Back up and System Data Recovery

Data integrity and availability are critical to business operations. This document outlines the data backup and recovery procedures for the Softools platform, providing users with transparency and control over their data.

• Deleted Records Recovery
• Disaster Recovery Plan
• Self-Service Data Backup

Deleted Records Recovery

• Daily Backups: Softools performs daily backups of data, which are stored for 28 days. These backups allow for the recovery of deleted records, usually only for he purposes of Disaster Recovery.
• Fees for Recovery: If a non Disaster recovery is required for deleted records, a fee will be applied for data restoration from backups. Recovered data would be made available through a temporary tenant/site for the client to access and export from, ready to import back into the live tenant/site
• Best Practice: It is recommended to archive rather than delete data to ensure it remains recoverable within the platform.

Disaster Recovery Plan

1. App Data Services (User Data)

   • Replication: Managed primary and secondary replica sets are maintained, with a third-party arbiter on separate infrastructure to ensure redundancy.
   • Backup Schedule: Backups occur daily at 5 AM UTC and are retained for 30 days.

2. System Data Services (System & App Configuration)

   • Backup Retention: System and application configuration data are backed up daily and kept for 14 days.
   • Geo-Replication: Backups can be geo-replicated to additional data centers if necessary.

3. Core Platform Services

   • Load Balancing: Multiple load-balanced instances are hosted in geographically diverse data centers, including North Europe (Ireland) and US East (Virginia), and South East Asia (Singapore).
   • Rapid Deployment: In case of a data center failure, new instances can be deployed to available data centers in under an hour.

Self-Service Data Backup

• Export Option: Users can backup their data by exporting all record information into a CSV file format. This allows users to maintain a personal backup independent of the Softools platform.
• Snapshots. Using a combination of scheduled workflow and record copies, snapshots can also be taken on a scheduled basis to another App which could serve as a backup 

Softools' robust data backup and recovery strategy ensure continuous data protection. Users are encouraged to utilize the CSV export feature for personal backups and to archive data when possible. For detailed recovery requests or to initiate a disaster recovery plan, users should contact Softools support.