We cannot stress enough how important it is to regularly backup your system. And by backup, we don’t mean keeping it on the same hard disk as your system server. What we actually mean when we say “backup” is to make a copy of your Universal Office backup data outside of that hard disk.
We also want to point out how important it is to backup your Universal Office data right before you make changes to your server computer – such as upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10. More so, be sure to backup before you format your server computer.
Far too often we see data go bad. Poor judgment in an attempt to “save” may come at a high price. And once lost, the data is difficult, time-consuming and expensive to recover – if at all possible.
Backup Options
You have several options when it comes to backup.
Offsite or Cloud Backup
The cloud backup will take your data outside of your office network and store it in a commercial-grade data centre. There are plenty of options for this kind of offsite backup, including DropBox – a popular cloud storage service.
For cloud backup, we recommend IDrive. What’s great about their service is that it’s easy to set up, it’s automated (set it and forget it), and it sends you email notifications with job summary reports letting you know when the backup is successful or fails for any reason. This lets you stay on top of your backup without having to constantly check on it. To learn more about why IDrive check out Keep Business Data Safe – For Less Than $100 a Year!
Local Network, External Hard Drive
Other options include external hard drives and Network Attached Storage (NAS). Both come with an upfront price tag, but there are no monthly fees. With these types of set-ups, you may require support from time to time as issues arise with your hard drive or NAS device. The NAS devices usually come with their own synchronization tools, while the external hard drives may not. In that case, use programs like Synchronicity – one of many freeware and commercial backup and sync tools available out there.
When deciding what option to go with, make sure it suits your budget and is reliable. If you have an IT person who can regularly monitor that your backup is getting done, then it may be best to stick with a local network or external hard drive backup. If you don’t have such luxury, we encourage you to be smart and go with the cloud backup option.
Whatever you choose, don’t delay this vital component for your clinic management. Plan it and back it up – regularly. Your clinic management will benefit greatly at a time when disaster hits your server and your data.
