Dec 14 2007
Backing up Metasys files has been a long and time consuming process that is made simple with the new MetaBAK™ product. The MetaBAK™ is a fully contained backup system on a USB Module to backup Metasys system information. Simply plug the MetaBAK™ into a USB port on the OWS (Operator Workstation) and it starts the backup program to save Metasys data including feature data, global database and All NCM (Network Control Module) databases for the system. The data is saved on the MetaBAK™ module which is small enough to fit in your shirt pocket and can be stored in a safe place.
System backups are always important and become increasingly important as systems age since equipment is more likely to fail. If a Building Automation System fails without a reliable software backup the Mean Time To Repair hours can increase dramatically since all the data needs to be recreated and reentered. In many cases it can take weeks to bring the Building Automation System back to normal operations.
Even though most of us know that we need to do regular backups, the fact is that many, if not most of us, don't do it because it is time consuming. MetaBAK solves this problem with a simple one step system backup solution.
MetaBAK is an easy to use backup solution that insures reliability.
"I just got the MetaBak software and ran it for the first time... Wow. Great product. My Johnson Controls Metasys system has 45 NCM's and after launching this program It uploaded all my NCM's, decompiled all DDL files and saved the database with one click of the mouse," said Greg Morris - Emcor. "It also showed me if I had any errors in the database and which NC the errors were in. I wish I had this tool years ago. A must have for anyone maintaining a Metasys system. Great job Dave."
There are a number of things that can corrupt Metasys databases.
Hard disk failure -- Mean Times Between Failure (MTBFs) have improved dramatically in the past several years for all peripherals. But so has data capacity and the amount of data that can be lost on disk failure. The problem is failures are unpredictable. Following Murphy's Law the loss will occur at the worst possible time. MetaBAK™ provides users a way to quickly and reliably recover from unpredictable disk failures.
Virus protection and spyware protection -- Viruses continue to be a problem and wreak havoc with systems, causing errors, lockups and data loss. Using MetaBAK™ user can quickly restore data lost through virus infection when used in conjunction with good virus detection software.
Events beyond an owner's control -- Natural and man-made disasters can occur that can cause the loss of Metasys data. These include fire, floods, lightning and malicious activity by a disgruntled employee. After such an occurrence, owners of a Metasys Building Automation System must regenerate configuration and system information which takes a long time. Using MetaBAK™ allows users to quickly and reliably restore system data after such calamity.
Since the MetaBAK™ is economical users can easily justify having multiple MetaBAK™ devices to preserve system integrity by storing backups in a fireproof safe and at an off-site location. If the users system goes, their data stays -- it may mean the difference between business as usual and buildings out of control with wasted energy.