Home Forums Discussions Problems Lost data/Data backup ideas HELP

Hi everyone.
Hoping to find out what strategies you all are using for the moments when your standard, end-of-day backups arent enough.
This past week, we begin the day as usual & all of a sudden our server that hosts AC goes blank.
In order to fix it - I had re reinstall SQL - but that "fix" still caused all physicians to lose their notes and information for the morning.
We have a 5 physician office, with 2 ARNPs...so you could imagine that any time of afternoon backup would be pretty difficult.

Any suggestions? Ideas?

I'll take any words of wisdom or encouragement at this point!
If this happens one more time (its already happened once before)...I might have some seriously angry physicians to handle (if theyre not already).

Thanks guys!

Get ready, anticipate receiving 'The Backup Bible' once Bert has a little time.

I run our backup every night after office hours. I have it back up to 3 locations. One on the server, one of a client PC and also to a swapable hard drive that I take home every night. Probably a bit too much but I'd rather be safe.

Ours is nightly as well - backing up to 3 locations and multiple tiers. Most of our data falls into 3 redundant images of current data - but not AC. AC is only backed up nightly, which is where we're falling short on data restoration.

I am not the most technical guy, but even if you uninstalled SQL and then reinstalled, your database is untouched by that. SQL uses those databases but so long as the databases on the main computer aren't messed with, all you should have to do is tell amazing charts to connect to that main database file and all the office notes you had done prior to SQL blowing up should still be there.

I've even uninstalled Amazing Charts and reinstalled it without losing anything as I had those databases still.

Well, the entire server was inaccessible - while ironically enough - AC was working...and after numerous attempts at "fixing" it...reinstalling SQL seemed to be the only thing to do the trick. And then the almighty data-gods were angered & our morning work was simply not restored.

wonder if reinstalling sql makes any previous databases relabeled as old.

There are backup programs which will allow granular backup of SQL and Exchange. BackupAssist is one of them, but it only works on server software. The shortest interval is actually 15 minutes, which should keep your docs happy. There is always replication, which would back up the entire server as much as every 30 seconds (props to Sandeep on that one). Almost all of these have trials. Just make sure if you are running an OS that isn't a server that you check the software first. BA isn't compatible with just Win 7.

The SQL databases including those on the SQL engine are backed up in the morning. These are full backups and are called Full.baks. Notice the first databases which include AmazingCharts.mdb (the largest), codes, meds, logs, msdb, etc. Now your entire AC is backed up. I have mine set at 30 minutes. You will see (if you can see them) backups of all the databases every 30 minutes. These, though, are calls TLOG.bak backups. T stands for transaction logs. What they do is back up log files of your data. So, they will back up a database in under two seconds. AC.mdb may take eight seconds.

Here is a screenshot of a report from BackupAssist. I showed only AmazingCharts.mdb. Notice the backup at 8:30 am, followed by the TLOG backups every thirty minutes.



Sorry, didn't turn out too well.

First backup is the full one, which the actual data and it took 2 1/2 minutes. The rest are the TLOGS, and you can see they take two or three seconds. The other databases are much smaller, and take even less time.

Backup programs like these are designed to backup running databases.

The SQL engine makes an instance by connecting to the databases in the AC folder. Anything that happens to SQL can affect the databases. If it was about to crash and wasn't working properly, I could see losing data.

I hope you find a program that works for you. I have a SQL specialist if you need help.

Hey, thanks Bert!

You have successfully made a difference in our office!
...not that you give a damn - but it may be nice to hear.

I was directed to print out your thread specifically - and our other physicians are now on board with the minimal extra cost - and more importantly...my headache is gone.

Ironically enough, purchasing additional backup is something I have been suggesting for a while now - yet they take your advice opposed to mine

-__-

Oh well..mission accomplished!

Cheers!

That's awesome. But, you have to specifically tell them that you don't give a damn, lol. (Actually I do or I wouldn't post here).

I am pretty sure you are on a domain. BackupAssist only works on a server. Macrium is good for clients, but it has Macrium Server as well. You can also get Macrium Server Pro. It allows you to do granular backups of SQL up through SQL 2014. I am not sure the price now, because they take you to their vendors. Macrium will allow a boot disk and bare metal. Plus, it allows you to make a WinPE boot option during startup. I have Server Pro, but I haven't tried their Exchange and SQL, simply because I have BackupAssist as well. (They are difference chapters in the backup bible).

BackupAssist is very, very solid and comes at one price and only works on a serever. It is around $279.00. You pay an annual fee for all updates, etc. But, you can also purchase Add-ons. Once these are purchased, they are good for life. So, you have the Exchange add-on, allows you to back up Exchange at the ultimate granular level, i.e. email by email. SQL Add-on. (Obvious). You can havea RSync add-on. These are very reasonable.

I haven't really used Macrium Support. But, BackupAssist support is one of the best support teams I have ever come across. I have used BA for 11 years, and support is just incredible. They are out of Australia, and the owner must pay them pretty well, because I am pretty sure it is the same six support people this entire time. Like Macrium, they come out with new updates all the time.

Anyway, I can vouch for both. I can definitely vouch for BackupAssist. One nice thing about BackupAssist compared to most of the others is they only do servers. So, they aren't spreading resources over free, basic, standard, pro versions of home versions, then more, etc. Just one BackupAssist period.

I sent a PM if you get a moment to read it.