Restore and recover
Test a restore in isolation
Restore into a separate target and verify application behavior without overwriting the only production copy.
8 minute lesson
A backup is unproven until you restore it. Listing archive files proves only that an archive can be listed.
Use an isolated host, directory, database, or account. Verify checksums, ownership, permissions, service startup, representative records, and a user-visible workflow. Record elapsed recovery time.
Restore one small backup into isolation. Compare file counts and checksums, start the service if safe, and record whether the result met RPO and RTO.
Restore to a new directory, never over the live data first:
sudo mkdir -p /srv/restore-test
sudo rsync -aHAX /mnt/backup/app/ /srv/restore-test/
sudo diff -qr /srv/app /srv/restore-testCheck ownership, permissions, links, application configuration, and one real read workflow. For a database, restore into a separate database name and run integrity checks. Record elapsed time so the recovery-time target is based on evidence.
Lesson completed