Backups
One of the most mundane yet
important topics for any modern law office computer system is how it safeguards
the extremely valuable work product accumulated over the life of the law firm.
This is not a romantic or even overly interesting subject but it is a crucial
one.
Let’s look at a scenario which has
occurred repeatedly in law firms over the years. The last person to leave for
the evening, an associate of a four attorney law firm, shuts down his computer
for the evening, turns off the lights, and locks the door to the office before
going home. The next morning, when the associate arrives, he finds a smoky,
charred ruin. The office has burned down to the ground! As the attorneys and
staff sift through the rubble, the clients begin to arrive for the day. The
senior partner calls the attorneys and staff together and tells them to “Grab a
pad and write down everything you can remember about what needs to be done for
our clients. We can’t afford to miss a deadline on top of this disaster!” All
of them take one of the new notepads delivered by the office supply house and
begin scribbling furiously, desperately trying to take down every appointment
and deadline they can recall. Some client appointments are missed, a few court
appearances are only kept with the assistance of the clerk, and many billable
hours are lost redoing lost work product.
Now let us imagine what the
situation would be if the firm kept a good system backup. The senior partner
makes a few calls and locates a temporary office space and leases some new
computers. The computer technicians set up the new system and restore the data
from the backup which was kept off-site. This information was current up to the
day before the fire so only the work performed the day of the fire has been lost.
If the firm used a case manager, even the daily appointments, court docket, and
other client information is back in place within 48 hours.
Of course, all of the paper which has not been
placed into the computer system is lost. Also any originals stored in the
office. However, this is a much better alternative, isn’t it? With a minimum of
disruption, our fictitious law firm can now go back to serving its
clients.
If this hasn’t convinced you of the
value and necessity of performing daily system backups, then you can stop
reading here. If you want to learn more, then read on.
The duplication of data (i.e. computer files) in
some place and form other than the original is called a backup. The data can be
duplicated many different ways and in many different formats. Performing this
operation for your entire computer system is called a system backup. As I
stated in previous articles, there are six key questions to ask regarding the
decision to implement a certain technology in your law office. Let’s look at
the other five keys to see how this technology should be applied to your law
firm. (We have already illustrated Why
your law firm needs this technology)
First
of all, What is a system backup?
In essence, a backup is just the
duplication of data on the computer. The duplication can be done manually or
automatically in a variety of ways. There are also a number of different types
of media which can be used to store the data. Let’s look at the types of media
first.
The most prevalent media used for backing
up data before Windows 95 was the floppy diskette, available in various
configurations from 320Kilbytes to 1.44 Megabytes. The clear favorite of today
is tape. The shift occurred primarily
because of the proliferation of programs written for Windows 3.x and 95. While
most DOS based and many Windows 3.x data files were small enough to fit on one
or two diskettes, the graphical nature of Windows 95 has dramatically changed
the file sizes of the data stored on the system. The program file size has increased
even more dramatically. Windows 95 itself requires almost 100 MB (~70 3.5”
floppy disks) all by itself! This increased file size has required an
alternative to floppy disk storage solutions. Let’s look at some of these
solutions more closely.
Tapes are available in a variety of formats from ¼”
QIC to 4mm DAT and now even 8mm tape. The type of tape affects the amount of
data which can be stored, the speed at which it is stored, and the overall
cost. Current 4mm DAT tape can store up to 8 GB (that’s 8000 MB or about 5500
1.44 MB floppy diskettes) at about 30 MB per second. Other backup options
include Zip Disks (100MB), Jaz Disks (1-2 GB), MO or Magneto-Optical Media (500
MB – 5.2 GB), rewriteable CD (640 MB), and soon rewriteable DVD (~5 GB). These
methods are not as prevalent as tape but each has unique advantages and
disadvantages. For instance, tape is not nearly as fast as MO or JAZ disks but
it can hold much more data. Tape is also cheaper than most other methods.
For firms requiring even greater storage needs,
there are rotating assemblies which will automatically remove and insert
additional tapes or disks. These methods can increase storage capacity into the
terabyte range (1000’s of GB).
The methods of backing up a system
are generally linked to the type of media chosen for the job but there are a
few constants we can look at for guidance. The first constant is the order of
importance of the data in the computer system.
The most important data on the computer system is
the law firm work product. Programs can be reinstalled from the installation
disks without much of a headache but the documents and other files produced
cannot. Don’t forget that this includes more than just the pleadings, leases,
contracts, etc. It also includes data contained in PIM’s (Personal Information
Managers), Case Managers, and other databases.
Next in importance are the configuration files for
the operating system. This includes files like the Win.ini, System.ini,
User.dat, System.dat, etc. This also includes configuration files for other
programs like MS Word, WordPerfect, MS PowerPoint, etc. These files contain the
customized settings which the user has set up while using the program. Backing
up these files will save the law firm time, time which can be used to produce new
work product rather than resetting program settings.
