(IT DRP) Framework – A study on IT Continuity for Smart City in Abu Dhabi Smart

246 Pages·2017·2.27 MB·English

by  Cornelius Ncube

Information Technology Disaster Recovery Plan (IT DRP)
Framework – A study on IT Continuity for Smart City in
Abu Dhabi Smart Government
- ثراوكلا تلااح يف تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ايجولونكت ةداعتساو ةيرارمتسلا لمعلا ةيلآ ةطخ
ةيكذلا يبظوبأ ةموكح يف تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ايجولونكت ةيرارمتسا

by

LINDA KHALED MOHAMMED AL HASSAN

A thesis submitted in fulfilment
of the requirements for the degree of
PhD COMPUTER SCIENCE
at
The British University in Dubai

Dr.Khaled Shaalan
July 2017
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DECLARATION

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I understand that I may apply to the University to retain the right to withhold or to restrict access
to my thesis for a period which shall not normally exceed four calendar years from the
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_______________________
Signature of the student

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Abstract

The growth in urbanization in the world of today in unprecedented, supported with information
technology to meet the growing demands of the humankind. Over the years, technology
application in various fields of business has increased, with one such concept been seen in the
form of smart cities. The heavy reliance on technology today has facilitated governments to
improve public services and achieve satisfaction amongst its users. Similarly for businesses, it
has boosted global communication, trade and development. However, the reliance on
information technology has also increased the challenges with one such being disaster recovery.
In this research study, the aim was to develop a IT DRP framework to support the Abu Dhabi
Government in the initiatives of smart city services to assure its system and IT continuity.
An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the key parameters that dictate the
efficiency of an IT framework, and the challenges, barriers and risks that are involved in
securing IT disaster recovery. Past literature in the area of smart cities and information
technology had led to the identification of the gap of IT disaster recovery which is found
missing. While a large extent of the literature deals with securing firms in the event of a natural
disaster, however, no significant finding was made in terms of a well-developed IT disaster
recovery framework. This applies especially in the area of public services such as those offered
by Abu Dhabi Smart City. Also, given the focus of the past researchers on IT continuity for
corporates, this research study design was framed to incorporate the case of Abu Dhabi Smart
City.
Based on the factors identified in the literature review, i.e. factors influencing smart city services
and the components of IT disaster recovery, a conceptual framework was developed. The
concept was reviewed and examined in light of the past literature in the area of IT disaster
recovery and the challenges or barriers that restricted their application in smart city services. A
quantitative method was adopted as the research design for data collection from experts, IT
professionals and policy makers from Abu Dhabi Government, UAE as the sample. A detailed
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statistical analysis was conducted to identify the relationships between the key variables i.e.
smart city services and IT DRP and how the framework can be implemented in case of an IT
disaster to secure IT services continuity.
Upon data analysis, the researcher was able to identify the core components of IT DRP and
Smart city which were then conjoined together to formulate the revised framework. Post review
of each individual factor, correlation testing and hypothesis testing was conducted that examined
the relationship between smart city variables and IT DRP variables. The analysis revealed that all
the components of IT DRP and Smart city are inter-connected.
As per the findings from the responses of the IT personnel associated with smart city projects in
Abu Dhabi Government and the analysis of data, distinct from data validation, some additional
factors are discovered. Based on this, few changes are made to the framework which involves
addition of new factors and removal of less dominant factors from the framework for smart city
IT DRP. The new comprehensive framework for smart city IT DRP for smart government
services was tested as well as evaluated for validity. It was found that the framework proposed
with the subcomponents of IT DRP and Smart city have a strong relationship when integrated
together.
After conducting the research and drawing important conclusions, the researcher offers
recommendations for policy makers as well as researchers. The government can adopt the
proposed framework for analysis of the numerous external factors having the potential to impact
the plans in one way or the other and to devise more intelligent plans and strategies accordingly.
In case of academic researchers, his study suggests to investigate on how to identify and then
manage the identified stakeholders effectively for better results. They can look into the details of
how by keeping in view the specific needs of the public, government can formulate more
effectual policies to administer such large ICT projects. They can explore the different
techniques adopted by the government entities and how they determine the order in which they
execute their different tasks. It is suggested that they should look into the several facets of this
smart city project so as to make planning in compliance. It is also recommended that the
organizations and government should constantly monitor their security systems to avoid any sort
of data breach and keep them up to date.
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Keywords: IT Disaster Recovery, Smart City, ICT, Disaster Recovery Planning, IT Continuity,
IT Disaster

