Veronica Explainsveronica@explains.social
Oct 18, 2026, 4:36 PMHaving backups requires testing backups.
Replies
Ölbaumoscherler@tooting.chOct 18, 2026, 5:51 PM@veronica I read that a lot. What I never read, though, is what “testing backups” mean.
– Choosing a few files and restoring them?
– Having a script choose a few files for you and restoring them?
– Restoring the full backup to a spare machine and browsing it to make sure everything important is there?
– Restoring the full backup to a spare machine and using that one exclusively until you find a file missing?- Veronica Explainsveronica@explains.socialOct 18, 2026, 7:50 PM
@oscherler it means getting your stuff back without the original.
How you do that depends on the stuff. You'd handle a database differently than a bunch of text files.
Oct 18, 2026, 6:24 PM@veronica ive tested mine once or twice but Id love to set up some sort of validation and automated restoration test, haven’t got to it yet though
- Veronica Explainsveronica@explains.socialOct 18, 2026, 7:48 PM
@martin my take is don't automate all your tests- not for the stuff that matters. That should all be manually inspected on a schedule.
Oct 18, 2026, 6:46 PM@veronica Thank you for the remainder - not testing my backup is a mistake I made too often