Plan and record a restore test
You need to prove backups actually restore, for yourself and for an assessor or insurer, not just that the jobs succeeded.
- You get
- A two-page restore test plan and a record template you can reuse every quarter.
- Works in
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Copilot
- Gemini
Fill in the blanks
A few words each is enough. Leave a blank empty and the assistant will ask you or assume.
Describe, don't paste: no CUI, personal data, hostnames, IP addresses or credentials. What you type stays on this page until you copy it or open it in an assistant.
Your prompt0 of 4 filled
Write a restore test plan and a record template we can reuse every quarter and show to an assessor or insurer. - System to test: [System, e.g. file server or ERP database] - Backup product: [Product] - Recovery time target: [RTO, e.g. 4 hours] - Data loss target: [RPO, e.g. 24 hours] Include: scope, prerequisites, a step-by-step restore into an isolated environment, how to check the restored data is complete and usable (not just that the job reported success), how to time it against our targets, pass or fail criteria, and a record table with date, tester, time to restore, restore point used, issues found and sign-off. Keep it to two pages. Some details above are still in square brackets. Ask me for them before you answer, rather than guessing.
Before you paste
Read what comes back as a first draft. Check every claim about your own environment and any regulation it cites.
Then check the answer
The 3-2-1-1-0 guide
Why the zero matters most
More planning prompts
All 28 prompts- Check your backups against the 3-2-1-1-0 ruleYou want to know whether your backup copies would survive ransomware that goes after backups first.
- Set RTO and RPO tiers for your systemsLeadership wants recovery targets and you need a defensible way to set them system by system.
- Review your disaster recovery plan like an auditorYou have a DR plan, but it hasn't been tested or read critically in a while.
- Work out what Microsoft 365 doesn't back up for youSomeone asked "doesn't Microsoft back that up?" and you need a clear answer for your tenant.
- Check whether your AI data can be recoveredYour team uses AI tools, vector databases or agents, and no one has asked what happens if that data is lost or poisoned.
Want a person to check the answer?
AI gets you a first draft. A KELYN engineer can tell you whether it would hold up in an assessment or a real recovery.