CPU - impossible to end process via Task Manager

Massimo · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 10

Hello,
I'm running ViceVersa Pro 2.0 (build 2010) on a Small Business Server 2003. I use it to backup my datas on Iomega REV disks.

I had a problem today, and this is not the first time.

I set up a post execution script to receive an email to know if the backup went well or not. Today I didn't receive it. I check the log and the end looks like this (I replaced paths with ***) :

2006-05-23 01:30:54 : ---- Start Execution ----
2006-05-23 01:30:54 : ---- Backup (Mirror Source to Target) (Source: *** Target: ***) ----
2006-05-23 01:30:54 : ---- Start deleting ----
2006-05-23 01:30:54 : -- Deleting from target ...
2006-05-23 01:31:15 : -- Done: 813 (1.18GB) Err: 0 (0) Skipped: 0 (0) Tot: 813 (1.18GB) --
2006-05-23 01:31:15 : -- Objects Deleted per Second: 38.71 -- Elapsed Time: 21 sec
2006-05-23 01:31:16 : Re-comparing ...
2006-05-23 01:31:16 : ---- Deleting finished ----
2006-05-23 01:31:16 : ---- Start copying ----
2006-05-23 01:31:16 : -- Copying to target...

And it ends like this !
I checked the task manager and I had the ViceVersa process eating half of my CPU ressources. I don't know exactly what processor I have, but it's just like if I have two 3.2 Ghz proc (and 2Gb of RAM). But if I had an old standard CPU, nobody would have been able to work today at my office !

I tried to kill the process, but nothing happened. I tried to kill the process tree, but nothing happened either.
I finally had to restart the server and everything looks fine know.

Is this a known issue ?

I can't help more than this, I don't think something special happened these last days that could lead to this situation...

Did anybody experience the same problem ?

Please, let me know if anyone has any clue

Thanks for your help

Massimo

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

Hello Massimo

I do not know what has happened. We never had this reported.
It is very strange that you could not "kill" the process. Do you have anti-virus or other programs installed that could impact file copying?

If anyone else has ever had this problem please post here, thanks.
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Massimo · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 10

Hello,
I tried several tests, and finally decided to plug an old version of my server (2 months old). I put my REV disk in the drive, and using VVScheduler I manually start the task and guess what ?! Same thing happens.

I format the disk and then it worked. So what seemed to be the problem (but it's hard to believe), was the label name.
I work with another guy here and I formated the disks and renamed them "REV35-01", "REV35-02", etc... But he did that too, but named them "REV 35 (01)". I don't know if it's the caracters used (spaces,...) or the length.

I'm not sure now, if it's a ViceVersa problem, or a Iomega REV problem. Probably both together ?!

Please, let me know if someone experienced anything similar. With REV disk or anything else.

Massimo

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

Hello

Do you maybe have a folder also called REV35-01 on the REV drive?
I think not, since you said you just format the disk.

VV does not the disk labels at all in the code...
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Massimo · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 10

Ok,
it was just chance if it worked by changing the label of the disk.

As the problem remains the same, I installed a computer with a good capacity hdd. I copy the files from the server to that computer with ViceVersa, and it works fine.
Now, I installed IoMega REV drive on that computer (XP Pro SP2 with only a few software installed). I re-created the profile files manually, and used the same password I used in the profile I have on the server, for both encryption and compression of the target (the REV drive). And guess what ? The same thing happen, I have my driver blocked (cannot eject the disk until I force the computer to reboot, or until I unplug the USB wire), and ViceVersa taking 50% of the CPU (on a P4 3GHz HT, so again it's like having two processors).

Can it be related to the passowrd I use ? I contains spaces and special characters. Or the compression and encryption together ?

The computer is brand new and up to date. I installed it myself, so I know the installation is clean.

In both cases, the HDD are SATA copying encrypted, compressed files to Iomega REV.

Please, help me !!! This is driving me nuts !

Massimo

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

I think it may be a problem with the Iomega REV drive. Do you have only one REV drive or more to test? From what you are writing VV seems to be working with other REV drives?
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TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

By the way, maybe the REV drive needs a firmware upgrade?
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Massimo · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 10

Hi,
I think it's a problem with the Iomega REV drive and ViceVersa working together.
I updated the firmware, but it doesn't help.

