Appropriate uses of the Client Data Management Utility

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The Client Data Management Utility enables you to back up and restore data for individual clients. However, we do not recommend using the Client Data Management Utility as a routine method of backing up and restoring client data.

In most cases, we recommend that you back up and restore data via the File > Backup command, which backs up data for all clients in the firm database. (See Best practices for safeguarding your firm and client data.)

CDMU calls can be handled by non-System reps. Remember, System reps are not trained on CDMU.

Advantages of the Client Data Management Utility

Although you generally do not need to back up data for a single client, there are a few circumstances where it may be useful. The Client Data Management Utility provides a convenient method to create individual backup files for one or more clients, as needed for such special circumstances. The client data backup files provide a method of point-in-time archiving, as well as a convenient method to restore one client at a time — for example, when preparing client data for an IRS audit or for merging with another accounting firm..

The Client Data Management Utility can be used for the following situations.

  • Example 1: Your firm merges with another firm that also uses Workpapers CS . The Client Data Management Utility enables you to take the backup data files for individual clients and restore that data into your firm's primary database.
  • Example 2: IRS review. The Client Data Management Utility enables you to back up client data to create an archive for IRS audits or other legal proceedings.
  • Example 3: QuickBooks import. It might be helpful to back up data for a specific client before importing that client's data from QuickBooks. If the import fails for any reason and the data becomes corrupt, you can restore the data and restart the import.
  • Example 4: Changing the client's fiscal year end date. It might be helpful to back up data for a specific client before changing the client's fiscal year, in case you need to revert the data for some reason.
  • Example 5: Using Workpapers CS to perform fieldwork. If you perform audit fieldwork on a local installation of Workpapers CS in a peer-to-peer network at the client’s office, we recommend that you Check out and Check in the client’s data via the Client Data Management Utility. For details, see Using the Fieldwork Utility.

Limitations of the Client Data Management Utility

  • The utility backs up and restores client data only and is not intended for backing up or restoring reports or financial statements. Also, this utility is currently not available for backing up the Firm client or consolidation master clients.
  • You cannot backup a client, change the ID, and then restore the client as a new client via the Client Data Management Utility. The application recognizes the client and displays a message that indicates that the client already exists in the application. (Even if you use a different client ID, the application uniquely identifies each client in the database, and this identifier cannot be modified.)
  • The Client Data Management Utility enables you to select multiple clients at one time to create a separate backup file for each client, but you can restore data for only a single client at a time.
  • If the backup or restore takes longer than 30 minutes and the application times out, the backup or restore process will stop until you log back in, at which point the backup or restore will resume. For more information about time out periods, see Timeout periods in CS Professional Suite applications.

Backing up client data

  1. Choose File > Client Data Management Utility.
  2. Select Backup , Backup for another firm , or Check out from the drop-down list in the Action field.
    Use the Backup option to create a client backup file that can be restored to your firm’s database. (For example, a point-in-time restore, or before the import of a large amount of data such as QuickBooks files.)
    Use the Backup for another firm option to create a client backup file that can be restored to another firm’s database. (For example, when you want to merge data between firms.)
    Use the Check out option to perform audit fieldwork on a local installation of Workpapers CS in a peer-to-peer network at the client’s office.
  3. Enter or browse to the location where you want to store the client data.

    Notes

    • The default Backup/Restore location is defined in the CS Professional Suite tab of the File Locations dialog.
    • The application names the backup files by the client name and date (for example, 3DEPTS-2016-08-31.cbf). If you create multiple backups for a client on the same day, the application displays a prompt that gives you the option to replace the file, keep both files, or Cancel the backup process. Show me.

      backup message

  4. Select one or more clients for backup by marking the checkboxes in the Client Data grid.
    • You can use the Search and Filter fields to limit the list of available clients that appear in the Client Data grid.
    • If the utility is not applicable to a client (because it is a consolidation master client or the firm client, or if it has billing transactions), the application displays an explanation in the Details column for that client.
  5. Verify or edit the filenames in the File Name column for each client selected for backup.
  6. Click the Backup Selected button. The Backup utility creates a separate backup file for each client that is selected.
  7. When the backup process is complete, click OK. The Backup Diagnostics report opens automatically in the Preview screen, and you can choose to print or close that report. (The report displays the client ID, client name, date/time, and details such as the filename for the data backup file and any potential errors that were encountered during the backup procedure.)

Restoring client data from a backup file

Note: Before restoring client data, verify that your SQL instance is the same version that was used to create the backup.

  1. Choose File > Client Data Management Utility.
  2. Choose Restore , Restore from another firm , or Check in from the drop-down list in the Action field.
    Use the Restore option to restore a client backup that was previously created for this firm. (For example, a point-in-time restore.)
    Use the Restore from another firm option to restore a client backup file that was created for another firm. (For example, when you want to merge data between firms.)
    Use the Check in option to return a single backup of the client's audit fieldwork back at the office.
  3. Enter or browse to the location of the client backup file that you want to restore.
  4. Mark the checkbox in the Client Data grid for the client data to restore. Note that you can restore backup data for only one client at a time.
  5. Click the Restore Selected button.

    Note: Be sure that Workpapers CS remains open until the restore process is complete. Closing the application during the restore process can cause database corruption and errors, which prevents you from backing up or restoring further clients without intervention by our Support team.

  6. When the restore process is complete, click OK. The Restore Diagnostics report opens automatically in the Preview screen, and you can choose to print or close that report. (The report displays the client ID, client name, date/time, and details such as the filename for the data backup file that was restored and any potential errors that were encountered during the restore procedure.)

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