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صخلم

ةبكاومل تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ايجولونكت لاجم يف معدلا قيرط نع ندمتلا وحن ليثم هل قبسي مل ًاعيرس ًايمانت ملاعلا دهش
ميهافملا هذه دحأو ،لامعلأا تلااجم فلتخم يف ايجولونكتلا قيبطت يلع بلطلا داز نينسلا رم ىلعو .رشبلا نم يمانتملا بلطلا
ىدل اضرلا قيقحتو ةماعلا تامدخلا نيسحت ىلع تاموكحلا مويلا ايجولونكتلا ىلع ديدشلا دامتعلاا دعاس دقو .ةيكذلا ندملا يه
ايجولونكت ىلع دامتعلاا نأ ديب .ةيمنتلا ةراجتلاو ةيملاعلا تلااصتلاا تززع دقف ،تاكرشلل ةبسنلاب لثملابو .اهيمدختسم
فدهلا ناك ،ةيثحبلا ةساردلا هذه يف .ثراوكلا نم يفاعتلا اهنيب نم ةيلمع اههجاوت يتلا تايدحتلا نم اضيأ داز دق تامولعملا
ماظنلا ةيرارمتسا نامضل ةيكذلا ندملا تامدخ تاردابم يف يبظوبأ ةموكح معدل تامولعملا ايجولونكت راطإ ريوطت وه
راطإ ةءافك ديدحتل ةيسيئرلا رصانعلاو ريياعملا ديدحتل ةقباسلا ثاحبلأل عسوم ضارعتسا ىرج دقو .تامولعملا ايجولونكتو
.ثراوكلا تلااح يف جماربلاو ةمظنلأا دادرتسا نيمأت اهيلع يوطني يتلا رطاخملاو تايدحتلاو تامولعملا ايجولونكت ةيرارمتسإ
نم يفاعتلا يف تارغثلاو ةوجفلا ىلع فرعتلا ىلإ تامولعملا ايجولونكتو ةيكذلا ندملا لاجم يف ةقباسلا تاساردلا تدأ دقو
ةثراك عوقو ةلاح يف تاسسؤملا نيمأت تلوانت دق تاساردلا نم ً اريثك نأ نم مغرلا ىلع ،تامولعملا ايجولونكت يف ثراوكلا
نم يفاعتلا لاجم يف تامولعملا ايجولونكتل روطتم لمعراطإ جاتنتسا يلا يدؤت ةماه جئاتن ىلإ لصوتلا متي مل هنأ لاإ ،ةيعيبط
زيكرتل ارظنو .ةيكذلا يبظوبأ ةنيدم اهمدقت يتلا كلت لثم ةماعلا تامدخلا لاجم يف صاخ لكشب قبطني اذهو .ثراوكلا
.ةيكذلا يبظوبأ ةنيدم ةساردلاب لوانتي ثحبلا اذه نإف ،تاسسؤملل تامولعملا ايجولونكت ةيرارمتسا ىلع ةقباسلا تاساردلا
نم يفاعتلا تانوكمو ةيكذلا ندملا تامدخ ىلع رثؤت يتلا لماوعلا ،عجارملا ضارعتسا يف ةددحملا لماوعلا ىلإ ادانتساو
.يميهافم راطإ عضو مت ،تامولعملا ايجولونكت يف ثراوكلا
نم يفاعتلا " و "تلاصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخل لامعلاا ةيرارمتسا ططخ "و "ةيكذل ةنيدملا " موهفم ضارعتسا مت دقو
عابتا مت ثحبلا اذه يف .ةيكذلا ندملا تامدخ يف اهقيبطت نم دحت يتلا تايدحتلاو "تامولعملا ايجولونكت تامدخ يف ثراوكلا
ةموكح يف ةنيعك رارقلا يعناصو تامولعملا ايجولونكت لاجم يف نيصصختملاو ءاربخلا نم تانايبلا عمجل يمكلا جهنملا
تامدخ لثم ةيسيئرلا تاريغتملا نيب تاقلاعلا ديدحتل لصفم يئاصحإ ليلحت يرجأ دقو .ةدحتملا ةيبرعلا تاراملإاب ،يبظوبأ
ايجولونكت يف ةثراك ثودح ةلاح يف راطلإا ذيفنت نكمي فيكو تامولعملا ايجولونكت تامدخ ةيرارمتساو ةيكذلا ندملا
.جماربلاو ةمظنلأا ةيرارمتسا نيمأتو تامولعملا
تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخ ةيارمتسلإ ةيساسلأا رصانعلا ىلع فرعتلا نم ثحابلا نكمت ،تانايبلا ليلحت جئاتنل اقفو
سردت يتلا تايضرفلا رابتخاو طابترلاا رابتخاو ،ىدح ىلع رصنع لكل ةعجارم ءارجإ متو ،ةيكذلا ةنيدملل ةيسيئرلا رصانعلاو
.تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخ ةيارمتسإ تاريغتمو ةيكذلا ةنيدملا تاريغتم نيب ةقلاعلا
