afverify - verify of a previous backup

afverify [ -lav ] [ -c <configuration-file> ] [ -<past-run-no>[.<past-backup-no>] ] [ -h <backuphosts> ] [ -P <backup-ports> ] [ -C <root-directory> ] [ -S <cartridge-set> ] [ -I <indexfile-part> ] [ -V <var-directory> ] [ -k <encryption-key-file> ] [ -z <process-cmd> <unprocess-cmd> ] [ -M <server-message-config> ]

Without any arguments, this program runs a verify over the previously written backup. This may either be a full or an incremental backup, only the contents of the very previous run are used. All found differences are reported. Though it is not considered to make too much sense, it is also provided, that files and directories saved during a run before the previous one can be checked. This can be done supplying the <past-backup-specifier>. If this is a simple number, it counts back from the previous full or incremental backup of the same total backup number (this number is increased each run of the full_backup-command, not by subsequent incremental backups). -1 means, that the backup before the previous one is checked and so on. If the contents of a previous total backup run should be checked, the following form may be used: -<previous-run>.<previous-total-backup>, where <previous-total-backup> counts back from the current total backup number and <previous-run> counts back from the last backup (incremental or full) run among the previous total. previous-run may be 0 here. E.g. verify -0.1 checks the files saved during the last run of the previous total backup. Run afverify with option -l, optionally -a or -<prev-total-backup> to get a list of backups available for verify.

-a

Together with -l list the available backups from all indexes and not only the most recent one

-C <rootdir>

change to the given root-directory before verifying files instead of the one specified in the client side configuration file.

-c <configfile>

Use the given file for configuration information

-h <hostnames>

Use the given list of hosts as backup servers. This list is used only, if no hostname information can be found as associated with the current filesystem entry, that should be verified. The first host in this list is the default server, if no hostname information at all can be found. The hostnames in this list can be separated by whitespace and/or commas

-I <idx-prefix>

The first part of the filename, the names of the stored files and directories are written to. The current total backup number is appended (that increments each start of a full backup). If these files undergo processing, .z is appended

-l

Don't actually verify, but print summary information about available backups, that can be verified or restored from, prefixed with the arguments, that may be supplied as -<past-run-no>[.<past-backup-no>]

-M <server-message-config>

The configuration to output messages from the server, that normally are sent only via mail to a maintainer. The first word consisting of the letters b r v and c tells, whether to output messages during backup, restore, verify and copy-tape, respecively. The next words must name the service name or port number of the single stream servers, related to the option -P . For each multi stream service configured with -P or in the configuration file, the respective single stream service must be given here

-k <file>

Use the contents of the given file as encryption key for authenticating to the server

-P <portnos>

The list of port numbers for the backup servers either configured in the parameter file or supplied with the -h option. This list is used only, if no port number information can be found as associated with the current filesystem entry, that should be verified. The port numbers supplied here are asso- ciated with the backup server names by position. The port numbers in this list can be separated by whitespace and/or commas

-V <var-dir>

The directory, where varying files are put

-v

Verbose mode: print information records on tape and the names of the checked files during operation

-z <proccmd> <unproccmd>

The commands to use for process and unprocess. If a command comprises of several words, it must be put in quotes

In my opinion a verify makes only sense immediately following an incremental or full backup with the purpose to check, whether the files and directories did not get corrupt on the storage media. If you want to do this (via cron or however), keep in mind, that the verify takes at least the same time as the backup itself. If you have a huge amount of data to save, the additional verify might consume a lot of time.

/etc/afbackup/client.conf

Client configuration file

/var/log/afbackup

The directory for logging the client backups

/var/lib/afbackup

Some internal state information of the client backups.

afclientconfig(8), xafclientconfig(8), full_backup(8), incr_backup(8), afverify(8), afrestore(8), xafrestore(8), copy_tape(8), afclient.conf(8), afserver(8), afmserver(8), afserver.conf(8), update_indexes(8), tar(1)

afbackup was written by Albert Fluegel (af@muc.de). This manpage was extracted from the text docs by Christian Meder (meder@isr.uni-stuttgart.de).