Backups

This help topic is applicable to the following TireMaster applications:

TireMaster Point of Sale

TireMaster Plus

TireMaster Corporate

Backups give you the ability to restore your data in the event of a system failure or other emergency. To ensure the safety of your data and to protect your business, back up your database regularly. ASA recommends that you back up your data to a storage device or removable media at least once a week if not more frequently. Ideally, you should back up your data to a storage device or removable media daily.

When you begin setting up your system, start running daily backups. Once you go live, also run month end and year end backups.

Note: If you are running a TireMaster Corporate system, contact TireMaster Support for information about data backups.

TireMaster automatically backs up your data daily at 2:00 a.m. This automatic backup is called the redundant backup. For redundant backups to occur, leave the main server turned on overnight.

On Monday through Saturday, the log file (enterprise.log) is copied from the data folder to the backup folder. On Sunday, both the log file and the database file (enterprise.db) are saved to the backup folder. These automatic backups are stored in subfolders named after the appropriate day of the week and are overwritten each week.

Note: If you need to change the location for saving backup files, call TireMaster Support.

Redundant backups are not a suitable substitute for regular backups to removable media. With removable media, you can store your backups off site and easily recover your data if your building or computers are destroyed.

The redundant backup includes an automated database validation process that scans your data for corruption. Results of the validation will be available for you to check on the TireMaster Support site. If ASA's support representatives identify a problem with your data, they’ll contact you.

Note: If you do not want the automated database validation to run during the redundant backup, set the System Control Validate Database to No. If the control is not set, the automated database validation is enabled.
Tip: The automated database validation is a different process than running the validation. For more information, see Data Validation.

TireMaster includes a manual backup program that you can run at any time. Performing a manual backup places a copy of your TireMaster database (enterprise.db) and log (enterprise.log) in the dbak folder (usually c:qdstm\dbak, d:qdstm\dbak , c:\dbak, d:\dbak, c:tmpos\dbak, or d:tmpos\dbak).

Note: The contents of the dbak folder can be copied to a storage device or removable media.

To perform a manual backup, double-click the TM Backup icon on the desktop of the TireMaster server. To verify the backup was successful, view the contents of the dbak subfolder.

In addition to the redundant backups that TireMaster runs, you also need to schedule daily backups. If your TireMaster system goes down or is destroyed, you can restore your data from the daily backup.

You can use one of the following backup methods for your daily backups:

Option 1: Back up your data to an off-site computer.

This type of backup is performed over the internet. If you’re interested in using this type of backup, contact your ASA sales representative.

Option 2: Back up your data to a storage device or removable media.

Examples of storage devices and removable media include, external hard drives, thumb drives, DVDs, and CD-Rs. With this method, you should have a device or media for each day your store is open. For example, if your store is open Monday through Saturday, you’d have six pieces of devices or removable media.

Once you’ve performed the daily backup, store that day’s device or media in a secure, off-site location.

Option 3: Combine Option 1 and Option 2.

Option 3 is the safest method, because you have two copies of your data. One copy is on an off-site computer, and the other is on a storage device or removable media.

To ensure successful backups

Run backups on the servers at Corporate and at the stores (TireMaster Corporate only).

Back up all the files and subfolders in the backups folder (c:\QDSTM\backups, d:\QDSTM\backups, c:\backups, d:\TireMaster\backups, c:\TMPOS\backups, or d:\TMPOS\backups).

Assign a device or piece of media for each day your store is open.

Change the device or media every day.

Store the backup device or media in a secure location away from the place of business.

In addition to daily backups, you should back up your data to a storage device or removable media following the month end lock to preserve month end reports, as well as to secure your data. For month end backups, consider having devices or media for each month. Otherwise, you should have at least two storage devices or pieces of media for month end backups. With two devices or pieces of media, you can alternate each month to ensure that you always have a pair of month end backups on hand.

Month end backups are your primary archive and need to be stored off site. You can use month end backups to restore your data if the daily backups are destroyed, lost, or unreadable. You might want to keep your TireMaster month end backups for at least a year. For tax purposes, you should keep your month end backup for the last period of the fiscal year for six years.

Month end backups are handled in the same way as daily backups. However, if you want to prevent additional transactions from posting to the month you’re backing up, you should close and lock that month. For more information, see Close a Fiscal Period (TireMaster Plus and TireMaster Corporate).

Before you close a fiscal year, you should perform a year end backup to a piece of removable media or a recordable memory device. You can then store this backup as an archive for tax purposes. You should save your TireMaster year end backups for your income tax records for at least six years. For additional recommendations concerning data archives, consult your accountant. For more information, see Year End Procedures.

Year end backups are handled in the same way as daily backups. As with all of your backup media, you should store your year end backup off site.