17) Disaster Recovery

Vocabulary terms covering critical disaster recovery metrics, site types, system configurations, and testing methodologies for the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam.

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time before a disaster occurs, which determines the maximum age of files that must be recovered from backup storage for normal operations to resume.

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

The targeted duration of time and a service level within which a business process must be restored after a disaster or disruption to avoid unacceptable consequences.

Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

The calculated average time between failures of a system or component during its operational lifespan, where a higher value suggests greater reliability and stability.

Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)

The average time required to repair a failed component or device and return it to normal operations, measuring the efficiency of the fault recovery process.

Cold Sites

The most affordable recovery sites which contain no equipment, connections, or data; they typically take days to weeks to recover.

Warm Sites

Recovery sites more expensive than cold sites that contain some equipment and connections but feature out-of-date configurations and data sets; recovery takes hours to days.

Hot Sites

The most expensive recovery sites which contain all equipment, connections, and recent configurations and data sets; they offer the fastest recovery time of minutes to hours.

Active-Active Configuration

A setup in which both systems run simultaneously and distribute the load to maximize performance and availability.

Active-Passive Configuration

A setup where one system is operational while the other stands by to take over if the primary fails, ensuring continuity but with potential downtime during the switchover.

Disaster Recovery Testing

A critical component of disaster recovery planning that ensures procedures are effective and up-to-date, helping to minimize downtime and data loss.

Tabletop Exercises

Discussion-based sessions where team members walk through disaster scenarios to evaluate the recovery plan, identify gaps, and enhance preparedness without activating actual resources.

Validation Tests

The actual execution of disaster recovery processes to verify that systems and data can be restored according to recovery objectives and to train staff on their roles.