AvailSuite - Service Management Software
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This page is the part of the AvailSuite online help.

AvailSuite is a software solution for managing a small or medium service business. It covers all critical activities of small companies, like customer and work order management, invoices and account receivables, employee scheduling, and task management.
Working with AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool

Data safety and data reliability are very important. AvailSuite helps you in protecting your AvailSuite's data from damaging by hardware problems, viruses and so on. We recommend you to make backups of your AvailSuite database regularly.

Backing up and restoring AvailSuite's data is available with AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool. It provides you the following facilities for protecting your AvailSuite's data:

What is AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool?

AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool is a separate tool included in the AvailSuite installation package. The tool can be used for simple and convenient backing up and restoring your AvailSuite's data.

Please note that AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool is installed together with AvailSuite's server components.

If you used a compete installation of AvailSuite (single-user installation with standard options), you have this tool installed on your workstation and can run it in Start | All Programs | AvailSuite | AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool.

If you used a custom installation of AvailSuite, please note that AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool was installed only with its server components. Therefore, you can find AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool only on the computer where AvailSuite database was installed. On this computer, you can run it by Start | All Programs | AvailSuite | AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool.

How to backup AvailSuite's data into an external file?

To backup your AvailSuite's data into an external file, follow the instruction.

  1. Run AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool.

    A dialog for entering parameters to the MS SQL Server appears. If you didn't make any administrative changes with the MS SQL Server after AvailSuite installation, you can use default parameters of the dialog and click OK. A window containing AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool form appears.

  2. Click Backup in the File menu.

    A dialog form appears.

  3. Review parameters using for backup creation.

    If you have specific needs for the name of the backup, path to the backup file, or the backup's description, you can set this information at the dialog.

  4. Click OK.

    The dialog closes. A message box informing on successful backup creating appears.

  5. Click OK.

    The message box closes. A new row appears in the list of backups. The row contains information on the backup created including the time of the backup and its physical location.

  6. Close AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool.

Important Notes:

Note 1

You can copy backups from their original locations to your reserve locations such as DVD, CDs and so on. We recommend you to perform this regularly.

Note 2

Next time you will run AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool, it will display the list of backups created. To remove backups physically from the backup location, use the Delete function of AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool. We do not recommend any other methods for physical removing these backup files.

Note 3

Since AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool displays a list of backups created by it, you can easily restore the database directly from backups created.

How to backup AvailSuite's data into an external file directly at AvailSuite?

To backup your AvailSuite's data into an external file directly at AvailSuite, follow the instruction.

  1. Run AvailSuite.

    2. In AvailSuite's Maintenance menu on the main form, choose Utilities and then Database backup. A dialog form appears.

  2. Review parameters using for backup creation.

    3. If you have specific needs for the name of the backup, path to the backup file, or the backup's description, you can set this information at the dialog.

  3. Click OK.

The dialog closes. A message box informing on successful backup creating appears.

See also How to backup AvailSuite's data into an external file?

How to restore AvailSuite's data from an external file?

You can restore an AvailSuite database from a backup created with AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool or created by other tools.

To restore a backup created by AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool, follow the instruction.

  1. Close all AvailSuite instances.

    Check that AvailSuite on your machine is closed. If you have a multi-instance installation, check that users on involved workstations stopped their works with AvailSuite and closed their instances of AvailSuite.

  2. Run AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool.
  3. Select a proper backup in the list displayed.
  4. Click Restore in the File menu.

    A dialog appears.

  5. Click OK in the dialog displayed.

    AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool checks that the version of the backup restoring coincides with the current version of AvailSuite used. If the backup version is out-of-date, a dialog appears. The dialog asks a confirmation of restoring the out-of-date version. You can install an out-of-date version with no risk. In this case, AvailSuite will make it up-to-date on Step 6.

    After that, AvailSuite Database Backup and Restore Tool checks if there are any users connecting to the AvailSuite database. Likely, there should not be any connections, if you performed step 1. However, if any exists, the tool will suggest opening a form for reviewing these connections. Using the form, you can determine user connecting to the database and even disconnect users if necessary.

    When the tool will find no connections to the database, it will be able to restore the database from the backup. The tool will notify you when the restoring will be completed with a message box.

  6. Run AvailSuite.

    After restoring the database from a backup, it is better to run AvailSuite at the same machine in case of multi-instance installation. On starting AvailSuite will check if the version of the backup is out-to-date and upgrade the database to the current version if necessary. Only after successful completing the action, we recommend you notifying allowing other users and instances running AvailSuite.

If you want to restore the AvailSuite database from a file not displayed in the list of backups, use the Restore from File action. After choosing the proper backup file in the dialog appeared, you can follow the instruction above starting with Step 5.