Database file appears corrupted after restore from backup

[gsbelarus]

There are multiple Firebird instances on the server: FB25, FB3, and FB5. Each instance is assigned a dedicated port and an appropriate service name. When using a third-party application to perform a restore, it connects to the server via a TCP connection using the connection string localhost/3056:some_path_to_database.

At the end of the restoration process, the following error message appears:

Unable to complete network request to host "localhost". Error reading data from the connection.

Additionally, there is a record in the firebird.log file:

XNET error: XNET server initialization failed. Probably, another instance of the server is already running.

The resulting database file appears to be corrupted, and subsequent gfix -v -full ... shows:

Number of record level errors : 18722

[sim1984]

XNET error: XNET server initialization failed. Probably, another instance of the server is already running.

To simultaneously run several servers using XNET, you need to configure the IpcName (firebird.conf) in the same way as you configure ports for different FB instances to work via INET.

[gsbelarus]

I used the connection string localhost/3056:path_to_database. Through all my life, I believed this is network connection. Am I wrong?

[gsbelarus]

Moreover, I checked the firebird.conf. There is no section dedicated to XNET settings exists. Where and what should I assign?

[AlexPeshkoff]

It's IPCNAME parameter that makes it possible to run multiple servers, listening xnet, in parallel. But it's related only to message in the log (XNET error: XNET server initialization failed. Probably, another instance of the server is already running.). What you mention first looks like server crash at the first look. Does it happen for all versions or only one particular?

[gsbelarus]

It's IPCNAME parameter that makes it possible to run multiple servers, listening xnet, in parallel. But it's related only to message in the log (XNET error: XNET server initialization failed. Probably, another instance of the server is already running.). What you mention first looks like server crash at the first look. Does it happen for all versions or only one particular?

I got another backup and now doing restoration. Will come with the result in a few hours.

As for XNET, is it enough if I set IPCNAME to FIREBIRD5 for Firebird 5?

[AlexPeshkoff]

On 1/2/24 19:57, Andrej Kirejeŭ wrote: As for XNET, is it enough if I set IPCNAME to FIREBIRD5 for Firebird 5?

Enough to avoid mentioned message in the log.

[gsbelarus]

On 1/2/24 19:57, Andrej Kirejeŭ wrote: As for XNET, is it enough if I set IPCNAME to FIREBIRD5 for Firebird 5?
Enough to avoid mentioned message in the log.

as it is a common scenario when multiple versions of Firebird co-exists on the same server, it would be useful to set the default IPCNAME to FIREBIRD5 for Firebird v.5, FIREBIRD6 for the next version etc

[gsbelarus]

sorry, bug confirmed. another backup -- the same result:

Unable to complete network request to host "localhost". Error reading data from the connection.

the message during the restore process and then:

Number of record level errors : 18722

during the gfix check.

[hvlad]

There are multiple Firebird instances on the server: FB25, FB3, and FB5. Each instance is assigned a dedicated port and an appropriate service name. When using a third-party application to perform a restore, it connects to the server via a TCP connection using the connection string localhost/3056:some_path_to_database.

What server version is supposed to perform restore ?
Did that application run restore using Services API ?
If, yes, how it is attached to the services manager and why it is used "localhost... " in target database name ?
What happens if perform restore with gbak (or fbsvcmgr) using the same set of params ?

[gsbelarus]

What server version is supposed to perform restore ?

FB5 5.0.0.1304

Did that application run restore using Services API ?

yes

If, yes, how it is attached to the services manager

through IBX component:

https://github.com/GoldenSoftwareLtd/gedemin/blob/master/Gedemin/IBX/IBServices.pas

it has been doing this way for last 25 years ))

and why it is used "localhost... " in target database name ?

The Presence of localhost in the address string forced IBX to use TCP protocol flag in its components.
We definitely needed it in the times of Yaffil, Firebird 0.9 or even earlier.

BTW, localhost/3056 allows us to call exactly FB5 server. As we have FB3, FB25 also running on this machine
we could distinguish between them only by port number.

What happens if perform restore with gbak (or fbsvcmgr) using the same set of params ?

Need to check.

[hvlad]

When run restore with Services API, one should use server name in connection string, not in the target database name.

When speak about IBX, it means that server (remote host) name should be specified in ServerName property, not in DatabaseName property.

In your case localhost/3056:service_mgr is connection string and some_path_to_database (without server host name!) is target database name. If one use plain 'service_mgr' (empty string at ServerName property) it means connection uses XNET or, if it was not successful, fbclient will try 'localhost' without port number. As we have no idea what server version was started first and run XNET listener, we could assume it was not FB5 (message in firebird.log confirms it), I.e. another server instance run restore service and connects to the FB5 due to remote part in database name argument (DatabaseName property). Of course, it doesn't make whole restore process as fast as it should be.

In short: you should check and correct values of ServerName and DatabaseName properties.

BTW, what is last message before error ?

[gsbelarus]

This is how our UI organized. we specify the target server and path to the database in one string, then divide it programmatically and set the corresponding IBX component's properties. The connection definitely goes to the FB5 server because only FB5 process shows activity during the restore process.

Before the error message, there are a couple of warnings of unknown UDF functions. These are our functions like BIN_AND and BIN_OR. They duplicate built-in functions. There is no need for them right now, just leftovers in the database we didn't clean up yet. Nevertheless, these warnings were present for years and never resulted into database corruption.

[hvlad]

Could you be more specific and show service properties used ? There is some confusion that better to be cleared up.
Also, did you investigated if server was crashed (as Alex suppose) ?

[gsbelarus]

      IBConfigService.ServerName := edServer.Text;

      if IBConfigService.ServerName > '' then
        IBConfigService.Protocol := TCP
      else
        IBConfigService.Protocol := Local;

in our case edServer.text contains localhost/3056

It would be easier to check whether the server crashed or not if appropriate records of server starting and server properly shutting down were put into the firebird.log file.