online backup

[Hersheydmd]

Anyone using online backup?
I'd like to start using an online backup service that automatically backs up my files.
1) Which folders should I set to be backed up for OD?
2) Are there any implications related to starting and stopping the MySQL service? Will it work if the service is not stopped?
Thanks for your help.

Rob

[jordansparks]

Do a search in our manual for backup. That page also has a prominent link to our online backups page. All your questions are answered there.

[Hersheydmd]

Thanks Jordan.
I just downloaded and started backing up with the CrashPlan Trial version.
I have a question. When you delete a file from a folder, does it get deleted from the backups? If not, and you have to restore the folder all the deleted and unwanted files will be restored.

[jordansparks]

A folder will be restored to the same condition as it was in at the point in time of the backup. Think of the backup more as a complex database rather than any actual flat copy. The database stores the fact that you deleted the file on a certain date and time. If you restore to a point prior to that event, the file will reappear. If you restore to a point after that event, the file will remain gone.

[Hersheydmd]

Great! I didn't know it worked that way. Thanks for the help.

[jordansparks]

I should have clarified that the behavior I was talking about was only for CrashPlan and similar services. Some backup software does just make dumb flat backups, including the one that's built into Open Dental. But the modern online backup offerings are different and tend to be intelligent database-driven designs.

[Hersheydmd]

Got it. Then I am correct in periodically deleting and refreshing my A-Z folder on my backup computer at home to rid it of any image files that I deleted in the office. Thanks for the clarification.

[Jay]

Crashplan is as of Jan 1 2015, $1000 setup fee and $600 per year (they charge you for a 5 user minimum). They also need a dedicated Crashplan server in addition to your file server. Is anyone using any other service which is affordable and HIPAA compliant?



PS: I am aware this is an old thread.

[KevinRossen]

Crashplan is as of Jan 1 2015, $1000 setup fee and $600 per year (they charge you for a 5 user minimum). They also need a dedicated Crashplan server in addition to your file server. Is anyone using any other service which is affordable and HIPAA compliant?
PS: I am aware this is an old thread.

What are you wanting to backup? Just your Open Dental database? Or xrays/images, too? I may be able to get something setup for you.

[Jay]

OD, XDR and Dolphin databases plus OpenDentalImages folder and other images, DICOMs, PDFs etc. Service need to be HIPAA compliant with any accompanying documentation as well as encrypted locally using a private encryption key before uploading. Backups should be made incrementally in realtime or at least hourly with the option of rollbacks (in case of accidental deletion). We dump open databases periodically but it would be nice if the service can handle the MySQL folder of Open Dental and XDR while they are in use.

[Hersheydmd]

Crashplan is as of Jan 1 2015, $1000 setup fee and $600 per year (they charge you for a 5 user minimum). They also need a dedicated Crashplan server in addition to your file server. Is anyone using any other service which is affordable and HIPAA compliant?

Jay,
I am using CrashPlanPro and I just checked their website. It is $10/mo per computer for unlimited storage with 448-bit encryption. What is $1000/mo and why would you need it? I am using a virtual server and backing up the server and its host for $20/mo.
In addition, I set up Windows Remote Desktop from home to office and with a script I copy the OD database back & forth. I usually stop the MySQL server on both first, but I found that it works even when I don't.

Copy from office to home:
@Echo On
ren \\tsclient\C\mysql\data\opendental opendental_%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%
robocopy \\Server\c\mysql\data\opendental \\tsclient\c\mysql\data\opendental /s

Copy from home to office
@Echo On
ren \\Server\c\mysql\data\opendental opendental_%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%
robocopy \\tsclient\c\mysql\data\opendental \\Server\c\mysql\data\opendental /s

[Jay]

Unfortunately I called Crashplan and when they heard dental office, they said that I must get the ProE not the Pro product because of HIPAA. ProE has a one time setup fee for $1000 and a $600 per year hosting fee.

[KevinRossen]

Unfortunately I called Crashplan and when they heard dental office, they said that I must get the ProE not the Pro product because of HIPAA. ProE has a one time setup fee for $1000 and a $600 per year hosting fee.

