Create, Restore, or Delete an Online Backup

To make backing up data as convenient and easy as possible for our customers, we have added the ability to back up a MERL database from any machine to cloud storage. Cloud storage is a safe and secure way to store and retrieve data at no cost to the agency/company.

The Center for Technology & Training will set up cloud storage on behalf of the requesting agency/company and, once established, MERL software customers with administrator or power user access at the agency/company will be able to store database backups or retrieve them to/from the cloud (see Requesting a MERL Cloud Key). The MERL Cloud keys are unique to each agency/company.

Only one request per agency/company is required.

If an online backup has not been performed on a database, administrators and power users will notice in the top right corner of MERL a link, NEW: Online Backups, click here to learn more. This link will not appear again once it has been selected. Please allow 24 - 48 hours for processing once the request form has been submitted.

Create a MERL Online Backup

Once a MERL Cloud Key has been received, follow the instructions for Requesting, Entering, and Viewing a MERL Cloud Key. After entering the key, backups to the cloud can be completed.

Only 10 backups can be stored. The oldest backup is deleted to make room for the current backup automatically (a warning window will appear).

From the main menu, select Tools

Select MERL Online Backups

Select the Add Backup button

The Create Online Backup window appears prior to backing up, select the Yes button to perform the backup, or the No button to return to the Online Backups window.

When the backup has completed the confirmation window appears, select the OK button.

Restore a MERL Online Backup

Once a MERL backup has been stored online, it can be restored in full or in part to the active database. Restoring will overwrite existing contracts if they are duplicated.

From the main menu, select Tools

Select MERL Online Backups

Select the Restore Backup button

A list of contracts will appear in the Restore Backed Up MERL Contracts window for the file date chosen. By default, all contracts will be selected to load. The total number is displayed in the bottom left corner of the window.

To change the contracts to be loaded, right click on the Restore Backed Up MERL Contracts window. Three options will appear: Select all, Select none, and Select files not in database. The Select files not in the database option will mark only those contracts it does not find in the active database for loading. Alternatively, unselect individual Load checkboxes by clicking on them once.

Select the Load button.

The Load Selected Contracts warning window appears prior to restoring. Select the OK button to perform the restore, or select the Cancel button to return to the contracts list.

Restoring from a backup will overwrite any existing duplicate contracts that are check marked in the In DB column of the restore list.

The Restore Complete window appears once the restore has completed, select the OK button.

Delete a MERL Online Backup

Once a MERL backup has been stored online, it can deleted from online storage permanently.

From the main menu, select Tools

Select MERL Online Backups

From the list of available backups, select the one to be deleted

Select the Delete Backup button

Select the OK button