This file is not a valid backup file

[jcgalvez]

Hello,

I have installed a fresh copy of Plesk on Windows 2008 Server R2 and Plesk 9.5.2, everything was working fine until last week that I started to see the following message on backups

This file is not a valid backup file. in red color with an "X" "Data cannot be restored from this file"

Sept 29, 2010 05:59 PM backup_info_1009291759.xml This file is not a valid backup file. 292 MB

Seems like the "server backup" is uses the space correctly as when if was working fine, but now there is no working backup.

No matter if I select compress backup or not to compress backup is exactly the same thing.

Please advise what other methods are available to do backups on Plesk 9.5.2 for Windows

Thank you a lot

Javier

 

[IgorG]

http://kb.odin.com/en/8487

 

[jcgalvez]

Thank you a lot, I'll check and do the kb but at the end of that article points to the following page

This means that the signed backup test_info_1004281551.xml was validated with a not-signed schema file "%plesk_dir%\PMM"\plesk.xsd. Refer to this article for details about how to remove the signature: http://kb.odin.com/en/8488

clicking on that article says that is outdated?

another question, why if it was perfectly working up to last week, simply broke this week? what triggered this problem?

 

[IgorG]

Yes, this KB article is outdated and will be recreated according to new information from developers.
It looks like it is database inconsistency related issue. Usually it occurs when some domain hasn't record in domainservices table in database. When you add this record - backup will be created correctly. Recovering this record is complex procedure and I suggest you contact support team if you can't do it by yourself.

 

[jcgalvez]

It looks like it is database inconsistency related issue. Usually it occurs when some domain hasn't record in domainservices table in database. When you add this record - backup will be created correctly. Recovering this record is complex procedure and I suggest you contact support team if you can't do it by yourself.

Some comments about this issue:

1) the machine was not "updated"
2) the machine was not "rebooted"
3) Nothing aditionaly was installed.

So my question is why this database can simply get corrupted?

Well, to help me try to fix thix complex procedure, I request some instructions on where this DB is located to see If i can try to fix it, because hurts me a lot having to "buy" support for something that I simply did not broke myself.

Please help, if the backup are currently worthless, and doing the installation of the solution is incomplete, and on a disaster event the backup will not worth a penny, and my head will be chopped by the person most important of the world "THE CUSTOMER"

Soo, I request some steps or guidance wisdom to try to fix it myself, just tell me where is located that file.

Javier.

 

[IgorG]

It is just my assumption about possible reason. There are can be other reasons of this problems. You can try to find that there is no record in 'DomainServices' table for domain_id which has a problem with backup and create this record for domain there. Needed domain_id can be found in backup logs from /usr/local/psa/PMM/ directory. I can't say exactly how it can be found and fixed - it is just common recommendations, because investigation and fixing directly on server is required.

 

[rohankleem]

The goal for me is to move my Windows Plesk 8.6 setup to Window Plesk 9.5.4 on a new server.

The whole process has been unacceptable. At every turn there has been errors. Every resolution proposed by Parallels and public alike simply creates a new errors. Apart from intermittent errors at almost every turn including when making backups, the most common/devastating are

1) pre9-backup-convert errors
Using the recommended procedure in cmd prompt:
"%plesk_bin%\pre9-backup-convert.exe" --source=<old backup file> --destination=<backup repository>
creates the error:

"Unexpected name of pinfo: news_dismissednews_dismissed".

The advice is to unzip the backup file, edit its contents (info.xml) and re-zip it back to a psa (and be careful that it doesn't get put back into muli-part archive either because that means that it won't work - zip the files into one structure using something like 7zip). Parallels advise that you need to find a remove the following tag from the file: <misc param="admin_news_dismissed" val="1" />

2) Backup Manager: "This is not a valid backup. Data cannot be restored from this file."
If you do manage to get to this point you'll then find that the backup files that are created for Plesk 9.5 cannot even be used. Plesk disowns them and can't work with them because they are filled with errors. It seems not even the Parallels crew know how to answer these. If you can find a forum that offers hotfixes or solutions, you may find that 1) the writer is poor at writing instructions and 2) the solution has already been debunked and doesn't work or shouldn't be used.

3) If you can get passed that and try to use the Migration manager from within Plesk 9.5, you may get to transfer data from a nominated source server (in my case windows server 2003 with plesk 8.6). But that would be too easy. You may be greeted with Host is not accessible. Oh, another error, that's much better!
I have disabled the firewall on both servers, another suggested fix, and this makes no difference.

So here I am 40 hours after trying to setup a new windows server 2008 with Plesk 9.5.4, not an inch closer to even being operating.

This has been a waste of my time, the server company's time, has been devastating to my clients, and is one of the most poorly implmented system I have ever dealt with in my 16 yrs experience with web and computers.

All I can think now is to roll back the 9.5.4 installation of plesk and to get plesk 8.6 setup on the new Windows 2008 server - which doesn't support apparently (according to Parallels) ASP.NET 4.

Shame, Parallels, shame.