1. “You Are Backing Up, Aren’t You?”  

Welcome to the fifth edition of The Digital Dentist Newsletter. Thanks to all who took the time to read the first few issues. I’ve been getting a lot of good feedback about the newsletter, so please keep the comments coming. My original plan was to do a weekly newsletter but I took a week off last week. Expect to see at least three issues of the newsletter every month on Wednesdays.  

The theme of this week’s newsletter is data backup. In the other two sections, I’ll give you an example of one type of backup protocol we use for many offices, as well as telling you about my favorite backup software, Karen’s Replicator.  

As offices become more and more chartless and digital, the importance of protecting that data cannot be overstated. While we’ll explore data protection like anti-virus and firewalls in another issue, the most important component of all that in my opinion is data backup. Here’s a common scenario we see: We come into a new client’s office and they tell us they are very current with their backups. We go over to the server and see that the tape they use is in the drive, where it has been for years and never removed (a major no-no for backup, as we’ll discuss). The software they use has been telling them that the backup has been successful for years. When we test the data, though, we find the last good backup was two years ago! How did this happen? Easily…because one of the missing components for that office was that they needed to verify their backup, which they never did. And no, checking the software reports isn’t really verification.  

So, to avoid a situation like this, I’m going to go over a protocol that I’ve used for years.

2. A Backup Protocol  

If you talk to ten people in the IT (Information Technology) field, you’re going to get ten different opinions on how to do a proper backup. Rather than give you a long drawn-out explanation of how I design my backup, here are the salient points:
 

1. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to do a backup. For me there are two absolutely critical parts to the backup design. First, you need to backup on a frequency that would minimize the amount of data you’d need to enter manually should you need to restore the data. For most offices, this is once/day, but for busy, large group practices, more frequent backups may be indicated. Secondly, and just as important, the backup must be taken offsite on a daily basis. Having a great backup at the office won’t do you any good if the computers are stolen or if the office burns down.
2. You must verify the backup on a regular basis. I recommend at least once/month, but once per week would be great if you have the time. How do you do this? Easily…just restore the data to another computer. For many dentists, they will install the programs on a home computer, load the backed-up data, and then run the program at home. Check to make sure the data is correct, that the schedule looks right, recent transactions are in there, etc. This is, in my opinion, the only true way to know if the data has been backed up successfully.
3. I’m not a huge fan of tapes. Why? Well, see #2 above. Nobody has a tape drive on their home computer so there’s no easy way to verify that tape. Secondly, the server is usually the only office computer with a tape drive, so if the server crashes, that tape would be just as useful as a paperweight. Finally, I find most tape backup software to be confusing and clunky.
4. I do like external USB drives, such as those from Maxtor, Western Digital, or Seagate. They are USB, so they can easily be used at home, are fast, secure, and have almost unlimited storage.
5. I suggest getting two drives with a folder on each for each day of the week. Swap the drives out daily. That way, you’ll end up with 10 days worth of data spread over two drives…that’s fine for almost any office.
6. Having redundant backup is always a great idea. Options to consider would be backing up to at least one workstation, a laptop, and/or using an online backup service. Choose that service wisely, as you’ll want one that can keep multiple days of data, can allow for quick restoration, and will protect the data well.

3. Karen’s Replicator”  

One of the keys to a good backup is using software that makes the process as painless as possible. We’ve been using Karen’s Replicator for a few years and still love it. There are a few reasons why I recommend it. First off, it’s free to use at home and $29 in the office, so the price is hard to beat. The software can completely automate the backup process. You tell it when to do the backup, on which days and times, and it does it for you without any input on your part. Unlike many backup programs, it saves your data in the original format, so that you don’t need to use the software to restore the data; just copy it over. Finally, it logs any backup errors and will tell you exactly why the backup failed. I highly recommend this software if you want a simple, easy-to-use, and quick backup program.
 

Well, that’s it for issue #5. As always, your comments and feedback are appreciated and will be taken to heart.