107 - BreakPoint System Maintenance
The areas of maintenance required by BreakPoint include the following:
- Backup of BreakPoint System Files.
- Setup of Redundant Electronic Journal Files.
- Backup and Deletion of old Cashout Files.
- Backup and Deletion of old Journal Files.
PLEASE NOTE:
Failure to follow the instructions in this document could result in non-recoverable data loss.
Backup of BreakPoint System Files
Just like any other computer system, BreakPoint needs to be backed up on a regular basis. A full BreakPoint System backup will protect the client from the event of a hard drive failure or some other type of hardware failure.
Backups should be done as frequently as possible, remembering that if you have to restore a backup of BreakPoint System information, it will only be as current as the last time you did the backup procedure. If your backup was done a week ago, then the information that you restore from that backup will be a week old.
If you are operating BreakPoint Standalone, such that the BreakPoint System is operating on a single, non-networked computer, there are two types of backups you can perform:
1. You can backup BreakPoint to another directory on the hard drive using the Internal BreakPoint Backup facilty. This type of backup can be performed quickly and easily as part of the Cashout Procedure, so that cashiers are effecting a backup each time they perform the Cashout Procedure. To implement this type of backup, you must first set one of the following System Flags to YES:
Global System Flag 321 - Backup all system files with Cashout 1.
Global System Flag 322 - Backup all system files with Cashout 2.
Once one of these System Flags is set to YES, the BreakPoint System will automatically perform a backup of all BreakPoint System files when the Cashout Procedure is invoked. This backup will be placed in a directory on the hard drive under the name BPBAKxxx, where xxx is the Terminal Number used for the BreakPoint register (such as 101 or 102). If the BreakPoint workstation is Register Number 101, then the backup would be stored under the BPBAK101 directory.
The Internal BreakPoint Backup procedure may also be effected manually through the BreakPoint Configuration Menu. You must first select REPORTS, then PROGRAMMING, and finally the BACKUP SYSTEM FILES option. This menu option will perform the same Internal BreakPoint Backup as is performed by the Cashout Procedure and can be effected at any time.
2. You may also perform an external backup of the BreakPoint System. This type of backup would be designed to copy the BreakPoint System files to some external medium, such as computer tape or diskette. This backup would be the responsibility of the installing technician to install, as it would depend on what operating environment is being used and what backup utilities are available. A common backup facility used for this purpose might be the DOS Backup Utility, for example, which can be set up for you by any capable computer technician.
PLEASE NOTE:
When setting up an external backup for BreakPoint, be certain to include all files that are located in the operating BreakPoint directory. The BreakPoint program must be closed (use Exit to DOS key) prior to an external backup being performed so that all system files are properly closed and available to the backup procedure.
If you are operating BreakPoint Professional, in a networking environment or in any environment where there is a second hard drive accessible, you may set the BreakPoint Backup Path for the Internal BreakPoint Backup facility. This special path setting is found in the BreakPoint Configuration Menu under the Hardware Settings option and is used to determine where the backup files will be stored. By setting this path to a particular drive and directory setting, you can force the BreakPoint Backup system files to be stored onto another hard drive, providing protection from any hardware or hard drive failure without requiring an external backup procedure.
It is recommended that an external backup be performed periodically to be taken off-site, in spite of whatever types of internal backup procedures are utilized. An off-site, external backup is the only backup that can protect a client from total system failure or from such events as computer theft or fire.
Setup of Redundant Electronic Journal File
In much of our lives, the word REDUNDANT has a negative connotation, meaning unnecessary or unwanted. In the computer world, the word REDUNDANT means quite the opposite.
The Redundant Electronic Journal File is a system backup option that permits the operator to have a second electronic journal file stored in another directory or on another hard drive within the computer system. This second electronic journal is only redundant until you have experienced some form of hardware failure and have lost all of your system files, including your electronic journal file.
The Redundant Electronic Journal File option permits you to maintain a backup copy of that electronic journal file which can be restored quickly in such an event. To effect the Redundant Electronic Journal File option, you must first set the following flag:
Global System Flag 327 - Perform Redundant Electronic Journal Option.
