Loss of data integrity is not always apparent when it first occurs. One item of data may be corrupt, but it may be some time before that item is read and an error message displayed. At this point, you normally restore a database from a backup, and apply the transaction log. However, if there is also a problem with the backup, then a lot of time could be lost. The preferred backup mechanism checks the integreity of the database at the same time as doing the backup, thus eliminating the possibity of creating a bad backup.
To make sure that a corruption does not go unnoticed, DP4 provides a utility to check the records in the database, and report the status of the data and the indexes. DP4 prompts you to perform an integrity check at the intervals specified in the setup. This ensures that you are notified if a corruption has occurred, and you can take corrective action.