All of your data inside UCM is stored in the cloud, but did you know that you can create a physical backup of all your data from UCM by simply creating a View? Did you know that you can also have this set on a schedule that will back up your system at any interval you’d like? Follow the directions below to create your System Backup View and never worry about your data again.
Before you begin, you’ll want to make sure you are either an Administrator or a Full-Access user with access to ALL contracts in the system. Views take into account your Security Settings, so if you want a true FULL system backup, you need to be a User that has no security restrictions.
Creating your Backup View
You’ll want to begin by going to the Contracts tab in the Enterprise Ribbon; here is where you create your Views, or reports.
From there, you’ll want to head to the small box over to the left where your other Saved Views are stored, and select the Green + “Add New View”.
*If you have never made a View to save, your box will be empty, but will still have the Green +
The first step you’ll want to take is set your Criteria to Contract ID (1), Exists (2), True (3). Every Contract in UCM has to have a Contract ID, so this Criteria will result in every Contract being returned in your View. Make sure that you also have the Include Archive (4) checkbox marked to include the entire system in your backup.
After your Criteria is set, you’ll then want to go down to Default Fields and Sequence. Click the Gear Cog in the top right corner. This will open up a pop-up window with a Left-Right selector. All you have to do is select the double right arrows >> (1) to move all your Fields over to the right side (the bold items left on the left side are just your Field Categories). Then select Save (2).
Next, scroll down to the bottom and check the Save this View (A) checkbox. Give your View a name, and then you can select Save and Run (B).
You will now see your saved View over in the box to the right (A), and to get this file backed up to your computer, simply select the Report icon (B), and select Bulk Loader on the pop-up. This will download a CSV file to your computer which you can save as a back-up of all your data. You can use Excel to extract any data from these reports if needed, and they can also be used to perform a “restore” of sorts in your system if any mass changes are made that need to be undone. It is recommended that before making any mass changes to your system that you perform a System Backup for your data’s safety.
Scheduling your Backup View
So those were directions on how to manually get your backup out of the system, but what if you wanted to perform monthly, weekly, or even daily backups of your system without you having to manually download the report? That can be done by Scheduling your View to have that CSV file sent directly to your email on any time frame you’d like.
This can be set up initially upon creating your View, but if you already have it created, you can edit your View by clicking the pencil next to its name in the Saved View box.
After you enter the Edit screen, right underneath the Save and Name area, you’ll see a Schedule this View checkbox (A). When you check this box, you’ll have the boxes below appear for you to set your schedule:
1. Select the specific time you’d like to receive the report through email.
2. Choose the recurrence pattern of your report, either Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly, which will each have their own set of sub-selections to choose exactly when you’ll receive the report.
3. Select how long you’d like to receive the report for, either by date or by number of occurrences. (We set ours to 120 to receive this backup for the next 10 years (12 months x 10 years = 120 occurrences)
4. Select yourself from the User list to the right to receive this report. You can select more than yourself, but remember, this will be a full system backup, so anyone who you select here will see ALL the information in your system. Only select additional users if you are sure they are allowed to see every piece of data.
5. Finally, you do need to select the Add Schedule button to create this schedule. Your criteria will appear below to let you know that it is set. If you do not select Add Schedule, you will not receive the Report when you wanted and will still have to manually download it.
You still select Run and Save after your Schedule has been added, and you’ll be back at your View.
Now, all you have to do is wait for the first scheduled time to be reached, and you’ll find your CSV file waiting for you in your email.