It is very important that you back up your Evopos data on a regular basis.


It is also important to test the backup by restoring it onto a different SQL database eg: your computer at home (This is the only true way of knowing that the backup system is working correctly).


Keeping a backup offsite is also recommended in case of fire or theft.


Note: When you backup an SQL database the process is completed on the actual SQL Server so if you are backing up on a computer other than the one that has the SQL server running on it, then you must ensure the location you are backing up to must be accessible from the SQL Server. For example if you Backup on the Parts computer to C:\Evopos\Backups it will backup to this location on the server not the Parts computer. If you look at that location on the Parts computer it will not be there, if you do not have that folder structure on the server computer it will error. You can use UNC path names so you could backup to \\Parts1\Evopos\Backups but only if that location was accessible from the Server


Warning


  • It is your responsibility to ensure your system is backing up correctly.
  • If you do not have a valid backup and you have a problem (eg: Computer stolen with the backups) you may lose everything and have to re-enter everything, including all your stock, units, contacts, sales etc.



Changing the Backup location

You can change the default backup location on a workstation by going to Settings >> Workstations >> General and setting the Backup default location.

Backup_Loc


This location is relative to the location of your SQL Server database, meaning that Evopos will backup to your selected default location in relation to where the folder is on the server.


For example, if you set the backup location to C:\BACKUP on any workstation, the backup will always be saved in C:\backup on the server, not the workstations.


NOTE: If you don't set up your own backup location, the default location will be C:/Evopos/Backups on the Server.

Manual Backup from Evopos

Backup your data manually by going to Settings and selecting Backup from the left menu (only displayed when on the System tab).


Confirm the location you want to backup to. Note: This is the location relative to the computer that is running the SQL server, so if the computer you are backing up on is not the server you will need to ensure that location exists on the server. See below for changing the Backup location


When confirmed select OK and the system will backup all of you current data to a single backup file.


Backup_Data


The default name is set determined by the date of the backup. For example EVOPOS_2014_10_21.BKU


Evopos Backup when exiting program

You can set the system to prompt to backup each time you exit Evopos by ticking the option in Settings / Workstation / General. Then each time you close Evopos on that workstation you would click OK when the Backup prompt appears.
You can also set the default path to backup to in Settings / Workstation / General.



Scheduled Backups using Evopos

Evopos has a scheduler that can automatically backup at a specific time however Evopos needs to be open for this to work.



You can automate a Backup by setting a time within the Scheduler. Please refer to the Scheduler topic for more information. See above for changing the Backup location


NOTE: For the Scheduler to back up correctly, the computer must have a user logged in and Evopos must be running at the time of the schedule. If not, Evopos will run any missed schedules the next time you open it.

Schedule Backup using Windows Task Scheduler

We can use a batch file to create a backup using the Windows Task Scheduler, the advantage in using the Windows Task Scheduler is that Evopos does not need to be open for the schedule to be run.


Backup batch file: Evopos Backup Batch File


  1. Open Windows Task Scheduler
  2. Create a Basic Task
  3. Give it a Name and set the occurrence
  4. Choose the Start a Program Action
  5. Browse for the Backup Batch file
  6. Click Finish


Offsite Backup

We recommend storing you backup offsite, this can be done a number of ways:


  • Storing backup on external hard drive or USB stick
  • Using cloud service like Dropbox to keep a copy