Backup server question

[A_T]

I have a main server and a block account for backup. I have noticed that when a file is incomplete on my main server it does not seem to get data to complete the file from the backup - with the result that the file is left incomplete. Often this means there is too much incomplete for a repair.

Does this mean that the backup is only used when a complete file is missing and that it is not used to retrieve data to finish incomplete files?

Hope this makes sense. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the function of the backup server?

[shypike]

The backup server is supposed to work like you describe it: it works at the article level.
Of course it could be that the backup server doesn't have the articles either,
which is often the case when the poster screwed up.
I have never seen the incorrect behavior that you describe.
So, I would have to know more details.

[A_T]

Thanks for the reply. Yes it could be that the backup server is incomplete too. But what I don't understand is this: sab tells me this:

Code: Select all

Finished	*****.part022.rar	0.00/147.98 MB	568d	148 MB

So it looks like the file has been downloaded complete. Yet when I check ****.part022.rar it is only 139.8 MB so missing a lot of data. The indexing site reports the nzb as complete.

[shypike]

Finished mean that it's not possible to get more data for the file, it doesn't mean "complete".
The rest should be resolved by par2 repairs.
I consider it only a SABnzbd problem when you can show that it fails
to ask the backup server for the articles.

[A_T]

Thanks. I hope I did not give the impression I was blaming or criticizing sabnzb. It's excellent. Just trying to understand what's going on.

I just checked the logs and it does indeed report checking both servers and that for several articles "missing from all servers, discarding". The same articles are missing from both servers (2 different companies) so I guess the nzb was wrong and the files had not been uploaded properly.

[A_T]

Incidentally how is the feature to check completion before downloading coming along? I use Linux and there is no tool to check so the sooner the better

[shypike]

As soon as the first Alpha for 0.7.0 is released.
Unfortunately none of the team have very much time to spend on it currently.

[pobox]

The same articles missing on 2 different companies servers doesn't necessarily mean a bad upload. The companies might be related, or even if not, they might have feed agreements so that one company's completion mirrors another's. Primary and backup servers have to be carefully selected by experience.

[A_T]

Just as a follow up did some testing. Bought a block from Astraweb and added it as a backup together with my existing one from Blocknews. Downloaded a 700+ day file and the log shows Blocknews was missing the same articles as my main server - but Astraweb filled in the missing articles correctly. So

Primary and backup servers have to be carefully selected by experience.

looks like wise words.