System Hardware Failure & Forum

Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:30
ThreadID: 29325 Views:2415 Replies:18 FollowUps:9
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Hi,

Well what a night and morning this has turned out to be. Last night at approx 12PM EST the servers disk array decided to destroy itself. This has meant that the system had to be restored from tape. Now we got everything back as at 11PM EST however the forum database was missing from the tape (yeah - great I said). We attempted to recover the files from the crashed disk array alas no data was able to be recovered. We then had to fail back to a special internal backup that I run on the server. Problem was that the system crashed before this was completed and put on tape so the net result is that we had to go back 24 hours and as such all forum threads since midnight on the 2nd have not been restored.

This is the first failure of the kind on ExplorOz and we are sorry for the inconvience. Rest assured that my next task is to migrate the forum to a new DB platform with siginificant backup and redundancy options. This has now been escalated to an urgent task. Bugger how these tasks increase in prority after a failure!

As for the rest of the site we lost nothing at all as the other databases have already been moved to the newer platform. So orders, trader, pointplace, fuel and everything else is 100% OK.

Again sorry for the hassle please feel free to re-post any threads that are now missing.
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Always working not enough travelling!

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Reply By: Wayne W - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:44

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:44
Hi David,

Thanks for your time and effort in restoring the forum. As you are always in the firing ling when things aren't working, I'm sure the accolades will be unending.

ATB for 2006.

Regards,
Wayne.
AnswerID: 146384

Reply By: Member - Trevor R (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:47

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:47
Hi David,

I have just got back from 2weeks away, so nothing missing from my point of view (what you haven't seen won't hurt you).
I haven't told you guys this yet but I will today, I think you do a marvelous job and service to the 4wd community that use this site so please keep up the good work.

I thought computers were supposed to make your life easier....... until I started useing them.

Cheers Trevor.
AnswerID: 146385

Follow Up By: Member - Ross H (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:16

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:16
Hi trev
How did you go with the mozzi coil thing you were talking about , did you end up getting one. If you didn't im not using mine for the next few months so you are welcome to borrow it and try it out.

regards ross
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Follow Up By: Member - Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 07:59

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 07:59
Hi Ross,

Bought one and have been trying it with success over the last couple of weeks. It defineately works, as soon as I climbed out of the car one morning in Dubbo I was set upon by Mozzies but the night before was a good sleep with doors open (I know this is not a good idea in Dubbo but I carry an attitude adjuster at my bedside just in case).
Thanks for your help and hope the new year brings much happiness to your and the family.

Best Regards Trevor.
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FollowupID: 399996

Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 08:26

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 08:26
So what I heard about Dubbo on ABC radio is true, another Wilcannia eh!
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Follow Up By: Member - Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 15:09

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 15:09
Hi mad dog,

The short answer to your question is yes it is pretty bad in places at Dubbo. Don't know if it's as bad as Wilcannia as I have no experience of that place.

Cheers Trevor.
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Reply By: Member - sparra - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:47

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 14:47
no need to be sorry, stuff happens,you can only do what you can do.she'll be right. sounds like ya need a beer, cheers ,sparra
no good being the richest man in the cemetry

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AnswerID: 146386

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:02

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:02
S h i t happens dude, hardware fails, Forum DB missing from tape? Backup running when crashed, or nothing in the log to suggest why its missing?

backup stratergies may be something to work on though :(
AnswerID: 146389

Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - David - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:06

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:06
Nah - I understand what happened. When the backup process runs it leaves locked files till the end then comes back tries again and if it fails this time it makes a shadow/mirror copy and puts this to tape. When the backup came back to do this the server was gone. A very bad series of coincidences (as it always is with computers). Anyway moving the DB to another machine with different backup systems and significant performance upgrades (read momre hosting dollars). Will take a few days for me to put the whole 300MB file back in one piece and then convert hopefully will complete this week/weekend (maybe).
David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Always working not enough travelling!

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Follow Up By: gramps - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:05

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:05
Sounds like you need one with some sort of transaction log to re-apply to a clean backup. Generally more expensive though :)))))
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FollowupID: 399921

Reply By: flappa - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:13

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:13
Phew , you should be happy Truckster . . .

