Run a QCBM Data Integrity Check and Repair Safe Metadata

QCBM's Data Integrity tools compare its internal database relationships, aggregate backup metadata, and—during a full check—the files and checksums associated with completed Backup Sets.

Use Run Full Check to diagnose integrity problems. Use Repair Safe Metadata only for the limited metadata repairs QCBM explicitly considers safe; it is not a general database-repair or backup-reconstruction tool.

Run a Full Integrity Check

  1. Open Components > QC Backup Manager > Status.
  2. Find the Data Integrity card.
  3. Click Run Full Check. Your Joomla account must have QCBM integrity-management permission.
  4. Read the resulting issue count and message.
  5. If issues remain, review the Joomla/QCBM logs before making destructive changes.

QCBM records the time and result of the check and writes an integrity log/audit entry.

What the Full Check Examines

The database portion checks for broken relationships such as orphan backup parts, exports, destinations, jobs, logs, restore-point references, and other managed records. It also checks aggregate values such as a Backup Set's recorded part count and total bytes, and verifies whether the storage-destination records have a sensible default.

For completed Backup Sets, a full check also examines the stored manifest and its checksum when one is recorded, then evaluates the health of the Backup Set's parts. Active recovery staging evidence is checked when the related tables and columns are present.

An integrity warning therefore does not automatically mean the same thing for every site. Read the reported category before deciding what to repair.

What Repair Safe Metadata Actually Repairs

Repair Safe Metadata first recalculates a narrow set of aggregate values from QCBM's existing records. In QCBM 1.5.13, the repair can correct a Backup Set's stored part count and total size when those values disagree with the actual rows in the backup-parts table. It also makes sure a valid default export destination exists when destinations are configured.

After making those safe changes, QCBM immediately runs the integrity checks again and reports any issues that remain.

What Safe Repair Does Not Do

  • It does not recreate a missing Recovery Package or missing archive part.
  • It does not invent a manifest or checksum for a file that no longer exists.
  • It does not erase orphaned history merely to make the issue count disappear.
  • It does not repair arbitrary Joomla database tables or third-party extension data.
  • It does not replace a tested recovery procedure.

If the integrity check identifies missing files or broken historical relationships, preserve the evidence and investigate the cause instead of repeatedly pressing Repair Safe Metadata.

When to Use the Integrity Tools

Run a Full Check after unexpected filesystem changes, a hosting migration, manual server recovery, suspicious missing Backup Sets, or storage-path problems. It is also useful before deleting old local data when you want confidence that QCBM's records and managed artifacts still agree.

Do not manually move or rename QCBM-managed storage before running the check. Use QCBM's storage migration tools so the database and filesystem remain synchronized.

Verify the Result

A clean result reports that no database relationship or aggregate issues were detected. If you used Repair Safe Metadata, QCBM also reports how many safe aggregate rows were repaired.

For an important recovery point, follow integrity repair with a normal Backup Set verification and confirm that its Recovery Package is still downloadable. Database consistency alone does not prove that a recovery artifact is usable.

Community Discussion

Want to compare workflows, share practical tips, or discuss how you use this QCBM feature? Visit the QC Backup Manager Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.