What is a disaster recovery simulation?

A disaster recovery (DR) simulation is a controlled test of an organization’s ability to restore systems, data, and operations after a catastrophic event. It mimics real-world scenarios—like hardware failures, cyberattacks, or natural disasters—to validate whether backup systems, procedures, and teams can execute recovery plans effectively. Think of it as a fire drill for IT infrastructure. The goal is to identify weaknesses in the DR plan, ensure recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) are achievable, and confirm that critical systems can be restored without major disruptions.

To conduct a DR simulation, teams typically follow a predefined script that outlines specific failure scenarios. For example, a team might simulate a ransomware attack by isolating a production server, restoring data from backups, and validating that applications function correctly post-recovery. Tools like AWS CloudFormation or Terraform might be used to automate infrastructure provisioning in a secondary environment. During the test, developers monitor metrics like data restoration speed, application performance, and team communication. Logs and timelines are documented to analyze gaps, such as outdated backup schedules or misconfigured failover systems. The simulation often concludes with a retrospective to update documentation and refine processes.

DR simulations are critical because real-world failures rarely match theoretical plans. For instance, a company might discover during a test that their database backups are stored in the same region as production data, rendering them useless in a regional outage. By running regular simulations, teams can catch such issues early, train staff under realistic conditions, and ensure compliance with industry standards like ISO 27001. For developers, these tests provide clarity on dependencies—like how a microservice’s downtime affects downstream APIs—and highlight automation opportunities. Without simulations, organizations risk prolonged downtime, data loss, and reputational damage when actual disasters strike.