That offer to shout all the forum regulars has now disappeared.
AnswerID: 146392

Follow Up By: gramps - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:53

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:53
Glad I kept a copy of Truckster's offer. Sell copies to all and sundry at a reasonable rate :))))))))))))
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FollowupID: 399918

Reply By: Member - David (WA) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:52

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 15:52
Thanks David for letting us know.

I was logged on and then tried to go back to the forum and it all disappeared.

As my sons were stuffing around with our router I heaped all sorts of helpful abuse at them for cutting off my connection.

Looks like I need to apologise as it was not them after all.

Cheers
David

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AnswerID: 146394

Follow Up By: Pajman Pete (SA) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:40

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:40
Naaah, don't apologise, blame them for the whole thing including the EO crash!

If they didn't do it this time it is only because they don't know how yet :o)

Cheers

Pete
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FollowupID: 399933

Reply By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:21

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:21
David, sorry to hear you had those problems - it took me a couple of minutes to decide it wasn't mine actually, so glad it wasn't here but had to reboot computers a couple of times as I only had one priority for a site to visit ;-) I knew email worked and messaging but not EO.

Thanks for your restoration efforts David and the reassurance it wasn't here.

Always seems to be a puter problem somewhere with them. Last week there was a power supply here first manifesting itself with USB connection failures of 5 volts. Then some d***head decides to password protect the content advisor on the browser. Know that wasn't the staff as they don't have that knowledge.
AnswerID: 146399

Reply By: Leroy - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:22

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 16:22
David,

Check out a product call Symantec Livestate Recovery formerly V2i protector. It images your system on the fly. You can schedule it to do incremental images hourly for example and only keep like the last 3 and do a full early each morning etc. You can also browse the images for data.

Leroy
AnswerID: 146400

Reply By: Nudenut - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 17:58

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 17:58
and i thought it was my computer again.....
AnswerID: 146417

Reply By: Ruth from Birdsville Caravan Park - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:19

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:19
Ah ha, just as well I looked on today's Forum before I hopped and on asked the question. I spent over an hour replying to everyone who kindly returned messages from Post 29282 - my New Year's Greetings and couldn't believe it when there was not one of my messages there.
Poor you David - what a night!
AnswerID: 146421

Reply By: Pajman Pete (SA) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:43

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 18:43
Thanks for the great service David. I didn't miss EO, I was still busy unpacking, cleaning and repairing gear from our VIC High Country trip.

All the best in the New Year.

Cheers

Pete
AnswerID: 146430

Reply By: Martyn (WA) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 19:20

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 19:20
David,
No problem, as usual thanks for all the effort to get things happening again, I made my usual call to Bigpond to keep them on their toes, I've just got a wireless rooter I was blaming that, just about to launch it into the garden. Bit like the old Nissans, sooper reliable and then every now and again just have to give you something to do to occupy that time you didn't know what to do with.
Thanks for the efforts it's appreciated.
Keep the shiny side up

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AnswerID: 146435

Reply By: Footloose - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 20:22

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 20:22
Yep, pretty crook when the hardware decides to moderate the moderators :))
AnswerID: 146446

Reply By: Member - Omaroo (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 20:58

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 20:58
David - back it all up on diskette just to be sure...

:)
AnswerID: 146455

Reply By: techie - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 22:25

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 22:25
Amen to footloose - u got a giggle out of that one.
Diskette backup is good - got a heap of 5 1/4 360k you can use.

Re my post #29325 re solar panels on eBay.
(weird, when I look back for the replies and got this posting instead)
Thanks everyone for their response. I think I'll give them a miss.
too old and prob not the rating they stated.
Techie
ps Thanks David - good job of restoration, I know from personal experience - not easy
AnswerID: 146470

Reply By: Dean (SA) - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 09:58

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 09:58
Ah, that explains alot. Ive tried calling to renew my membership but have only got through to the anwsering machine.
Dean
AnswerID: 146521

Reply By: Trekkie - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 12:40

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 12:40
Thanks David
Thought I was going nuts - have been away for a couple of days and having asked a question to try to help my auto electrician, I was a bit surprised at the lack of response - then I checked my email and all the replies were there.
Having just spent about $35,000 in my business on a new server, I can understand your frustration - there are so many options and solutions
AnswerID: 146556

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 23:29

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 23:29
BTT for those that have missed it.
AnswerID: 146700

Follow Up By: Member - Ed. C.- Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 23:53

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 23:53
Didn't stay there long;-)))))
Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

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