Server crash on 2/1/06
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:26 am
All,
We host with AbleCommerce on a shared server. On February 1st, we received a call from Mike Ward at AC informing us that while performing a server upgrade, he inadvertently lost all orders in our store from 1/11/06 until 2/1/06. He stated that AC did not have backups. AC subsequently asserted that the most recent good backups they had were from 1/11/06, that due to some server maintenance on that date our database had been inadvertently "turned off" as far as the backup server was aware, and no one had noticed.
We suspect otherwise. In fact, the store was somehow restored to the earlier date of 1/11/06. Not only was that the date after which all order data ceased to exist, but all other settings/updates after that date also ceased to exist: user accounts created or modified; items added or deleted; store settings (order numbers, etc.); everything. It appeared as though the server simply went back in time.
Because we're on a shared server, we're trying to determine whether other stores on the server experienced a similar incident, or whether it was limited to our store. Anyone out there with a similar problem? Specifically, we want to determine whether it's possible that a server crash would only affect one store on a shared server, or whether it would take them all down. And assuming our store was restored to an earlier date using something like Microsoft's System Restore, could this be done at the store level, or would it have to be done at the server level? We're considering moving to a dedicated server so we'd have more control, and where we'd be insulated from potential problems caused by other AC customers.
Thanks,
George
We host with AbleCommerce on a shared server. On February 1st, we received a call from Mike Ward at AC informing us that while performing a server upgrade, he inadvertently lost all orders in our store from 1/11/06 until 2/1/06. He stated that AC did not have backups. AC subsequently asserted that the most recent good backups they had were from 1/11/06, that due to some server maintenance on that date our database had been inadvertently "turned off" as far as the backup server was aware, and no one had noticed.
We suspect otherwise. In fact, the store was somehow restored to the earlier date of 1/11/06. Not only was that the date after which all order data ceased to exist, but all other settings/updates after that date also ceased to exist: user accounts created or modified; items added or deleted; store settings (order numbers, etc.); everything. It appeared as though the server simply went back in time.
Because we're on a shared server, we're trying to determine whether other stores on the server experienced a similar incident, or whether it was limited to our store. Anyone out there with a similar problem? Specifically, we want to determine whether it's possible that a server crash would only affect one store on a shared server, or whether it would take them all down. And assuming our store was restored to an earlier date using something like Microsoft's System Restore, could this be done at the store level, or would it have to be done at the server level? We're considering moving to a dedicated server so we'd have more control, and where we'd be insulated from potential problems caused by other AC customers.
Thanks,
George