Verification - Term Description

What is: Verification

Description:
The main aim of a backup solution is that the data that has been stored in an archive is the exact replica of the original data. This is what ensures continuity. Home and business users should not only focus on backup but they should focus on the integrity of the data that has been backed up to ensure 100% accurate reproduction of the data. This is where validation comes in: with advanced levels of validation such as bit-level validation, the backup software itself tests the integrity of the data down to bit level by reproducing a test restore right after each backup is performed. This may see backup taking longer but it guarantees 100% restorability of the data in question. Lower but satisfactory levels of validation include Cyclical Redundancy Checks (CRC) which cannot guarantee 100% accuracy as bit-level validation does. Ideally, the backup software includes bit-level and other varying levels of validation to allow users discriminate between more and less important data with the latter being awarded minimum or no validation in the interest of speed. Tests should also include human intervention or physically performing test restores to ensure 100% accuracy. This need arises because no backup software can guarantee the integrity of the media used – a faulty hard-drive may reproduce corrupt backup archives no matter how good the backup software is.