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Losing Records after a backup

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    Losing Records after a backup

    Hi,

    I wondered if anyone else has experienced this, we have a database on a shared server. All appears fine then at the end of the day we backup the database. On returning to it this morning the invoice records have disappeared - only the invoice records for yesterday, all the earlier ones are there. There is a unique identifier on the invoice number field and we are able to re-enter the invoice details without anything beeping back at us, which must mean that the invoice has not been saved initially.

    The strange thing about this is the invoice is there for the entire day, we print off a checking sheet, we prepare an invoice which is converted to a pdf and then it is emailed all using alpha five.

    I have noticed that this seems to be happening after I have performed a back-up using Alpha Fives one step back-up procedures. The log looks complete and shows all the tables and sets, but when I look at the back-up folder almost half of the tables/sets are missing.

    The invoice data is entered as part of a set consisting of four tables all the other details are complete. Has anyone else experienced this?

    Regards

    Judith

    #2
    Re: Losing Records after a backup

    Some diagnostic elimination required,,,
    Is this a new problem, if so coinciding with any event (other than the backup)
    Half the tables missing in your backup nor the backup itself should cause a loss of recent records in any table - there you must look at the settings saved for the backup
    What is the procedure followed after backup -is there a system shut down
    Is invoicing done at one terminal that may be experiencing power problems or shutdowns - since only one of four tables in a set is losing data (or not flushing to the server)
    is shadowing being deployed?

    Some thoughts and detail required here - as there is no stock answer.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Losing Records after a backup

      Hi Ray
      The database was moved from a desk top computer to a server a while ago, (while it was situated on the single computer there wasn't a problem). I would create a zip file using Alpha5 each night without problems. The folder containing all the files was copied to the server and network optimising was used to create shadow database on three computers. After lots of help on here we stopped using the shadow database as we thought this might be the reason for the problem updating the master database. The invoice data is entered on a form within a set which also contains three other tables that are completed at the same time without any problem.

      We have been entering data directly to the master database this week. I backed up the database last night and on opening it up this morning the invoices that were entered yesterday have gone, all other aspects of the data are all present and correct. There is also a table to record all payments received, there are different fields for recording different payment types. This is a single table and when entering payments in one particular set of three fields these records disappear, any other entry on the table is always fine. It's a mystery.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Losing Records after a backup

        Judith,

        It's unlikely that the backup sequence is deleting records.

        Suggest you open the database, enter an invoice, close the database, and then open it again. Is the invoice still there? Repeat this sequence from each work station.

        Your description suggests to me that your workstations are opening different copies of the database. is it possible some are working with local copies on their own machines? Is it possible there is more than one database on the server machine? If so, are all workstations pointing to the same database?

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Losing Records after a backup

          Hi Tom,

          I have opened the database on my computer after the record being entered on another computer and it's there. I have searched the server drive and there is only one table called invoices.dbf. I will carry on to look at the computer were the input is mainly done and see if there is anything there. Will report back.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Losing Records after a backup

            Hi Tom,

            I have checked to see if the missing invoices have been saved anywhere else. I have checked for other tables on the input computer to see if there is any other instances of the invoice table. I have just performed a backup closed alpha and re-opened it and everything is there. It's so strange. I agree with you it appears that the invoices are going somewhere else I just can't fathom it out. Also, I have no idea why the other table which stores payment records should have records go missing when 3 particular fields in the record are used. Never happens when data is entered on any of the other fields within the table.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Losing Records after a backup

              What happens when you;
              Confirm all computers are not running Alpha
              Back up using Zip. Look at bytes.
              Back up using Alpha . Compare bytes.

              It might be something as simple as the server not being updated immediately.
              When you canged computers you did change the backup as well?

              If Alpha backup is run when there are open connections you may experience trouble.
              See our Hybrid Option here;
              https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


              Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
              You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Losing Records after a backup

                Judith

                Look for the invoices in a default browse of the invoice table with the index set to <Record-Number order>.

                Look at the last records in the browse. They are the last records added to the table.

                That'll eliminate an index problem where the records are missing in the index but not in the table.

                I've also solved it by zipping (for backup) and then packing the table. That cleans up data issues and rebuilds the indexes.
                Al Buchholz
                Bookwood Systems, LTD
                Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                Occam's Razor - KISS
                Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                Albert Einstein

                http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Losing Records after a backup

                  Thank you everyone for your replies, we are now looking at the possibility of a wiring problem. The lost records seem to occur when they are input from one particular computer, so for a day or two I'm going to do the data entry from my computer. Our computers are hard wired to the server.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Losing Records after a backup

                    Judith, let us know what you discover.

                    A quick test of your theory would be to enter records from the suspect machine. Then see if other workstations can "see" them on the server using Alpha.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Losing Records after a backup

                      Hi Tom,
                      I wasn't in work on Friday and they had records go 'missing'. Our IT manager discovered that the network cable on the suspect computer was going into a fast ethernet switch hub, he has now changed the cable so that it plugs directly into the wall socket - and I will continue data entry on my computer today to rule out that the problem is an Alpha problem rather than a network problem.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Losing Records after a backup

                        Hi - another update - came in this morning all data records present and correct. Lunch time, a colleague asked were a report was on the server as it wasn't there - I checked the shared drive and could clearly see the report (a pdf created through Alpha 5), I opened it and printed it off, another colleague could also see and access the file but none of my other colleagues could see it. I then opened a folder to check that invoices created and saved as pdf's were still there, they were fine. My IT Manager asked me to restart my computer and when I did the pdf invoices had all gone from the folder and the report stored in another folder has also gone - none of these are Alpha files - they are just pdf's. I think this means it's a network problem and is the reason behind the disappearing records in my database. We have recently changed anti-virus software to ESET and I'm wondering if this could be anything to do with the problem. I am thinking of changing my name to Sherlock.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Losing Records after a backup

                          The usual advice is to DISABLE real time monitoring (for malware) on the folder containing the data on your server.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Losing Records after a backup

                            Hi Tom - IT Manager is going to make that change this afternoon.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Losing Records after a backup

                              Have you enabled File and folder auditing to determine which user is last to touch the file before it goes missing/changed?

                              I would strongly suggest auditing the File and Folder access to determine the user. Once identified you can narrow down to the machine(s) and run Process Monitor to determine what process is actually deleting/changing the files.
                              Andrew

                              Comment

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