Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Size of the BackUp File

Deployed and started using AC for the first time in a new office 3 weeks ago. I noticed that the back up file (using AC Back Up utility) each day for the first 2 weeks was growing at about 6-7 MB per day. Then suddenly the last couple of days the file size increased by 25MB each day. There were no unusual amount of imported docs so this sudden increase in daily size has me concerned.

Is there something I should look into?

Thanks.

Check and see if the backup options got checked at some point to include imported items. My files were growing about 40 MB/D when I was including imports, and I was not scanning in old charts.

There are several threads here about backup plans, and they are well worth reading. It will take several cuts at the apple to digest all the things discussed, but it will be well worth it. A good backup plan is crucial, and the AC backup utility is only one small part.

Thanks for the response. If we don't include imports then I assume that if for any reason I need to restore the database, I would have to 'import' all the previous scanned faxes, etc. (assuming this is backed up separately.

Correct?

If I understand your question, no you would not have to re-import all of your previous scanned faxes, etc. That would be a nightmare. All of your imported items are in a folder called ImportItems in your Amazing Charts folder on your server or main computer. It is this folder that HAS to be backed up nightly. But, if say, your SQL database became corrupted, you would restore from your AmazingCharts.enc file. The folder would still be intact and you would be all set. You can move the folder anytime you wish.

To get a feel for it, open the folder and you will see subfolders for any patient you had to import to. Then import something into a different patient, and a folder will be made automatically.

This is a perfect example of what David is talking about when he says the AC automatic backup is but one piece of the backup.

Bert - that clears it up a lot for me. I am using GoodSync to back up my folders etc locally and remotely. But I was backing up AC's .enc with all the imported items which is growing too fast.

So just to confirm I am going in the right direction ....I can set my AC back up without the imported items (the enc file is really small now) but back up the other folders separately using a backup software like GoodSync.

http://www.amazingcharts.com/ub/ubbthreads.php/topics/22397/Slides_from_ACUC_on_Backups#Post23669

sbc,

Go to this link and download my presentation. Make sure you read how to do it and read the comments on the right hand column. You have the right idea, but your program is not going to be enough. Good backup programs range from $99.00 to well over $1,000 and more for small businesses. You want to think general to specific. Back up the entire computer first, then back up the AC folder in some capacity, then use your .enc files. Take one home once a week and maybe use offsite backup that is truly automatic.

To start, I would recommend two USB2.0 external hard drives and a program like Backup Assist if you have a server, if not, Acronis.

Not to brag, but I have 60 full backups of my server at any given time. That is six weeks of full backups times two different back up programs. Separate backups monthly and yearly. I can always go back at least one year and grab a file. But, you don't have to go that far. But, just get a little more robust than you are thinking right now. Don't forget. Is AC your only program? Do you have Medisoft or some onsite billing program?

My current backup plan can be described like this:

I have two servers, running Win server 2008; primary server and backup server.

My IT guys came up with the following backup plan:

The Amazing Charts backup program runs nightly, absent the Imported Items. It backs up to the primary server and the AC remote site. Jungle disk then backs up the AC backup folder on the server and the imported items folder to the Jungle Disk server nightly. This serves as the offsite backup in case of fire or natural disaster.

For the more timely local backups, Windows Server 2008 comes with its own backup utility that allows the entire primary drive to be incrementally backed up to the second server without shutting down the program on the primary server. This runs every 30 minutes.

Since my IT guys dreamed this up (and tested it) I can't offer any gory details, beyond the observation that it seems to fulfill my most paranoid desires.


And here is a link to a thread that brought me to my current backup system:
http://www.amazingcharts.com/ub/ubbthreads.php/topics/22431/Re_Multiple_backups_multiple_p#Post22431

Yeah for Jungle Disk! So, can we call your method, The Method of Gandolf?

I humbly proffer that it should be the Gandalf Gambit.

On the subject of bare-metal restores, I have using some coll FOSS tools to do various bare metal cloning/backup/restore, and think that I will have a pretty handy solution when it is tested out in a few more cases.

I'll put up a separate post in the Tech section.

Meanwhile, I'll be Swyping. :P

That sounds cool.

On the topic of Swyping, have you ever noticed that as long as you are swyping fairly known words, everything is fine. And, I don't even mean when it predicts words if you make a typo directly in the sentence (not the popup). But, if you swympe something that needs to be typed, but isn't a word, even if you swype it correctly, it seems to have a lot of trouble with it. I was typing the email address for someone, and type blaeur, and it didn't seem to come close.

Bert,
Thanks for the suggestion of Jungle Disk backup. I am now using it and it seems to work quite well.
...Ken

Welcome. Oh, and if you ever have any problem downloading a file, you must either set the path first and then the file or vice versa. I can never remember which. I think it's the former.

Bert - sorry for the late reply.

I went back and implemented the following:

1. Daily bare metal backup (Full server) to one dedicated external USB drive (using Windows Server manager in Win 2008 R2)

2. Backup AC .enc without imports to a second USB drive locally and one drive on a remote site.

3. Backup AC ImportItems folder to the second USB drive locally and remote site.

4. Backup all other data files to the second USB drive locally and remote site.

I am currently not backing the entire AC folders - I presume I should.