Forum Discussion

LozBC's avatar
LozBC
Level 4
12 years ago
Solved

Verify as a separate job?

Hi,

Another real quick one hopefully..

I was pretty sure when  implementing Backup Exec I read somewhere that verify as a separate job was better than verify at the end of the job because verify at the end of the job meant that it was verified against the source of the backup (I.e. the source was read against), whereas verify as a seperate job freed up the backup source?

Is this true or am I making this up?! If it is true can anyone point me to the KB?

2014
Backing Up
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Basics
Best Practice
Configuring
Documentation
Tip-How to
Windows Server (2003-2008)
  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    12 years ago
    No. Verify never touches the source. You set verify as a separate job so that it can run outside of the backup window. When the backup is done, some checksums are calculated from the data and stored in the backup set. Verify reads back the data from the backup set, recalculate the checksums and compass them with the stored checksums. If they matches, verify passes. The source is never touched
  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    12 years ago

    You run it as a separate job (1st option) so that the backup job finishes and free up resources.  The second option allows you to run it outside of the backup window.

6 Replies

  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    Moderator
    12 years ago
    No. Verify never touches the source. You set verify as a separate job so that it can run outside of the backup window. When the backup is done, some checksums are calculated from the data and stored in the backup set. Verify reads back the data from the backup set, recalculate the checksums and compass them with the stored checksums. If they matches, verify passes. The source is never touched
  • LozBC's avatar
    LozBC
    Level 4
    12 years ago

    Hi,

    I am a little confused... "After job finishes, as a seperate job" does not give the ability to schedule so therefore it can not run outside the backup window?

    Also is that not what the other option is for ("As a separate scheduled job")?

    Thanks

  • CraigV's avatar
    CraigV
    Moderator
    12 years ago

    Yes, running a Verify after the backup job completes is better. I didn't do it this way and it worked when running a Verify straight after the backup finished...it wasn't a separate stage.

    So at the end of the day, your backup completes and you get your notification. When this finishes, the job effectively completes, and then the Verify job runs meaning less strain on your media server. You cannot schedule this...it's either part of the job, runs after the job completes, or not at all.

    Thanks!

  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    Moderator
    12 years ago

    You run it as a separate job (1st option) so that the backup job finishes and free up resources.  The second option allows you to run it outside of the backup window.

  • LozBC's avatar
    LozBC
    Level 4
    12 years ago

    Hi,

    "You run it as a separate job (1st option) so that the backup job finishes and free up resources."

    This is the part I am struggling with... what resources exactly are being freed up? If I am backing up to tape then I cannot start the next backup until after the verify has completed, and if I am performing a backup to disk the verify counts as one concurrent operation to that so I am not freeing up any resources?

  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    Moderator
    12 years ago
    What about the source? These are free up so that other jobs can start Although the tape drive is needed for the verify, another backup job can start before the verify thus shortening the backup window