There can be few more important items of data for any business, so backing up SAGE data correctly and storing that backup offsite is essential. Let’s look at what you should and definitely shouldn’t do.

A common mistake made by people when setting up a Sage backup is to secure the individual files used by the Sage accounting package. Sage, like many complex data- driven systems, stores information into various linked tables and indexes.

Backing up these individual files may indeed work. But, just as likely, it may not.

The fact is when you backup individual SAGE files there is no guarantee that all the data has been committed to the database. There is no guarantee that the tables and indexes are in synch, and there is no guarantee that someone isn’t updating the database at the precise moment the backup is taking place.

The good news is that SAGE has included a backup facility in all their accounting software. Some of the smaller packages such as SAGE Accounts and Line 50 prompt you to perform a backup when you exit the application.

When prompted, backup your SAGE database to a backup directory. It is this directory that should be selected for backup by the DataFort application. It’s as simple as that.

Larger SAGE packages, designed for accounts departments with multiple users, don’t prompt a backup on exiting.

The backup facility is still present, however. But in this case it’s menu driven. As it’s not an automated process, it’s necessary to assign the task to a member of staff. Every evening prior to departure, the staff member simply initiates a backup of the SAGE database.