Part 4 - Iowa Medicaid Enterprise

RFP MED-12-001 | Technical ProposalIowa Medicaid Enterprise System Service Procurement | MMIS and Core MMIS OperationsTeam Noridian believes maintaining extensive backup procedures are fundamental in assuring theDisaster Recovery Plan can be successfully executed. Offsite storage is an integral part of recovery withinthe DRP. Team Noridian will have the necessary data and procedures available at an offsite storagefacility in the event of a disaster to ensure recovery can begin as quickly as possible. Team Noridian willwork with the Department during the start-up and implementation phase to gain approval for our offsitestorage location and associated procedures for updating offsite materials. Team Noridian will implementthe DRP and provide a copy to the Department prior to the operations phase.Database Backup and Recovery. Application databases have standard backup and recovery featuresavailable for all databases. We will perform online full backups weekly to external disk-based storagesystems. We will also use perform daily incremental backups to external disk-based storage systems.Non-Database File Backup and Recovery. The production environment consists of more than just thedatabase. Team Noridian will use file-based backup and restore services to back up non-database relatedfiles. This is also a disk-based backup rooted in traditional, accepted backup schedules and processes.Operations and User Documentation. System and user documentation is kept in the SharePoint portal.The SharePoint portal is also backed-up on a nightly basis. A copy of data stored in the SharePoint portalis also kept offsite. The Disaster Recovery Plan will contain detailed information that describes theSharePoint environment and how it can be recovered in the event of a disaster.Computer Software and Operating Programs. Team Noridian stores all software programs in the testand production facility in a software repository. This will ensure we have ready access to all softwareversions that are deployed in production.Team Noridian's database architecture creates and maintains checkpoints. In the event of a disaster, thearchitecture has the ability to recover and restart transactions from the last checkpoint. The DRP willcontain detailed information that describes our checkpoint and restart capabilities.Contents of the Disaster Recovery PlanRFP Section 6.3.1.2, Requirements y.1 through y.7The Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) focuses on backup and recovery of information technology. Itaddresses recovery of all data processing and business operations. The DRP can only be activated withinthe Crisis Management Plan, which provides the authority for activating these plans. Team Noridian'sDRP will specify responsibilities for both Team Noridian and IME staff so that in the case of a disaster,roles are clearly defined for recovery. The DRP will also satisfy all requirements for federal certification.Team Noridian is aware that the IME must resume day-to-day activities within three business days of adisaster. Our DRP will be built around the same expectation. Since Team Noridian is responsible for thenew MMIS, it is critical that Team Noridian's DRP be robust and detailed to restore the IME to a state ofacceptable operations. Team Noridian's DRP will contain detailed responses to the following:• Checkpoint and Restart Capabilities. Team Noridian's architecture creates and maintainscheckpoints for processing claims in the MMIS and has the ability to recover and restart transactionsfrom the last checkpoint.• Retention and Storage of Backup Files and Software. Team Noridian will document theexpectation for retention of backup files and software.• Hardware Backup. As part of this proposal, Team Noridian has proposed hardware for the state datacenter to act as DR.• Network Backup for Voice and Data. The new MMIS is web-based allowing for access via astandard internet browser allowing for flexibility in requirements for network configuration inDR situations.8 | 100