the longest to set up and requires significant time to restore operations.

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

Target time to resume operations after a disruption.

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

Maximum acceptable data loss dictated by how often backups occur.

Change Control Board (CCB)

Group that approves or reviews changes before they are implemented.

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

A process level improvement training and appraisal program.

Development Environment

Setting where software is developed, tested, staged, and deployed into production.

Secure Baseline

A secure configuration of systems with patches and security settings applied.

Single Points of Failure

Systems that rely on one component that, if it fails, can result in a complete shutdown.

Utilities & Power

Backup systems like UPSs and generators employed during outages to ensure continuity.