Backing Up Your Data
Many users back up their data files, but few follow a set schedule. The cost of recovering from a catastrophe such as a disk crash, corrupted database, fire or burglary can be enormous if you do not have a recent backup. The way to avoid any problems or costs to your company is to back up regularly; for this you need a backup schedule. Daily Backup Every day, back up your data file(s). If you operate five days a week,
you will need five tapes labeled with the day of the week, plus one for
the end of the week. On Monday, use the tape from the preceding Monday. Monthly Backup Every month, run a complete backup and keep these tapes for at least a year. The following year you will overwrite the previous year's monthly tape. For example, in January, overwrite the tape labeled "January". Yearly Backup Every year, do a complete backup; keep these tapes for at least five years. Store Tapes Off-site Store a full backup off-site or in a fireproof safe. A backup is useless in a fire if the backup is destroyed. Test the Integrity of Your Backups Periodically restore one of your backup tapes to a test directory or somewhere other than your live system. Most problems arise from bad tapes, or thinking your backup program is working properly, when it is not. © 1998–2004 CyberMetrics Corporation. All Rights Reserved. |
How-to Articles |
For example,
on Monday, simply overwrite the tape labeled "Monday". Run a backup at the end
of the week as well; save these tapes for a month. The following month,
use the tape from the end of the corresponding week of the previous month.
For example, on the first Friday of a given month, overwrite the tape
labeled "week1, month1". 
