Real-Time Data Replication
Your documents and data are replicated across multiple locations. This eliminates risk from an isolated storage system failure.
Database Snapshots
"Snapshots" are point-in-time copies of your database data. Snapshots allow you to rollback to a previous point in time. Rolling back to a snapshot is not done very often since you will lose any data entered between the time of the snapshot and the current time. However there are some circumstances where going back to a snapshot may be useful; for example if you accidentally delete a lot of good data, or you import a some bad data. Snapshots are most often used when initially setting up your system and importing data from your previous system.
Actionstep automatically makes regular snapshots of your system. You can view your available snapshots by looking in Admin > General > Database Snapshots.
Requesting a database be rolled back using a Snapshot
Snapshots can be used to "roll back" a database. This means all of the settings, data, and documents present at the time of the snapshot will be restored. This also means all data entered subsequently will be erased. To request your database be rolled back using a snapshot you can contact support@actionstep.com with your name, orgkey, and the date of the snap shot you would like to use. Support will discuss all available options prior to processing the request and may suggest alternatives to a rollback.
Downloadable Backups
The documents and data that you upload to Actionstep are your property. You can request a copy of your data and documents at any time.
Requesting a Backup
How to request a backup
In order for your request to be processed the support team will need to verify that you have the necessary authority within your organization to receive the backup.
Most backup requests will be completed within 1 business day of receiving the request, however if you have a particularly large data set then this might be slightly longer. When the backup has been completed you will be sent an email message with a download link. You will be called separately to provide you with a password to decrypt the backup (we don't send the password and the download link in the same email message for security purposes).
Backup Too Big to Download?
If your backup is too big for you to download then you can request that we ship it to you via courier. The cost for this service will vary depending on courier costs, storage media, and the time taken to process the request.
What's Included in Your Backup
The email you receive will contain link(s) to download one or more password-protected, ZIP files (for large backups we spread the data across several zip files to make it easier to download). You should download the zip files and then uncompress them using the password that was provided to you by support.
The first zip file will contain your database data and possibly some documents. Subsequent zip files (if any) will contain the rest of your documents.
Database Data
In the first zip file there will be a folder called "Data". Inside this folder there will be several HTML files that contain pure HTML tables containing your data. The HTML files can be viewed in a browser or opened in Microsoft Excel.
You can open up the HTML data files in Microsoft Excel and save in spreadsheet format.
Each data file contains rows of data and their associated unique keys (usually numeric with a column name containing "id"). You can use the keys to relate rows of data together from several data files. This makes it easier to import this data into another relational database system. Here is an explanation of what is contained in each data file:
| Filename | Key | Data |
|---|---|---|
| actions.html | action_id | All your actions (our generic name for matters, projects, etc) and who they are currently assigned to |
| action_types.html | action_type_id | The defined "types" for each action. This governs the workflow and configuration of each action |
| action_folder.html | folder_id | The default folder structure for documents stored within each action type |
| action_participants.html | action_id, participant_type_id | The participants of each type that are linked to each action |
| chart_of_accounts.html | ac_account_id | All the accounts defined in your general ledger |
| check_series.html | check_id | All checks (cheques) for banking check printing |
| custom_action_data.html | data_collection_name, data_field_name | All custom data values linked to actions. Fields are grouped into rows using the record_id key |
| disbursements.html | disbursement_id | Disbursements loaded against actions |
| document_log.html | log_id | A list of all documents saved to actions. The file_name field should match to documents in this backup. You can use this file to match the actions to the files listed in the "documents" folder of the backup zip files |
| email.html | email_id | Message headers and subject. The message contents can be found in the linked attachments. |
| email_associations.html | association_id | What items an email is linked to within Actionstep (actions, invoices, contacts, etc) |
| email_attachment.html | attachment_id | Email attachments. You can use this to match the email messages to the attachment files listed in the zip folders under "email/attachments" |
| general_ledger_transactions.html | transaction_id | A full extract of all your accounting entries |
| participant_document.html | document_id | A list of documents saved to contact records. You can match these to the files in the zip folders under "participant/documents" |
| participants.html | participant_id | Contact records |
| participant_types.html | participant_type_id | The types of parties (client, lawyer, witness, etc) defined for each action type |
| primary_participant_types.html | participant_type_id, action_type_id | The main participant type for each action type (usually "Client"). In other words the person shown in the action header area on the screen inside Actionstep |
| receipt.html | receipt_id | Receipts issued for payments received |
| sale_purchase_line_items | line_item_id | The line items of quotes, orders and invoices |
| sale_purchase_payment.html | payment_id | Payments received against invoices |
| sale_purchase.html | sale_purchase_id | Header information for quotes, orders and invoices |
| tasks.html | task_id | Tasks |
| time_records.html | record_id | Timesheet entries |
| rate_sheets.html | rate_id | Rate sheets |
| transaction_references.html | transaction_reference_id | Any additional reference information for the general ledger transactions |
| trust_*.html | transaction_id, action_id | Transactions related to the trust account for each action |
Documents
Other than the "data" folder all other folders contain copies of all documents you have uploaded to Actionstep in their original format. The documents are arranged in folder by functional area. In many cases the file name of the document is prefixed with the corresponding database key. For example 7865_some_file_name in the "documents" folder will relate to action Id 7865.