Sanity Check

What do you mean by Sanity Check?

sanity check: Verifying data and/or code does not contain careless errors. In the computer world, this often refers to checking that the output of a program produces the expected results and not inaccurate results from careless programming.

A sanity check is routinely undertaken on possible errors that may appear in the initial process of setting up. Checking whether everything is ok or n't to make a program run or an application get start.

Sanity check could mean a lot. Check whether

1. SERVER:
- any sign of hardware failure? (raid, ram, etc)
- load is ok?
- time and date are right?
- is there enough disc space?
- all logs are rotated?
- do only necessary daemons run there?
- is the operating system up2date?
- any sign of intrusion?

2.CONNECTIVITY:
- all needed links are up, full duplex and gigabit/s (or 100mbit/s) ?
- are interface errors?
- all daemons, that shall be reached externally, can be reached?

3.DATABASE:
- does oracle show any errors?
- is oracle up2date?
- does the size of the database make sense?
I am sure, there are a million things to check in oracle itself, but I am no expert there

4.BACKUP:
- does it backup the right data?
- does it backup?
- does a restore work?
- does the backup finish in an appropriate time frame?

Why is a Sanity Check Necessary?

A sanity check is an essential procedure to check the presence of any errors in the initial process. A sanity check does not delve into the depths of the application; instead, it focuses on possible errors that may appear in the initial process of setting up. A sanity check is useful to ward off any inaccuracies in the calculation that can lead to grave errors in the final output. A quick sanity check would take lesser time than avoiding a sanity check altogether and then spending more time and effort to figure out the problem and steps that need to be taken to rectify the error.