4. Narrow down the applications and data silos that will need to be accessed. In the event of an emergency, chances are you will have to be selective about what devices you choose to bring back online. You'll probably have a limited amount of generator capacity so make sure you prioritize ahead of time. For instance, you'll probably want to power up e-mail access before you restore the marketing team's file server.
5. Know your remote access strategy. If you are barred access from your data center, you need to have remote access strategy that can be implemented quickly. Again, don't rely on a single person to bring the network up remotely from their laptop. Have a backup location where people can gather to review your disaster recovery plan and put it into action.
6. Keys to the kingdom. A few years ago, I read a story about a company that tried to carry out its disaster recovery plan after a storm only to find that they had lost the keys to their facility. Make sure that several trusted people can gain entrance to your recovery location. The last thing you want to do is lose valuable time because one person lost or forgot his keys.
7. Have a doomsday plan. What if none of your staff at headquarters was able to recover the network because they had perished or were unable to reach the location? What would you do? You need to include your remote staff in your recovery plan. Deputize employees at branches so that if you are unable to take the helm of the disaster effort, they can step in and get the business back up and running. This means including them in your training efforts. Don't assume this can't happen. Unfortunately, we've seen too many instances where it can such as Hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11.
8. Protect your data. Make sure that whatever your disaster recovery plan entails, your data is highly protected and stored in more than one location -- preferably in different geographic regions. If you are relying on branch offices to bring the network back online, do drills with them that simulate how they would access critical data.