Photograph: Shane Rounce on Unsplash

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Photograph: Shane Rounce on Unsplash

Course plan · Enrolment not openCloud and operations · Self-paced

Backups and disaster recovery that pass a restore test

With Shane Rounce

I teach backups and disaster recovery that pass a restore test through a practical project, worked examples and checks that another person can repeat. This is a complete course plan; lesson recordings, workbooks and delivery are still to be produced.

4 weeks20 learning hoursSelf-paced

I’m developing this course as part of Learn Courses. This is the full teaching plan, ready to review before I produce the lessons and open enrolment.

IS THIS FOR YOU?

Who I’m building this for

Site owners and infrastructure operators.

Before you begin

A computer with a current browser and permission to use the project material.
Basic familiarity with Git and the relevant development tools. Work takes place in an isolated test environment.
No client records, credentials or production changes are needed for the exercises.

PROPOSED COURSE FEE

£149

Provisional planning figure, not an approved price or an offer for sale. I have assumed reusable self-paced lessons and bounded support. Production effort, access period, assessment support and tax treatment need confirming before sale.

Planning price only. Enrolment is closed and no payment is taken.

Explore a sample learning space →

The sample is fictional. It is separate from this course’s future lessons.

A PRACTICAL NEXT STEP

What you’ll be able to do

Inventory database, media, source, configuration and acceptable recovery times.
Build a backup schedule with access boundaries and explicit deletion dependencies.
Recover a synthetic site into a fresh environment and verify records and representative files.
Time the restore, identify gaps and write an operator recovery runbook.

THE TEACHING PLAN

Your next 4 weeks

A clear route through the subject, with something to make, test or reflect on at every stage.

MODULE 1

Define what must survive

I explain the decisions behind define what must survive using worked examples, a deliberately broken case and a corrected version. The lesson distinguishes what the evidence establishes from what still needs checking.

Your practical activity: Inventory database, media, source, configuration and acceptable recovery times.
How I’ll check your understanding: Submit the working artefact and a short evidence note for module 1: inventory database, media, source, configuration and acceptable recovery times. Include the initial state, the chosen change, a meaningful failure case and the result of the check. I review whether the evidence supports the conclusion and return specific revisions where it does not.

MODULE 2

Design retention and separation

I explain the decisions behind design retention and separation using worked examples, a deliberately broken case and a corrected version. The lesson distinguishes what the evidence establishes from what still needs checking.

Your practical activity: Build a backup schedule with access boundaries and explicit deletion dependencies.
How I’ll check your understanding: Submit the working artefact and a short evidence note for module 2: build a backup schedule with access boundaries and explicit deletion dependencies. Include the initial state, the chosen change, a meaningful failure case and the result of the check. I review whether the evidence supports the conclusion and return specific revisions where it does not.

MODULE 3

Restore into isolation

I explain the decisions behind restore into isolation using worked examples, a deliberately broken case and a corrected version. The lesson distinguishes what the evidence establishes from what still needs checking.

Your practical activity: Recover a synthetic site into a fresh environment and verify records and representative files.
How I’ll check your understanding: Submit the working artefact and a short evidence note for module 3: recover a synthetic site into a fresh environment and verify records and representative files. Include the initial state, the chosen change, a meaningful failure case and the result of the check. I review whether the evidence supports the conclusion and return specific revisions where it does not.

MODULE 4

Rehearse the incident

I explain the decisions behind rehearse the incident using worked examples, a deliberately broken case and a corrected version. The lesson distinguishes what the evidence establishes from what still needs checking.

Your practical activity: Time the restore, identify gaps and write an operator recovery runbook.
How I’ll check your understanding: Submit the working artefact and a short evidence note for module 4: time the restore, identify gaps and write an operator recovery runbook. Include the initial state, the chosen change, a meaningful failure case and the result of the check. I review whether the evidence supports the conclusion and return specific revisions where it does not.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Your final project

Build and document a complete practical project for backups and disaster recovery that pass a restore test. Use an invented organisation or an expressly permitted personal project, join the four module artefacts into one coherent result and demonstrate a normal journey, a failure state and a recovery or revision.

What you’ll produce

Module 1 artefact: Inventory database, media, source, configuration and acceptable recovery times.
Module 2 artefact: Build a backup schedule with access boundaries and explicit deletion dependencies.
Module 3 artefact: Recover a synthetic site into a fresh environment and verify records and representative files.
Module 4 artefact: Time the restore, identify gaps and write an operator recovery runbook.
A concise project brief, source and rights record, evidence log and handover with known limitations.

What good work looks like

Define what must survive: 20 marks for a correct artefact, justified decisions and repeatable evidence.
Design retention and separation: 20 marks for a correct artefact, justified decisions and repeatable evidence.
Restore into isolation: 20 marks for a correct artefact, justified decisions and repeatable evidence.
Rehearse the incident: 20 marks for a correct artefact, justified decisions and repeatable evidence.
Integration and handover: 20 marks for a coherent project, source acknowledgement, appropriate access and a clear explanation of remaining limits. Pass requires at least 70/100 and correction of any privacy, access or destructive-operation defect before completion.

Resources for your learning

A worked example and a deliberately broken fixture for define what must survive.
A worked example and a deliberately broken fixture for design retention and separation.
A worked example and a deliberately broken fixture for restore into isolation.
A worked example and a deliberately broken fixture for rehearse the incident.
A backups and disaster recovery that pass a restore test workbook with evidence prompts and the capstone marking sheet.
A transcript, caption file and text-first lesson version for every recording.
A downloadable source-and-rights checklist and a sample completed project handover.

A course you can access

Provide edited captions, transcripts and a text-first route through every lesson.
Use keyboard-operable exercises, visible focus, legible contrast and no essential autoplay or motion.
Supply downloadable instructions and low-bandwidth alternatives; avoid timed assessment as a default.
Offer equivalent written evidence where live attendance or spoken presentation is a barrier and document support before enrolment.

FINISH WITH SOMETHING USEFUL

How you’ll complete the course

Submit all four module artefacts and respond to assessment feedback.
Complete the capstone at 70/100 or above with no unresolved access, privacy or destructive-operation defect.
Explain a meaningful failure case and the limits of the result in the evidence log.
Completion records describe assessed participation; I am not claiming external accreditation.

Completion will describe the work you have done. No external accreditation or professional qualification is claimed.

BEFORE I OPEN ENROLMENT

What I still need to finish

I’ll turn this plan into a delivered course once the teaching material and the learning service are ready.

Produce and editorially review the four lessons, worked examples, broken fixtures and marking guidance for backups and disaster recovery that pass a restore test.
Build and test the course-specific workbook and capstone reference project using synthetic or permitted material.
Pilot the complete learner journey, including mobile, keyboard, captions, assessment feedback and recovery from interrupted access.
Approve the actual price, tax treatment, refund terms, access period, support boundaries and any cohort dates before accepting payment.
Implement and test authentication, server-side paid entitlements, webhook reconciliation, private asset access and tenant isolation before unlocking paid lessons.
Confirm tutor availability, feedback turnaround, moderation responsibilities and capacity before advertising tutor-led support.
Review source licences, sample rights and current official technical guidance before recording or publishing the material.

The ideas behind the course

My published articles are background reading for this plan. The full lessons, activities and assessment material still need producing.

EXPLORE THE ACADEMY

See how the learning space feels.

Try the fictional learner demo →