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By default, Integrity Checker is configured to handle most environments. You can configure Integrity Checker based on your resource requirements. Resource limiting includes: worker thread priority, maximum CPU usage, and limiting write access to the hard disk | |
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Open the Server Console and select the Integrity Checker tab | |
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Select the More link | |
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Select the Set Resource Usage link | |
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You can configure three resource groups | |
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Note, all resource usage options are set in real-time. Hence, you can configure settings to higher priority during the evening and then reconfigure them back to lower priority settings during the work day without any need to reboot your server or re-start any processes |
How to configure how and when Integrity Checker locates new/changed files
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By default, Integrity Checker will automatically watch for new/changed files. You have the option of changing how Integrity Checker watches for files: automatic/real-time (the default setting), scheduled, or manual mode. | |
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From the Integrity Checker tab, select More followed by Configure new/changed file watching. | |
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You have three options available. Real-time/Automatically” is the default option. Integrity Checker will automatically find all new/changed files with no interaction on your part. “Daily” will automatically search for new/changed files at the time of day you specify. “Manually” will force Integrity Checker to never watch for new/changes files unless you specifically return to this dialog and press “Manually, whenever I click this link.” | |
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“Real-time/Automatically” is the preferred setting; keeping your system up to date with the least amount of intervention. | |
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“Daily” schedule is a good setting if you want to lower the load on your server on a real-time basis. Server load will be pushed out to the time of day you specify. | |
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“Manual” mode is available for those people who only want scans to be run at rare, manually defined, times. |
How to verify a file downloaded from the internet
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Integrity Checker will automatically create integrity stamps for all new and changed files with no interaction on your part. When you want to verify the integrity stamp on a single file then you can manually request an integrity scan from the Integrity Checker Add-in | |
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Install and configure Integrity Checker. Ensure Integrity Checker is watching at least one Share on your server | |
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Download the desired file from the internet. Ensure the file is copied into one of the folders that you configured Integrity Checker to watch! | |
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When the file download is complete, Integrity Checker will automatically create an integrity stamp for the file. This does not require any interaction on your part | |
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Open the server Console and select the Integrity Checker tab | |
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Select the Verify Integrity Stamp On A File link to open the View Processed Files windows | |
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Select Browse Folder Tree, browse to the file you just downloaded | |
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Enter the SHA-1 hash of the file you just downloaded in the Your Hash text box. This hash will be 40 digits in length. It is typically included as part of large downloads. For example, when downloading the RC candidate for Windows Home Server 2011 you will be given the following information (locate the SHA1 value):===== en-us_WHS_PREM_InstallDVD.iso ===== Volume label : GRMSHSxFRE_EN_DVD Size in bytes : 4192329728 CRC : 0xC191510A SHA1 : 0x65AB44627F12E6FC5268BE2ED9F5489CB98021DF | |
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Press the Compare button and Integrity Checker will verify the integrity stamp. If the values do not match then you probably have a bad download and should download the file again |
How to search for a file and verify its integrity stamp
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Integrity Checker will automatically create integrity stamps for all new and changed files with no interaction on your part. When you want to verify the integrity stamp on a single file or multiple files, you must manually request an integrity scan | |
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Open the Server Console and select Integrity Checker from the top tab bar | |
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Select the Verify Integrity Stamp On A File link from the Common Tasks area | |
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You can search for the file by three different methods: search by filename, search by date, or browse folder tree | |
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Method #1: Select Search By Filename to enter the name, or part of the name, of the file you want to verify. A results list will be displayed. You can then select the single file you wish to verify from this list | |
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Method #2: Select Search By Date to view all of the files which currently have integrity stamps on them in order of date processed. You can then select the single file you wish to verify | |
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Method #3: Select Browse Folder Tree to click-though all files and folders which contain an integrity stamp. You can then select the single file you wish to verify | |
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Now that you’ve selected the single file to verify you will see the Integrity Stamp window. This window will show you the current integrity stamp information (integrity date, file size, SHA-1 hash) in the upper portion on the window | |
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If you have an existing 160bit SHA-1 hash (i.e. typically supplied for you when you download a large file from the internet) then you can enter the supplied hash in the ‘Your Hash’ text box and press the Compare button to verify the integrity of the file. If this fails then your file was probably downloaded incorrectly and you should retry the download from the original source of the file | |
