# Gavin Andresen
# 2012-07-13 00:54:41
# https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=92804.msg1026657#msg1026657

RE: 101 or 103 unused keys in the keypool:  That's normal.  Here's the sequence of events that causes it: @p{par}

+ You do something that requests a new key from the keypool. Several things do that (including the 'getinfo' RPC call @p{--} it requests a key from the keypool so it can report the keypoololdest time). @p{brk}
+ The keypool automatically adds new keys so there are always at least 100 (by default) @p{brk}
+ The something you did returns the key back to the keypool, so now there are 100+1 @p{par}

I tend to have 104 keys in my keypools, because I do a lot of 4-core CPU mining on testnet-in-a-box setups, and the 4 miner threads each grab a keypool key that is released when bitcoind quits. @p{par}

RE: better backup:  good idea. However, the keypool might not survive for much longer; they're likely to be replaced by Hierarchical Deterministic Wallets (see @s{(link)} ).