They say bad things happen in 3's.  Since moving from an MS-Access based database to an MS-SQL Server database platform some 5 or 6 years ago, we had only lost one database in 6 years due to a disk drive crash.  This past week, we lost 3 customer databases due to a mixture of hardware and human errors. 

A huge thank you goes out to our customers who experienced the data loss -- for their understanding and patience, the techs at CPS and on-site MIS staff for their long hours in assisting to recover the data, and to Microsoft who backed us up with two engineers who spent an unbelievable amount of hours on the phone with me to help recover all the data that we possibly could.

The reality is that if good backup files were available, we would have avoided spending over 200 man-hours to recover the 3 data files.  Current and valid backup files are essential to successful Disaster Recovery.  There is much more to a good Disaster Recovery plan but CPS has that all covered for you.  The only thing we cannot do is backup your data and secure that file.

The good news is that for these 3 clubs, data loss was minimized.  We also completed the recovery with no additional cost to the club.  So, the next time you are asking why you are paying that monthly or yearly support bill, consider that these clubs did not have to pay the more than $6,000 it cost in man-hours to recover EACH data file.  This is part of the coverage you have with your support from CPS.  Yours truly, however, did have to foot that bill.  Recovery (and no cost) is not guaranteed.  If we had not been able to recover the data, the club would have lost out big time (they don't call it Disaster for nothing) and clubs being what they are, someone would have lost their job. 

Which leads us to:

Today's Lesson: Disaster Recovery: Backing Up your data.

While it could be in other places depending on your particular installation, the actual Sql data files are usually found in the file names (psk5.2 for the MS-Access version of PSK, StarterHut for integrated with 5.2 or stand alone Tee Sheet, and Psk64 for POS Express) and address circled below.

Now with SQL Server running, you can't just copy those files -- SQL wont let you.  You would need to Stop the Sql Server first or take the database ‘offline' to copy the files.

So, Sql Server provides a Backup utility and a schedule or Back Up Plan can be set up.  Typically CPS will do this for you and you will see the backup files in the BACKUP folder.

Back up files will have a ‘.bak' extension and look something like “psk64.dat_bak” depending on the database files you are using.  Additionally, they may have numbers or dates in the name.  These files you can copy freely to other PCs or to tape or CD if you have the hardware to do so.

The old method to handle this was to copy these files to a tape, have 7 tapes and label each with the day of the week.  So on Tuesday, you put in Tuesday's tape and overwrite the file from the previous Tuesday.  At least once a week you take one of the tapes offsite and replace it with another so you always have at least one tape offsite.  With the advent of CDs, DVDs, and high-speed internet connections, tapes are rarely used anymore but the concept is the same.  You need to create the backup and preserve it.  CPS techs can help you set up creating the backup, but you need to make sure there are several copies available when Disaster strikes.

Even after creating a good Backup File, you need to protect it.  So let's say you keep up to 5 backup files just in case one goes bad on the server.  Well, you are heading in the right direction, but what if the hard drive crashes on the server or you run out of space on the server, and all of the data (including the backup files) is lost?  So while you keep the 5 backup files on the server, it is a good idea to have some redundancy.  Specifically copy or directly backup the database to a second PC.  It is highly unlikely that you will have 2 PCs suffer hard drive crashes at the same time.  So now you have protected yourself from a specific PC having a failure.  What if the building burns down or you have a flood (both have happened to our customers on more than one occasion)?  The only thing that will save you here is if you are doing offsite backups.  This could be as simple as copying the backup files to a laptop you take home everyday, or using a third-party service where you can copy the file via the Internet to an offsite computer.

Hopefully it will never happen to you, but if a true Disaster does strike, it could mean the loss of a substantial amount of income, your job, etc., if you do not have a backup. The rest of the Disaster recovery plan centers on rebuilding a computer with all the programs to access your data. CPS can help you do that. We can get you all your software reinstalled and can even host your data here on an emergency basis if need be. But that backup file is the critical component that makes it all work.

OK, you are now in the left seat of ‘Cessna 6-8-Hotel', we are on-course at a heading of 255. I just gave you command of the aircraft and we are quickly approaching that towering cumulus you can see ahead, (also know as a very nasty, Cessna eating, thunderstorm - clouds are not cute and fluffy when you're in a Volkswagen with wings at 10,100 feet). Captain, I hope you have a backup plan?

No clue what I'm talking about here or where to begin? Call and schedule a free backup assessment with one of our techs. I would prefer that call come in than the 3 emergency calls I have had to handle in the past week. I'm off to get some much-needed sleep!

Enjoy!