Important Tips

How to get started
It can be very difficult to determine what is important to backup and how often.  Here are some best practices to consider.

Store you office's important data on the servers
You should have all your computers configured to store the files (My Documents, Pictures, etc...) on your server.  Any client files should be stored on a shared folder on your server. Some applications store important data on each workstation.

Schedule Online Backups to occur after regular local backups
Windows backup software packages use a technology called VSS. Only one VSS enabled system can be running at exactly the same time on a server. If you are using NTBackup, Backup Exec or any other local backup software schedule OBM to run just after the regular backups.

Watch out for Practice Management Software
There are many applications commonly used in Medical, Legal, Accounting practices that client server based. They usually have a built in option for performing a local backup on a scheduled basis. Make sure this is setup and configure OBM to send this backup offsite.

Special Note for Schools
Your School Information System (database) is absolutely mission critical. If you are not sure how to perform a proper backup/restore then contact the vendor for clear instructions.

Backing Up Microsoft Exchange
DRT OBM can backup Exchange but consider making a local backup first and then use OBM to send that copy to our online service. This allows you to restore Exchange databases more easily, completes backups more quickly and give you peace of mind knowing you have 2 backups (1 onsite and 1 online)

Consider Implementing Folder Re-direction
This features of Microsoft Windows allows all files in the "My Documents" folders to be automatically stored on your central server.

Consider Implementing Roaming Profiles
This feature of Microsoft Windows allows individual user preferences and custom application settings to automatically be stored on your server.  It also has the added benefit of allowing all users to login to any computer and have access to their Internet Favorites, custom settings and files.

If you are not comfortable doing this yourself we highly recommend your local technology service provider help you configure this.

What to backup on a server?

1. System State

2. Folders that store your office's shared files.  This should include the folders that have been re-directed.

3. Folders that store your shared database files.

Consider taking a real-time "Snapshot" of your server's "System Partition"
You can download a free utility called DriveXML from www.runtime.org.  It will allow you to take an exact snapshot of your server's drives and store them on another drive (external drive is highly recommended).   This exact image can then be sent to our online backup service.  If your ever need to re-build the entire server:

1. Download the last snapshot of your server from bserver1.drtechs.com to an external drive.

2. Connect external drive to server that needs to be restored.

3. Boot the server from a bootable Windows CD ( www.reatogo.com, BartPe ).

4. Run DriveXML and restore the image file to the hard drive.

5. Run DrivePart to make the partition active.

Our Data Backup Consultants can help you configure this system.  We can also provide a fully configured Boot CD that allows you to restore the entire system.

IMPORTANT!! Consider running DriveXML for one of your typical office computers.  Think of how much time it would take to re-install all the software if one of your office PCs became corrupted, stolen or damaged.

Keep a full local backup of all your files locally
There are very in-expensive external storage solutions you can connect to your office's main server's.  Depending on your storage needs, this may be able to hold several months of backups.  If you ever need to restore a file, simply do so from this local external drive.  The ideal setup would allow you backup your files to the local external drive and have an additional online backup.

Note: SQL and Exchange backups must be stored locally and then replicated to our online backup service.  This means your server will need at least 2 times the amount of storage space being used by SQL/Exchange.  The alternative is to perform a local backup to an external storage device and then backup the files to our online backup service.

Use Microsoft Exchange's journaling feature for legal compliance
Many organizations are required to store all their emails in order to comply with federal and state laws.  Microsoft Exchange can store all incoming/outgoing emails in a single mailbox.  This mailbox can then be backed up to our online backup service.  If you ever need to provide your organization's emails to federal and state agencies simply restore the single mailbox, export it to a ".pst" and deliver it.

example:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/Guides/E2k3Journal/586157f3-51a2-4517-8f8f-b9785881b232.mspx?mfr=true

If you are not comfortable doing any of this yourself we highly recommend your technology service provider help you configure this.

Warning:
You will NOT be able to restore any data without the user passphrase (login name and password) and Florida Remote Backup Service will not be able to recover the passphrase if it is lost.  We strongly recommend that our customers securely store this information offsite in at least two locations.