Design a backup and recovery plan we can actually restore from
Sets recovery targets per system and builds a backup schedule, ransomware protections, and a restore testing routine.
The prompt
Help me design a backup and recovery plan.
Systems and data: [LIST - e.g. "file server 2 TB", "SQL database", "M365 mail and OneDrive", "laptops", "SaaS apps"]
Business importance of each: [which ones stop the business if down, and for how long it can tolerate]
Current backups: [tools, schedule, where copies are stored - or "none"]
Budget and storage options: [cloud, on-site appliance, tape]
Threats I worry about: [ransomware, accidental deletion, hardware failure, site loss]
Plan:
1. Set recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) for each system based on what I told you; mark assumptions for me to confirm with the business owners.
2. Backup method and frequency per system that meets those targets.
3. 3-2-1 rule (or 3-2-1-1-0): number of copies, media types, offsite, and at least one immutable or offline copy.
4. Ransomware protections: separate credentials for backup admin, MFA, immutability, alerts on deleted or failed jobs.
5. SaaS data: note where the provider's built-in retention is not a true backup.
6. Restore testing: what to test, how often (file-level monthly, full system quarterly), and how to record results.
7. Monitoring: who checks backup job status daily and what to do on failure.
Return: a table (System | RTO | RPO | Method | Frequency | Retention | Copies and location | Test frequency), a restore test log template, and the 5 highest-priority fixes to our current setup.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Projects & Operations prompts
What to fill in
- tools, schedule, where copies are stored - or "none"
- cloud, on-site appliance, tape
- ransomware, accidental deletion, hardware failure, site loss
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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