Running system validation

You can run a system validation process to check the restorability of data in the DS-System online storage at the backup level and validate the latest generation or all the generations of the backup files.

You can trigger the validation process from the DS-Client or DS-System. If you trigger the validation process from the DS-Client, you must enter the account and DS-Client encryption keys. If you trigger the validation process from the DS-System, you must forward the DS-Client encryption keys to the DS-System. For more information, see “Configuring the encryption key settings”.

IMPORTANT: Validation is a disk I/O intensive process for the DS-System. It is similar to a regular restore, but instead of writing to a target location, the decrypted and decompressed data is discarded after generating the file signature.

• For each file generation, the DS-System checks the file header, delta, and library linking.

• If everything is fine, the DS-System attempts to validate the data by performing a procedure similar to a virtual restore. The data is decrypted and decompressed to generate the original signature.

• If the process fails due to a decryption or decompression issue, the validation process fails.

• The DS-System compares the generated signature with the original one. If the signatures match, the validation process is successful.

• If the validation process is initiated by the DS-Client, any errors are reported in the DS-System and DS-Client Event Log.

• If the validation process is initiated by the DS-System, any errors are reported in the DS-System Event Log.

• For other failures where the DS-System can confirm the file is corrupted, the file is moved to the trash along with dependent files. The corresponding error is reported in the DS-System and DS-Client Event Log.

• If the DS-System is part of a replication group, the validation process attempts to retrieve the file from one of the replication DS-Systems.

• If the file is successfully retrieved, no action is required from the DS-Client.

• If the file is not successfully retrieved, the backup is marked out-of-sync and the DS-Client synchronizes and resends the file.

• If a file’s restorability status cannot be determined, the DS-System skips the validation of the file. The corresponding error is reported in both the DS-System and DS-Client Event Logs.

• If a file originally did not have a signature required for validation, a warning is reported.

• If any bad files are removed, the DS-System marks the backup as out of sync at the end of the validation process.

NOTE: For information on how the validation process differs from autonomic healing, see “Autonomic healing vs. validation”.

You must constantly run autonomic healing on the DS-System to locate and fix corruptions or inconsistencies as soon as possible. Corruptions or inconsistencies can result in files not being restorable and the backup cannot be synchronized. For more information, see “Autonomic healing vs. System Admin”.

1. Under the Customers tab, right-click the backup for which you want to run system validation, and then click Run System Validation.

2. If the DS-System is running in an N+1 configuration, in the N+1 ID to perform activity box, select the DS-System on which you want to run the validation process.

3. In the Generations to validate box, select the generation you want to validate. Your options are as follows:

4. In the Additional validation threads box, enter the number of additional threads you want to use for the validation process.