Last in importance are the program and operating
system files. The capacity of your backup system will determine the volume of
files which can be stored. Use the above priorities to select from among available
files when your system cannot store everything. With programs like MS Office 97
taking up about 200 MB, the majority of space on your system will probably be
program files. By being selective about what you backup, your firm can save on
hardware costs and time.
The next constant involves the methodology of
performing a system backup. Optimally, the best time to do a backup is when the
system is dormant. This means that, for most firms, after-hours is the optimal
time for the backup to occur. Most backup programs handle this without any
difficulty once they are properly set up. The real trick is to get them
properly set up in the first place.
Another aspect of methodology involves the amount of
data which is stored at each backup session. Backups can be done by completely
storing the desired data at each backup session or it can store only the items
which have changed since the last backup. This is called an incremental backup.
It dramatically lowers the time required to perform the backup since only the
changes will be stored. It also allows smaller (cheaper) capacity tapes to be
used for the incremental backups. Generally, the scenario would require a new
full backup on each Monday evening. Incremental backups would then be done each
evening through Friday night. The same pattern is repeated each week. The
incremental backup requires special software in order to perform this function.
Most of the available software is aimed at tape systems but well written
software will allow the same capability with other types of media.
Who should worry about making
sure the information or data in the computer system is “backed up”?
Every law firm, without exception, needs
to establish and carry out a back up plan for the computer system. The proper
use of a back up method is equivalent to keeping photocopies of everything in
the office safely off the premises. Valuable papers insurance, which many firms
do not carry anyway, will only provide monetary relief in the event the papers
are lost or destroyed. It does not replace the actual papers themselves. In
contrast, a good back up tape will completely restore all of the computerized
data quickly and efficiently. Even after a major fire or flood which wipes out
the entire office, the computerized data can be restored to a replacement
system within hours and the law firm can continue to serve its clients while
the office is being rebuilt. This capability is simply not economically
feasible with paper systems.
The firm should designate a particular individual to
oversee the backup operation. This will provide accountability and focus
responsibility for supervision. It will also effectively delegate authority to
enforce the actions necessary for its success.
When should a firm perform the
system backups?
Daily.
Where should the system backups
be kept?
At least one copy, preferably the
previous days copy, must be located off-site. This will keep the most recent
data in a place safe from an office disaster. Of course, if your office AND
your house burn down in the same day, then you will be relegated to disk
recovery methods. (More on that later.) You will probably want to avoid
Atlantic City for a while too. (I wouldn’t bother with Ed McMahon or Reader’s
Digest either.) The use of a fire-proof safe is cheap insurance in any case.
How do I implement a backup
system?
First, you need a backup plan. Put
it in writing and make it a part of your law firm manual. Make sure everyone in
the firm understands and carries out their responsibilities with regard to the
backup plan. As stated above, one important step in accomplishing this is to
designate a System Backup Supervisor to oversee the plan.
Next, decide upon the media type. Factors include
the amount of storage needed, the length of time desired for backup, and the cost.
Finally, decide upon the methodology. Full backup or incremental. Other
decisions include: What time will it be performed? Who is responsible for
setting it up and ensuring it is working properly? Who will test the backup
periodically to ensure that good backups are being obtained? Who will ensure
that all computers are properly shut down at the end of the day so that all
data is available?
These and other questions must all be answered
before the plan is complete and your firm is properly protected. If you decide
to do this in-house, remember the opportunity costs involved. If the employee
could be earning income for the firm instead of working on the backup plan,
then it may be less expensive to hire a consultant or service provider to
assist the firm.
If you haven’t implemented a backup system yet or if
it is unusable for some reason, and a computer disaster occurs, all is not lost
yet. A number of providers around the country perform data recovery from hard
disk drives or tape that is otherwise unusable. This process is slow and
expensive but still cheaper than the alternative. It is amazing that these
companies are able to recover the data as well as they do. I have seen pictures
of computers destroyed by fire or flood, the case melted or full of mud, and
these companies can still recover over 90% of the data in many cases. However,
I should reiterate that this is definitely not a viable alternative to
implementing a system backup plan. It is only a last ditch effort at salvaging
some portion of data otherwise unrecoverable.
The system backup should only be one component of the law firm’s
disaster recovery plan. The disaster recovery plan should encompass all aspects
of a potential office disaster. This includes where and how to obtain new
computers, which technical service provider to call, insurance provider
information, and all other information pertinent to a given situation. The best
way to come up with a disaster plan is to meet in a group and let imaginations
run wild. Write down all scenarios, however ridiculous they may seem. Then
review them later in another setting, keep the most likely suggestions, and
formulate a plan for each of them. Try to be comprehensive without focusing on
the computer system. The computer system is a vital part of the law firm but
there is a lot more to a firm than that. Make sure you protect all of it.