Recovery time actual

Recovery time actual (RTA) is used in conjunction with RTO.

RTO (recovery time objective) is set by the supporting business line. This is usually done through a business impact analysis. Once the RTO has been established, it is conveyed to the technology support team for infrastructure design and implementation that reflects the recovery time frame that is required by the business.

The RTA is established during an exercise, actual event, or predetermined based on recovery methodology the technology support team develops. This is the time frame the technology support takes to deliver the recovered infrastructure to the business.

The business continuity group then records the time when the recovered infrastructure was delivered. Coordinates the testing of that infrastructure with the business line that established the RTO, if testing is successful, then the initial RTA is valid. If the testing by the business line is not successful due to infrastructure recovery issues, then the infrastructure is handed back to the technology support group for further analysis and recovery and the time is reset to the start at the initial delivery time.

If the business line verifies the functionality as successful, then the business continuity group reconciles the difference between the RTO and the RTA. Any gap is noted as a follow-up item and tracked accordingly through resolution. (Ex: RTA – RTO = gap based on business expectation)

See also

• Recovery point objective (RPO)