CAP 1.1 - Another Issue in Data Center Compliance
Alerts and communications issues have always been a part of data center disaster recovery plans. Who calls the fire department? Are the alarms set up to automatically go to the security desk? When do I get the message to evacuate? If the heat in the data center rises beyond a threshold, does an alarm call a cell phone? When the fire department arrives does everyone understand that they own the building at that point? What if a regional disaster or terrorist attack is about to happen? And on and on. These are communications and compliance issues that more and more will need to be fully integrated into the DRP.
A recent Disaster Resource Guide article clearly indicates that CAP 1.1 is coming and will be required. CAP stands for Common Alerting Protocol. It is billed as a national emergency warning and alert system.
At first glance, it may seem that this is outside what typical companies need to consider. But, on second thought, it might be a good idea to at least be familiar with CAP 1.1 content and procedures. For example, what if an alert was issued for a biological attack and evacuation was required. Would you get the message with your current DRP procedures in place? With today’s data center schedules, many are staffed 12×7 and not 24×7. Would someone be in danger?
Not that we need another compliance requirement to follow. We already have NIMS, NFPA 1600 and many others. But it would be a good idea to at least see how the alerts would be issued using CAP 1.1 and what expectation FEMA has in terms of company participation. If you are not familiar with NIMS, NFPA 1600 and CAP 1.1, just use a search engine. See how they may or may not fit in your DRP. The job of DRP/BCP professionals is to stay abreast of what is coming.
————————————————————
A sound Disaster Recovery Plan is essential for any data center. Jan Persson’s GO.RECOVER-Data Center Template is a powerful yet easy-to-use tool for under $100.
