ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
During a disaster recovery exercise, the backup systems are not available because the storage array failed. Which of the following should be done FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the principle that the disaster recovery plan must be activated before any technical recovery action is taken, trapping candidates who jump to a specific recovery step like restoring from tape or contacting a vendor without first following the documented process.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Activate the disaster recovery plan
When backup systems are unavailable due to a storage array failure, the first action must be to activate the disaster recovery plan (DRP). The DRP is the predefined, documented set of procedures that guides the organization through the recovery process, including escalation, communication, and alternative recovery methods. Without activating the plan, subsequent steps like contacting vendors or restoring from tape lack coordination and may violate recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Activate the disaster recovery plan
Why this is correct
The storage array failure has made backups unavailable, breaching the assumptions underpinning normal recovery. Escalating to the disaster recovery plan first invokes the documented alternate-site procedures and recovery team, rather than attempting in-place restoration against failed infrastructure.
- ✗
Contact the vendor
Why it's wrong here
Contacting the vendor initiates support for the failed array, but it does not restore service and delays the recovery the exercise demands. It is tempting because vendor escalation is a legitimate step for hardware faults, yet it would be correct only after internal recovery attempts have been exhausted and the fault is confirmed as vendor-owned.
- ✗
Restore from offsite tape
Why it's wrong here
Offsite tape restore is the fallback when primary backups are unreachable, but the exercise's first priority is recovering the failed storage array so the backup systems themselves become available. It is tempting because tape restore is a valid contingency, yet it would be correct only after the array cannot be recovered.
- ✗
Order replacement hardware
Why it's wrong here
Ordering replacement hardware addresses the failed array, but the exercise's immediate goal is restoring service, and procurement lead times leave the outage unresolved. It is tempting because replacing failed hardware is a legitimate recovery step, yet it would be the correct choice only once restoration attempts have failed and permanent repair is required.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Key term
Business Continuity Planning
Business Continuity Planning is the process of creating a strategy to keep an organization's essential functions running during and after a major disruption.
Key term
Disaster recovery plan
A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is a documented, structured approach that outlines how an organization can quickly resume critical IT systems and operations after a disruptive event.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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