Winnes Wong CPA - 6-user accounting client (2007 - 2014)
The client’s story
In 2006, this accounting client was referred to us from another one of our clients. Initially this firm needed someone to provide IT support for their computer system. We were more than happy to fulfill that need. Over the years, we were able to improve their system by adding a server that could continue to run even if there was a failed hardware component such as a hard drive. We also added more security to their data to prevent unauthorized access and implemented a backup system to restore data and if need be the entire server. The server and backup system are described below.
Case Study - A server that could handle problems and prevent disasters.
Problem
Tax season is a busy time for any CPA. This is when clients need to file their business and personal tax returns and payroll tax returns. A typical work day could be 12 hours per day 5 to 6 days per week. This is not a time that a CPA firm can afford to have a failed server. This could be disastrous for both the firm and its clients. Our client was no different. At the time, they had a very basic server with a very basic backup of data only. The server did not have any features that would deal with common things like a failed hard drive, power outages, Windows corruption, etc. A little issue like a 10 second power outage could cause all of their data be corrupted requiring a full restore. Our client was vulnerable to one small problem causing a major disaster,
Solution
First, we implemented a server that was designed to handle the most common issues like failed hard drives and power outages. This allowed our client’s server to continue to run even if one hard drive failed. There was also a battery backup which allowed our client’s server to continue to run during a power outage. In extended outages, the backup battery even went as far as to power off the server correctly. Both helped protect the client’s system and to prevent disasters.
Secondly, we implemented a solid backup solution that would back up both the data files and the entire server including user accounts, programs, and Windows. This allowed both data as well as the entire server to be restored if there was an issue. This ensured the system could be fully recovered if there was a major disaster.
Result
This solution allowed our client to focus on their clients tax filings instead of power outages, failed hard drives, and server problems in general.
