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Backup Considerations

Eric Updated by Eric

Data backup is insurance against loss. There is short-term loss where the goal is to recover immediately from a computer crash, perhaps caused by a power failure. There is also long-term loss, where there is need to recover data accidentally deleted some time ago, the loss of which has just been discovered. And there is sometimes a need to reproduce hard copy of forms from some previous year.

A major consideration for backup is the environment. How many computers are included? Is there a network? What other backup procedures are in use?

CFS programs can be configured to back up data on program exit (if there has been a data change).

CFS programs are able to write the backup to various media. The single user version and the network version of the program can write a backup to:

  • Any hard drive on the local computer
  • Any mapped network drive
  • Removable storage such as a USB thumb drive

Automatic Backup Software

These programs run in the background and detect when you have changed a file. The file is then copied to the backup medium which might be an internal or external hard drive or leased space on the internet.

Real-time backup program may claim to sleep while you are working and accomplish the backup when you are idle. Our experience has been that these programs may cause a performance drain on your system, and may even cause some programs to fail.
CFS Payroll System is incompatible with some of these programs (e.g. Carbonite). Exclude the Payroll System database folder from the real time backup. Create a folder away from CFSLIB which is included in the real-time backup and then configure the Payroll System to store its automatic backup in that folder. Or turn off the real time backup facility while entering payroll data.

Setting automatic backup on exit

The CFS Toolbox programs can be configured to back up the database on program exit if any changes have been made.

  1. Click Utilities > Backup Data (or Backup Selected Clients in Payroll System).
  2. Select the drive letter next to Backup drive and directory in the Backup dialog box.
  3. Click the folder of the desired backup location (or click Create Folder...).
  4. Click Next.
  5. Click Select All to backup all clients.
  6. Click Finish.
  7. Click Yes to the automatic backup prompt.
  8. Click Configuration on the menu bar.
  9. In the Configuration dialog, verify the Automatically Backup… checkbox marked.
  10. Click Save Settings then Close.

Single computer, non-network configurations

Frequently back up the computer's data to a different device or USB drive in case of computer failure.

Computers on a network

Frequently back up each computer's data to the network. Ensure the files on the network are also frequently backed up.

A network license is not needed for backups.

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Backing up data to the cloud

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