When performing a backup (either manually or with an automated tool or process), it's important to back up the database and other files used by Informant to ensure that, in the event you need to recover your data, we'll be able to fully restore Informant.


Files that need to be backed up


The following files should be backed up as part of your backup process:


  • The Informant SQL Server database: This is typically named "Informant20" but may have a different name on your server. Check the Informant Configuration Manager on a computer that connects to Informant to verify the correct server and database name. Backups should be made using the standard SQL Server backup format rather than backing up MDF and LDF files directly. If using a third-party backup tool, ensure that it can specifically back up SQL Server databases.
  • The "Informant" folder on your server: This is typically located under "C:\", but may be on another drive on your server.
  •  Informant attachments folder(s): Records in Informant that have attachments may be storing the attachments in one or more folders on your server or elsewhere on the network. All of the attachment folders configured in Informant should be backed up along with the database. See Back up Informant attachment files for more information.


Backup best practices


Regardless of how you back up your database, there are some general guidelines you should follow in your backup process to help ensure you can recover your data if needed:


  • Make sure at least some backups are stored off-site, whether in the cloud, on a server in another location, or on a disk stored in another location.
  • Store a few recent backups. If your most recent backup is no good, it won't help when something goes wrong. It's best to store at least a few recent, full backups of the database to increase the chance that you'll be able to restore the database from a backup in the event of a data loss incident.
  • Check your backups: periodically restore a database backup to a new database (don't overwrite the actual Informant20 database that's in use!) to test that your backups work and can be restored.
  • We recommend automating your backup process so that backups occur on a regular schedule (see Set up a scheduled backup of your database and other files). Schedule your backups based on how much data loss is "acceptable": for example, if you are able to handle one day's loss of data, schedule your backups to occur once a day. This also needs to be weighed against how much storage you have for backups and how many previous backups you will be storing simultaneously.


Ways to back up your data