I forgot to mention that the Iomega REV drive I used on the computer is not the same as the one I use on the server, so :
Same things happens with two different drives on two different computers, even after I applied all possible updates.
The only things in common are the datas I backup and the password I use to encrypt and compress the files.

nilsagne · Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

Hi, I have a very similar problem on a Pentium 4, 2.8Ghz, 2GByte, XPSP2 up to date and a IOMEGA REV single USB disk drive with latest firmware. The problem only seems to appear when VV is overwriting existing files on the REV disk and not for new files being copied. VV start looping after 20 files been copied/overwritten. VV then takes 98% of the CPU for ever and no disk I/O. VV can't be killed via Task Manager. Only way to break it is a hard reboot. Next time VV starts I get the following error messages.
"WARNING: In a previous run of ViceVersa a temporary file was not deleted. Would you like to remove the File:....."
If I answer yes I get an error messages saying "Unable to delete file or file not found."
The backup is straight forward, no encryption, no compression, no archiving, a few simple exclusions and no CRC checking on. VV is build 2009. I have formatted a new REV disk with a simple letter disk label, same problem. One example of a file name that VV hangs on are:
D:\Nilsagne's Media\Nilsagne's Album\Scanned Photos\Photo_2004_2_14_19_16_8.jpg
Single copying/overwrite of that file with VV works fine, but VV then just hangs on another file. Tried setting buffer to flush after each write - same problem. Any help appreciated.

Massimo · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 10

Hello Nilsagne,
it's good to know the problem isn't just ... me !
I don't know about the overwriting part, but I know VV can easily compare and delete the files it doesn't need, but hangs after a few files had been copied/overwritten. I also had the warning message but not every time.
Are you sure the REV was well connected when you said you got the message ? If you have no REV disk in the drive or if you put another one, the temporary file cannot be deleted obviously. I made that mistake.

I also tried to delete the file on which VV is freezing, but it does the same with another file, and another, etc...

This is really anoying.

Massimo

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

It looks like some incompatibility between VV and IOMEGA REV single USB disk drive. Can you try switch on the option "Do not use a temporary file" in the Project Settings->Advanced Settings if you did not try that already? thanks
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nilsagne · Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

Hi,

Setting "do not use a temporary file" solves the problem. Now backup competes without any problems! Isn't the risk for a bad backup greater not using a temporary file? I use CRC anyway, so I guess I'll be notified if something goes bad. (The "hang" problem is the same with or without CRC.)

Massimo, on my system this bug only occurs when I am overwriting files. If I format the REV disk and run the job again everything works fine. If I restore the REV disk to the previous state were I had 147 files that were to be overwritten, VV hangs after it has passed about 20 files to write over. The new files are copied ok.

The REV was firmly connected during all my tests. I experimented with several setups on the same disk without removing it and I got the temporary file error messages every time (or at least 90%).

Regards

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

There is no greater risk by not using a temp file; using temp files is useful especially for synchronization rather than backup. The difference is that VV will copy first to a temp file and then rename the temp file to the target file, without temp it copies directly to target file. Seems like the "renaming" part is causing problems with the REV drive.....
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Guest · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:58 pm Post subject: I've the same problem!!!

Hello
I resume this old post because I've the same identical problem.
I'm using Viceversa Pro (Build 2015) with Iomega REV drives and I've the same problems of user Massimo.
My OS is Windows XP Pro (SP3), I've 2 REV drives, one is internal SATA and the other is external USB. The problem happens in both REV drives.
If I use Viceversa on other devices (HDD, network, USB key), there is no problem, but with Iomega REV is impossible, frustrating! Sometimes it works, but often Viceversa stop responding and the only thing to do is a hard reset.
Iomega REV firmware and drivers are both updated.
I tried the option "do not use a temporary file" but doesn't works
I also tried to change several REV cartridges, but nothing
Please help, Iomega REV is coming a diffused backup system and I think Viceversa should support it
Thanks

TGRMN Software · Site Admin Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 8763

Hello

next time VV hangs with the REV drive, could you try creating a dump file using the following Microsoft tool:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241215

See "To create a dump file for a hanging process"

When you run the userdump PID command, a .dmp file is generated. Please send that to support@tgrmn.com ; we use this dump file to perform post-mortem debugging.

thanks

www.tgrmn.com
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