Backup / Restore Archives

Learn how the Archive and Restore feature works and how to make or recover a backup from an external source, such as a USB flash drive, so it appears as a choice on your archive list.
Note: This article does not apply if you are using the Procare Cloud service or host the data on your own SQL server (rather than the supplied SQL Express Edition).

Getting There

1. From the Procare Home screen go to Utilities > Database Backup/Restore.
2. Click the Archive and Restore tab.

What is an Archive?

An archive is a copy of your database from a certain date and time which is stored internally in the Procare SQL Express database structure.

Which Archives are Available to Restore?

The Archive list displays up to 7 backup files which are available to restore. Procare will automatically save certain archives and remove others based on the following rules:

• less than 1 week old = keep the 3 most recent archives
• 1 week or older = keep up to 4 archives with at least 1 week in between
  Note: In older versions of Procare (prior to 10.2.3965) different rules were used and any archive more than 25 days old was deleted the next time you made a backup.

Example:

If you make a backup each day you would eventually see the following:

• Archives 1, 2 and 3: Your 3 most recent backups (less than a week old)
• Archive 4: Backup from 1 week ago
• Archive 5: Backup from 2 weeks ago (at least 1 week since the prior archive)
• Archive 6: Backup from 3 weeks ago (at least 1 week since the prior archive)
• Archive 7: Backup from 4 weeks ago (at least 1 week since the prior archive)
  Explanation: When you make a new backup the one is position 4 stays there until there is at least a week between slots 3 and 4. At that point the one in slot 3 moves down to slot 4, the old number 4 moves to slot 5, 5 moves to 6, 6 to 7 and the old number 7 is automatically removed.

Recover an Offline Backup adding it to the Archive List

When you backup the database, you have the option to save that backup to an external device, such as a USB flash drive. This is known as an offline backup. All offline backups are uniquely named using the date and time the backup was made as the file name. This allows you to store numerous backups to the same offline location. Since each has a unique name it will not overwrite (copy over) any previous backup. Having an offline backup allows you to restore a database not currently in the archive list.

Make an Offline Backup (Copy to an External Location):

1. Click once on the backup you wish to copy offline so it is selected.
   

2. Click Save Backup then browse to the folder or device (such as a USB flash drive) where you wish to copy the backup.
   

Restore an Offline Backup:

1. Click Recover Backup then browse to your offline backup device (such as a USB flash drive) and select the backup file you want to add to the archive list.
   

2. Confirm the backup you wish to restore is selected on your archive list then click Restore.
   

For more information see how to use the Backup/Restore utility.