Your accounting database, e-ledger and e-invoice archives are among the most critical data a company holds. We explain step by step how to back up the database properly instead of copying open files, how to schedule backups, keep an offsite and immutable copy, and test restores.
Ask any company which data would hurt most to lose, and the answer is usually the same: accounting data. Customer and supplier accounts, stock movements, payroll, e-invoices and e-ledger records sit at the centre of both daily operations and legal obligations. A disk failure, a ransomware attack or an accidentally deleted company file can turn into weeks of re-entering data.
For accounting firms the stakes are even higher. A single server may hold the data of dozens or even hundreds of clients. In this article we explain how to back up accounting data properly, the most common mistakes, and a practical routine that even a small office can follow.
Why Accounting Data Needs Special Treatment
Accounting data is not like ordinary office files. Copying a Word document is usually enough, but accounting applications typically run on a database in the background. Three characteristics make backing it up different:
- It changes constantly: invoices are issued, payments recorded and stock moved throughout the day. Last night's backup does not contain this afternoon's work.
- It must be consistent: if a backup contains an invoice header but not its lines, it is useless. You need a consistent image of the database at a given moment.
- It must be kept for years: books and records have to be retained for a long time. Backups are not only for disaster recovery but also for access to past periods.
What Should Be Backed Up?
The program folder is not the only thing to protect. A complete backup plan should cover:
- The accounting database: common business accounting and ERP packages in Turkey, such as Logo, Mikro and Netsis, mostly store their data on Microsoft SQL Server. Some smaller packages use their own file-based database. Knowing which one you have is the first step to choosing the right method.
- E-ledger files and receipts: the generated e-ledger files and their approved receipt (berat) files.
- E-invoice, e-archive and e-waybill archives: even if your service provider keeps copies, keeping your own archive is recommended. Access may be lost if you change provider or the service ends.
- Scanned documents: contracts, bank receipts and expense documents.
- Application settings and licence details: they save hours during a reinstall.
- For accountants, client folders: draft tax returns, correspondence and working files.
The Most Common Mistake: Copying Open Database Files
In many offices, "backup" means copying the program folder to an external disk every evening. For an accounting application running on SQL Server, this is a serious risk. While the database is running, its MDF and LDF files are open and constantly being written. Copying them as ordinary files either fails or produces an inconsistent copy that cannot be restored.
Worse, the problem is usually discovered only when a restore is needed. Finding out that months of backups cannot be opened is one of the scenarios we see most often.
The right approach is to back up the database using the database engine's own mechanism:
- Native SQL Server backups: a maintenance plan or scheduled job takes full backups and, where needed, differential and transaction log backups. The resulting BAK files are consistent and safe to copy.
- Application-aware backup software: tools such as Veeam talk to SQL Server while backing up the whole server, capturing a consistent snapshot of the database. You can then restore either the full server or a single database.
- The application's built-in backup tool: many accounting packages can back up each company file. These tools are useful but not enough on their own; their output must also be moved offsite automatically.
For more on how databases are maintained and backed up as a service, see our database solutions page.
Legal Retention Obligations: The General Picture
The Turkish Commercial Code and the Tax Procedure Law require commercial books and records to be kept for many years. Periods between five and ten years are commonly cited, and which period applies depends on the type of document and the relevant legislation. Similar retention obligations apply to electronic books and documents.
Because these periods can change and may differ depending on your company's situation, we recommend confirming exact retention periods with your accountant or legal counsel. From a technical point of view, the key point is this: your backup plan must cover not just the last few weeks, but an archive that stays accessible for the full legal period.
Accounting data also contains personal data about employees and customers, so KVKK, Turkey's data protection law, applies as well. Where backups are stored matters, and keeping them in Turkey simplifies cross-border transfer questions.
A Sound Backup Routine: The 3-2-1 Rule and Beyond
The most reliable starting point is the 3-2-1 rule: at least three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one copy offsite. For an accounting environment it might look like this:
- Live data: the running database on the accounting server.
