So, let's look at this from a slightly different angle, and in particular, the source of the problem:

1.  Have any of your customers had issues with database files disappearing?  And if so, how often.

2.  What caused them to get zapped?

3.  How did you respond to this situation?

I'm curious to know if this issue affects anyone else or just me.

For me (using DBISAM, my ElevateDB product is not on the market yet), I get maybe 1 to 3 reports of this happening per year.  The table is physically deleted from the hard drive.  It usually only happens to one table, not the entire database.  I don't know why it occurs.  My software NEVER deletes any database files, nor does it use any empty table commands.  My best guess is that it is either an end user messing around with his files (of course they deny this), or possibly some rogue utility zapping them.  If possible, I have the user restore the missing table (including idx, blb etc) files from a backup, or if they have not been steadfast with their backups, then I email them a set of empty replacement files.

Dale

Dale,

> 1.  Have any of your customers had issues with database files
> disappearing?  And if so, how often.

Yes.  It's rare, but when it happens at a given customer it generally
happens repeatedly.    And this is the same as it was with or app when it
was using DBISAM.


> 2.  What caused them to get zapped?

In most cases, it appears to be anti-virus.  We turn of the AV software or
exclude our software data folders and the problem goes away.

Also, a great majority of the occurances were with multiple local
connections to the data across a network.  Switching the workstations to use
a C/S connection and removing the network shares to the data also seems to
make a huge difference.


> 3.  How did you respond to this situation?

We have the customer restore from a recent backup and instruct them to set
the AV exclusions and/or move them to C/S.  If the problem persists, we drop
in something like ProcMon or FileMon to track what is accessing the files.
So far though, by the time we get to this step, the issue goes away.


--

---------------------------------------
 Terry Swiers
 Millennium Software, Inc.
 http://www.1000years.com
 http://www.atrex.com

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Tim,

> Wouldn't they notice that there's no rows in the table ?

Yes they would.  It would be great to see something in the logevents that
indicates that a table was missing and was recreated.  It would just be nice
to have something definitive when working with the customer to say that the
table was missing when our app went to access it.  As it is now, when a
table goes missing the first target is our app.

--

---------------------------------------
 Terry Swiers
 Millennium Software, Inc.
 http://www.1000years.com
 http://www.atrex.com

Now shipping Atrex 13.  For more information go to
 http://www.atrex.com/news.asp

Atrex Electronic Support Options:
 Atrex Knowledgebase: http://www.atrex.com/atrexkb.asp
 Email: mailto:support@atrex.com
 Newsgroup: news://news.1000years.com/millennium.atrex
 Fax: 1-925-829-1851
 Phone: 1-925-828-5892 (M-F, 9a-5p Pacific)
 ---------------------------------------

Terry

>Yes they would. It would be great to see something in the logevents that
>indicates that a table was missing and was recreated.

That's a good idea. I'd extend it to say we need something that we can build into our apps to access the log that way we can let the users know.

Roy Lambert

I like it.

Dale

Terry,

<< Yes they would.  It would be great to see something in the logevents that
indicates that a table was missing and was recreated.  It would just be nice
to have something definitive when working with the customer to say that the
table was missing when our app went to access it.  As it is now, when a
table goes missing the first target is our app. >>

Good idea, I can do that for B18, no problem.

But, question - does everyone think that this should be a) a warning or b)
informational in the log ?

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Hi Tim,

<< But, question - does everyone think that this should be a) a warning or b)
informational in the log ?>>

I vote for a warning.

Regards,

Steve

>>But, question - does everyone think that this should be a) a warning or b) informational in the log ?

I would vote for a warning as well.

Richard Harding

Steve,

<< I vote for a warning. >>

The only problem with a warning is that it will also show up after the table
is initially created, also.  But, that may just be the price to be paid -
better to be over-vigilant, I guess.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Ugh, also-also.  I need to stop typing so fast....

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com