3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
[MAG37-01] IMS Network Resilience and Business Continuity During Lockdown
Keywords:CTBTO, IMS, COVID-19, Business continuity, Network resilience, Lessons learned
The COVID-19 pandemic has irrevocably marked the year 2020 and posed unprecedented challenges testing the resilience of the International Monitoring System (IMS) Network. In response, the Provisionary Technical Secretariat (PTS) put in place pragmatic business continuity plans and measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 due to travel restrictions across the globe, lockdowns and remote working.
The IMS Network has proven its operational strength and resilience with high data availability and performance throughout the first and second waves of the pandemic in spring and autumn/winter 2020. Furthermore, in the lockdown periods nothing went undetected by the IMS ranging from earthquakes, tsunami, meteorite, fireballs to a variety of seismic activities. A retrospect analysis of the success of PTS business continuity plans crystallizes a number of strategic and operational lessons.
The first lesson is strategic team play between the State Signatories, their Station Operators, National Data Centres and PTS. The IMS performance and state of health monitoring and meetings were intensified immediately prior to the first wave to coordinate preventive, planned and corrective maintenance work with key PTS staff to enhance IMS Operations & Maintenance. An even closer and continuous interaction with station operators and local contractors was sought in parallel. The immediate and seamless transfer of the whole PTS to Home Office and successful maintenance of PTS’s large-scale IT infrastructure operations enabled this team play.
Operational measures enhanced the resilience of IMS stations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown. An emphasis was put on remote troubleshooting and issue resolution along with increased sparing of critical spare parts and frequency of replenishment of consumables, greater use of local purchasing, shipment tracking and re-routing to alternatives.
Global travel restrictions led to delays in some PTS sustainment and station establishment activities. At the same time the right balance was struck between virtual endeavours versus essential on-site presence such as the remote certifications of RN55 Norilsk, Russian Federation in October and IS25 Guadaloupe, France in November 2020. Traditional biennial O&M Workshop an important endeavour for IMS resilience to support network of station operators was conducted virtually.
CTBTO remains vigilant in monitoring, updating and innovating business continuity plans and crisis preparedness as the world navigates the COVID-19 crisis further and carrying the lessons learned into 2021 to further strengthen IMS Network resilience.
The IMS Network has proven its operational strength and resilience with high data availability and performance throughout the first and second waves of the pandemic in spring and autumn/winter 2020. Furthermore, in the lockdown periods nothing went undetected by the IMS ranging from earthquakes, tsunami, meteorite, fireballs to a variety of seismic activities. A retrospect analysis of the success of PTS business continuity plans crystallizes a number of strategic and operational lessons.
The first lesson is strategic team play between the State Signatories, their Station Operators, National Data Centres and PTS. The IMS performance and state of health monitoring and meetings were intensified immediately prior to the first wave to coordinate preventive, planned and corrective maintenance work with key PTS staff to enhance IMS Operations & Maintenance. An even closer and continuous interaction with station operators and local contractors was sought in parallel. The immediate and seamless transfer of the whole PTS to Home Office and successful maintenance of PTS’s large-scale IT infrastructure operations enabled this team play.
Operational measures enhanced the resilience of IMS stations to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown. An emphasis was put on remote troubleshooting and issue resolution along with increased sparing of critical spare parts and frequency of replenishment of consumables, greater use of local purchasing, shipment tracking and re-routing to alternatives.
Global travel restrictions led to delays in some PTS sustainment and station establishment activities. At the same time the right balance was struck between virtual endeavours versus essential on-site presence such as the remote certifications of RN55 Norilsk, Russian Federation in October and IS25 Guadaloupe, France in November 2020. Traditional biennial O&M Workshop an important endeavour for IMS resilience to support network of station operators was conducted virtually.
CTBTO remains vigilant in monitoring, updating and innovating business continuity plans and crisis preparedness as the world navigates the COVID-19 crisis further and carrying the lessons learned into 2021 to further strengthen IMS Network resilience.