Chapter 14: Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery

Word target: 3,600
Primary deliverable: Tested backup and DR runbooks
Key diagrams: 3-2-1 flow and DR timeline

Learning Goals

  • Implement 3-2-1 backup strategy across edge and cloud.
  • Define service-specific RPO/RTO targets.
  • Validate restore paths through regular drills.

MVP Lab Worksheet

  • Objective: Restore one VM and one app dataset.
  • Starting state: Backup jobs configured.
  • Steps:
    1. Trigger backup and verify completion.
    2. Restore VM snapshot to isolated target.
    3. Restore application data and verify integrity.
  • Evidence: Restore logs + functional checks.
  • Exit criteria: Meets defined RPO/RTO for MVP services.
  • Rollback: Destroy restored test targets after validation.

Advanced Lab Worksheet

  • Objective: Full DR tabletop and execution drill.
  • Starting state: MVP restore verified.
  • Steps:
    1. Simulate primary-node loss.
    2. Execute staged recovery in runbook order.
    3. Capture timeline and corrective actions.
  • Evidence: DR report with measured recovery times.
  • Exit criteria: Recovery procedure reproducible by another operator.
  • Rollback: Return services to normal topology.
Ubuntu Focus

Document backup coverage for /etc, service configs, and persistent data paths.