5.1 crashes with "Internal consistency check failed: assertion check at "elem16c.-687" "

[jbobdobbs]

After upgrading to 5.1 server (on 10.2.8, LaCie SD10000 tape drive, Adaptec 29160 card) and moving many of the Windows clients from 6.0 to 6.5, we've see Retrospect crash with the following error:

 

 

 

"Internal consistency check failed: Assertion check at "elem16.c-687"

 

 

 

The only choice at this point is to quit Retrospect.

 

 

 

The crash "magically" removed two of the backup sets from the script and substituted another set in their place. That took us a while to sort out.

 

 

 

We managed to figure out that it was failing at a Windows client. We removed the client software, forgot the client from the script, reinstalled the 6.0 software, added the client back to the script and waited. It crashed on 3 more nights, each time when it reached a different Windows client. Each time, we identified the client it crashed at and downgraded the client software to 6.0 and each time the problem went away, crashing at a new client.

 

 

 

Last night, for the first time in almost 10 days, we got through an entire backup without incident. The final Windows client will be added to the backup script tonight - wish us luck.

 

 

 

We post this information in the hopes that our solution to this undocumented bug might help someone else experiencing similar problems.

[natew]

Hi

 

Assert errors are most often caused by corrupt configuration files or memory management problems on the backup machine. By removing and adding clients you may have removed some corrupt information from the preference files. I have seen cases where the backup clients database will be corrupt but returns to normal after forgetting some clients.

 

You may also want to try a new set of preferences. Just move the Library/Preferences/retrospect folder somwhere else on your disk to try that.

 

Nate