Backup policy?

Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
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studentclerk-p40
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Backup policy?

#1

Post by studentclerk-p40 »

We had a building burn down in our stake today. It wasn't my building but it got me thinking about what it would be like to be the clerk in that ward. We have our records in a normal filing cabinet so that would be gone. Would you just go in and re-print all your reconciliations/old checks, re-sign everything? Or would you just load MLS off your back-up and be done with it? Do you have a fireproof safe in your office? Do you back up with multiple flash drives or one? Do you take the thumb drive home, does the bishopric?

Thanks,
StudentClerk
jdlessley
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#2

Post by jdlessley »

studentclerk wrote:We had a building burn down in our stake today. It wasn't my building but it got me thinking about what it would be like to be the clerk in that ward. We have our records in a normal filing cabinet so that would be gone. Would you just go in and re-print all your reconciliations/old checks, re-sign everything? Or would you just load MLS off your back-up and be done with it?
The best thing to do in this situation is to contact Clerk Support at Church headquarters and follow their instructions.

Since reconciliations represent a snapshot in time, just printing out a reconciliation will not work. Any transactions that occur after a reconciliation is done will cause any previous reconciliations in MLS to appear to not reconcile. You would have to redo the reconciliations from some point in the past for each month, print it out, and then procede on through each month until reaching the month with the lastest CUF. Without the source for much of the donation and disbursement information (donation slips, reimbursement request forms, etc.) tracking down any unreconciled differences would be a challenging if not impossible task.
studentclerk wrote: Do you back up with multiple flash drives or one? Do you take the thumb drive home, does the bishopric?
The topic of backing up MLS has been discussed in other threads. "Financial data backup" and "MLS and backups" are good ones to take a look at. I hope the clerk for the unit that lost their building was following recommended backup procedures. The cost of USB flash drives is low enough that every person that makes financial transaction entries in MLS could have one that has the backup for the session they completed in MLS and takes that home with them and then secure it just as required for confidential information. Finding the last best offsite backup would not be too difficult with only four or five Priesthood holders holding flash drives.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
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mkmurray
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#3

Post by mkmurray »

studentclerk wrote:We had a building burn down in our stake today.
I read about this today. Our prayers are with the members of your stake.
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