pc Server Lockup and Progressive Backups

[NYPoke]

I just had issues with FM 12 Server ( v.4 ).  The Admin was basically unresponsive.  I could not get the Clients to disconnect.

 

My client still worked fine, so Server was running.  It is Saturday Night & we did not have much activity today.  So, I decided to take down the Server.  The Admin would not do the job.

 

I killed Services.  I could not restart Server.  The web page came up, but it would not let me get to the Admin.

 

Prior to killing it, I would briefly see a message that said something like "Downloading application...".  Never saw the details.  This was when the web page was loading, prior to getting access to the Admin.

 

I could live what that, sort of.  I restarted the Windows 2008 Server.  Reboot, though it is a Virtual Server.

 

Then, the real problems started.  I figured that I would go to the Progressive Backups, as I was not sure how the files went down.  I did not use the most recent, since we did not have users in the system.  Went to the one before that.

 

6 of our 45 Files were 100 percent dead & corrupt.  Out of comission.  I was quite fortunate that they were not commonly used files.

 

I had to go to the 1:00 AM Daily backup to get these files back.  That is most disturbing.

 

I assumed that we just go the Progressive Folder & copy the files.  If that is not the case, I will be more than happy to follow the procedures.  However, I have not seen any.

 

If that is what we are supposed to do, then the Progressive Backups are serious garbage & we are safer just restarting the files that went down with the Services shutdown.

 

( I tried both copies of the Progressive Backups, before going to the Daily.  Both corrupt.)

 

I am hoping that I just do not know how to restore the Progressive Backups.  All input appreciated.

[IdealData]

Setting up, and restoring from, progressive backup | FileMaker

 

You might also want to stop automatic updates on your Win2k8 server, including Java.

[NYPoke]

Thanks.  I had seen a reference to the Automatic Updates for Java, below.  Was not sure about them in general.  Will tell the Admin.

 

Still, the Progressive Backups were corrupt, which is a bad thing.  I assume the Auto Updates did damage or something & the Progressive Backups just followed suit.  Weird that the Server never actually crashed though, which is normally when FM Files get corrupted.

[Wim Decorte]

How did you establish that the files were corrupt?

 

Progressive backups in and by itself have no problems so the fact that you could not open files from it would point to something else on your machine that would interfere with FMS's ability to properly write to the backups location.  AV scanning perhaps?

 

Rule #1 in a good DR procedure is to set up the backups and test them a few times ahead of time so that you know what to expect.  If I was in your shoes I would certainly spend some time on that this week to make sure your backup set up is stable.

 

As with any backed-up FM file; you always copy the files, never move them.   You always leave your backup set intact.

[NYPoke]

They would not open, at all.  When Client tried to open them...These Files Are Corrupt.

 

I had never tried the Progressive Backups before, but we use our Daily & Weekly Backups (copied to another machine) constantly.  Accounting closes the books with them.  Marketing researches with them.  Never a problem, from this stand point.  I should have tested the Progressives & will look them over this week.

 

I am 99 percent sure that I copied them.  Only 6 out 45 had problems & the Progressives go away.  Our Production Files would be a mess by now, if I had moved them.

 

Will check out Virus Scans with our Network Admin.

 

Given the situation & being an old school C coder, I suspect that the problems I had with the Server caused the problems with the Progressive Backups.  However, I have no way to confirm.

 

Automatic Updates have been disabled.  Will check on the other scans.

[NYPoke]

Everything seems to be running well this morning.  I took a copy of the Progressive Backups again.  Copied them to My Documents Folder.

 

Same problem.  Same 6 files are "corrupt".  The exact message is that the Priveledges are corrupt.

 

I tried the same files with our Daily Backups.  They work fine.

 

Something with the Progressive Backups does not like these files, which originated back in Version 5.  Will look closer at the Priveledges.