My advice is to store your radiographs/images offline utilizing external, encrypted hard drives that you rotate daily. Couple that with backing up the actual MySQL database with a HIPAA-compliant cloud service and you've got a great plan! I can help anyone set this up in a couple different ways. If you're interested feel free to reply to this thread, email me, or call me at 888-755-5728.

[satishp]

Hello Kevin,

Can you tell or give me couple of good sites which are HIPAA complaint and can backup sql database?

We tried calling crashplan and got similar numbers. $1000 setup fees and $600 fees from thereon.

Thank You.

[Jay]

Unfortunately there are no easy solutions here. The OD page (for once) is hopelessly out of date and all services are way more expensive since the service providers have sensed that there are now regulations that enable them to market more aggressively.

http://opendental.com/manual/backupsonline.html

Issues to consider:

1. Reputation of the company.
2. Open Ports Yes or No. Mild increase in online risk with open ports. Also you have to know how to do it safely.
3. Storage space: Whether unlimited.
4. Dedicated resources needed. Yes or no. This includes servers and personnel.
5. Bare metal recovery. Can recover OS on your server even with new hardware.
6. Versioning. And whether it uses up your quota.
7. Open Databases. Obviates the need to make a dump file.
8. Can you backup all types of file or does the backup company pick for you?
9. Private key encryption. Do you get to keep your own encryption key?
10. Blowfish versus AES encryption.
11. BAA.
12. Optional of an additional local backup to speed recovery.
13. Fees associated with recovery. This could explain the low initial cost.
14. If you use a backup agent software make sure it runs as a service and not an executable that anyone can shut down..


Crashplan: OD says $60 but this is software only for one user for local backups. Add web storage and you've added $60 per user. So far so good so you think, it's $120. But not so. If you need a BAA, you need ProE which is $1000 to install and has a 5 user minimum so voila, $1600. Then you need an IT contact on site and a dedicated Crashplan server with more system requirements than your OD server. Crashplan also needs open ports on your router. This is not necessarily a big deal but please confirm that they are willing to do this for you and aren't counting on the onsite IT contact.

Carbonite Pro is not recommended by OD but the new versions supports open databases and can even do bare metal recovery in future. The annual fee however, is higher than Crashplan (800-1100) and storage is not unlimited like Crashplan. No Open Ports needed though.

Mozy: OD's page says prices are very low. Not in my experience. In fact it seems more expensive than Carbonite per year based on how much space you get. The customer service is amazing though. Crashplan was not as good for me. Carbonite was pretty good but Mozy was by far the best phone experience.

Bottom line: Reliable backup services with a reputable vendor and a BAA cost money. If anyone has alternatives that are attractive, please post.

[KevinRossen]

Amazon's AWS S3 is the way to go. They offer a BAA and they're not expensive at all, but you'll need to do some leg work of your own. Their service is partly what Dropbox and others use for their sync.

[KevinRossen]

Here are a few more details. First, you'll need to setup an Amazon Web Services account. I think you can use your existing Amazon account, but for security purposes I would setup a new one preferably with a practice email address. Once the account is setup, you'll need to get a BAA from Amazon. Amazon kind of buries how this process works. It's actually pretty simple, but you have to start the process by contacting them by clicking the link on this page. It seems like it only takes a day or so once you start this process.

When you have that done you'll need to create access keys and apply this appropriate security credentials. This is a bit more complex, but Amazon does have extensive documentation on it. The basic idea is that you're isolating the data from everything else.

There are two tools that I've found to work really well: Cloudberry Sync or SyncBack Pro. Either one will first encrypt the backup, transfer the backup via secure connection, and enable server-side encryption (a second layer of encryption on Amazon's side).

You'll likely spend less than $5/mo for this. Probably more like $1/mo depending on how often you're downloading and testing your backup.

[Jay]

Very useful Kevin. Thanks.

[drmaximus]

Doesn't crash plan encrypt the data before it even sends it? All that HIPPA requires is the data is encrypted

[boboffice]

I'd love it if OD would offer such a service.

[KevinRossen]

Doesn't crash plan encrypt the data before it even sends it? All that HIPPA requires is the data is encrypted

Technically speaking, encryption of data isn't a HIPAA requirement, but it is considered addressable. On top of that, if the service is managing the encryption keys/passwords, that means they have access to the data, so you're better off encrypting the data BEFORE it's put into the cloud provider's service.