An effective IT service continuity management (ITSCM) system safeguards the performance of IT services both before and after an incident. By investigating, developing and implementing preventative and recovery options beforehand, an organization can minimize and manage an interruption to service that threatens the continuity of the business. In recognition of the need for a framework which addresses the business continuity of IT services the British Standards Institution (BSI) has produced a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) which explains the principles and some recommended techniques for IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM).

PAS 77:2006 has been developed in partnership with Adam Continuity, Dell Corporation, Unisys and SunGard and is designed for organizations of all sizes whether in the private or public sector. The new code of practice is intended for use by anyone responsible for implementing, delivering and managing IT Service Continuity within an organization.

PAS 77:2006 provides guidance on the aspects of ITSCM which organizations should consider when investing in this area. It complements other existing and internationally renowned standards such as BS 25999-1:2006, BS ISO/IEC 20000, BS ISO/IEC 17799 and ISO 9001 and does not replace or supersede them.

Contents Foreword Introduction 1 Scope 2 Terms and definitions 3 Abbreviations 4 IT Service Continuity management 5 IT Service Continuity strategy 6 Understanding risks and impacts within your organization 7 Conducting business criticality and risk assessments 8 IT Service Continuity plan 9 Rehearsing an IT Service Continuity plan 10 Solutions architecture and design considerations 11 Buying Continuity Services Annex A (informative) Conducting business criticality and risk assessments Annex B (informative) IT Architecture Considerations Annex C (informative) Virtualization Annex D (informative) Types of site models Annex E (informative) High availability Annex F (informative) Types of resilience Bibliography