Definition
A scheduled exercise in which a system is stood down, in whole or in a bounded slice, and the fallback carries real work for a stated period. The rehearsal produces timings, failures, and a list of what did not work.
It matters because untested withdrawal is a claim rather than a capacity. Rehearsal is the evidence that separates operational reversibility from a diagram, and it is how preserved capacity is kept alive rather than merely listed.
AgencyDiagnostic
Tests that show it is in place
- Rehearsals are scheduled on a cadence and are not canceled for load.
- The rehearsal uses production volume for a bounded slice, not a synthetic replay.
- Findings become funded work items with owners, not observations in a report.
Evidence to keep
- Artifact: A rehearsal plan and report with scope, duration, timings, and findings.
- Behavior: A rehearsal completed at production volume with the fallback carrying the work.
- Metric: Interval since last rehearsal, and share of findings closed before the next one.
References