Backup Overview

Training demonstrations related to this topic (click to start):

Backup and Restore (14:36)
Multi-User Server Backup Task Scheduler (5:55)

Backing up data is one of the most important procedures you can perform as part of your Disaster Recovery Plan! The GlobalWare database stores all of your accounting data, including important financial information about your clients and providers. Losing that data might require you to manually enter months of financial information—a tedious, costly, and risky endeavor.

GlobalWare provides the following ways to conveniently back up or restore your GlobalWare data:

Backup function – This function, which is accessible on the Tools submenu, backs up the GlobalWare database and Financial Statements. For details, see Backing Up GlobalWare Data.
GlobalWare Server Backup utility – This utility (GwSrvBkp.exe) backs up only the GlobalWare database. If you use this utility (or a third-party utility), ensure that you also back up your GDS interface files. For details, see Backing Up Data from the GlobalWare Server.

Recommended GlobalWare Backup Strategy

You can back up your GlobalWare database to a local folder on your machine (by default, in a Backup folder in the Gblware folder location you indicated when you installed GlobalWare), a network location, or an external storage device. Be very careful how you store backup data. It is highly recommended that your backup strategy incorporates redundancy. Store multiple copies of your backup data at one or more off-site locations.

In addition, do not copy your backed-up data over the previous day's backup data. If your current day's backup data becomes corrupt, having additional days of backup data could prevent disastrous loss.

The following table shows a recommended backup strategy. This strategy assumes you have a five-day business week.

Recommended GlobalWare Backup Strategy
Back up data each day for five days. At the end of the week, you should have five separate backup files. On the first day of the next week, you should create a backup file that replaces the backup file of the first day of the previous week. Continue this daily strategy, always having backup files for the last five business days.	At the end of each week, create a separate backup for the week. At the end of the month, you should have backup files for each week of the month and the last five business days.	At the end of each month, create a separate backup for the month. Discard the weekly backup files for this month. At the end of the year, you should have backup files for each month of the year and the last five business days. Having this backup data for each year should give you strong historical data.

Recommended GlobalWare Backup Strategy

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

Back up data each day for five days. At the end of the week, you should have five separate backup files.

On the first day of the next week, you should create a backup file that replaces the backup file of the first day of the previous week. Continue this daily strategy, always having backup files for the last five business days.

At the end of each week, create a separate backup for the week. At the end of the month, you should have backup files for each week of the month and the last five business days.

At the end of each month, create a separate backup for the month. Discard the weekly backup files for this month. At the end of the year, you should have backup files for each month of the year and the last five business days.

Having this backup data for each year should give you strong historical data.

Keep in mind that having backup data might come in handy in ever-evolving travel industry environments. For example, changing tax laws might cause corporate travel managers to request several years of historical information from their travel agencies. In these kinds of situations, having detailed historical information stored away could enable you to provide superior service to your clients.