THE NEED to back up agency data isn't a new topic, but developing technology is constantly presenting new backup problems-and backup solutions. Since we purchased our first computer system in 1983, we have experienced more than one of both. A description of our experience may be of use to agencies trying to identify their backup needs and find the right technology to fill those needs.

Since that first computer purchase, we have lost all our agency data when our system crashed...four times. Anyone who has been through this knows the terror that one experiences while the system restoration is under way and a full data recovery is uncertain. We were fortunate to have our data restored each time, though not always from the immediate, on-hand backup tape. (Sometimes the backup tape was defective, even though the system told us backup had been successful.)

We originally used a rotation of two sets of weekly tapes, keeping one set off-premises during its "off-use" week. Later, we added a monthly backup tape, keeping 11 previously backed-up tapes offsite, "just in case." We still kept extensive paper documentation of agency transactions, using a transactional filing system and our agency management system to locate particular paper files. We were satisfied with the ability of our tape backup system to meet such needs.

In 2001, we started scanning all documents into our system and discarding the paper copies after processing them. Our switch to a paperless office made data backup more important and led us to begin considering alternatives for protecting our information.

We gained one backup alternative in 2002, when we acquired another agency. We decided to electronically connect our two locations through a virtual private network (VPN). A new backup method was a "bonus" of this electronic connection. By correctly configuring the VPN software controls, we were able to create at one location a real-time "mirror image" of all of the scanned documents at the other location. This, in effect, created an off-site backup of information for each office and added an important layer of protection to our increasingly paperless operations. We also became aware of offsite Web-based backup systems. We viewed them as a valuable option for a large agency, but we were interested in a lower-cost offsite option. Our search for another system grew more intense about three months ago when the tape drive in one of our servers failed. Facing an $800 replacement cost, we did some research and purchased a device called a "snap server" from Snap Appliance. It is equivalent to a large-capacity hard drive that can be used as an alternative to a file server in a small business.

Our IT consultant set up the snap server at my home. The server is connected to our agency system through a high-speed Internet connection. After we ran an initial, full backup, the snap server software began running an "incremental" backup on all new documents, from my home computer, every two hours. This server has enough storage space to run incremental backups for one month. At the end of each month, we archive the backed-up data to some CDs and clear the server for the next month's backup.

The best part of this configuration is that it requires no staff intervention to launch or monitor the process. The backup device sends an e-mail confirming completion of incremental backups every two hours, and the confirmation is routed through an Outlook "rule" to a recording folder in our Outlook system-we don't have to handle the message to have it recorded in our system. Our cost for the backup system was about $1,600, including installation and configuration.

Backing up data will always be important in a paperless office, and changing technology makes the effort a constant "work in progress." A good backup system is an important tool for ensuring a smooth-running agency.