ةينقت تامدخ ةيارمتسلإ ةيساسلأا رصانعلا عيمج نأب يبظوبأ ةموكح يف نيفظوملا دودر نم ةصلختسملا ليلحتلا جئاتن ترهظأ
.ضعبلا اهضعب عم ةطبارتم يه ةيكذلا ةنيدملل ةيسيئرلا رصانعلاو تلااصتلااو تامولعملا
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ةلازإو ةديدج لماوع ةفاضإب راطلإا ىلع تارييغتلا ضعب ءارجإ مت ،كلذ ىلع ءانبو ،ةيفاضلإا لماوعلا ضعب فاشتكا متو
ديدجلا راطلإا رابتخا مت ثيح .ةيكذلا ندملا يف تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخ ةيرارمتسإ راطإ نم اريثأت لقلأا لماوعلا
عم حرتقملا راطلإا نيب ثيح اهقفاوت ىدم مييقتو ةيكذلا ندملا يف تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخ ةيرارمتسإب صاخلا
.اعم اهجمد دنع ةيوق ةقلاع اهيدل يتلا ةيعرفلا تانوكملا
ةموكحلل نكمي ثيح .نيثحابلاو رارقلا يعناصل تايصوت ثحابلا مدق ،تاجاتنتسلاا يلا لصوتلاو ثحبلا ءارجإ دعب
لامعأ ةيرارمتسا ططخ ىلع رثؤت نأ نكمي يتلا ةديدعلا ةيجراخلا لماوعلا ليلحتل حرتقملا راطلإا دمتعت نأ تاسسؤملاو
.كلذل اقفو ءاكذ رثكأ تايجيتارتساو ًاططخ عضت نأو ،ىرخأب وأ ةقيرطب تامولعملا ايجولونكت
جئاتن یلع لوصحلل لاعف وحن یلع مهترادإو نيديفتسملا ديدحت ةيفيک يف ثحبلا حرتقت ةساردلا هذه نأف ،یميداکلأا بناجلا نمو
عضو قيرط نع ةموكحلا كلذكو روهمجلل ةددحملا تاجايتحلاا ةاعارم للاخ نم ةيفيكلا ليصافت يف رظنلا مهنكميو .لضفأ
ندملا يف تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ايجولونكت تامدخ ةيرارمتسا نامض عم ةريبكلا عيراشملا هذه ةرادلإ ةيلاعف رثكأ تاسايس
حرتقيو .ةفلتخملا مهماهم ذيفنت بيترت ديدحت ةيفيكو ةيموكحلا تاهجلا اهدمتعت يتلا ةفلتخملا تاينقتلا فاشكتسا مهنكميو .ةيكذلا
موقت نأب اضيأ ثحابلا ىصوأ امك .لثملأا وه اهل طيطختلا لعجل ةيكذلا ةنيدملا عورشم نم ةديدع بناوج يلا اورظني نأ ثحبلا
.اهب ظافتحلااو تانايبلا قارتخإ نم عون يأ بنجتل رارمتساب ةينملأا اهتمظنأ ةبقارمب ةموكحلاو تاسسؤملا
طيطختلا ،تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ايجولونكت ،ةيكذلا ةنيدملا ،تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت ثراوك نم يفاعتلا :ثحبلا تاملك
.تلااصتلااو تامولعملا ةينقت تامدخ ةيرارمتسا ،ثراوكلا نم يفاعتلل

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Acknowledgements

Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Prof. Dr. Khaled Shaalan,
being the pillar of support for me throughout my Ph.D. study & research. I appreciate his
patience and immense knowledge with my research area and his dedicated guidance in
completion of my thesis.
A special thanks to my family. Words cannot express how grateful I am to my mother, my father,
my sister, and my brother for all of the sacrifices that you’ve made on my behalf.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all those who participated in the survey and shared the
necessary data to complete the research. Their contribution was very crucial part of my thesis
and research.

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