To ensure that DZ BANK's business processes continue to run smoothly in the event of an IT failure, there is IT Service Continuity Management - in short: ITSCM. In the ITSCM process, targeted precautionary measures are taken to keep the impact of potential IT disruptions as low as possible. The focus is on the following scenarios:
- Failure of IT applications up to the failure of a data center
- Non-accessibility of a data center for DZ BANK employees
- Failure of the Wide Area Network (WAN), DZ BANK's connection to its own data centers
Precautionary measures are taken in the ITSCM to ensure that a minor disruption does not result in a major outage with a significant impact on the Bank's business processes. Here, the ITSCM ties in with the requirements that are raised in BCM.
With targeted specifications for continuity solutions, the ITSCM ensures appropriate operation of the IT applications. One continuity solution, for example, is the operation of IT applications across multiple data centers. Thus, in the event of a failure in the primary data center, a secondary data center can take over operations so that, in the best case, no impact of the business processes is noticeable.
Through regular tests, it is ensured that the processes in the ITSCM also functions in case of an emergency. Among other things - as you have probably already read in the news on the intranet - major data center tests are carried out regularly. During those tests, BCM-relevant IT applications are failed over from the primary data center to a secondary data center. During this period, DZ BANK's IT operations will be carried out via a secondary data center, and an emergency IT operation will be tested.
The precautionary measures taken and the performance of regular exercises and tests effectively minimise the potential negative impact of IT failures on business processes.
