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KB11122001 Understanding Backup Failures

General backup settings and configuration are detailed here: http://info.mailtraq.com/backup

 


 

The Live backup process is generally robust and reliable, however if the process has a problem it will report that in the Console in the Backup dialog, and will also attempt to email the Administrator to warn them of the problem.

Problems with backups are caused when one of the database files has become corrupted for some reason outside of Mailtraq's control:

1.) Running out of room on the Hard Drive
2.) Shutting down abruptly - either power failure or by the User
3.) External backup regimes locking the Mailtraq database files
4.) Anti-virus programs locking the Mailtraq database files
5.) Corrupted disc-write problems.

The error message will direct the Admin to the affected files/s.

 

Named location

If the error message contains an explicit file name that has the problem then the solution is simple.

For example, the error message may read something like:

A database backup was scheduled to take place
but could not be completed for the following reason :-
  NexusDB: <unnamed TnxTable instance>: Record has been deleted, cannot read/delete/update it [\Mailtraq\database\mail\inbox\example_old$5F.afx
 
In this example the RED text indicates the problem, and will be different for each type of issue. The highlighted text indicates the location of the corrupted file. This file can be corrected using the procedure at afxrecover
 
 
Unnamed location
 
If the error message does not contain an explicit file name, then you will need to read the Mailtraq Event Log to discover the faulting file.
 
For example, this error message does not indicate which file is faulting - simply that there is a problem:
 
A database backup was scheduled to take place but could not be completed for the following reason :-
NexusDB: <unnamed TnxTable instance>: invalid segment number (n)
 
To determine which file is concerned.
 
Mailtraq performs Mailbox backups in the following sequence - first all the mailboxes in the folder
Mailtraq\database\mail\inbox in alphabetical order, then all the archive mailboxes in Mailtraq\database\mail\archive in alphabetical order
 
Locate the Event Log on disk for the period in question, and examine it.
Locate the start of the Backup Service, for example:
 
01/01/2011 00:10:03 Database Backup Service Starting
01/01/2011 00:10:12 Backup Service: Backing up configuration...
01/01/2011 00:10:15 Backup Service: Backing up mail files...
01/01/2011 00:10:15 Backup Service: Backing up database mail\inbox\...
01/01/2011 00:10:15 Backup Service: Backup Service: Backing up mail\inbox\admin (0% complete)
01/01/2011 00:10:15 Backup Service: Backup Service: Backing up mail\inbox\baker (1% complete)
 
You will see each inbox\mailbox, and each archive\mailbox backed up in turn, with an estimate of the percentage of the overall task completed. The backup notices will be interspersed with other general log entries.
 
The problem AFX file will be the first one in alphabetical order after the last successfully completed backup recorded in the Event Log.   If there are no successfully completed mailbox backups, then the problem lies in the first AFX file.
 
Having identified the AFX file, then proceed to recover it using the procedure at afxrecover
 
 
 

 


Keywords: kb troubleshooting backup
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