code: private boolean checkValidity( final StoreKey key )
              throws IndyDataException
      {
          if ( catalog.isValidationEnabled( key ) )
          {
              try
              {
                  final RemoteRepository validationRepo = catalog.createValidationRemote( key );
                  if ( validationRepo == null )
                  {
                      logger.info( "No validation repository was created: assuming {} is valid.", key );
                      return true;
                  }
  
                  String path = catalog.getRemoteValidationPath( key );
                  if ( path == null )
                  {
                      path = PathUtils.ROOT;
                  }
  
                  logger.debug( "\n\n\n\n\n[AutoProx] Checking path: {} under remote URL: {}", path, validationRepo.getUrl() );
                  boolean result = false;
                  try
                  {
                      result = transferManager.exists(
                              new ConcreteResource( LocationUtils.toLocation( validationRepo ), path ) );
                  }
                  catch ( final TransferException e )
                  {
                      logger.warn( "[AutoProx] Cannot connect to target repository: '{}'. Reason: {}", validationRepo, e.getMessage() );
                      logger.debug( "[AutoProx] exception from validation attempt for: " + validationRepo, e );
                  }
  
                  logger.debug( "Validation result for: {} is: {}", validationRepo, result );
  
                  return result;
              }
              catch ( final AutoProxRuleException e )
              {
                  throw new IndyDataException(
                          "[AUTOPROX] Failed to create new group from factory matching: '%s'. Reason: %s", e, key,
                          e.getMessage() );
              }
          }
  
          return true;
      }
docs: Validates the remote connection, produced from rule-set for given key,
  for a remote repo or group containing a remote. If:
  
  <ul>
  <li>rule.isValidationEnabled() == false, return true</li>
  <li>rule.getValidationRemote() == null, return true</li>
  <li>
  rule.getRemoteValidationPath() != null, validate remote.getUrl() + validationPath
  <ul>
  <li>if response code is 200 OK, then return true</li>
  <li>otherwise, return false</li>
  </ul>
  </li>
  </ul>
  @throws IndyDataException if the selected rule encounters an error while creating the new group/repository instance(s).