"Invalid or nonexistent document" help needed pls!

[mhudson]

Last week a very important Notes database began giving this error whenever any record was selected. I tried fixup, checked all the settings (which match those for all the other databases which work just fine), refreshed the design, and none of this worked.
Yesterday I wound up restoring the database from tape of the last known working copy, and it worked until this morning, with the same error message.

This morning I created a local copy off the server, and when I checked the properties found that the local copy was missing 11 files. But when the database is opened, all of the 2003 documents are missing, which is several hundred documents! I can access all of the records in this local copy.

This is a very important database for us, and any and all help in resolving this issue will be greatly appreciated.

 

[pmonett]

Did you reload the backup and check that ?
I would immediately check the backup to see if the documents are missing there also. If so, check every backup until you find a copy that has the missing documents.
Once you find them, you can start thinking about how to get them back inside the current database.
Next question : does this application have restricted access ? In other words, is there a functionality allowing some users to not see all documents ?
If there is, you must absolutely make sure that there is also a functionality to ensure that the server can see ALL documents, regardless of restrictions.

Pascal.

 

[mhudson]

Thanks for your reply, Pmonnet. I did check all the permissions on the database, and the server had maximum privileges. Also, all people in the ACL had the proper privileges. Not being one to give up and sit back waiting for someone else to solve the problem for me, here is what I did to fix the problem.

Last Thursday was the last day it functioned properly, so I restored it from that night's backup tape. The file size was listed at 45 MB. I then made a local copy on my machine. Still functional, and several megs smaller with the same number of documents. I next copied it back to the server, which did not change its size or document numbers compared to my local copy. This morning it functioned as it always has with no problems.

The only thing I can surmise is that it somehow got corrupted last Friday, with the corruped records contributing to the extra file size. What caused the corruption I have yet to determine.

I f there are any ideas as to what could be the cause of all this, I would love to hear them. Thanks for the help!

 

[pmonett]

Glad you got it working.
Yet, I think you misunderstood me on one point. I am not worried about the server having access to the application - a quick ACL check is enough for that.
What I was worried about is whether or not the documents IN the application were restricted.
Example : A developer creates an application for a Human Resources department. In this application, each user needs to be able to access his own documents, while HR needs access to all docs created by users, plus access to HR-only docs.
In all this, nobody wonders about server access. When the day comes where the db is supposed to be replicated, all of a sudden it becomes a major issue since replication does not work. Why ? Because every document is restricted by Reader fields in the document itself, and no server is in the list.

That is what I was a bit worried about, that the server had lost its role, or that someone had initiated a function that removed the server from the loop. Since the document is, in the end, the final judge of who can see it, it is a risk that an Administrator cannot overlook. Even though a good developer should never allow the problem to develop.

Pascal.