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You can also re-scan the file on your server to verify the file as it currently exists still matches the file as it was scanned by Integrity Checker in the past. Press the Compare button to run this scan. If this fails then your hard drive might be going bad. |
How to use the Integrity Checker PC client to verify integrity stamps
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Integrity Checker runs as a service on your server. The process is always running in the background and will quietly and efficiently watch the Shares that you select for new and changed files and attaches integrity stamps to these files. You can use Integrity Checker to verify integrity stamps. You can also use the Integrity Checker PC client to verify integrity stamps which are created by the Integrity Checker server | |
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Open the Server Console on your PC and select the Download The PC Client Software link from the Common Tasks area. The PC client supports Windows xp, Vista, and 7 | |
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A web browser will open to your Server. Click the Download the Integrity Checker PC Client link to download the client installer to your PC. After the download is complete, run the IntegrityCheckerClient.exe install-package to install the client on your PC | |
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Run the PC Client from the Program Files\IntegrityChecker folder. You will see the Integrity Stamp window. This window will show you the current integrity stamp information (integrity date, file size, SHA-1 hash) in the upper portion on the window | |
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If you have an existing 160bit SHA-1 hash (i.e. typically supplied for you when you download a large file from the internet) then you can enter the supplied hash in the ‘Your Hash’ text box and press the Compare button to verify the integrity of the file. If this fails then your file was probably downloaded incorrectly and you should retry the download from the original source of the file | |
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You can also re-scan the file on your server to verify the file, as it currently exists, still matches the file as it was scanned by Integrity Checker in the past. Press the Compare button to run this scan. If this fails then your hard drive might be going bad. |
How to run an integrity scan and interpret the results
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Integrity Checker will automatically create integrity stamps for all new and changed files with no interaction on your part. When you want to verify the integrity stamp on a single file or multiple files, you must manually request an integrity scan | |
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Open the Server Console and select Integrity Checker from the top tab bar | |
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Select the Run An Integrity Scan link from the Common Tasks area | |
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You have the option of running a scan on all files or on a single file. The following steps assume you’re running a scan on all files. If you want to verify the integrity on a single file then please continue to the section search for a file and verify its integrity stamp | |
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The integrity scan will be queued and run in the background until complete. You can view the number of scans you have queued via the Scans Queued count | |
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The integrity scan will not begin until the Queued Files count stabilizes at zero files. Once the scan begins running, the Queued Files count may increase but will not stop, or effect, the integrity scan. Any new or changed files which are queued during the integrity scan will be processed after the scan is complete and will not show up in the integrity scan report | |
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After the integrity scan is complete (i.e. the Scans Queued count displays zero scans pending) then you can view the results of the scan by selecting the View Integrity Scan Results link from the Common Tasks area | |
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The View Integrity Scan Results window displays all of your integrity scans, by date, on the left-side. Select any one of these scans and the results will be displayed on the right-side. You can see a list of all files processed in the scan, total file count, total errors, and total warnings. If all files passed the integrity check then a green shield will be displayed in the lower-right corner. If one or more files failed the integrity check, you will see a red shield. To easily locate any failed items, you can sort the files by clicking the Results column; all failed items will group together within the list | |
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You can delete a scan from the list by selecting the scan on the left-side and pressing the Delete button | |
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After your review of the scan results is complete you can press Exit to return to the Server Console |
Configure Integrity Checker to automatically create integrity stamps on my files
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After you’ve installed Integrity Checker, you can configure the software to automatically create integrity stamps on all existing, new, and changed files within Shares that you select | |
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Open the Windows Server Console and select Integrity Checker on the top tab | |
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Select a Share in the Shares list-box. Right-click and select Enable | |
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That it! Integrity Checker will automatically create integrity stamps on all of you files within the Share you just selected | |
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If you watch in the lower-left corner you will see that Integrity Checker has already started processing files. See the Files Processed and Files Queued items | |
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You can select as many Shares as you desire | |
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Note that Integrity Checker will continue to work in the background and create integrity stamps for all new files as they are copied to your Server. Simple and easy! Let Integrity Checker work for you. | |
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Select the Pause Operation link at any time to stop Integrity Checker from creating new integrity stamps. Integrity Checker will continue to watch, and queue, files when paused but no new integrity stamps will be created | |
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If you ever decide you do not want integrity stamps on files in a certain Share then simply right-click on the Share and select Disable. Existing integrity stamps will remain on files but new and changed files will not be updated by Integrity Checker |