- Local backup: database backups kept in the same office but on a separate disk or NAS. This is for fast restores.
- Offsite backup: a copy held in the cloud, in a data centre in Turkey. This is what saves you after a fire, theft or ransomware attack.
In recent years one more item has been added: one of the copies should be immutable. Ransomware now also encrypts network backup folders and attached external disks. An immutable backup is a copy that nobody can delete or alter for a set period, even if an administrator account is compromised.
Scheduling: How Often Should You Back Up?
Ask yourself one question: how much data can I afford to lose at most? This is called the recovery point objective (RPO).
- Small business with few transactions per day: one full backup a day is often enough.
- Business with heavy invoicing and stock movement: a nightly full backup plus differential or log backups every few hours.
- Accounting firm: extra intraday backups during tax return periods make a big difference. Losing an afternoon's work means re-entering data for dozens of clients.
Retention also needs planning. A common model keeps daily backups for a few weeks, weekly backups for a few months, and month-end and year-end backups for the full legal period. Backups taken after year-end closing and e-ledger submission should be labelled and kept separately.
Restore Testing: Knowing Your Backup Actually Works
An untested backup is only a hope. We recommend running these checks at least once a month:
- Restore the latest database backup to a separate test environment.
- Point the accounting application at the copy and check recent entries for a few companies.
- Retrieve a random e-invoice and e-ledger file from the archive.
- Note how long the restore took. That is how long your business would stop in a real disaster.
Recording these tests also helps document internal controls and the technical measures expected under KVKK.
Extra Tips for Accounting Firms
- Separate by client: you should be able to restore one client's data without affecting the others.
- Access rights: limit who can reach the backups. A shared administrator password is one of the biggest security holes.
- Laptops: working files on staff laptops must be included too.
- Encryption: offsite backups should be encrypted in transit and at rest.
A Practical Start: Which Package Fits Whom?
Not every office has a system administrator, so treating backup as a monthly service rather than a project makes life easier. CloudRUX SMB packages are designed for this (prices are monthly, VAT excluded):
| Package | Monthly Price | Who It Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 9.90 USD | Very small offices starting with basic cloud services |
| Office | 59 USD | Includes 250 GB PC and file backup; offices with an accounting PC and shared folders |
| Secure Office | From 129 USD | Includes 1 TB immutable server backup, a KVKK report and a monthly check; businesses running an accounting server and accounting firms |
Larger environments or multiple servers can be sized individually with our Backup as a Service (BaaS). The difference is not just storage space: Turkish-speaking engineers check every day that your backup jobs completed and call you when something goes wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn't my accounting software's built-in backup enough?
It is a useful start but not enough on its own. These backups usually sit on the same server and can be lost along with the live data in a ransomware attack or disk failure. They need to be copied automatically offsite, ideally to immutable storage.
Is an external disk enough?
An external disk is a good local copy, but if it stays connected, ransomware can encrypt it too, and a fire or theft takes it along with everything else. Pair it with an offsite, immutable cloud copy.
Why does it matter that backups are kept in Turkey?
Accounting data contains personal data such as employee and customer details. Keeping it in Turkey simplifies cross-border transfer obligations under KVKK. For a definitive assessment, consult your legal counsel.
How long does a restore take?
It depends on database size, connection speed and where the backup is stored. Restoring from a local backup usually takes minutes; bringing back a whole server from the cloud can take hours. The only reliable way to know is to measure it with a real test.
Protect Your Accounting Data with CloudRUX
Anyone can buy infrastructure; what matters is knowing that backups are really taken every day, can be opened, and can be restored quickly when needed. At CloudRUX we keep your backups in data centres in Turkey, manage them for a fixed monthly fee and give you a direct engineer as your counterpart. Find the right package on our SMB packages page, see options for larger environments on our BaaS page, or get in touch to plan backups for your accounting environment.