A storage layer stores integrity data corresponding to data groups being written to a storage array. The storage layer validates stored data groups by use of the integrity data, independent of recovery information managed by the storage array. The storage layer preempts crash recovery operations of the storage array by validating a subset of the data groups. The storage layer identifies data groups to validate based on a location of a log append point within a storage address space of the storage array. The storage layer may be further configured to mitigate write hole conditions by, inter alia, reconstructing invalid data of a data group and/or retaining valid portions of the data group.