Critical Systems Failover Simulation Checklist
Preparation
Systems/Services to be included in simulation have been identified
Roles and responsibilities assigned to each team member
Communication plan established
Backup and Restore points validated
Documentation and runbooks available
Simulation Steps
Notify all relevant stakeholders of simulation start
Record system status before simulation
Initiate failover procedure for each critical system
Monitor failover process and note anomalies
Validate failover completion and system operations
Post-Failover Validation
Check data integrity and system access
Test application and service functionality
Verify monitoring and alerting systems
Document encountered issues or errors
Failback & Review
Initiate failback to primary systems (if applicable)
Validate restoration and service operations
Debrief with stakeholders and record lessons learned
Update documentation and procedures