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How do I test my backup?

The correct procedure for testing the integrity of a backup — tape or network — is a three-step process that can be completed in part or in whole, depending on what particular function of the backup you are interested in verifying:

  1. Perform a full restore of the tape or network backup to a temporary directory or separate test server. This verifies that the correct restore procedures are documented, detects media errors or problems with the network restore process, and confirms availability of the necessary data files.
  2. Run the UniVerse uvbackup tool against the restored data. This verifies that the database files are in a consistent, unbroken state.
  3. Launch Eclipse and process orders, run reports, etc. to compare the operation of the restored data with behavior in the live database. This verifies that the database’s important files are all available and in a state consistent with one another.

How do I set the HP iLO IP address?

HP’s remote access equavalent to Dell’s DRAC is Integrated Lights Out (iLO). To setup the iLO:

  • Restart or power up the server.
  • Press the F8 key when prompted during POST. The iLO 3 RBSU runs.
  • Select Network –>DNS/DHCP, press the Enter key, and then select DHCP Enable. Press the spacebar to turn off DHCP. Be sure that DHCP Enable is set to Off, and save the changes.
  • Select Network –>NIC ->TCP/IP, press the Enter key, and enter the appropriate information in the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway IP Address fields.
  • Save the changes.
  • Exit iLO 3 RBSU. The changes take effect when you exit iLO 3 RBSU.

For further  information, please see the HP iLO User’s Guide:

http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02063196/c02063196.pdf

How do I verify the amount of data being backed up by CrashPlan?

Launch the CrashPlan desktop client and open the History tab. Scroll down and look for the most recent the “Completed backup” entries. Here’s an example:

I 09/29/10 03:17PM Completed backup to ABS Online Backup in 12.2 hours: 21,565 files (77.92 GB) backed up, 2.19 GB encrypted and sent @ 15.90 KB/s (Effective rate: 7025.81 KB/s)

In this example:

  • The backup completed at 3:17 PM on 9/29/10
  • The backup destination was “ABS Online Backup”
  • The backup process took 12.2 hours
  • There were 21,565 files backed up which had a total size of 77.92 GB
  • There was 2.19 GB of change data compressed, encrypted and sent to the backup destination
  • The average “real” transfer rate was 15.9 KB/s
  • The average “effective” transfer rate was 7025.81 KB/s

For more detailed information, see the CrashPlan PRO documentation.