Create and Schedule a Backup

Backing up is an integral part of data security. Administrator’s Plus data can be backed up using various methods. Each school has their own unique network configurations and based on that they can implement different types of backup services to ensure that their Administrator’s Plus data is secure and available in case of emergencies. Administrator's Plus already has a backup utility that is integrated with our software, which creates zipped folders of your data and saves them in the location of your choosing.

Nightly backups are completed for schools who are Hosted by Rediker. These backups are completed for the Active and Scheduling year. A backup is still recommended to be run prior to any big data changes in the program to ensure the most recent version of your data is available. 

Initiate a Backup

1. Make sure all users are logged out of AdminPlus.

   See How to Tell Who is Logged into Administrator's Plus for instructions on identifying who is currently logged into the system.

2. On the toolbar, click Tools > Backup and Restore.
3. Click Backup, and the specifications screen will appear.   

Set Specifications

1. In the Administrator's Plus Backup dialog box, configure the following specifications:
   
   

   Administrator's Plus Backup Specifications
   A	Select Administrator's Plus RS4 Folder: Browse your computer, and then click your RS4 folder. This will be a mapped drive or UNC path to the location of the RS4 folder.
   B	Destination Folder: Browse your computer, and then click the location you want to store your backup data. It's recommended that you choose a location other than your RS4 folder to store your backup data. This enables you to recover data in the event of a disaster. For example, if your server fails, and you've stored your backup files on the server that is destroyed, you won't be able to recover your data.
   C	Select Backup Type: Do one of the following: Click School Year to back up data from a specific school year. If you choose School Year, complete the steps in rows D, E, and F below. Click Users  to back up AdminPlus user data. Click Entire RS4 Folder to back up your entire AdminPlus database, all school years, and all users.
   D	Select School: If you chose School Year  for your backup type, click your school name.
   E	Select Year: If you chose School year  for your backup type, click the school year that you want to back up.
   F	Select Items To Include In The Backup: If you chose School Year  for your backup type, select the check boxes next to the items you want to include in the backup. The more items you include, the longer it will take to complete the backup. Pictures, for example, may not always be necessary to back up.

2. Once you've configured these specifications, click Begin Backup. 
3. A screen may appear asking if you want to save the template. A template is simply a set of specifications that are saved. You can click Yes if you anticipate backing up again using these same specifications above. Regular school year backups are recommended.
   

When the backup is complete, a Notepad document will appear with notifications on any issues encountered during the backup process. At this time, if you see errors in this document, you can Submit a Support Ticket to work with Support on troubleshooting the error. However, if there were no errors, you will see a message stating Backup complete! before the notepad opens up. This indicates that the backup was done without any issues.

Schedule an Automatic Backup

You can also set Backups to run at regular intervals from the Backup Utility. This can be set up on the server or a workstation that is designated for backup purposes. This machine needs to be turned on at the time of the designated backup so setting this up on the server is recommended. If you are doing daily or very frequent backups, it is recommended to do school year backups (just the current school year).

Nightly backups are completed for schools who are Hosted by Rediker. These backups are completed for the Active and Scheduling year.

To schedule backup, please do the following:

1. Click Tools > Backup and Restore > Backup.
2. Set your backup specifications (see Set Specifications above on how you can set this), and then click Save Template.
3. Click Schedule Backup, located in the upper right corner.
   
4. Enter a new task name for the scheduled backup in the New Scheduled Task Name dialog box, and then click OK.
   
5. Navigate the tabs in the Properties dialog box to customize your scheduled backup settings, and then click OK.
   
6. You can view your tasks in the Scheduled Tasks window. This will show you the schedule as well as the next run time: