Prepare a controlled recovery rehearsal

This fictional Northstar Services example rehearses recovery coordination for a non-production reporting service. Use it to structure the discussion and evidence capture—not as production recovery instructions.

A clear aisle between rows of server cabinets

Set the exercise boundary

Agree what the group will discuss before the rehearsal begins

Sample scope: Northstar's team discusses how it would coordinate restoration of a fictional reporting service in a designated test environment. The rehearsal excludes live customer data, production changes, credentials, and sensitive system details.

The exercise lead keeps the session moving and records decisions. The service owner confirms the intended service scope. Technical specialists explain relevant dependencies at an appropriate level without sharing secrets. Observers capture what they see, including evidence references and unresolved questions.

If the discussion moves beyond the agreed boundary, pause it, record the topic for the approved IT and Security review process, and return to the exercise scope.

Illustrative 90-minute agenda

Sample timings for this workshop; adapt them to the approved exercise and participants.

Illustrative 90-minute agenda
Time Session focus Facilitator outcome
0–10 min Purpose, boundaries, and roles Confirm the exercise scope and who is participating in each role.
10–20 min Scenario briefing and assumptions Identify what the scenario states and what the group is assuming.
20–55 min Dependencies and decision points Discuss coordination questions and record evidence needs or ownership gaps.
55–70 min Evidence review Compare observations with scenario notes; mark conflicts and unknowns.
70–90 min Debrief and follow-up ownership Summarize learning points and name the responsible role for each follow-up.

Keep responsibilities distinct

The facilitator coordinates the conversation; specialists provide bounded context.

Exercise lead

Facilitates the session, keeps time, restates the agreed boundary when needed, and captures decisions and follow-up owners.

  • Open by reading the scope aloud.
  • Pause discussion when a question falls outside the exercise boundary.
Service owner

Confirms which service and test environment the scenario covers, and identifies the role that can resolve scope questions.

  • Distinguish scenario facts from assumptions.
  • Name a responsible role for unresolved service questions.
Technical specialists

Explain relevant dependencies and evidence at a safe level of detail; they do not need to disclose credentials, sensitive configurations, or production runbook content.

  • Describe what evidence would support a conclusion.
  • Flag conflicting or unavailable evidence for follow-up.
Observers

Record timestamps, observations, evidence references, assumptions, open questions, and the role responsible for follow-up.

  • Separate what was observed from what was inferred.
  • Capture the exact question that remains unresolved.

Prompts for the facilitator

Use these when the discussion encounters uncertainty; do not prescribe technical recovery actions.

  • A planned dependency is unavailable Ask, “What does the scenario say about this dependency, and what remains unknown?” Pause, record the gap, identify the responsible role, and keep discussion within the agreed boundary.
  • Evidence conflicts with an assumption Ask, “Which observation supports each view, and where is that evidence recorded?” Capture both the evidence references and the assumption that needs review.
  • No decision owner is clear Ask, “Which role is accountable for confirming this point after the exercise?” Record the open question and route it through the approved IT and Security review process.

Record observations in a consistent format

Illustrative evidence note

Sample: 14:22 — The exercise team expected the reporting service to read from the restored test dataset; that dependency was not listed in the scenario notes. Evidence reference: scenario note 3. Assumption or gap: dependency is unconfirmed. Responsible role: service owner. Follow-up: clarify the dependency in the next approved exercise brief.

For each note, capture: time; observation; evidence reference; assumption or gap; responsible role; and follow-up. Keep sensitive operational details out of general exercise notes and use the organization's approved handling process for restricted material.

Close with a useful debrief

The exercise lead guides the review and records role-owned follow-ups.

Discuss what the group learned; do not treat the rehearsal as approval of a production procedure.

  1. 1

    Compare expectations with observations

    Ask which parts of the scenario matched the evidence collected and where the group relied on an unverified assumption.
  2. 2

    Surface unclear ownership

    List open questions that lack a responsible role, then identify which role should confirm each one.
  3. 3

    Route findings for review

    The exercise lead submits findings through the organization's approved IT and Security review process, following its evidence-handling expectations.