[chef] how to check if a database is populated(in work state) for idempotent recipes - best practic question

[Vladimir Skubriev < >]

I write redmine cookbook for our server.

I populate database for redmine (I'm doing it this way):
----------------------
script "populate_db" do
  interpreter "bash"
  user "root"
  cwd "/tmp"
  code <<-EOF

      #!/bin/bash
      var=$(mysql -s -u root 
--password=#{node['mysql']['server_root_password']} -e "SELECT COUNT(*) 
FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'redmine'" | sed '2p')

      if [[ $var -lt 59 ]]; then
              mysql -u root 
--password=#{node['mysql']['server_root_password']} < 
/etc/custom/redmine/mysql/latest/redmine.sql
              if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then exit 0; else exit 6666; fi
      else
              exit 0;
      fi

  EOF
end

-------------------

I think that this way is not true. First of all I am newbee in Ruby (. 
But I know some of bash scripting.

What do you think for:

1. Most safely method to populate database in my recipe. For example 
bestest method to check if the database is in working state?
    Of course I can add some code to save database before this code - 
for secure my data.
2. Most perspective methods for doing this
3. What do you think about populate database in automated recipe. May be 
this is not true and i must do it manual after all ?

Thank you.

--
Best regards,

CVisionLab System Administrator
Vladmir Skubriev