Creating a Backup of Textbook Tracker’s Data for Windows Users

The Purpose of Backing up Data

In explaining the process of creating a backup, it is important to explain both the need for a backup and the proper use of a backup.

Whenever you have data that you wish to preserve, there is a need to create an effective and efficient backup procedure.  There are several ways to lose your data, including: data corruption; hardware failure; incorrect modifications through utilities; natural disasters (fire, flood); vandalism and theft.  Anytime there is a chance of losing your data, you should create a backup.  This includes: creating a backup prior to running a utility or update; nightly backups to record daily transactions, and weekly backups you store off site in the case of a disaster.

The second chapter of your Textbook Tracker user’s manual deals exclusively with creating a backup strategy.  This information is placed at the beginning of the book because it is the single most important thing you can do to keep your library up and running.

As suggested by the manual, it is recommended that you create at least three backups: two that remain on site and one that is kept at a different location.  All three should have separate schedules.  The reason for keeping so many backups is so that you can recover from various times in your data’s history.  This adds an additional dimension to your backups; you now have the ability to recover if the problem occurred yesterday or even if it occurred weeks ago.  A well thought out backup schedule should allow for daily back ups which are kept for a whole week, weekly back ups that are kept for a whole month and monthly back ups that are kept for a whole year.  A back up plan such as this should also accommodate changes that may need to be made throughout the day, such as when working with the Textbook Tracker utilities or when importing items or patrons.

Backup Media

When selecting a backup media, a variety of factors should be taken into account.  Factors to consider include:

• Reliability. This should be your first consideration.  Always ask the question, “Does the backup media provide a reliable source from which you can recover?”  For example, if you purchase a tape drive, you should be aware that tapes will wear out with use, and will need to be replaced.  Reliability also takes into account other problems such as device failure.  If you are backing up to a server and the server is regularly unavailable due to maintenance issues, then that server is not a reliable backup, and another media should be considered.

• Usefulness. Make sure the backup will be available when you need it.  If your technology department sets up an automatic backup to a tape drive, but only your technology department has access to it, then the tape backup is not very useful, because it is not available when you need it.

• Compatibility.  Compatibility encompasses system requirements and your needs, both present and future.  A good example of how compatibility may affect your decision is the case of the Zip drive.

If you are purchasing a Zip drive, you should be aware that there are six types of Zip drives.  The types are broken down by two categories:  supported disk size and supported connections.

There are three sizes of Zip disk available, 100 MB, 250 MB, and 750 MB.  A Zip drive that supports the 750 MB disk size will also support disks of the 250 MB and 100 MB size.  Zip drives that support 250 MB disks can also read and write to 100 MB disks.  A100 MB Zip drives support only 100 MB disks.  While the 100 MB disks and Zip drives cost less, you should consider the possibility that your data may not fit on a 100 MB Zip disk.  Even if your data is currently less than 100 MB, the day may come when your data will no longer fit on a 100 MB Zip disk.

There are also two types of connections for Zip drives:  USB and serial.  Serial Zip drives are cheaper, but they transfer data slower than USB Zip drives.  In purchasing a Zip drive, you must consider the connections that are available on your computer.  For example, if you were purchasing a Zip drive for a Macintosh, you must remember to check out your computers available ports; iMac’s come equipped with USB ports only, where some of the older G3’s come with serial ports only.  If you upgrade your computer, you may need to upgrade your Zip drive.  Most Windows machines come equipped with both USB and serial connections and have a third option of installing the drive internally.

Because of their usefulness, many librarians ask if a USB flash drive is suitable for creating backups.  As flash memory becomes cheaper, the cost of USB flash drives (also called thumb drives or jump drives) goes down.  If a sufficient number of flash drives could be purchased to cover an acceptable time period, they may make a suitable backup.  For example, a librarian may choose to implement a system of five different USB flash drives to cover the daily backups.  The librarian would still need to ensure that the weekly and monthly backups were handled.  In such a case, burning the data to a CD weekly should suffice.

