Total
Legal Accounting 3
SECTION
0000 - BACK-UP PROCEDURES
No computer is perfect! Anything can happen! Power
can be cut from your office; someone can trip over a cord; the computer may
break down.
Apart from becoming familiar with the functions of
T.L.A., the next most important daily exercise you MUST perform is BACK-UP
to create a security copy of your valuable data.
We cannot stress too strongly how important data
backup is for the successful running of your computer system.
Your dealer can always provide copies of the T.L.A.
programs should your computer be stolen or become faulty, but if your data
files are lost, destroyed or stolen, then you will have to re-enter every
Client, Creditor, etc. with all their balances. This could take weeks, where as
backing up, takes just a few minutes per day.
Proper procedures for copying data on a daily basis
from your computer to floppy disk or tape should be shown to you by your
dealer. If you have not yet been shown how, contact your dealer and find out!
It is recommended that you keep five generations of
daily back-ups labelled for each day of the week. Eg. set 1 = Monday, set
2 = Tuesday, etc. If your files take
more than one disk to back-up, each generation should contain as many disks as
needed for a complete backup. The cost of disks or tapes is insignificant by
comparison to the value of your data. It is important to avoid backing up onto
the same set of disks twice in a row so that you keep a history of you data
over successive back-ups. It is also recommend that you keep an end-of-period
back-up (taken before you run
END-OF-YEAR PROCESSING) so that you
can replace any lost reports. Preferably, keep these end-of-period back-ups off
the premises, eg. at someone's home.
All floppy disks and tapes should be handled
carefully, kept away from stray magnetic fields, sunlight, pressure, dust,
liquids, caustic substances and heat. Remember that phones, screwdrivers, even
paper clips can become magnetised and can damage your disks. If possible, disks
should be stored in a fire/smoke proof safe. Never touch the exposed areas of
any floppy disk. Always hold a disk by its jacket, preferably by the corners
rather than the edges. Remember: there is enough oil, acid and dust on the
cleanest of fingers to render a disk unreadable if the disk itself is touched.
Although CD’s are not affected by magnetic fields, they are affected by direct
sunlight. Also rough handling can damage them easily.
Normally, certain back-up routines are supplied with
your program disks. You may choose to use these, or your dealer may supply you
with others. In either case, all files ending in .DAT and
.IDX must be backed up regularly. These are your
data files and no one can replace them for you. Generally, these are in a
directory called TLA3DATA or sub-directories under this one.
Your computer may have facilities for Tape Back-up (eg Connor) or External Disk Drives, (eg. CD, Zip and
Jaz drives). These hardware options are preferred for large files, as backing
up to many floppy disks, each day, can become tedious and therefore prone to
operator errors. The same back-up schedule is recommended for tapes as was
described above for floppy disks. Each tape-drive manufacturer supplies special
programs that work specifically on their equipment. It is necessary to refer to
your dealer for details for your tape drive operation.
Remember Murfy's law on back-ups:
Back-ups
get taken tomorrow,
hard-disks
crash today!