Once this flag is set to YES, the BreakPoint System will immediately begin storing a second Electronic Journal File under the directory name BPBAKxxx, where xxx is the Register Number used for the BreakPoint workstation (such as 101 or 102). If the BreakPoint workstation is Register Number 101, then the backup would be stored under the BPBAK101 directory.
If you are operating BreakPoint Professional, in a networking environment or in any environment where there is a second hard drive accessible, you may set the BreakPoint Backup Path for the Redundant Electronic Journal File. This special path setting is found in the BreakPoint Configuration Menu under the Hardware Settings option and is used to determine where all backup files will be stored, including the Redundant Electronic Journal File. By setting this path to a particular drive and directory setting, you can force the journal file to be stored onto another hard drive, providing protection from any hardware or hard drive failure without requiring an external backup procedure.
Backup and Deletion of Old Cashout Ascii Files
If your system is set up much the same as many other BreakPoint systems out there, you are using the Cashout Procedure(s) to generate ASCII files of cashier data that is later transferred to other systems for processing. If this is so, then you are creating at least one ASCII file every time that the Cashout Procedure is used. These ASCII files can collect on your hard drive indefinitely and can eventually cause DOS and BreakPoint system problems if they are not properly maintained.
To prevent DOS problems and other types of system problems, these ASCII files should be backed up and deleted from your system periodically. This must be done as two separate steps: (1) to ensure that the files are backed up and (2) to delete the files from the system.
1. To ensure that the Cashout ASCII Files are backed up, you may rely on the BreakPoint System Backup outlined in the first section of this document. The Cashout ASCII Files are included in the Internal BreakPoint Backup and in any external backup procedure which includes all files in the operating BreakPoint directory.
2. To delete the Cashout ASCII Files, you may use the following System Flag(s):
Global System Flag 323 - Delete Old Cashout ASCII Files with Cashout 1.
Global System Flag 324 - Delete Old Cashout ASCII Files with Cashout 2.
Once either of these flags is set to YES, the BreakPoint System will automatically perform the deletion of all existing Cashout ASCII files as part of the Cashout Procedure. Once the Cashout Procedure is performed, the old Cashout ASCII Files will be deleted and are not recoverable.
The Deletion of Old Cashout ASCII Files may also be effected manually through the BreakPoint Configuration Menu. You must first select REPORTS, then PROGRAMMING, and finally the DELETE CASHOUT ASCII FILES option. This menu option will perform the same Deletion of Old Cashout ASCII Files as is performed by the Cashout Procedure and can be effected at any time.
SPECIAL NOTE:
It is strongly recommended that operators perform some external backup procedure for off-site storage of the Old Cashout ASCII Files before deleting them.
Backup and Deletion of Old Journal Files
If your system is set up much the same as many other BreakPoint systems out there, you are using the Electronic Journal File option to capture a file of journal data. If this is so, then you are creating at least one Electronic Journal File each day. These journal files can collect on your hard drive indefinitely and can eventually cause DOS and BreakPoint system problems if they are not properly maintained.
To prevent DOS problems and other types of system problems, these journal files should be backed up and deleted from your system periodically. This must be done as two separate steps: (1) to ensure that the files are backed up and (2) to delete the files from the system.
1. To ensure that the Electronic Journal Files are backed up, you may rely on the BreakPoint System Backup outlined in the first section of this document. The Electronic Journal Files are included in the Internal BreakPoint Backup and in any external backup procedure which includes all files in the operating BreakPoint directory.
2. To delete the Electronic Journal Files, you may use the following System Flag(s):
Global System Flag 325 - Delete Old Journal Files with Cashout 1.
Global System Flag 326 - Delete Old Journal Files with Cashout 2.
Once either of these flags is set to YES, the BreakPoint System will automatically perform the deletion of all existing journal files as part of the Cashout Procedure. Once the Cashout Procedure is performed, the Old Electronic Journal Files will be deleted and are not recoverable.
The Deletion of Old Electronic Journal Files may also be effected manually through the BreakPoint Configuration Menu. You must first select REPORTS, then PROGRAMMING, and finally the DELETE JOURNAL FILES option. This menu option will perform the same Deletion of Old Electronic Journal Files as is performed by the Cashout Procedure and can be effected at any time.
SPECIAL NOTE:
It is strongly recommended that operators perform some external backup procedure for off-site storage of the Old Electronic Journal Files before deleting them.