Sometimes, you encounter situations that you didn’t expect. Do you sit gob-smacked or
do you have a backup plan? What happens if your best laid plans go awry? Recall our
previous advice: “Be Prepared. Have a plan and do things!” We believe it is essential
that you always prepare contingency plans as a normal COA. The unexpected happens.
Be prepared.
What Plan B actions would you have planned in the Section 6.5.2 example? What
would you have done if the patch failed to load properly on the production system
despite having worked well on the test system? Do you have a Plan B to “back out” of
the installation without harm to the system and its information? Who makes the decision
to go to Plan B? When do they make that decision? What information do they need and
how do they get it? Does your Plan B permit you to return to the state or condition you
were in before you started the change? If you have to switch to Plan B, who needs to
know? What do you tell them? Who tells them? How are they informed (e.g., face-toface,
email, or phone call)? Be prepared.
Be prepared by asking the right questions. What do you do when Plan B to
gracefully “back out” of the installation fails? Do you have a Plan C? Does your plan
let you know how long it would take to reload the operating system if Plans A and B
fail and your operating system was corrupted by the patch? Do you have the resources
to reload the operating system in the event you face this unfortunate situation? Do
you need any special reinforcements or technical help? If so, how much would that
cost? How much downtime should you expect? What kind of loss are you facing?
As with Plans A and B, who needs to know when you are moving to Plan C? Are
you prepared?
You should always be ready for the unexpected. Be prepared.