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Backup and rollback procedures in case of update failures

System failures and errors can happen at any stage of a system implementation, from development to testing to deployment. To mitigate this risk the following should be put in place: 

  • Before starting implementing of a new system or making changes to an existing one, a clear plan of action should be put in place. This includes defining the scope, objectives, requirements, risks, and dependencies of the project, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the team members. 
  • Define  a backup and restore strategy, a rollback and recovery plan, and a communication plan in case of emergencies. Having a plan will helps to avoid or mitigate potential issues and ensure a consistent and quality outcome.
  • Use version control - version control is a system that tracks and manages the changes made to the source code, configuration files, and other artifacts of a system. It allows one to create, review, and merge different versions of the system, as well as to revert or roll back to a previous version if something goes wrong. Version control also facilitates collaboration and coordination among the team members, as well as documentation and auditing of the system changes. Some popular version control tools are Git, Subversion, and Mercurial.