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There aren’t many more important items
of data for a business, and for an accountant
Sage can be the lifeblood of your business,
so backing up the data correctly and storing
that backup offsite is essential. Let’s
look at what you should do and what you definitely
shouldn’t. |
How not to
do it!!!
A common mistake made by many 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 give the desired
effect. But just as easily… it may not.
Quite simply, when you backup the individual 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 also no guarantee that someone isn’t
updating the database at the precise moment the
backup is taking place. In short when you come
to recover your Sage database, you may end up
restoring a corrupt database – not exactly
the desired outcome. |
How should
I backup Sage?
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 it prompts you,
backup your Sage database to a Backup Directory.
And it is this directory that should be selected
for backup by the DataFort application. It’s
as simple as that, if every time you exit Sage
you say yes to a backup, storing that backup into
the Backup Directory then DataFort will detect
the change and transmit the data offsite in a
consistent and reliable manner. If you need to
recover the Sage database, recover the backup
file back to your computer, select restore from
the Sage menu and select the recovered file. Sage
will open the recovered file and restore your
backup to its original state. Simple and reliable. |
I use a multi-user
version of Sage that doesn’t offer me a
backup when I exit. What do I do?
Larger Sage packages are designed for accounts
departments with multiple users and, when you
exit from the package, do not prompt a backup
of the Sage database. The backup facility, however,
is still present. In this case it is menu driven.
As it is not an automated process, it is necessary
to assign the task to a member of staff. Every
evening prior to departure the staff member initiates
a backup of the Sage database. The backup process
is the same; backup the database to the Backup
Directory then select this directory for backup
by DataFort. DataFort will identify the new backup
each evening and store the file securely ready
for recovery in the event of a disaster. |
I need a bit more detail?
As with all these backup tips, sometimes you will
require more information. If you have any doubts
or concerns please contact DataFort Sales and
we can help you set up the managed backup of your
Sage database. |
