This document is an internal policy of YAPA. Use it to help develop your own agency's internal policies. You will have to make changes to suit your own context and any legal requirements which apply to you.
Aim
At all times there should be a complete copy of all official files offsite, in case the server fails and files cannot be recovered from it.
Background
YAPA could lose all its computer files (Word & PDF documents, financial records, database, emails etc) in one go due to:
- fire in the building
- theft of the server
- mechanical or software failure
- human error.
Clearly such a loss could occur during business hours or at night or weekend. Without a backup copy of all files, YAPA would suffer months of lost productivity while critical files are reconstructed from paper records and from memory.
YAPA maintains a backup tape system which copies all new and modified files from the server to a backup tape each weeknight. Once a week the system copies all files, including those which are not new or modified.
A new tape must be inserted by a staff member each working weekday. An automatic email is sent by the server to info@yapa.org.au (and some other staff email accounts) indicating which numbered tape to insert that day.
In order to guarantee that a complete backup is offsite at any one time, the previous 5 backup tapes must be offsite at any time, including during the day.
The system erases and reuses tapes roughly every 10-14 days. Therefore any lost or corrupted files which are not noticed within 10-14 days cannot be recovered.
The backup system does not back up files stored on individual computers.
Policy
All staff: Saving files
All staff must ensure that all official files are stored on the server. Individual computers (eg. the desktop) must only be used to store non-official files eg:
- email attachments received
- internet downloads
- personal non-YAPA files such as photos.
A staff member doing computer work:
- outside the network (eg. on laptop or home computer), or
- on weekends in the offices
must make their own backup of important files.
Work outside the network: The staff member will save the original to a portable memory device (eg. memory stick) for transfer to the server, and make a copy on the laptop or other computer. Transfer the original to the server as soon as possible.
Work on weekends in the offices: The staff member will save the work on the server as usual, but save a copy on the computer being used.
Backup tape procedure
The scheduled staff member:
- Each weekday check info@yapa.org.au on webmail (generic password) or on the Administration Officer's (Joanne) computer (log in as "YAPA" with the generic password) and check which numbered tape to use that day. (Note: After a few hours if a new tape is not inserted you may get an email reminder to your own account).
- Remove the previous tape (which will be sitting half-ejected from the slot)
- Insert the correct number tape.
- Take the previous tape offsite.
- Do not bring it back onsite until 7 days later, then leave it at the office ready for when it is needed next.
If you cannot bring it back 7-9 days later, make other arrangements in consultation with the Communications Officer. (Do not bring it back earlier than 7 days later).
Schedule of staff responsible for backup tapes:
- Administration Officer, else in her absence:
- Communications Officer, else in his absence:
- Finance & Administration Officer, else in her absence:
- Policy & Training Officer, else in his absence:
- Executive Officer, else in her absence:
- any other staff member.
