Schedule Third-party, Automated Data Backups

Some Point of Sale users prefer to backup their Point of Sale data as part of a larger network backup. Typically, these backups are automated, using a third-party application that creates and copies the backup file to another networked computer, to a tape drive, or to an online backup service.

If you wish to include your Point of Sale data in a third-party backup, you will need to first shut down the Point of Sale Database Manager service. This Windows service runs on your Point of Sale Server Workstation and controls access to the Point of Sale data. Third-party applications cannot access the data if the Database Manager is running.

Warning: This procedure applies to the use of a third-party, automated backup application running outside of Point of Sale. It does not apply to, and may interfere with, scheduled backups within Point of Sale. Ensure that Client workstations have exited Point of Sale before shutting down the Database Manager. Any unsaved work will be lost and all workstations will be automatically disconnected from the data with this procedure.
This procedure is provided as a convenience and is recommended only for advanced users with an understanding of their Windows operating system, the use of batch files, and of the third-party application being used. Intuit does not provide support for third-party applications or for Windows features. Consult a qualified computer consultant if you need additional assistance with this procedure.

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How it works

You'll create two batch files; one to stop the Point of Sale Database Manager service and the other to restart it. You then use the Windows Scheduled Tasks manager to schedule the batch files to run, with time in between them for your third-party application to complete its backup routine.

If the backup is to occur when the computer is unattended, such as overnight, complete and save all Point of Sale activities and close Point of Sale, but leave the Server Workstation powered on.

Multi-Store Note: If you are also scheduling Store Exchanges to occur overnight, you must leave Point of Sale running on the Server Workstation. Schedule the Store Exchange to complete before the first batch file is scheduled to shut down the Database Manager. The connection to the database from the server will be lost and Point of Sale will have to be restarted to restore it in the morning.

Create the batch files

Use Notepad or another text editor to create the two batch files. Save the files anywhere on the Server Workstation.

Save the first batch file with a name like QBPOS_DBMgr_STOP.bat and include the following two lines:

@echo off

net stop "QBPOS Database Manager v7"

Save the second batch file with a name like QBPOS_DBMgr_START.bat and include the following two lines:

@echo off

net start "QBPOS Database Manager v7"

Note: If you prefer, do not create a batch file to restart the Database Manager and it will be automatically restarted when Point of Sale is next launched on the Server Workstation.

Schedule the tasks

1. From the Windows Control Panel, select Scheduled Tasks.

2. Select Add Scheduled Task.

3. When the wizard asks you to select a program to run, browse to the STOP batch file you created and enter the frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) and time to stop the service.

4. Repeat for the START batch file. Allow enough time for your third-party application to complete its backup.

Test the tasks: Right-click on the task in the scheduler and select Run. If you bring up the Windows Services window you will be able to observe that the task has stopped/started when you refresh the window.

Refer to your third-party application's documentation for information about scheduling it to run at the desired time.

Note: If you are on a network domain, you may need to enter a Windows username and password when scheduling the tasks. Enter a user with Administrator privileges or the task may not run.