Backing Up the RISC System
It is imperative that RISC data be backed up regularly to avoid data loss caused by hardware problems or user-error. A question regularly asked by users of computers is 'How often should datafiles be backed up?’. At the risk of answering a question with a question, the simple answer is 'How much data can you afford to lose?’. Obviously, you have to answer the question yourself. Realistically, you should at least backup the main data file daily.
What do you Need to Backup in RISC?
Our strong recommendation is that you regularly take a backup copy of
the entire RISC folder as it is self-contained, and by doing so, you
will backup both the program and all data associated. 2GB or 4GB USB Flash
disks are extremely inexpensive now. We recommend you dedicated two USB
flash disks and copy over the entire RISC folder at the very least,
weekly, alternating between the two disks. Just overwrite the
previously stored backup each time. If you have a server-based tape
backup, the network administrator should verify that the backups
actually work properly and can be read back from the tape. Over
the years, we have found that tape is not as reliable as disk or flash
backups. We do not recommend that you use CD or DVD ROM for regular
backups, only for archive purposes.
If you only wish to perform selective backups, it should be understood that all RISC data files reside in the selected RISC Data Path. The file that needs the most regular backing up is called RISC.DAT - your current database. This file is updated every time you add or modify data in the current database. The other files that may change as you work with the system are the user-definable lookup files. These also end with the extension '.DAT'. If you are using a Student database rather than a pick list (as all schools should), you should also back up the STUDBASE.DAT and STUDBASE.NDX files, however, as these are created from an external database, they can be easily recreated if lost or corrupted. All other .NDX files (indexes for RISC) are generated by the Rebuild Indexes option and need not be backed up.
Remember, backups are your insurance against data loss.
All users should be logged out of RISC for backups of the main database to
occur.
RISC Auto-Backup of Main Database
RISC will automatically make a backup copy of the main database, RISC.DAT as part of the automatic rebuild function. If you have added data to RISC, exiting the program will ask if it should automatically rebuild its indexes. If you answer YES, it will rebuild first then automatically duplicate the RISC.DAT file as
RISC.BKP in the FORMLTRS folder. The purpose of this auto backup is in case of a data corruption in the main database and while it does not replace a good backup strategy as recommended above, it may be useful in unusual circumstances.
If running on a network, the auto-backup only occurs when the last person exits RISC and performs the auto-rebuild. In other words, all other users must have first closed RISC for the auto-backup to occur.
You should NOT rely on this auto-backup of
the main database as your sole backup strategy for RISC. External
backups of all database systems are essential.
The Register of
Individual Student Contact (RISC) is developed & distributed
by Marillion Designs.
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Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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