ANY not normal exit of Console or shut down of computer results in lost config data

[Camelhump]

reproducible:

 

Start server

get console talking to engine

interrupt console (force quit), or power down the computer

 

config file (both of them?) get wiped out.

Retrospect asks for new license

 

I just lost entry of 90 manually entered IP address and computers

 

I am NOT - repeat NOT !!!

happy.

 

 

[Maser]

Unfortunately, that's something that the engineers haven't addressed yet -- while Retrospect wouldn't be the first program to corrupt a settings file/.plist/what-have-you if/when the program unexpectedly quits...

 

It *shouldn't*.

 

 

That said, a good practice would probably be to manually stop the engine after you do significant configuration and make a finder copy of the file before you do additional configuration...

[Daniels]

Interesting because I have forced quited the console when it misbehaves with my tape library and I have never had it lose the config files. I can definitely see this problem happening if you force quit the console before it has fully loaded.

What happens if you force quit the console after it is fully loaded?

When I say fully loaded I mean the point at which you can make changes to scripts, media sets, etc.

[Camelhump]

OK - since everything was lost, I figured i might as well wipe and start over.

 

- I erased the Server's hard drive,

- reinstalled the OS (10.6.5)

- reinstalled Retro server.

- disabled 'start engine on start up'

- used the applescript supplied in another thread to start the engine - via login items.

 

- Started console - connected right away

- I added my license and 1 client.

 

- With console running, I powered off the machine (holding the power button for 8 sec)

- restarted

- restarted console, again it connected right away

- license is still there

- client was lost

 

 

better - but not perfect

Im going to add 1 client again and a simple selector and power the server off again

 

[Camelhump]

- added 1 client

- added 1 simple rule (selector)

- quit console

- restarted console

- powered server off (power button for 8 seconds)

- restarted computer

- restarted console

everything was there.

 

looks like replacing the OS, along with a at least 1 full quit of the console *will* reduce the corruption of the config file(s).

 

[Maser]

If you *power off* the computer -- not shut down the engine -- you will likely corrupt the "config80.dat" file.

 

If the config80.dat file is corrupt, the program reads from the "config80.bak" file -- which explains why your client you added was missing (the .bak file hadn't updated yet.)

 

For your second test, it was more likely that either (A) nothing was writing to the config80.dat file so it didn't get corrupt or ( the .bak file was updated before you powered it off.

 

 

Either way -- you shouldn't just "power off" your computer willy-nilly!

[Lennart_T]

Either way -- you shouldn't just "power off" your computer willy-nilly!

Right. And if someone has problems with power outages, please invest in a cheap UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that works with Macs. The UPS can shut down the server gracefully before the UPS runs out of battery power.

[Daniels]

You should never ever shut down a computer using the power button unless there is no other way to shut down the computer. The power switch shut down should only be used as a last resort.

I would not be surprised if the OS got corrupted because the power switch shut down.

[Camelhump]

yes - and UPSs always work, and here is always enough power in them to last the indeterminate time when power is not available, and the OS never locks up, and applications always exit when and how they are supposed too.

 

please ----

 

a power off the computer is a testing mechanism.

It simulates many of the possible problems above.

 

That said -

Retrospect SHOULD NOT corrupt/erase its own preference/config file during this type of activity.

 

It (to me) is evidence that the config file is OPEN in Read/write, and remains open through out the console session. The config file should be opened - read only - at console start. Should only be opened in read/write at the point where a change to console needs to be saved, and then closed. If the console needs consistent access to the config file - it should be in a read only state. If the config file is open in read only then it doesnt really matter what the computer does; crash. lock or anything else, as the config file will not be changed.

 

Additionally, Retrospect should probably ASK/CONFIRM before overwriting a config (or config backup) file when the software requests/requires a serial number.

[twickland]

One of the problems is that Retrospect has always stored way too much information in its config files, a problem that has only gotten worse in Retro 8.2. In addition to the console prefs, sources, scripts, rules, media set info, etc., Retrospect stores a lot of the past and future activities information (some of which duplicates in a different form what's included in the log) in the configuration file. All of this requires frequent writing to Config80, increasing the chances of something going awry and bringing down everything with it.

 

Many of us have long wanted Retrospect to separate these functions into different files, but the trend here isn't (and never has been) promising.