We all recognize the fact that we are completely dependent on technology functioning properly in order to do our jobs. And we all know that there is a chance that technical equipment can fail, many times without warning. Its easy to think “it won’t happen to me”. But the reality is it might. And sometimes hearing a real life story keeps us motivated to have a backup plan…and even a backup for our backup!
A Customer’s Story
A RDA customer recently had an in-house server that suffered an unexpected catastrophic failure. Their data could not be recovered from that server. Fortunately the RDA user backed up her live OpenRDA data directory nightly on a CD. But she also had an MBGUI directory containing data from 2004 – 2008 on that server that she still needed to occasionally access. This was not a part of her normal backup routine. Luckily she had a CD from 2010 that contained the 2004-2008 data she needed. This story ended well but unfortunately it does not always happen that way. The good news is that losing data is the result of improper planning and it can be prevented.
So, in hopes of preventing future issues we will ask you…do you backup your historical directories at least once a year? Do you backup your live data directory daily?
While backing up your live OpenRDA data on a daily basis is a must, we are all guilty of getting in a hurry and forgetting things. And many of us may completely forget about other important yet less used data that is stored on a server, such as historical information. While you don’t need to back up static data that does not change on a daily basis, it would be a good habit to make it part of your annual “data housekeeping” process.
So thanks to our customer mentioned above, here is your friendly reminder: Make sure you have a backup plan in place to:
- Backup your live data directory daily
- Backup any other data on your server on a regularly scheduled basis
Our Customer Care Group Can Help
Need help? RDA has options to make backing up your data easier for you. Part of hosting your data in the cloud is that your data is automatically backed up nightly. This backup service is included in your annual cloud cost and does not require any time commitment on your end.
For those of you that currently have an in-house server and/or plan to continue to host your data on an in-house server, we offer our Internet Backup Service (IBS). We keep at least 5 days worth of data available at all times. We also store your last 12 monthly backups. This process takes place after business hours and will not interrupt your day.
And if you need to backup your historical directory but are not sure how, send in a cyber support ticket under utilities and we’ll be glad to show you.
If you have any questions about backing up your data or how RDA can assist you with this process, contact Mimi English for more information. Things happen, be prepared!
