BCP/DR Glossary 263
Gloassary
Forward Recovery: The process of recovering a database to the point of
failure by applying active journal or log data to the current backup files of
the database.
Full Recovery Test: An exercise in which all recovery procedures and strat-
egies are tested (as opposed to a partial recovery test).
Generator: An independent source of power, usually fueled by diesel or
natural gas.
Halon: A gas used to extinguish fires; effective only in closed areas. Cur-
rently being phased out due to environmental concerns.
Hazard: An event or physical condition that has the potential to cause
fatalities, injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, interruption of
business processes, and other types of harm or loss. A dangerous situation
or event that may or may not lead to an emergency or a disaster.
Hazardous Material: The term used to identify any material or substance
that may pose a threat to health or safety.
Hazardous Material Team (HAZMAT): A team of professionals trained in
handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous material.
High-Priority Tasks: Activities vital to the operation of the organization.
Similar term: critical functions.
Hot Site: An alternate facility that has the equipment and resources to
recover the business functions affected by the occurrence of a disaster. Hot
sites may vary in type of facilities offered (such as data processing, commu-
nication, or any other critical business functions needing duplication).
Location and size of the hot site will be proportional to the equipment and
resources needed. Similar terms: alternate processing site, backup site, recovery
site, recovery center.
Human Threats: Possible disruptions in operations resulting from human
actions (i.e., disgruntled employee, terrorism, etc.).
Impact: Impact is the cost to the enterprise, which may or may not be mea-
sured in purely financial terms.
Incident Command System: An organizational structure used to direct,
control, and manage a disaster incident. The incident command center and
the commander are located at the scene of the disaster and are responsible
for activities in the immediate physical area. There may be another manage-
ment center in another location with overall responsibility for the disaster
activities.
264 BCP/DR Glossary
Incident Commander: The person designated to direct and control the
activities at the site of an incident.
Infrastructure: The technology, facilities and other support services needed
to create a sustainable company work environment.
Interagency Contingency Planning Regulation: A regulation written and
imposed by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
(FFIEC) concerning the need for financial institutions to maintain a work-
ing disaster recovery plan.
Interim Organizational Structure: An alternate organization structure
that will be used during recovery from a disaster. This temporary structure
will typically streamline chains of command and increase decision-making
autonomy.
Interim Processing Guidelines: Procedures that outline how specific activ-
ities will be performed until normal processing capability is restored.
Interim Processing Period: The period of time between the occurrence of
a disaster and the time when normal operations are restored.
Internal Hot Sites: A fully equipped alternate processing site owned and
operated by the organization.
Interruption: An outage caused by the failure of one or more communica-
tions links with entities outside of the local facility.
Journaling: Keeping a journal. A journal for a computer includes a record
of changes made in files, messages transmitted, etc. It can be used to recover
previous versions of a file before updates were made, or to reconstruct the
updates if an updated file gets damaged.
Leased Line: Usually synonymous with dedicated line.
Line Rerouting: A service offered by many regional telephone companies
allowing the computer center to quickly reroute the network of dedicated
lines to a backup site.
Line Voltage Regulators: Also known as surge protectors. These protec-
tors/regulators distribute electricity evenly.
Local Area Network (LAN): Computing equipment in close proximity to
each other, connected to a server that houses software users can access. This
method does not use a public carrier. See also Wide Area Network (WAN).
Local Area Network (LAN) Recovery: The component of disaster recovery
that deals specifically with the replacement of LAN equipment in the event
BCP/DR Glossary 265
Gloassary
of a disaster, and the restoration of essential data and software. Similar term:
client/server recovery.
Loss: The unrecoverable business resources that are redirected or removed
as a result of a disaster. Such losses may be loss of life, revenue, market
share, competitive stature, public image, facilities, or operational capability.
Loss Reduction: The technique of instituting mechanisms to lessen the
exposure to a particular risk. Loss reduction is intended to react to an event
and limit its effect. Examples of loss reduction include sprinkler systems,
insurance policies, and evacuation procedures.
Lost Data: Data entered into a computer between the time of last backup
and the event occurrence. This data needs to be reentered or it will be per-
manently lost.
Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR) Equipment: Equipment used
to imprint machine readable code. Generally, financial institutions use this
equipment to prepare paper data for processing, encoding (imprinting)
items such as routing and transit numbers, account numbers and dollar
amounts.
