This routine verifies that backups on a DirectAdmin-managed VPS can be restored without impacting live services. It confirms restorability and integrity using safe, non-destructive methods rather than full recovery.
Scope and intent
- Confirm backups are actually restorable
- Detect corruption or incomplete archives early
- Reduce risk before relying on backups during incidents
- Validate recovery readiness without downtime
When to run this routine
- After changes to backup configuration or destination
- On a periodic maintenance cadence
- Before high-risk updates or structural changes
- When backup reliability is in doubt
Prerequisites
- Root or administrative access
- Access to backup storage and archives
- Availability of a safe test location (temporary path or test user)
1. Select a suitable backup set
- Choose a recent, known-complete backup
- Avoid selecting the only or oldest available backup
- Confirm the backup corresponds to a stable system state
2. Prepare a non-destructive test target
- Use a temporary directory, test user, or isolated restore path
- Ensure no live data will be overwritten
- Verify sufficient disk space exists for extraction
3. Perform a limited restore or extraction
- Restore a subset of data or extract archives without activation
- Confirm files unpack cleanly without errors
- Watch for permission, ownership, or archive integrity issues
4. Verify restored data integrity
- Confirm expected files and directories are present
- Spot-check file sizes and timestamps
- Ensure no unexpected truncation or corruption is visible
5. Validate restore tooling behavior
- Confirm restore commands or DirectAdmin restore tools function as expected
- Note any warnings or non-fatal messages
- Ensure restore procedures are still understood and usable
6. Clean up test artifacts
- Remove temporary files, test users, or extracted data
- Confirm no residue remains on the live system
- Verify disk usage returns to expected levels
7. Record results
- Document which backup was tested and how
- Record any warnings, errors, or anomalies
- Note confidence level in current backups
Completion criteria
- A backup has been successfully tested without affecting production data
- No integrity or tooling issues remain unexplained
- Restore readiness is confirmed
Next step — based on your current state:
- If restore issues were found, proceed to Incident Recovery Sanity Check.
- If this test followed verification concerns, revisit Backup Verification Routine.
- If restores are confirmed, return to normal operations or continue scheduled maintenance.