Verifying Backup Archive take too Long

Verifying Backup Archive is taking 10 hours . Is that normal ? Is it necessary to verify the backup archive ? Thanks

 

How large is your image?

Verifying is neccessary if you want reliability for a successful restore.
(Please notice that it is my own opinion...)

 

An important factor as well as size is where the images are stored and are the validations run a part of the creation process.

TI has the quaint habit of validating all the images in a particular location rather than the one that has just been created. The same applies to a chain of increments and their base image even if the older ones have been previously validated.

I have my own workaround for this multiple validation fiasco. I simply do not ever run validations. Instead I run restores from time to time to a spare hard drive.
I actually use a rotation of three main hard drives which results in a formidably secure backup system.

Xpilot

 

I have the 1st backup which is 67gigs then I have 2 incrementals which are 400mb and 900mb respectively ..

I suspect TI may be validating all the images in a particular location rather than the one that has just been created.

Are there any other work arounds ? Thanks

 

If you are using the TI "backup locations feature" that could well be the case.
I do not use that feature myself but I understand that if you run a validation as a seperate exercise it is possible to pick just one image, presumably the latest, for checking. This would still mean that the base image and its increments will all be validated if any of the later increments were selected.

I cannot give a reliable time indication but a single validation should take a fair bit less than the image creation. (rash guess 30 minutes)

Xpilot

 

As mentioned, it depends on where the image is stored. If it is just in a regular drive/folder location then the validate within Windows should be around 1 min/Gb for a say 2.5GHz P4 or better. An archive is the Full plus all its incrementals, if any.

If your archive is stored in a Backup Location or Secure Zone then TI will validate all of the archives located there so you need to total the archive sizes and then apply the above estimate.

Note the above time estimate is for Windows with local drives. If you are using the rescue CD it can typically range from 1-3 min/Gb. But, it can take longer if the rescue CD's Linux drivers aren't a good fit for your hardware.

It appears that some people have had slow times when using network storage devices but usually it happens with the Linux rescue CD.

 

How do I turn off the validation than runs everyday with the backup .
I tunrned off under tools but it still runs everyday .

I went to
Tools
Options
Default Backup Options
Additional Settings
Then I uncheked the validation box

but I t stillvalidates everytime it uns the backup .What Am I doing wrong ?

 

My guess is that the valdiation is set in the options associated with the task. The one under Tools sets the default, I believe.

 

Thanks ... I edited the task and the option to validate backups was turned on ..

 

As xpilot pointed out, doing a test restore is the best way to ensure that ATI can make a good backup and restore it.

If you don't have a spare drive to use for a test restore, then go through the steps for a restore right up until the final PROCEED -- if you can get that far, then you you are very unlikely to have problems doing a restore.

Validation only determines that the backup file is unchanged since it was originally written. Best to skip validations but don't skip the test restore (or almost restore).

You don't want your first attempt at restore to be when you really need to restore -- that's abad time to find out the backup is not good or that the BootCD can't see all of your drives.

 

I disagree with this perspective when it comes to seeing if the TI rescue environment works on a machine. I agree that the test restore is by far the best way to qualify TI on the machine and I also agree that running through the restore wizard to the point of Proceed is good too. However, at least a couple of validates should be run using the rescue environment because this is going to ensure that the Linux environment can indeed read the archive at high-speed and get the data into memory correctly without the dreaded "corrupt archive" message. Too many people get unstuck at this point to not test it out.

After you have done this then whether or not to validate is more of a personal choice argurment. For the record, I validate in Windows with every backup - not many better tests around to test memory and disk transfers. It did reveal a problem I had with SATA cables.

 

Excellent point, especially given the probs ATI has had with USB drives. I think most of the probs would show up as drive not found or backup file corrupt, but forcing a read is good idea and I think it should be included in the test proceedure if one cannot actually perform a test restore. It's a good use of the ATI validation procedure

I just don't want anyone to mistake an ATI validation operation for any sort of test of the backup vis-a-vis the source data.

A successful Validaton tells one only that

1) ATI can read the file and
2) the file hasn't changed since it was created.

If either 1) or 2) fails then ATI reports the backup and invalid/corrupt, which might (in the case of 2) or might not (in the case of 1) be true.