Backups
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Backups |
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What is a Backup? A backup is a copy of your important information which is:
In Genie’s case the important data is all held in the Genie data file. If you are scanning letters or storing photos, then these files are held in the Images folder. Ideally, you should have serial backups. That is, you should have backups for each day for the previous week, and then one permanently stored backup for each week. This is because it may take some time before you realise that a record is missing or that the data file is corrupted. You need to be able to look at the state of your data file at various times in the past. If you overwrite each day’s backup then you lose this ability. What to Backup? On Single User or Server machine:
Where and What are the Genie data files? The Genie data files are installed in the Genie folder. If you are running Genie over a network then this is the Genie folder on the server computer. The data files consist of two or more files:
If you have more than 2GB of data, you may also have additional data file segments:- one for each additional 2GB of data. These files are named:
As listed above, you should backup all of these files, i.e. anything ending in .4DD, .4DR, or .4DS.
On Windows they should be found at: C:\Genie\, assuming that Genie is installed in the default location. It may be installed on a different drive on your computer.
On Macintosh they should be found at: /Applications/Genie/
Note: Genie Solutions will not implement automated backup procedures on your computer network. This is because we can’t physically check that these procedures continue to work correctly. If you want to automate backups you must learn how to do it yourself so that you can recognise and fix it when it breaks. Let ’s be Brutally Frank... It has been said that there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have lost data and those who are about to.
It is possible for the Genie data file to become irreparably damaged. It is possible that the entire data file can be lost e.g. a hard drive failure.
You are responsible for the safe-keeping of your data file. You are responsible for ensuring that backups are taking place and that they are completing successfully. You should treat the data file like your first-born son. Gaze lovingly on it at the beginning and end of each day. Know where it is at all times.
Genie does not move the data file. Ever. If the data file cannot be found in the Genie folder, then Genie didn’t move it. A human did it. In fact, Genie expects the data file to be in the same folder as the application. If it isn’t you will get a dialog box when you open Genie, asking you to identify the location of the data file.
Do not move the Genie folder from it’s default install location i.e.the Applications folder on Macintosh, or the root of a selected drive on Windows. If you can’t find your data file, then we don’t know where it is. We only know where it should be, not where you or a member of your staff have moved it.
Backups are not difficult to perform. All you are required to do is copy a file from one place to another, or burn a CD. If you don’t know how to burn a CD, you should consult the instructions that came with your CD burning software e.g. Nero or Toast. If you don’t understand these instructions, then it is unlikely that we will be able to explain it to you any better over the phone, and therefore backups are likely to fail. If there is no-one in the practice able and willing to perform and monitor backup procedures, then you should arrange a support contract with a local organisation to do this for you.
If you are using Genie for patient billing then your data file is probably worth tens of thousands of dollars. If you are using Genie to store your consultation notes, the value is infinitely more. If you are sued without any consultation notes, then the case will be over before it begins. Reality Check Consider for a moment that your data file has gone. Damaged, lost, or deleted. You check your backup and find that it either hasn’t been occurring, or the wrong file has been getting backed up for the past two years.
You didn’t realise that because you never checked before. Your guts are starting to churn a bit at this stage,and then you realise that you have $100,000 in outstanding debts and no idea who owes it.
After you’ve choked that down, you also realise that anyone you’ve seen in the past two years can now sue you with a guarantee of success. So you ring Genie Solutions to demand what the hell we’re going to do about it!
The answer is that, unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it.
You can try various data recovery utilities like Norton Utilities. There are also some companies which specialise in recovering files from damaged hard drives. They usually charge a minimum of $2,000 with no guarantee of recovering anything.
The bottom line is that it’s your data and your responsibility.
At about this time you should be asking yourself: "Why on earth did I delegate the most important task in the practice to someone who wasn’t capable and confident of performing it?"
It never ceases to amaze us how many practices have a technophobe performing the daily backups. It is a recipe for disaster.
All we can do is reiterate that your data file is far more valuable than you probably realise. If you give responsibility for it to someone who is out of their depth, then that is your choice and your responsibility. Priorities As in medical practice, disasters are usually the result of a string of minor, unrecognised mistakes.
Know where your data file is at all times! Backup Media There are several media you can backup to. Which one you decide on will depend on your own circumstances. CD/DVD This is probably the commonest solution in use. Writeable CD’s are now very cheap, about 50 cents each if you buy in bulk. They are also reliable and you can “see” that the backup has been performed.
If you are using Genie to store your clinical notes then a CD backup is a must at least once a fortnight, even if your daily backup is to some other media. This is because the medico-legal experts tell us that the only thing that will replace written notes in court is a dated,signed and witnessed CD backup.
Although this has not yet been tested in court, anything else will not suffice. You have to be able to show that your computerised records have not been modified since their creation. Tape Drives These are a matter of personal preference. They are great for quickly backing up entire drives. The problem is that you can ’t check that the backup has occurred successfully without restoring the tape to the drive.
We don’t like them ourselves but we don’t recommend against them. Be guided by your hardware supplier. Another Computer on the Network This is not usually an ideal solution unless the computer holding the backup is a laptop which is taken offsite at the end of the day. Otherwise, if the surgery burns down during the night you’ll lose both the data file and the backup. External Hard Drives These are cheap, easy and fast and are especially good once your data file and images folder has outgrown a DVD’s capacity of 4.4GB. Archiving As well as performing backups for emergencies, you should also be creating regular archives of your data and application files.
This is essential if you are keeping computerised consultation notes, but also still a very good idea even if you are not.
The archive must contain everything needed to open the data file in the same version of Genie. For example, if you need to open a data file archived 2 years ago, then you really need to open it in the version of Genie you were using at the time.
On Macintosh, you need to archive:
On Windows, you need to archive:
Burning these files to a CD, and dating, signing and witnessing it will make it as medicolegally valid as possible, and will allow you to see the state of your data file at the time the CD was created.
Do not write on CDs with an ordinary oil pen. It can soak through and destroy the CD. There are special pens for writing on CDs.
Do not write directly on the CD with a biro. This can also scratch the reflective surface and render it unreadable. |