We have backups but no DR runbook, how do we write and test one?

A DR runbook is step-by-step instructions any IT person, even one who didn't design your infra, can follow under stress. Write it so a new colleague at 3 AM can recover your system.

Try this first

1. 1Start with a clear trigger definition: when do you activate? 'Production database down >30 min', 'office internet out', 'ransomware confirmed'. Without trigger, DR steps are theatre.
2. 2Write per scenario chronologically: first 30 minutes (who to call, what to isolate), first 4 hours (which restore to start), first day (validation and comms), first week (full recovery and after-action).
3. 3Make each step concrete and testable: 'log into the Veeam console at this URL with credentials from this vault' not 'log into Veeam'. Someone who doesn't know your system must be able to follow.
4. 4Document all credentials and where they live. Not the credentials themselves but the reference: 'Veeam console creds in 1Password DR vault under Veeam-Admin, recovery procedure here'.
5. 5Test the runbook with someone who didn't write it. They'll stop where instructions are unclear, that's where you rewrite. Only after review is it usable.
6. 6Keep the runbook accessible offline. A runbook in SharePoint you can't read because M365 is down isn't a runbook. Print, NAS, or password manager.

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