Your Challenge: DR testing is rising in popularity due to both external and internal mandates for an effective DRP that is proven to function during a real disaster. DR plans that are not updated are both irrelevant and ineffective. The only way to ensure an effective DR plan is through consistent testing. Organizations rarely test DR plans proactively. This reactive approach creates many inefficiencies as lessons learned from one test are unable to feed into the next. Our Advice: Critical Insight Using a DR test cycle will optimize DR test effectiveness because using a progressive approach allows value to transfer from one test to the next. The goal of testing is to uncover gaps and issues so that they are eliminated during a real disaster. Focus on improving capabilities rather than worrying about whether you passed or failed. Budget size does not determine DR effectiveness; consistent testing and maintenance is the only way to truly prepare yourself against potential disasters. Impact and Result Create an effective DR test plan by following a structured process to discover current capabilities and defining test procedures for the entire range of testing methodologies. This includes: Defining current readiness through a comprehensive action items list, proficiency assessment, and needs analysis. Creating comprehensive test documentation that will support the test facilitator through both passive and active testing. Implementing a thorough review program that will incorporate learning points from testing into everyday operations.

4. Reduce Costly Downtime With DR Testing.
You will never know if your recovery plans will actually save you, until you have tested them.
The cost of downtime increases exponentially if there are delays in recovery.
Testing is the best way to help your organization recover from a disaster. This is because testing will allow you to eliminate gaps and inconsistencies that would otherwise lengthen the recovery process during a real disaster.
· Creating a DR test strategy is like baking a cake.
· You must make sure you have all the necessary ingredients (or test plans) in place before you execute the test.
Lack of proper planning results in inefficiencies and gaps, which will derail the entire testing processMaximize the effectiveness and value from each test by using a cyclical building block approach. Each test feeds into the next test, so that the
lessons learned from one test will fully translate to the next test.
· DR preparedness is all about having proper processes, methodologies, and mindset.
· While a large budget can buy you expensive technologies, without the proper processes in place, the effectiveness of those technologies will be severely limited.

9. http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/reduce-
costly- downtime-through-dr-testing