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Is a verify needed after a backup?

 
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Dennis Appelboom
New Member

Is a verify needed after a backup?

Hi,

we are using a HP surestore 2/20 tape library that is fiber connected to a HP netserver running win2k server and Backup Exec v8.6.

Normally, I run a backup of a server and perform a verify after backup. This is taking quit some time.
When one of the tape devices crashed recently, we had a HP technician replacing the drive. He told me that I wouldn't have to do a verify since the HP library is doing it for me by default. Is this true?????

If so, I would be very happy, since it would cut down the backup window.

Regards,

Dennis Appelboom
marviQ
4 REPLIES 4
Leif Halvarsson_2
Honored Contributor

Re: Is a verify needed after a backup?

Hi,
Normally there is no need for verifying a media, DLT and LTO medias is very reliable. Verify only if you suspect a problem with a media (for example if there has been read or write errors when backing up or restore. Verifying increases the wear of both the media and the drives.
Marino Meloni_1
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: Is a verify needed after a backup?

Hi

there is a functionality built-in the DDS,DLT,LTO technology called RAW(Read after Write), that means that each data byte written on the tape is immediately readed, and compared with the original data. This is posssible because the head module of Tape device have both write and read head alligned on the tape at the same time. One of the parameter you can check with L&TT is the RAW errors.
Eugeny Brychkov
Honored Contributor

Re: Is a verify needed after a backup?

Important note: it's recommended to do data restoration onto the test server sometimes. This way you'll make sure that not only medias are readable, but data is restorable.
Why do you need 2 pieces of backup if software is unable to resore it? So sometimes make sure that you can restore before something bad may happen
Eugeny
Dennis Appelboom
New Member

Re: Is a verify needed after a backup?

Thank you for the responses. It answers my question.

I'll consider to stop the verify.

Regards,

Dennis Appelboom