Chapter 42 backing up your database, Develop a backup strategy, How do i back up my database – Follett VERSION 6.00 User Manual

Page 605

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Chapter 42 Backing up your database

This chapter provides information for developing an effective backup and

recovery strategy and instructions for using Follett Software's Backup and

Restore application.

Develop a backup strategy

If you ever need to recover from damaged data, you must have a recovery plan in

place before the problem occurs. Backing up your data on a regular basis is the

simplest and most effective plan for data recovery.
Some reasons for data loss include: disk crash, fire, theft, software or hardware

failure, accidental deletions, and power spikes. If any of these happen, you can

use your backup to restore your data, eliminating the need to reĆenter lost data.

In addition to data recovery, the backup can be used for data storage, saving

valuable space on the server's hard drive.

How do I back up my database?

To maintain the integrity of your data, it is vital that you use reliable backup

software. Manually copying your data files to another media is not an effective or

safe backup method.
Follett Software's Backup and Restore application, which is included with

Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus, lets you back up your library's database,

including your records, transactions, configuration, and the setup for your Follett

applications. With Backup and Restore, you can back up to a zip disk, floppy

disks, or to a secondary hard drive or network drive. Instructions for using

Follett Software's Backup and Restore begin on page 607.

Note:

If you wish to use other types of media (e.g., CD, tape), additional software

may be required. If this is the case, back up to your hard drive, then use

the software to transfer the backup file to the media.

Note:

This document uses zip" as a generic term to refer to any 100MB or

250MB diskette or associated drive. Follett Software Company does not

recommend any particular brand.

Under certain circumstances you may want or need to use software from a

thirdĆparty vendor. For example, if you want to back up to a tape device or back

up your entire system, you will need a thirdĆparty solution. Many thirdĆparty

backup solutions will let you select the type of backup to perform. Generally, you

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