# Recovery

Recovery answers a harder question than “did the backup finish?”: can VaultSync still find, open, and validate the stored recovery point?

![Recovery readiness overview with coverage and project status](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/Recovery_Readiness.png)

## Run a recovery drill

1. Open **Recovery**.
2. Find the project you want to check.
3. Select **Run drill**.
4. Expand the result to review every check and any suggested action.

The drill is read-only. It does not restore files into the project or change the backup.

![Expanded recovery drill evidence for a passing restore point](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/Recovery_Drill.png)

For an available folder or ZIP recovery point, VaultSync checks:

- project, backup, and snapshot linkage;
- destination and payload reachability;
- a bounded inventory of stored files;
- expected file count when complete metadata is available;
- up to 5,000 files and 2 GiB against recorded size and SHA-256 values;
- a read-only restore plan for identical files, overwrites, and newer destination conflicts.

## Understand the result

- **Passed:** every check that could run succeeded.
- **Attention:** the point is present, but a limitation or warning needs review.
- **Failed:** at least one required check failed; use the evidence action to investigate.

Encrypted recovery points remain limited unless unlocked. VaultSync does not request or retain an encryption password just to improve a readiness score.

A passing drill proves only the checks that ran. Periodically perform a real restore for important data.

## Review 3-2-1 coverage

The advisor measures:

- three copies, including the live project;
- two distinct storage media;
- one reachable destination explicitly marked as offsite.

VaultSync never guesses physical location from a path, hostname, mount, or protocol. Enable **Count as offsite copy** in destination settings only when you know the storage is physically elsewhere.

## Protect important points

Protected points are excluded from automatic retention cleanup. VaultSync can recommend a point after a release label, large deletion, high churn, or when no recent protected baseline exists, but it never protects one automatically.

Automatic retention also preserves the newest point with a passing byte-level proof. This safety floor moves when a newer point passes and is separate from manual protection.

## Export a report

Select **Export evidence package** to write a ZIP under
`Documents/VaultSync/Exports/Recovery`. It contains a readable Markdown report,
a versioned JSON record, a manifest, and `SHA256SUMS`. The package includes
readiness, coverage, 3-2-1 status, recommendations, drill history, build
identity, pseudonymous repository identity, encryption evidence, freshness, and
bounded evidence. Raw local
paths are redacted and backup payloads or credentials are never included. It
remains local until you choose to share it, and standard SHA-256 tooling can
verify its contents without VaultSync.

Technical details:

- [Disaster recovery](https://github.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/blob/Stable/docs/DISASTER_RECOVERY.md)
- [Recoverability engine](https://github.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/blob/Stable/docs/RECOVERABILITY_ENGINE.md)
- [Privacy](https://github.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/blob/Stable/docs/PRIVACY.md)