Backup Procedures - Are you covered?

A short Quiz:

1.  When was your last backup?

2.  What was backed up?

3.  Was it successful?

4.  Where do you keep your backup

No cheating now.......

1.  Everyone knows when they did their last backup, so if it wasn't last night or today, I hope there is a good reason for that answer.

2.  Do you know what gets backed up every time?  Is anything being missed because the backup job has not been modified since it was set up?

3.  Do you check the backup log for errors and skipped files, or just assume it worked since the tape was rewound or the disk ejected?

4.  At home in your sock drawer is a far better place than beside the backup device so you don't have to go looking for it.

Seriously though, if all that stands between you and total loss of all your data is a poorly documented, untested backup procedure that you run faithfully because you know that you must have a backup, then keep buying those lottery tickets and hope you win before the system crashes and you need to do a restore.

In the case of one company, a vendor came in to install a new system with a brand new ZIP drive.  A backup procedure was set up and the Office Administrator faithfully changed the disks each day, as she was told to do by the vendor.  When the new system's hard drive crashed 4 months later (nothing lasts forever), it was determined that the backup procedure was checking the ZIP disk to see if it was there and then writing the backup file onto the hard drive.

The fact that the vendor didn't ensure that the backup worked is unforgivable.  The hard drive, of course, was unreadable.  Now they must re-key the last 4 months worth of transactions to get back to where they were when the system crashed.  Does this sound like something you or your staff would look forward to?

So here are some tips on creating backup procedures:

 

1.  Determine what you need backed up.  Ask for help from your application vendor if you're not sure.

2.   Document the procedure.

3.  Test the procedure, make any changes & test again.

4.  Check the backup logs daily

5.  Store the backup media in a secure, offsite location.

The bottom line:  Chemong Computer Services can perform an audit of your company's backup procedures to ensure that your data will be available when you need to restore it.

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