Handling damaged files
Symptoms
"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed)) Group format Error: OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS Group# : 00000932 Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Cause
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.
- Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
- Was there a power cut?
- Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
- Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to neosys?
Solution
Depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.
Recovery
It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work
Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them
Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE
FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down services from the Support menu or with the Global command:
F5
FIXFILE filename
(Select option 1 to update the file)
In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.
The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.
Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files
Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option. Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation.
FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.
You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.
Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs
On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods
- Stop the autostart program/script
- Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
- Stop the IIS server
- Stop/Pause the particular web in question
Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them
ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS
ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS
Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !)
Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:
"A Damaged file has been found..... Group format Error: OS File : !ADS Group# : 00000932 Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
- Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
- Log into NEOSYS on the server
- Press F5 to get a TCL command box
- Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
- Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
- Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.
The LISTS and !INDEXING files are automatically checked for corruption and rebuilt when you startup the first Neosys process, and does not require this command to be run. You should also do REINDEXALL, but this will take a long time.
Other reindex commands are:
- REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS and !BATCHES
- REINDEXADDRESSES
- REINDEXADS
- REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
- REINDEXBRANDS
- REINDEXCLIENTS
- REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
- REINDEXJOBS
- REINDEXMATERIALS
- REINDEXPLANS
- REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
- REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
- REINDEXRATECARDS
- REINDEXSCHEDULES
- REINDEXSUPPLIERS
- REINDEXTIMESHEETS
- REINDEXVEHICLES
REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
- REINDEXPLANS
- REINDEXSCHEDULES
- REINDEXADS
- REINDEXMATERIALS
- REINDEXBOOKINGS
REINDEXFILES does all the following
- REINDEXCLIENTS
- REINDEXBRANDS
- REINDEXSUPPLIERS
- REINDEXVEHICLES
- REINDEXRATECARDS
REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
- REINDEXJOBS
- REINDEXPRODORDERS
- REINDEXPRODINVS
- REINDEXTIMESHEETS
REINDEXALL does all the following
- REINDEXMEDIA
- REINDEXPRODUCTION
- REINDEXFILES
- REINDEXINVS
- REINDEXACCOUNTS
- REINDEXADDRESSES