Mainframe Computer: A high-end computer processor, with related
peripheral devices, capable of supporting large volumes of batch processing,
high-performance online transaction processing systems, and extensive data
storage and retrieval. Similar term: host computer.
Maximum Acceptable Outage (MAO): The maximum period of time a
given resource or function can be unavailable before the business sustains
unacceptable consequences (e.g., financial losses, lowered customer service
levels).
Media Transportation Coverage: An insurance policy designed to cover
transportation of items to and from an electronic data processing center,
the cost of reconstruction, and the tracing of lost items. Coverage is usu-
ally extended to transportation and dishonesty or collusion by delivery
employees.
Minimum Acceptable Levels of Service: The minimum amount/level of
outputs and service expected by our customers and regulators. Going below
this established level may result in the ceasing of some other business func-
tions, effecting unacceptable consequences.
Mission: In a government environment, the mission is the organization’s
reason for existing.
266 BCP/DR Glossary
Mitigation: Any measure taken to reduce or eliminate the exposure of
assets or resources to long-term risk caused by natural, manmade, or tech-
nological hazards. Any measures taken to reduce frequency, magnitude, and
intensity of exposure to risk, or to minimize the potential impact of a
threat.
Mobile Hot Site: A large trailer containing backup equipment and periph-
eral devices delivered to the scene of the disaster. It is then hooked up to
existing communication lines.
Mobilization: The activation of the recovery organization in response to an
emergency or disaster declaration.
Modulator Demodulator Unit (MODEM): Device that converts data
from analog to digital and back again.
Mutual Aid Agreement: An agreement between two departments, divi-
sions, or agencies, wherein each agrees to provide backup data processing
support to the other in the event of a disaster. These require a substantial
degree of hardware and software compatibility between the supporting and
supported partners. The supporting partners must have the excess capacity
to accommodate the sending partner’s most critical applications. These
agreements are seldom successful, and many auditors do not recognize
them as viable disaster recovery strategies.
Natural Threats: Events caused by nature that bring about disruptions to
an organization.
Network Architecture: The basic layout of a computer and its attached sys-
tems, such as terminals and the paths between them.
Network Outage: An interruption in system availability as a result of a
communication failure affecting a network of computer terminals, proces-
sors, or workstations.
Node: The name used to designate a part of a network. This may be used to
describe one of the links in the network, or a type of link in the network
(for example, host node or intercept node).
Nonessential Function/Data: Business activities or information that could
be interrupted or unavailable indefinitely without significantly jeopardizing
critical functions of an organization.
Nonessential Records: Records or documents that, if irretrievably lost or
damaged, will not materially impair the organization’s ability to conduct
business.
BCP/DR Glossary 267
Gloassary
Notification List: A list of key individuals to be contacted, usually in the
event of a disaster. Notification lists normally contain phone numbers
and addresses, which may be used in the event that telephones are not
operational.
Off-Host Processing: A backup mode of operation in which processing
can continue throughout a network, despite loss of communication with
the mainframe computer.
Offline Processing: A backup mode of operation in which processing can
continue manually or in batch mode if the online systems are unavailable.
Offsite Storage Facility: A secure location, remote from the primary loca-
tion, at which backup hardware, software, data files, documents, equip-
ment, or supplies are stored.
Online Systems: An interactive computer system supporting users over a
network of computer terminals.
Operating Software: A type of system software that supervises and directs
all of the other software components plus the computer hardware.
Organization Chart: A diagram representative of the hierarchy of an orga-
nization’s personnel.
Organization-Wide: A policy or function applicable to the entire organiza-
tion and not just one single department.
Orphaned Data: The data that describes the actions or transactions accom-
plished via an alternate method during the period between an interruption
to the data processing function and the recovery of the data processing
functions.
Outage: See System Outage.
Outsourcing: The transfer of data processing functions to an independent
third party.
Parallel Test: A test of recovery procedures in which the objective is to par-
allel an actual business cycle.
Peripheral Equipment: Devices connected to a computer processor that
perform such auxiliary functions as communications, data storage, print-
ing, etc.
Physical Safeguards: Physical measures taken to prevent a disaster, such as
fire suppression systems, alarm systems, power backup and conditioning
systems, access control systems, etc.
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