Compatibility also takes into account the need for exchanging data with other machines.  Occasionally, the Technical Support Department may request a copy of your data. Sometimes the easiest way to send your data is to create a backup and mail it to us.  If your backup is on magnetic reels, we may not be able to read it.  The media we recommend for sending in data are CD’s, Zip disks or Jazz disks.  If you have another type of media, please inform the technician to see if accommodations can be made, or if you will need to transfer your data to one of the above mentioned media types.

• Cost.  Cost effectiveness is a consideration in any library.  When considering cost, try to think long term.  While a Zip drive may be cheaper than a CD burner, you will need to purchase Zip disks.  If you are keeping seven daily copies, plus, four weekly copies, plus a copy for each month, the money you saved on the Zip drive is quickly spent on Zip disks.  You may also consider the fact that Zip disks and drives will wear out sooner than a CD burner.  When considering a CD burner, keep in mind that a CD burner can burn a permanent copy, but it takes longer to copy to CD.  Your time is valuable, so a system that creates a backup quickly may be worthwhile, like a portable hard drive.  Whatever you decide, make sure that you meet the criteria of keeping three separate backups on three separate schedules.

Keeping three backups may require using more than one media type.  You may choose to backup to a local server and to a Zip drive.  Please ensure that you have immediate access to at least one of these sources.

Backing Up

Your entire collection including items, patron, and circulation information is contained in the Data folder, which is located in the Textbook Tracker Folder.  By default the Textbook Tracker folder is installed to the following path, C:\Program Files\Textbook Tracker on the Data Station.

Please follow these instructions to create a backup:

• Go to the Data Station.

• Exit Textbook Tracker.

• Go to My Computer.

• Open the C: drive.

• Open the Program Files folder.

• Open the Textbook Tracker folder.

• Copy the Data folder to your storage media.

Another folder that you may consider backing up is the Log folder.  The Log folder contains text file logs of all actions and transactions done in Textbook Tracker. 

NOTE:  WHILE YOU MAY BACK UP THE ENTIRE TEXTBOOK TRACKER FOLDER, THE NECESSARY INFORMATION IS CONTAINED IN THE DATA FOLDER.  SOME ADMINISTRATORS LIKE TO KEEP A BACKUP COPY OF THE PROGRAM. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY AS THE ENTIRE TEXTBOOK TRACKER PROGRAM CAN BE REPLACED, AND THE LATEST VERSION OF THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE OR CAN BE MAILED OUT ON CD.  ONCE AGAIN, THE ONLY CRITICAL INFORMATION IS CONTAINED IN THE DATA FOLDER.

Alternative Method for Backing Up

Some networks are set up in such a way that the Data Station is unavailable to the librarian.  In such cases, the Data Station is running at all times.  Because the Data folder will be locked and is inaccessible during operation, an alternative method may be used to create a backup.

To create a backup with the Data Station still running:

• Go to Edit and then Preferences.

• Click on Administration to activate the pull-down menu, and then click on Archive.

• Click on the Archive Now button to create a new archive.

• Go to the drive where Textbook Tracker is installed.

• Open the Textbook Tracker Folder.

• Open the Archive folder.

• An Archive with today’s date will be inside this folder; the folder’s name will be in the following format:  Archive YYYYMMDD TTTT.

• Copy the newest archive to your storage media.

NOTE:  IN MOST CASES, THIS PROCEDURE IS DONE USING FILE SHARING OVER YOUR NETWORK.  IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO COPY THE FOLDER TO YOUR COMPUTER FIRST AND THEN TO THE STORAGE MEDIA.

NOTE: IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON BACKING UP YOUR DATA, PLEASE REFER TO THE SECTION OF YOUR MANUAL TITLED BACKING UP YOUR DATA, OR CALL TECHNICAL SUPPORT AT (800) 347-4942.