BACKING UP AND RESTORING YOUR DATA > Making Internet Backups

Note: The OnDemand version does not have Internet backups, because its database is already on a server in the cloud so it does not seem necessary to store backups on a 2nd server. Backups that you make with the OnDemand version can be to the same server that it runs on.

The first time you make regular backups in the program, with the Backup/Restore ⇒ Backup Database menu option (or when you are first prompted to do a backup as you are exiting DONATION), you will be asked whether you would like to set up to do Internet backups as well, after each regular backup.

Internet backups are highly secure encrypted backups of your database, sent to a secure location on the Software4Nonprofits.com web server for storage. Of course, high-speed Internet access on your computer is required for this to be a reasonable option.

There is no option to just make an Internet backup without first making a regular backup. The reason for this is that it does not seem wise to rely only on Internet backups - your first "line of defense", in the case of hard drive crashes etc., should always be a regular local backup, preferably made to something off of your hard drive, like a USB memory key. The Internet backup then provides a secondary restore option, in case your hard drive dies and you cannot find your local backups.

Before you can make Internet backups, they need to be configured via the options in the bottom half of the Backup/Restore ⇒ Backup Frequency and Options window. That includes setting up a strong Internet backup encryption password, which is also the one you will use for making Internet backups.

Once that has been configured, every time you make a normal backup, you will then be prompted for your Internet backup encryption password to do the Internet backup. As long as you supply it and click OK in the password window, your encrypted backup will then be sent to its secure online storage location. It can be restored, if required, with the Backup/Restore ⇒ Restore Internet Backup menu option.

Your Internet backup file will be named DONATION-YYYY-MM-DD.HH.MM.SS.DB.S4E, where YYYY-MM-DD.HH.MM.SS is the current date and time. ("S4E" stands for Software4Nonprofits backup Encrypted.)

Only your three most recent Internet backups are retained, in order that the amount of storage used on the Software4Nonprofits.com web server not become excessive. In addition, backups over 1 year old may be removed. (Of course, you should be making backups more often than three times per year, so this should not be an issue for you!)

Internet Backups when you have Multiple Databases

Like all other forms of backups, if you are maintaining multiple databases for multiple organizations, with the Database ⇒ Switch Databases menu option, only your current database is backed up when you make an Internet backup following a regular backup. See also the section on this topic in the Help page on configuring Internet backups.

If an alternate database is named, say, DONATION4.OTHER, your Internet backup file will be named DONATION-YYYY-MM-DD.HH.MM.SS.OTHER.S4E.

Internet Backups and the Cloud Storage Service

If you turn on the Cloud Storage service, your Internet backups and restores are done automatically, more or less every time you start and exit the program. When that is turned on, regular backups are not followed by Internet Backups.

Internet Backups when you have DONATION on Multiple Computers

Please see the section on this topic in the Help page on configuring Internet backups, to understand how to ensure that the multiple copies of your database all use the same Unique ID.

Internet Backups in the Local Network Client version of DONATION

The Local Network Client version makes both the main local backup and the Internet Backup by sending commands to the computer running the Local Network Server version, where those backups are actually performed for you. Then it gets the results of those actions back from that computer and reports them to you.

This topic was last edited on Feb 17, 2023