Another FTP problem?

[Hughg]

Hi Barry

I've just had to reinstall AISBackup, having done a clean OS (WinXP) reinstall on the machine in question. It has a particularly critical database which I back up to more than one place. It backs up to a local USB drive with no problem, but since the OS reinstall I can't get the FTP backup to work. It's not completely reproducible, but here's what happens:

1. > Change Backup Settings > FTP settings > test FTP connection. FTP test completed successfully. I can also log into the FTP server from other applications.

2. Run backup. AISBackup holds the FTP connection open during the creation and testing of the zip files.

3. When it’s ready to send the files to the FTP server it goes into a loop in which it reports a possible ftp stall, tries 30 times to connect, pops up the dialog reporting the “possible ftp stall”, and continues this endlessly. If I click “abort” in this dialog, it doesn’t abort, it just carries on doing another 30 checks. Once it gets into this loop I have to use windows task manager to exit from AISBackup.

I tried this with the latest (build 304) beta, and the only difference is that it didn’t attempt to send the backup to the FTP server at all (it did get stuck in the loop once when I was testing the FTP server from within AISBackup).

I'll send you the URL of the ftp server separately.

Hugh

[Barry]

Did you send the address, user name and password?

I tried this with the latest (build 304) beta, and the only difference is that it didn’t attempt to send the backup to the FTP server at all (it did get stuck in the loop once when I was testing the FTP server from within AISBackup).

Today when I was testing this I too ran a job which was not uploaded, however after restarting AISBackup and reset the job everything worked okay. I have tried reproducing the fault, but without success.

Barry

[Hughg]

Yes, I sent it yesterday. I've re-sent it just now. You haven't changed your customer service e-mail address, have you?

I too did the restart-and-reset thing several times. I had the same unreproducibility problem that you did. Most of the time it didn't try to send, but once or twice when it did it went into this loop problem. Very weird, and entirely new behaviour; up until now it's been behaving flawlessly.

Hugh

[Barry]

I did not get the first e-mail, maybe it went into spam for some reason - I have cleared the spam folder.

I will run some tests.

Barry

[Barry]

Hi Hugh

I have run several tests to your server from PC’s running Windows XP Home, XP Pro and Vista Pro all tests do not have any problem with your server.

However, one fault you brought to my attention is that AISBackup does not enable the ‘Resume FTP Upload’ button if no files are uploaded; this has been corrected for the next release.

Are you using Passive FTP? This may help if there is a Router / Firewall issue causing the problem. Perhaps you could try temporarily disabling the Firewall to see if this is causing the problem.

Barry

[Hughg]

Thanks, Barry -- I'll look at those things.

Hugh

[Hughg]

OK, I've had a look. It works fine provided there aren't too many files to back up; it doesn't make any difference whether it's passive or not, and the firewalls seem to be letting through what they're supposed to let through. If there are about 1500 or so files, it works fine, but if it's the full set (just under 9000), it doesn't try to do any ftp-ing; it creates the backup zip files, and then stops. I'm sending you ftp access to the database by e-mail so you can see what's going on.

Hugh