For all recovery strategies, prepare for disaster situations by doing the following:
- Make sure that the following conditions are true:
- The main LSMS, any restored LSMS, and the shadow LSMS have the required software licenses. Use the procedure described in Verifying the Processes Running on the Active Server for each server on each LSMS; licenses are required for processes to run.
- Hardware and software versions on the main and shadow LSMS are identical.
- Any optional features are installed and configured on both the main and shadow LSMS.
- Make sure the following items are always available and easy to locate:
In addition, if you use an active shadow LSMS, make sure the following conditions are true:
- The shadow LSMS hardware has received the same required maintenance as the main LSMS.
- You have the ability to connect to the shadow LSMS using the Secure Shell (ssh).
- You have the ability to display LSMS applications on your workstation.
- The network connections from the network elements to the shadow LSMS, which are critical during a disaster, have been periodically tested. Networks are often subject to frequent changes, and these changes can affect your connection between the shadow LSMS and the network elements.
- Any data you have added, modified, or deleted on the main LSMS has also been added, modified, and deleted on the shadow LSMS.
At least annually, your site should prepare a drill in which the key personnel perform the disaster recovery procedure. This ensures that any potential problems or questions can be addressed in a non-emergency situation.