Past STCR Newsletter articles highlighted the
importance of having a backup and recovery plan for your POS system. With the recent For starters, it is very important to have a backup routine for your mission critical systems. POS controllers and servers are such mission critical machines. Some systems have automated backup routines and some require manual processing. Either way, the backup routine should be done at minimum on a weekly basis. Then the backup media should be verified and removed from the store. This will ensure that the machines and the backup media are not exposed to the same adverse impact.
Secondly, you should have
redundant methods of processing electronic payments. A common method is using dual high-speed
lines from different providers. Another
method is to utilize a wireless signal as a backup connection to the
Internet. The phone line is a third
option that can be utilized. Besides
these communication methods, we highly recommend having a stand-alone device to
process payments in the event that the POS controller or server is not operational.
Lastly, an important device to
have is the UPS (Unlimited Power Supply).
Most UPS devices have two sides: one side of plugs with surge protection
only and the other side with surge protection and battery backup. In case of a power outage, it is important to
only plug in the mission critical devices to the battery backup side to prolong
the battery life. The purpose of the UPS
is really to provide enough power to complete and save works in progress before
properly powering down the devices.
Regularly checking the health of the batteries and replacing batteries
that are out of useful life is an important and often neglected routine.
These steps are just part of a
comprehensive disaster recovery plan that each retailer should have. One resource to go to is www.ready.gov.
This website provides a wealth of resources and information that you
could incorporate to suit your needs and your comfort level of preparedness as
well as the recovery process.
