Data Overview|Backup and RestoreData|Troubleshooting

The data you accumulate in your business is extremelyvaluable. Keeping it safe should be a top priority. Point of Sale providesseveral methods to help you protect your data:

• By requiringemployee logins and assigning security rights you can limit access toyour data and program features. Learnmore.

• Changes thataffect your inventory value (cost and quantity) are automatically trackedon transactional documents and adjustment memos, creating an audit "trail."Learnmore

• Backup copiesof your data can be made each time you run the Endof Day process and are automatically made every time the Server Workstationexits the software. Additional protection can be gained by following aregular manual backup routine.

• Your data filesare automatically checked for integrity and repaired if necessary as backupsare made. This procedure is automatic and no user action is necessary.

General System and Network Protection

While the steps above are intended to protect your Pointof Sale data, you should also be concerned about general system protection.Here are several more suggestions for protecting your data and the systemson your company network.

• Requirepassword logins Assign a unique username and password to eachperson in your company using Point of Sale. Each employee should havea unique user name and password for Windows and for Point of Sale. Pointof Sale, like any Windows application, relies on security features withinWindows. These features are most effective when each user on the systemcan be accounted for. With password protection set, access to your companyfile can only be granted with the assigned passwords. If you share yourdata file with an accountant or other business advisor, assign user namesand passwords to them as well.

• RestrictSecurity Rights Configure Point of Sale security rights appropriatefor your business and the needs of your employees to access specific featuresand data. Point of Sale comes with four default security groups (setsof rights) and you can create custom groups as needed.

• Installand use anti-virus software and keep it up to date!

• Installa network-based or PC-based firewall If you install a firewallon your Internet connection, you can reduce the likelihood that uninvitedpersons will use the Internet to access systems on your network. Firewallproducts will help you to ensure that your computers only conduct thetraffic you allow. Most major brands of anti-virus software also offerfirewalls. Firewalls may have to be configured to allow Point of Saleto communicate between workstations on a network.(Refer to Appendix D in the Point of Sale UsersGuide for more information.)

• UseWindows security and Windows Update To obtain and install thelatest security updates for your computer. Find out more about Windowssecurity and Windows Update services from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/security/.

• Backupyour data frequently Keep backups of your data file in a safelocation, preferably off-site. Keep your backups in a fireproof safe,or at a business records management facility.

• Installa UPS A UPS (uninterruptable power supply) helps ensure dataintegrity in the event of a sudden power loss. Without a UPS, transactionsin progress are usually lost and, as with any software, the data filecan become corrupt if disk write operations were in progress when thepower is lost. We recommend a UPS on each Point of Sale workstation, butmost importantly on the Server Workstation which stores your data.

• Restartyour computer at least a couple times a week. Restarting or "rebooting"is how your computer cleans up the bits and pieces (i.e., files) of applicationsand data that inevitably get stranded in its memory and temporary filelocations over time. Left to accumulate, these files eventually can causeconflicts as applications compete for your computers resources. Restartingoccasionally wipes the slate clean and helps prevent these conflicts andresulting errors.