database/tables--data loss

[rgw]

Would appreciate any views on a severe data loss. We have a 6.0 system which has been running well for almost a year. Data resides on network drive with four machines running the exe. file. Major tables have about 12,000 transaction records. Users reported a problem and were unable to enter any data. Upon examining the database, it was apparent that multiple tables had lost records and one of the tables was no longer in the database. Even stranger was that at least one of the tables seemed to be an earlier version of the table--it no longer had a field which had been added later.

Although we can restore the tables from the previous evening, I am puzzled and perplexed by the strange behavior of the database. Any suggestions on what might cause the above?

Many thanks

 

[DEDMOD]

Did someone perhaps have a copy of the old tables on their system which they'd been using for testing or proto-typing? Maybe something could have caused this isolated database to replace the real one. I ask this because I know that the place where my wife works has had such databases.

Dave Dardinger

 

[rgw]

Dave:
I don't think that could have happened. The users don't have access to any of the old tables so I think the dbc/tables were corrupted either through something going on with the network drive or something my program did although I can't think how that could happen.

Many thanks
rgw

 

[DEDMOD]

But are you the only programmer of the system, or the only person who can access the system? For that matter, what does your back-up system look like? The fact that you seem to have an earlier version of a table implies that the system had access to an out-of-date copy. -- Dave

 

[rgw]

I programmed the system and I can get to the native tables--the users don't know how to do it. System back up is through the corporate network. I believe the system didn't have access to any old tables--they don't exist on the network drive. The network drive we use is for our own use and no other parties share it. I believe one of the tables was corrupted and that somehow caused records to be lost in the other tables. When I looked at the offending table the last record contained a number of black square figures. I have no idea how one of the tables could lose a field which is referenced in the program and how another table could drop out of the dbc completely.

appreciate your help

rgw

 

[DEDMOD]

Well, since by this time I'd assume you're just interested in seeing that it doesn't happen again, the things I'd check are mostly to do with back-up or replication on the network or referential integrety on in the program. One question is when this problem occured. Did it happen at the start of a work day, or just at at a random time. It'd be handy to know if there was any change in hardware or network software just before it happened. Is this an NT newwork or NetWare or what? And is there any sort of error log generated which you could look at? Don't know if any of these questions are of any use, but they might get you started looking in the right direction.

Dave