This could lead to re-entering weeks or months of transactions and reconciling the data retrospectively. This is a very time consuming, tedious and costly exercise and I am sure that nobody would like to be in this situation.
1. Ask your Hardware/IT provider to ensure that the relevant databases are being backed up correctly.
2. For Sage 200/CRM, the SQL databases should be backed up using a SQL agent. A SQL agent should back up the data in the correct manner.
3. If you create a new database, ensure that this database is included in the scheduled back-up routine.
4. For software that is not using a SQL database (e.g. Sage 50, Line 100 and earlier versions of Sage MMS), I would recommend that your database files are included in your scheduled back-up routine. For Sage 50 users, I would always recommend that you still run the Sage 50 back-up routine from within the software in addition to the scheduled back-up.
5. In a recovery situation, you will need to revert back to the last valid back-up. I can’t tell you how many times we have come across situations where back-ups are missing or the data is corrupt or incomplete. My best advice is to create a test database and periodically restore a back-up of the database to test that the back-up actually worked.
We can offer this service if you would like us to test your restored data for you.
The important point to consider is how much risk you are putting your business in by not having proper back-up and test restore procedures in place. What would be the cost to your business if you needed to manually back-date transactions for 1 month, 2 months, 6 months etc….
My advice is not to delay – make sure your back-ups are healthy and that you are not leaving your business exposed in any way. A little careful planning can save a lot of headaches.
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