Disaster Recovery Exercise Standards

Standardized DR exercise procedure for OHEMR Epic healthcare infrastructure, ensuring compliance, resilience, and clinical uptime.

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🎯 Overview

This DR exercise standard documents the validated and repeatable steps for simulating Epic failover between Azure regions (WUS3 to CUS), validating both infrastructure and application recovery. Execution ensures Epic, HIPAA, and SOX compliance, and prepares teams for real-world disaster scenarios.

Benefits

• Epic Certification Compliance: Demonstrates Epic-required DR test execution and documentation
• HIPAA/SOX Readiness: Provides full audit trail and evidence of PHI protection during DR
• Clinical Uptime: Validates minimal downtime and reliable Epic failover/restore paths
• Operational Efficiency: Ensures roles, responsibilities, and handoffs are clear

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📋 DR Exercise Timeline & Task Matrix

Standard DR Exercise Phases

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🏥 Epic-Specific DR Patterns

Sample DR Timeline Table (No Unnamed: 0 or Time columns)

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🔧 Standard DR Validation Requirements

Pre-Exercise Validation

Before starting DR failover, verify:

1. Epic Requirements: All data and systems are in sync, ready for cutover
2. Network Security: Citrix, DNS, and NAS changes follow approved playbooks
3. Communication: All teams notified and ready for handoff/validation per timeline
4. Documentation: All tasks, owners, and durations tracked for audit

Validation Checks

# Confirm all Epic systems and interfaces are up post-failover
# Example PowerShell validation
$EpicStatus = Get-EpicSystemStatus -Region "CUS"
if ($EpicStatus -ne "Healthy") {
    Write-Error "Epic DR system status NOT healthy. Investigate immediately."
}

# Confirm Citrix access
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "cus-citrix-gateway" -Port 443

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🚨 Troubleshooting Guide

Common DR Issues

Problem: Users cannot access Epic after failover

Diagnosis: Citrix or DNS issue

Resolution:

1. Validate Citrix failover completion and gateway update
2. Confirm DNS cutover and propagation
3. Communicate to Service Desk for user notifications

Problem: Interfaces not processing messages

Diagnosis: Interface queue or system not restarted

Resolution:

1. Check interface team brought up systems in order
2. Validate interface message queue is zero
3. Confirm Epic interface status in application

Problem: Performance issues post-failover

Diagnosis: NAS or database not fully cut over

Resolution:

1. Validate ANF cutover (Webblob)
2. Check SQL/ODB failover completion
3. Monitor Epic application logs for errors

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🔗 Related Documentation

• VM Deployment Standards: Virtual machine deployment procedures
• Azure NetApp Files SnapMirror Migration: NAS migration and cutover playbook
• Epic Architecture Requirements: Epic-specific infra standards
• Security Baseline: Healthcare security controls

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📞 Support & Contacts

Emergency Contacts

• Epic Production Deployment Issues: [email protected]
• Terraform/IaC Support: [email protected]
• Security/Compliance Questions: [email protected]

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🏗️ Deployment Excellence: Standardized Terraform-based VM deployment ensures reliable, compliant healthcare infrastructure supporting Epic clinical systems.