253
BCP/DR Glossary
ABC Fire Extinguisher: A chemically-based device used to eliminate ordi-
nary combustible, flammable liquid, and electrical fires.
Activation: When all or a portion of the recovery plan has been put into
motion.
Alert: Notification that a disaster situation has occurred—stand by for pos-
sible activation of disaster recovery plan.
Alternate Site: A location, other than the normal facility, used to process
data and/or conduct critical business functions in the event of a disaster.
Similar terms: alternate office facility, alternate communication facility, alter-
nate processing facility.
Application Recovery: The component of disaster recovery dealing specifi-
cally with the restoration of business system software and data after the pro-
cessing platform has been restored or replaced. Similar term: business system
recovery.
Assumptions: Basic understandings about unknown disaster situations the
disaster recovery plan is based on. A set of basic facts or premises, provided
to each business unit or established in the course of continuity planning ses-
sions. These premises eliminate the need to consider certain elements dur-
ing the building of continuity plans.
Back Office Location: An office or building that is used by the organiza-
tion to conduct support activities, but that is not located within an organi-
zation’s headquarters or main location.
Backlog Trap: The effect on the business of a backlog of work that accu-
mulates when a system or process is unavailable for a long period—a back-
log that may take a considerable length of time to reduce.
254 BCP/DR Glossary
Backup Agreements: A contract to provide a service that includes the
method of performance, the fees, the duration, the services provided, and
the extent of security and confidentiality maintained.
Backup Position Listing: A list of alternative personnel who can fill a
recovery team position when the primary person is not available.
Backup Power: Generally, diesel generators used to provide sufficient
power to operate equipment normally when commercial power fails.
Backup Strategy: Alternative operating method (e.g., platform, location)
for facilities and systems operations in the event of a disaster. See also Recov-
ery Strategy.
Base Parameters: These are the key guidelines, which include assumptions.
Base parameters establish a foundation on which continuity plans are built.
Business as Usual: Operating under normal conditions, i.e., without any
significant interruptions of operations as a result of a disaster.
Business Continuity Plan: A plan of action detailing how to react to and
recover from a disaster or crisis that threatens to disrupt normal business
activities. The plan steps outline the way in which the company restores
operations to core business processes. (A continuity plan is also referred to
as resumption plan or contingency plan.)
Business Continuity Planning (BCP): An all-encompassing “umbrella”
term, covering both disaster recovery planning and business resumption
planning. See also Disaster Recovery Planning and Business Resumption
Planning.
Business Continuity Program: The advanced planning and development
of a Business Continuity Plan(s) and any guidelines that, when imple-
mented, will ensure the timely and orderly resumption of the company’s
core business processes.
Business Function: The most elementary activities, e.g., calculating gross
pay, updating job descriptions, and matching invoices to receiving reports.
Business Impact Analysis (BIA): The process of analyzing all business
functions and the effect that a specific disaster may have upon them.
Business Interruption: Any event, whether anticipated (e.g., a public ser-
vice strike) or unanticipated (e.g., a blackout), that disrupts the normal
course of business operations at a corporate location.
Business Interruption Costs: The costs or lost revenue associated with an
interruption in normal business operations.
BCP/DR Glossary 255
Gloassary
Business Recovery Coordinator: See Disaster Recovery Coordinator.
Business Recovery Plan: A document containing corporate-wide policies,
test-validated procedures, and action instructions developed specifically for
use in restoring company operations in the event of a declared disaster.
Business Recovery Planning (BRP): A “near synonym” for contingency
planning. It implies that the plan includes the tasks required to take the
organization from the immediate aftermath of a disaster through the return
to, or resumption of, normal operations. See also Disaster Recovery Planning.
Business Recovery Process: The common critical path that all companies
follow during a recovery effort. There are major nodes along the path that
are followed, regardless of the organization. The process has seven stages:
(1) immediate response, (2) environmental restoration, (3) functional resto-
ration, (4) data synchronization, (5) restoration of business functions, (6)
interim site, and (7) return home.
Business Recovery Team: A group of individuals responsible for maintain-
ing and coordinating the recovery process. See also Disaster Recovery Teams.
Similar term: recovery team.
Business Unit: Any logical organizational element of a company, agency, or
other entity.
Business Unit Recovery: The component of disaster recovery which deals
specifically with the relocation of key organization personnel in the event of
a disaster and the provision of essential records, equipment supplies, work
space, communication facilities, computer processing capability, and so on.
Similar terms: work group recovery.
Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP): CBCPs are certified by
the Disaster Recovery Institute, a not-for-profit corporation that promotes
credibility and professionalism in the disaster recovery industry. This certifi-
cation originally was known as Certified Disaster Recovery Planner
(CDRP).
Checklist Test: A method used to test a completed disaster recovery plan.
This test is used to determine whether the information in the plan, such as
phone numbers, manuals, equipment, and so on, is accurate and current.
Cold Site: An alternate facility that is void of any resources or equipment
except air conditioning and raised flooring. Equipment and resources must
be installed in such a facility to duplicate the critical business functions of
an organization. Cold sites have many variations, depending on their com-
munication facilities, UPS systems, and mobility. Plans employing a cold
site provide a time period when teams procure and install equipment prior
256 BCP/DR Glossary
to the need to use the facility. See also Portable Shell, Uninterruptible Power
Supply. Similar terms: shell-site, backup site, recovery site, alternate site.
Command Center: A designated location where business disruptions are
reported, damage assessments are forwarded, and from which, if the crisis
escalates, management decisions will be generated in response.
Command and/or Control Center: A centrally located facility having ade-
quate phone lines to begin recovery operations. Typically, it is a temporary
facility used by the management team to begin coordinating the recovery
process and used until the alternate sites are functional. Similar term: emer-
gency operating center.
Communications Failure: An unplanned interruption in electronic com-
munication between a terminal and a computer processor, or between pro-
cessors, as a result of a failure of any of the hardware, software, or
telecommunications components comprising the link. See also Network
Outage.
Communications Recovery: The component of disaster recovery that
deals with the restoration or rerouting of an organization’s telecommunica-
tion network, or its components, in the event of loss. Similar terms: data
communications recovery, telecommunication recovery.
Computer Recovery Team: A group of individuals responsible for assessing
damage to the original system, processing data in the interim, and setting
up the new system.
Consortium Agreement: An agreement made by a group of organizations
to share processing facilities and/or office facilities, if one member of the
group suffers a disaster. Similar term: reciprocal agreement.
Contingency Plan: A predefined collection of procedures and documenta-
tion designed to assist an organization to respond to any of a set of disasters,
disruptions, or emergencies. The plan provides a mechanism for manage-
ment and employees to use routine, calm periods of time to carefully con-
sider what actions should be taken under emergency conditions. A
contingency plan should contain and describe sufficient management
thought and preplanning such that any employee can implement manage-
ment’s specific directions in an emergency, whether or not the manager is
present. See also Disaster Recovery Plan.
Contingency Planning: The process of establishing, in advance, strategies
and procedures to minimize disruptions of service to an organization and
its customers, minimize financial loss, and ensure the timely resumption of
critical business functions in the event of an unforeseen or unexpected
BCP/DR Glossary 257
Gloassary
event, disaster, or other interruption. The process and act of planning for
contingencies. See also Disaster Recovery Planning.
Continuous Availability Services: Data processing disaster recovery ser-
vices that provide up-to-the-minute recovery capability. Generally, these
services involve sophisticated telecommunications networks to capture data
continuously during normal operations, to prevent loss of any transactions.
Cooperative Hot Sites: A hot site owned by a group of organizations that
is available to a group member should a disaster strike. See also Hot Site.
Core Business Process: Critical business activities or functions that (if
interrupted or unavailable for a sustained period of time) could jeopardize
the business’s ability to operate. These activities are what make our business
run. (Core Business Processes are also known as Critical Business Func-
tions.)
Crate and Ship: A strategy for providing alternate processing capability in a
disaster, via contractual arrangements with an equipment supplier to ship
replacement hardware within a specified time period. Similar terms: guaran-
teed replacement, quick ship.
Crisis: A critical event that, if not handled in an appropriate manner, may
dramatically impact an organization’s profitability, reputation, or ability to
operate. Also, a circumstance, event, or series of episodes that has the
potential to affect the way an organization conducts business. The event
and its aftermath may significantly damage the organization’s employees,
products, services, profitability, and reputation. A crisis can escalate and
become a disaster.
Crisis Management: The overall coordination of an organization’s response
to a crisis in an effective, timely manner, with the goal of avoiding or mini-
mizing damage to the organization’s profitability, reputation, or ability to
operate.
Crisis Management Team (CMT): A group of senior managers who set
policy, create strategies, and make decisions that minimize the impact of
business interruptions. These decisions can be made before, during, and
after a crisis.
Crisis Simulation: The process of testing an organization’s ability to
respond to a crisis in a coordinated, timely, and effective manner, by simu-
lating the occurrence of a specific crisis.
Critical Business Functions: Vital business functions, without which an
organization cannot operate for long. If a critical business function is non-
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