Backing Up Your Database

Users of SQL server must refer to their internal IT department for details of backup and restoration procedures.

A good backup procedure is essential for any payroll system. If your current data becomes corrupt or unusable for any reason, a backup can be used to roll back to previous safe data. It is important to regularly backup your payroll system, and to store those backups securely.

Backups are the best protection against data loss and corruption, and enable you to roll-back to an earlier version of the database in case of an emergency. This section applies only to users of Firebird or Interbase.

There are two types of Backup that can be run using payroll:

  • The Payrun backup
  • The Ad Hoc backup

The Payrun Backup:

As part of the payrun procedure, payroll will prompt you to perform a payrun backup prior to updating employee files with payroll information. Payrun backup is performed at Step 7 of the payrun, just after the completion of payrun entry but before employee history files are updated.

The Ad Hoc Backup:

This function allows you to manually perform a backup on an ad hoc basis whenever you feel the need. You would usually make an ad hoc backup when you have made or are going to make changes to data that are not related to a payrun, such as adding new employees or overhauling the leave accruals.

To perform an Ad Hoc backup:

  1. In Navigator select Tools | Backup Database
    The Database Backup screen will open displaying the database to which you are currently connected and the path and filename of the backup that will be created.

The backup is named for the current database, date and time of the backup. The letters at the end indicate the backup type - AH is an ad hoc backup, and PY is a payrun backup. This value can only be edited in system preferences.
Backup locations can be specified as part of your system preferences. Backup folders are on a per user basis, and all users must have full read/write permissions to the backup folder, Firebird/Interbase folder and database folder. Refer to your IT department with any queries.

2. Click Execute.

The system will start to perform the backup. The Verbose shows you messages relating to the progress of the backup.

There are several stages which must complete:

  • Stopping database: Before it can backup, the system must stop and shutdown the database.
  • Backup of database: At this point, the system performs the backup.
  • *** BACKUP COMPLETE ***: Until this text appears, the backup is still in progress.
  • Starting database: The process automatically restarts the database at this point. The process has now completed, and it is safe to proceed.

This process can take some time depending on the specifications of your local computer and network, the size of your database and numerous other factors. You should not attempt to halt the process until it has completed. If the process is terminated unexpectedly, users may be unable to login again when restarting the program.