---
title: Repository Maintenance
description: Interpret repository health states and use Doctor, Unlock, and stats refresh correctly
---

The repository details page exposes a small set of maintenance tools, but they do different jobs. This guide explains what each status means and what the built-in actions actually do.

## Repository status values

| Status | What it means in Zerobyte | What to do next |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `healthy` | The last stored health verdict finished without errors | Keep monitoring and refresh stats when you want updated size metrics |
| `error` | The last health or doctor run recorded an error | Review **Last Error** and the **Doctor Report**, fix the underlying issue, then rerun maintenance if needed |
| `unknown` | Zerobyte does not currently have a fresh health verdict, or repository settings were changed and the old verdict was cleared | Expect this after some config changes; verify access and consider running Doctor |
| `doctor` | A Doctor run is in progress | Wait for it to finish or cancel it during a maintenance window |
| `cancelled` | A Doctor run was aborted before completion | Review any partial Doctor output and rerun Doctor if you still need validation |

Repository status is stored metadata inside Zerobyte. It is not a continuous live probe.

## What each action really does

| Action | What it does | What it does **not** do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `Run doctor` | Runs `unlock`, then `check`, then `repair-index` if restic says it is needed. Saves step output into the Doctor Report. | It does **not** run a full `check --read-data` scrub, it does **not** prune unused data, and it does **not** refresh the stats card. |
| `Unlock` | Runs `restic unlock --remove-all` to clear stale repository locks. | It does **not** validate repository integrity and it does **not** change the stored health status by itself. |
| Stats refresh button | Runs `restic stats --mode raw-data` and updates stored size and snapshot metrics. | It does **not** change repository health status, **Last Checked**, or the Doctor Report. |

## Run doctor in detail

Doctor is the deepest repository-maintenance action currently exposed in the normal UI.

During a Doctor run, Zerobyte:

1. Sets the repository status to `doctor`
2. Acquires an exclusive repository lock inside the app
3. Runs an unlock step
4. Runs `restic check`
5. Runs `restic repair-index` only if the check output suggests that repair
6. Saves the step-by-step result and updates the final status to `healthy`, `error`, or `cancelled`

Because Doctor holds an exclusive repository lock, it can block other repository operations such as backups, restores, and snapshot mutations while it runs.

<Callout type="warn">
  Doctor is helpful, but it is lighter than a full offline integrity scrub. Today it does not read every stored data pack and it does not prune repository data. Treat `healthy` as a useful application-level signal, not as proof that every blob was recently re-read.
</Callout>

## When to use Run doctor

- The repository status is `error`
- **Last Error** suggests metadata or index problems
- Operations keep failing after a crash or interrupted run
- You changed repository settings and want a fresh maintenance pass
- You want a stored Doctor Report before or after backend maintenance work

## When to use Unlock

Use **Unlock** when the problem is specifically stale repository locks, for example after:

- A crashed backup or restore
- A forced container restart
- A cancelled or interrupted maintenance run
- A Restic message that says the repository is locked

If the problem is not a lock issue, Unlock will not fix it.

<Callout type="warn">
  Only run Unlock when you are certain no real backup, restore, or maintenance operation is still using that repository.
</Callout>

## What stats refresh actually recalculates

The refresh button in **Compression Statistics** recalculates repository metrics using `restic stats --mode raw-data`, including:

- Stored size
- Uncompressed size
- Compression ratio
- Compression progress
- Compression space saving
- Snapshot count

This is useful when:

- The stats card is still empty after connecting an existing repository
- You deleted snapshots and want updated numbers
- Retention cleanup changed repository usage
- You want fresh size numbers without running Doctor

## Reading the Doctor Report

The **Doctor Report** stores each maintenance step with its output and any error text. In current builds, the steps you will typically see are:

- `unlock`
- `check`
- `repair_index` when suggested by restic

If a Doctor run is cancelled, the report can still contain partial step output from the work that completed before cancellation.

## Practical workflows

### Repository is locked after a crash

1. Use **Unlock**.
2. Retry the blocked backup or restore.
3. If problems continue, run **Doctor**.

### Status is `unknown`

1. Check whether you recently edited repository settings.
2. Use the stats refresh button if you only need updated size numbers.
3. Run **Doctor** if you want a fresh maintenance verdict.

### Status is `error`

1. Read **Last Error**.
2. Expand the **Doctor Report** and identify the failing step.
3. Fix the real problem first, such as credentials, backend reachability, or repository corruption.
4. Run **Doctor** again after the fix.

## Related docs

- [Repositories](/docs/concepts/repositories)
- [Recovery keys and repository passwords](/docs/guides/recovery-key-and-repository-passwords)

import { Callout } from "fumadocs-ui/components/callout";
