Data Loss

[MakingWaves]

I am currently developing a filemaker intranet solution and have experienced some problems with data loss.

My database is based around a Contacts table which has relationships to all the other tables via a Card_ID. When we recently loaded up the database all fields within this table had been erased except for the last one.

However the records were still there but with no data in them. Myself and a veteren FM developer have checked the relationships and the scripts and we are still experiencing problems.

I run filemaker developer 7 and all the other machines run FM 7. Additionally we are using FM Server 7 to host the file.

Any Help?

Thanks

Carl

[Reed]

Did the server crash, or get shut down without properly closing the files? This could cause corruption.... the only thing to do is to revert to a backup, try to use recover on the crashed file, and if successful, you can export the recent records out of the crashed file, and import them into the backup.

[Adrian Simpson]

Bugger me! I just posted the same problem myself. FileMaker say they have never heard of this problem, and with over 15 years FileMaker programming experience myself, I cannot find a way to solve it or see what causes it. I feel better somehow that someone else around the world is having the same problem. FileMaker were trying to tell me this was my problem and that I must be doing something wrong! Get onto FileMaker and lets start pushing this as a major issue.

[Adrian Simpson]

ps. This is not a Windows issue. I have a client on a Mac network as well, both customers using the latest OS's and latest version of FileMaker versions 7 and 8 tried

[MakingWaves]

Hi all and thanks for your response,

The server was shut down at 5.15 and the last backup took place at 5. The backup was also affected so this means it must have happened before shut down.

I will forward this onto filemaker and let you know how I get on. If anyone else has had a similar experience please let me know

Thanks again

Carl Lloyd

[Reed]

When was the last backup that wasn't affected? Are you taking the backup copies and archiving them to another drive as .zip or the like?

I have my system set to backup frequently changed files every hour, and create timestamped zip archives that are copied to 6 drives on 3 machines in two different buildings. Since the archives are date and timestamped, they aren't overwritten on the next backup, so corruption will not propogate into them. You can set the archiving script to run right after the live backup right in the server admin tool.

[Reed]

Just out of curiosity, do either of you have OS level file sharing enabled on the server machines?

[cclub75]

Well... first I was relieved... "i'm not alone". And then... i found this a little bit scarry.

We have a real problem here.

Let me explain.

I've got 1 FMS 7 on XP Pro. The application is 10 files, and 10 users. Everything went well since installation 15 september. But then yesterday, we had EXACTLY the same problem of lost data on one file.

This file contained 660 records. Only the LAST one was complete, all the other were "empty" (all fields empty).

But not completly. As a matter of fact, on another file with a portal toward the corrupted file, they were lines for records (but "empty", i can see the lines because we use a color background).

I try to use the "recover" function. Nothing. Only the last record was "recovered".

So to summarize :

-XP Pro

-FMS 7.03

-(on the same PC i've installed and i use FM 7.03)

-512 total Ram

-100 for the FMS 7

-purge of memory cache every 5 minutes

-the "journal of event" is set OFF

-Filesharing ON (to answer one of your previous question) with 2 folders shared (where FMS 7 do 2 backups per day)

-the incident took place 30 mn before the backup

-A few hours before this incident, i made some structure work on the corrupted file (I've added one table), throught a connexion with FM 7 (on the same PC)

Anyway, I put back the backup file (without the new table) today. And everything looks OK again (but until when ?).

What can we do to investigate further this matter ?

I can provide a copy of the corrupted file.

(i would like to add, that in since 15/09, we had 2 small power cut during week end when nobody use the system, so the PC server was brutally shutted down twice).

After reading the first post of Adrian... i tried to make research on the corrupted file. And yes, it's amzing i've got foundset too (but "empty" fields and records).

Edited October 11, 2005 by Guest

[Steven H. Blackwell]

-Filesharing ON (to answer one of your previous question) with 2 folders shared (where FMS 7 do 2 backups per day)

-the incident took place 30 mn before the backup

-A few hours before this incident, i made some structure work on the corrupted file (I've added one table), throught a connexion with FM 7 (on the same PC)

You are so far out of best practice recommendations here that I am actually astounded that you haven't had more problems. Do not, repeat not, run FMS7 and FMP7 simultaneously on the same CPU. Turn OS level file sharing off on that Server CPU. And while you're at it, I'd recommend that you switch OS to Windows Server 2003 and stop using Windows XP.

Finally, I would be cautious about developing at the schema level on a hosted file. If you lose connections, your file will be significantly damaged.

Please see the Server Tech Brief on the FMI web site:

http://www.filemaker.com/support/upgrade/techbriefs.html

Steven

[cclub75]

Thank you Steven for your precious advices.

I must confess that i didnt take time before to read the tech papers...

Chris

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Chris:

Don't feel too bad. Painful experience to be sure, but a good lesson learned. Wim and I worked a lot on those Tech Briefs to try to help folks out. While we could not have anticipated or covered every scenario, we did try to cover a number of key points. Hope your system gets back up and running.

Steven

[eswanborg]

I got to this post via another search, so this is not directly related to FMS on Windows - however, I had the exact same thing happen on FMP7 for Mac. Lost all data except one record. Tried all the recovery methods I could find here, nothing. Sent in to FM Recovery services too and they were unable to salvage anything either. Obviously a bug somewhere in the code doing this to 7 and up. Hopefully someone, somewhere will be able to narrow this down. As others have said, I'm happy it's not just me!