Server technology is a wonderful thing until it goes wrong, and then you find that you have come to rely on it so much that it is hard to do business without it.

Servers go wrong. Period. It is not a case of if - just when. What happens then is a question of how well-prepared you are.

Rule 1 - Don't screw up, back up

Think about how much data you could stand to lose. That will tell you how often to back up. Follow this golden rule:

• Daily incremental backups, keep them for a week


• Weekly incremental backups, keep them for a month


• Monthly incremental backups, keep them for a year

Rule 2 - Think theft and fire

Back up to various discs, and preferably various media. Don't forget that backup media can go wrong, suffer damage and get stolen just like your server. Don't keep your backups with your server and don't keep them all together. Don't even keep them in the same building or in the care of the same person. Don't assume that a backup is going to be a good one.

Rule 3 - Test your backups

Enough said. They do go wrong. Don't assume that a backup is a good one.

Rule 4 - Aim to survive

A catastrophic server failure can be the end of your business. Make care of your server a board responsibilty. It is too important to leave just to your system manager.

Rule 5 - Have reserve software

Generally one of the first things done in the event of a system problem is to revert to a "clean" copy of your 4D server and Daybook structure file. It makes sense, therefore, to keep a reserve copy of all these, complete with all 4D user licences installed. Then when you need to use a clean copy of them, you can just duplicate them to the active 4D directory.

It can be a massive saving of time.

Rule 6 - Have a reserve server

Working on a server takes time - downtime. You can keep working by having a server in reserve. It does not need to be a whole computer system. It could be just a hard disk, complete with a bootable Mac or Windows operating system, 4D software, Daybook structure and a recent data file. All you need to turn it into a server is a compatible computer.

When you need to, you can either:
Run a read-only system for a short time, until your real server is operational again; or
Copy on your most recent backup and carry on working as normal.

Rule 7 - Use a backup log

You might want some expert help setting this up, but it is well worth it. 4D Backup's log file means that you need never lose any data at all. If you have a server crash you can reintegrate all your keystrokes since the last backup.

Rule 8 - Be proactive

All data files develop small corruptions over time. Keep a copy of 4D Tools and/or DataCheck on your server and run it over your data file every few weeks, fixing any errors that you find. To be on the safe side, do this after backing up. At the same time replace your software and structure (see rule 5).

This regular housekeeping routine will save you a lot of trouble one day - and you will never know about it!

If you would like help with any of the issues mentioned in this article, email steveg@daybook.co.uk