Disaster Recovery

In the event of disaster, call Communicare Support on 1800 798 441 and follow these steps to recover your data.

Important: As soon as Communicare is installed at your health service, you should have a backup regime in place. For information about backing up your Communicare database, see Backup Regimes.
In the event of disaster, either the database must be recovered or the most recent backup must be obtained. Without the database or a backup, you won't be able to restore your data. These are the options available to restore your data in order of preference:
  1. If there is access to the server's file system, the database file may be recoverable by Communicare Support. Support can backup and copy the database.
  2. If the database is inaccessible, the latest backup may still be accessible. The data will be 0-24 hours old depending on the time of day that the server problem was encountered.
  3. If the server has been destroyed completely, the latest backup copy stored separately to the Communicare server will be required. If you copy your backup to a separate server daily, the data will be 0-24 hours old depending on the time of day that the server problem was encountered. If you copy your backup less frequently, the backup will be older than one day.
  4. If the entire building has been lost, the latest backup stored offsite will be required.
  5. If a synchronisation client has survived, this may be used to recover the database. The database will be as current as the last time the offline client was synchronised.
Note: If you have a computer, the latest backup and an internet connection available immediately, the time to get the database up and running after a disaster may be as little as 60 to 90 minutes. Extra time will be needed if any of these requirements are not met. Extra time may also be needed for large or complex installations and in the event of disasters where multiple health services are affected simultaneously.
To recover your database:
  1. Determine which of the above scenarios applies to you.
  2. Configure a Windows computer to allow remote access for Communicare Support. If a computer is available, installing and configuring the remote control software should take no longer than 5-10 minutes. If no internet or phone connection is available, move the computer to a place where there is either an internet or phone connection.
  3. Call Communicare Support on 1800 798 441.
  4. Communicare Support will access the replacement computer and install Communicare. If Communicare cannot be copied from the old server, it will need to be downloaded over the internet. This can take about 1 hour with a good internet connection.
  5. Communicare Support will restore the latest backup. This will take approximately 5-15 minutes, or longer depending on the size of the database and the specification of the server.
If there is a local network available, clients can connect to this replacement computer and use Communicare almost immediately.