Understand how Integrity Checker creates and stores integrity stamps
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Integrity Checker runs as a service on your server. The process is always running in the background and will quietly and efficiently watch the Shares that you select for new and changed files | |
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Whenever a file without a integrity stamp is located, it will be queued and automatically processed by Integrity Checker. This process will be completed with no interaction on your part | |
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An integrity stamp is comprised of three separate pieces of information: file modification date, file size, and the SHA-1 hash of file data | |
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The integrity stamp information is written to each file as an Alternate Data Stream (ADS) | |
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Integrity stamp information will remain attached to the file when you copy the file to other servers and PC’s. Note, some applications may delete the ADS when they write to an existing file. If the file remains in a folder watched by Integrity Checker then the integrity stamp will automatically be regenerated when the file is changed |
Understanding the Integrity Checker user interface
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Integrity Checker is an easy to use application. Here is a walk-through discussing some points of interest. The screen-shots are taken from Windows Home Server but they apply to WHS/SBS 2011 as well. | |
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The user interface is divided into three areas: folder selection, status, and tasks | |
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The Folder Selection area displays all of the Shares available on your Server. The first two columns are the name and description given by you when you created the Shares. The third column, titled Watching, shows whether you have enabled Integrity Checker to watch the Share to create integrity stamps on all files within the Share. You can right-click on any Share to enable or disable Integrity checker for that Share. If you disable a Share then Integrity Checker will no longer create integrity stamps on new/changed files within that Share. Note, integrity stamps which have already been applied to existing files in the Share will remain even after you disable a Share. | |
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The Status area provides many details about the current operation of Integrity Checker. “Last File” shows the name of the file which was most recently updated with an integrity stamp. “Last Date” shows the date when this file was updated. “Files Processed” shows the total number of files, as well as the total combined size, which have been updated with an integrity stamp. “Queued” shows how much work (i.e. the number files and folders which require integrity stamps) Integrity Checker has remaining. “Integrity Scans” shows the total number of scans you’ve run (completed) and are available to review; it also shows the total number of active scans being run (queued). “Last Scan Date” shows the time and date of the last completed integrity scan that you ran. | |
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The Task area gives you quick access to running and viewing Integrity Checker operations. “Pause Operation” allows you to stop Integrity checker from creating new integrity stamps. When running in real-time or scheduled mode, Integrity Checker will continue to find/queued new and changed files but will not create new integrity stamps until you resume operation. “Verify Integrity Stamp On A File” will allow you to view the current integrity stamp and compare that stamp. “Run An Integrity Scan” will start an integrity scan; you have the option of scanning a single file, a selected folder, or a complete system scan. “View Integrity Scan Results” allows you to view all completed integrity scans, all status – pass, fail, and warnings – are available for review. “Download PC Client Software” allows you to download the Integrity Checker client which runs directly from a Windows PC where you can verify integrity stamps created by Integrity Checker on your Server. “More” provides additional features and options. |
How to move the Integrity Checker cache folder
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Integrity Checker automatically creates a caching folder on your Servers system hard drive. Most users will never need to change this setting. If you are an advanced user who would like to change the location of this folder then follow the following steps. Please read all steps and make sure you understand the requirements before proceeding. This feature is only for advanced users. | |
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DO … read this entire page before starting, create the new cache folder in a location which is always available while your Server is running.
DO NOT … attempt these steps if you are not absolutely certain what you are doing, create a new cache folder on a temporary storage device (e.g. a USB key). |
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Uninstall the Integrity Checker add-in from your Server | |
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RDP into your Server to perform the following steps | |
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Open the Windows registry, via regedit.exe, and create a REG_SZ string value named “DataFolder” under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IntegrityChecker\Settings. Set the contents of the “DataFolder” value to the path you want to use as the new Integrity Checker Cache folder. As a reference, you can download this file and rename the file extension to .reg. Running this .reg file on your Server will configure a cache folder in D:\IntegrityChecker. Make sure the cache folder exists on your storage device (i.e. you must physically create the folder with Windows Explorer or a Command shell) | |
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Copy your existing Integrity Checker cache data from the old cache folder to the new cache folder you just created. For Windows Home Server, the original cache folder is located in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\IntegrityChecker. For WHS/SBS 2011, this folder is located in C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\IntegrityChecker | |
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Delete your old cache data from the original cache folder | |
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Re-install the latest version of Integrity Checker add-in on your Server. Only Integrity Checker version 1.20 or later supports this feature! | |
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Open the Server Console and select the Integrity Checker tab. All of your previous settings and integrity stamps will be available to you. | |
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That’s it! |