# Verify an installation

### Overview

Use this procedure to verify that you have successfully installed Aerospike and that it is now running.

When you install Aerospike, the essential files are created in the following directories:

Terminal window

```bash
/etc/aerospike/                 - configuration files for Aerospike

/etc/aerospike/aerospike.conf   — default configuration for Aerospike

/etc/init.d/aerospike           — init script for Aerospike on non-systemd platforms

/etc/logrotate.d/aerospike      — logrotate configuration for Aerospike on non-systemd platforms

/opt/aerospike/bin/             — binaries including Aerospike server and tools

/opt/aerospike/doc/             — documents, including licenses

/opt/aerospike/sys/             — system data files, maintained by Aerospike

/opt/aerospike/usr/             — user data files

/var/log/aerospike/             — log files emitted by Aerospike

/usr/bin/asd                    — Aerospike Server daemon
```

See [Directory Structure](https://aerospike.com/docs/database/8.0.0/manage/database/directory-structure/) for more details.

1.  Verify record operations:
    
    Use the Aerospike [`aql`](https://aerospike.com/docs/database/tools/aql) tool (installed at `/opt/aerospike/bin/aql` and linked in `/usr/bin/aql`) to insert and read a few sample records. Start by creating a new object with the key `Aerospike` in the `test` namespace that is part of the default configuration and adding three fields, `name`, `address` and `email`:
    
    ::: note
    macOS Vagrant Aerospike Server install also installs the Aerospike Tools in the Vagrant container. The Tools package, including `aql`, is accessible in the Vagrant container.
    :::
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    aql -h 127.0.0.1 -c "INSERT INTO test.demo (PK, name, address, email) VALUES ('Aerospike', 'Aerospike, Inc.', 'Mountain View, CA 94043', 'info@aerospike.com')"
    ```
    
    Expected response:
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    OK, 1 record affected.
    ```
    
2.  Retrieve the record and make sure it looks right:
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    aql -h 127.0.0.1 -c "select * from test.demo where PK='Aerospike'"
    ```
    
    Expected response:
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    +-------------------+---------------------------+----------------------+
    
    | name              | address                   | email                |
    
    +-------------------+---------------------------+----------------------+
    
    | "Aerospike, Inc." | "Mountain View, CA 94043" | "info@aerospike.com" |
    
    +-------------------+---------------------------+----------------------+
    
    1 row in set (0.002 secs)
    
    OK
    ```
    
3.  Delete the record and verify that it is deleted:
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    aql -h 127.0.0.1 -c "DELETE FROM test.demo where PK='Aerospike'"
    ```
    
    Expected response:
    
    Terminal window
    
    ```bash
    OK, 1 record affected.
    ```
    
    `aql` is intended only for basic validation. `aql` creates a new connection for every transaction and is not recommended as a production level client. Instead, use your application, integrated with Aerospike’s client libraries as described in the [Development section](https://aerospike.com/develop).
    
4.  Now that you have a running server, pick a [client library](https://aerospike.com/docs/develop/client) and start developing!
    

## Next steps

-   Create a [benchmarking application](https://aerospike.com/docs/database/8.0.0/install/benchmark).
-   [Configure](https://aerospike.com/docs/database/8.0.0/manage/cluster/add-node) your node and form a cluster by adding more nodes.
-   Get familiar with the Aerospike [tools and utilities](https://aerospike.com/docs/database/tools).