Re: strategy to prove backups are good

The auditors don't know what they're looking for.

A successful backup is nothing. A successful *restore* is everything and
that's what the auditors want (even though they don't know it).

Unfortunately, this step is difficult to complete--you need disk space.
The confirmation process should restore every user library and then confirm
the app works (which means no library was missed, journals are working,
etc.) by processing one or more transactions end-to-end.

The challenge in finding a system capable of handling the restore is a
valuable aspect of the process: should your system be hit by a comet
immediately after the backup completes, where can you run the business
until you can install a replacement system? Finding a backup temporary
system is a critical part of your business continuity plan. Backup is
good, restore is better, having a hot site is paradise.

On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 12:58 PM Steve McKay <samckay1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Only way to prove backups are good is to restore them somewhere.

The job log might show that the backup completed normally but it won’t show
a bad spot on the tape.

I’ve gotten auditors to let me restore one library as evidence - maybe
they’ll accept that.

Thanks,

Steve McKay
205-585-8424
samckay1@xxxxxxxxx


On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 2:55 PM Jerry Draper <midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Auditors want proof that the backups indeed did a backup.

Strategy?

Perhaps read jog log for confirmation of each step?

SAVSECDTA
SAVCFTG
SAVLIB *ALLUSR
SAVDLO
SAV <IFS>

TIA,

Jerry

--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing

list

To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related
questions.

--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related
questions.