Database corruption--is there a FAQ?

[Alan H]

Short question: Is there a good source for best practices to recover from corruption? If I suspect a bug in FMPRo is causing crashes, should I report it?

Long question: I have a complicated database that is used for personal use. It is 4 files, I think about 30 tables total, one file has lots of images and is about 500MB, the rest are in the 2-40 MB range. There are lots of relations.

Often when I have two related files open, making changes will cause FM Pro Advanced 8.5 to crash, often causing problems with the database.

Following advice that I got at the FMPro booth at MacWorld I did the following:

Recovered every file

Saved a clone of every recovered file

Exported every table as a merge file

Exported the images (container fields) of the big file as a simple two-field database.

Imported the merge files into the clones

Imported the images back into the big file

This was about 5 hours of work

The next day (today), the database crashed in exactly the way that it has before (making the same "kind" of changes with certain files open).

I suspect a bug in FM Pro, but it still could be residual corruption that I can't detect or clean up.

Thoughts about next steps?

Thanks

A

Edited February 7, 2007 by Guest

[Genx]

It's residual corruption -- Really don't trust files that you ever think are corrupted.

The only real solution is to restore the data into previous backups -- This is not an FM Pro issue (besides how easy it is to corrupt the files -- that's an fm pro issue).

[Alan H]

You know, that's what they said about FM7. This database actually started in 6, but last backup is an FM7 version from 2005-02. I guess I could go back to that version (I wonder if it is corrupted), and then try to recreate 2 years of edits. It might take me, what 2 months of work?

Thanks, I guess

[Alan H]

O, and BTW, it is an FMPro issue. There are lots of ways that FileMaker could create a corruption-free process. Imagine, if you will, a process whereby the structure of each database could be exported as .xml--ie, text only. Then one could export, create a new blank database, and import, and know that there is no "residual corruption". Or one could examine the xml to look for references that don't make sense, etc. In any event, this is an FM problem too.

[Lee Smith]

We have a Upgrading and Migration Topic Area.

HTH

Lee

[Alan H]

Lee said

> HTH

I didn't see anything in the last year in that forum relevant to my original message--but perhaps I missed it.

Thanks

[Genx]

besides how easy it is to corrupt the files -- that's an fm pro issue.

[Lee Smith]

This is the best White Paper that I know about corrupted files. Enjoy. Link by: Gregory Durniak.

BTW, there are a couple of migration white papers at Link You might find helpful if you have not read them already.

Lee

[Alan H]

Thank you! The nyfmp.org paper is fantastic. I believe that I read the appropriate papers when I first migrated from FM 6 to 7, and then from 7 to 8.5. (I've been swearing at FileMaker since FM4).

A

[Lee Smith]

I have never blame FileMaker for my own mistakes.

I agree, that your corruption was in your v5 files. That is why it important for you to follow the migration white papers. Converting them as you did, brought the corruption into your new file.

As Genx pointed out, do not use these files for anything except to get the data out. You can minimize your exposure to corruption by using a Text format (tab or csv).

Corruption can be anywhere. Layout, graphics, fonts, and data.

Good Luck,

Lee

[Highbury]

Hi all,

I am in the process of trying to recover a client's FM7 db and therefore this topic is of great interest to me. In FM8Developer it is of course possible to import tables, copy and paste fields etc between an existing database and a new, blank database.

I am wondering whether when FM performs these tasks, i.e. importing a table without the data from the source file, it creates a completely clean table, free of any possible structure corruption. If so, then it may be possible to use this as at least a half way solution even if you have to then import the data and rebuild relationships/layouts etc. At least if it is a clean structure one could be sure that that part of the corruption problem was fixed?

[Lee Smith]

I am wondering whether when FM performs these tasks, i.e. importing a table without the data from the source file, it creates a completely clean table, free of any possible structure corruption. If so, then it may be possible to use this as at least a half way solution even if you have to then import the data and rebuild relationships/layouts etc. At least if it is a clean structure one could be sure that that part of the corruption problem was fixed?

I wouldn't.

The corruption could be in somthing besides the data. Read the article by Gregory DurniakIt and follow his links too.

Lee

[Highbury]

Thank you Lee,

I guessed it would not be quite as easy as that! The article is an excellent resource.

[fed]

The links you gave, that people seemed to find very useful, are no longer valid. Do you still have the white paper somewhere else?

[Lee Smith]

It's been over three years. Although it was a good article, nothing is forever. Since it was posted to a User Group's Site, I didn't download it, perhaps someone else did?

Check out FileMakerinc.com >> Support >> Knowledge Base for Migrating your files. Link

Lee

[gdurniak]

my NYFMP User Group modified their web site, so I moved my Recover Article here:

http://fileshoppe.com/recover.htm

you can also Google "FileMaker Recover" to find it

greg

[Lee Smith]

Thank you for posting the update URL.