Recovering data from a crash & data loss prevention

[wsbsmith]

Folks, I have a two-part question. Let me preface this by saying that I am not a database guru...I don't understand much about SQL and all the other stuff in the back-end that makes XMap work.

Recently, I suffered a computer crash that required new hard drive, motherboard, etc. I was able to salvage some data off of the old hard drive. I had to reinstall XMap on the new system. This is what we were able to pull off of the old drive as it relates to XMAp:
Delorme Folder (probably from /program files/)
SQL Backup folder
Delorme Docs folder
Microsoft SQL Server folder

This happened to me a few years ago, and I attempted to follow the "restore from backup" process that is described in the XMap help documents. However, it appears that this process is geared towards a situation where XMap itself did not have to be re-installed, but rather something happened to SQL itself. Because XMap recognized the backup files that had been previously created, it would be able to restore from them. I could not get it to work with a clean install of XMap...the backup files did not seem to help the situation.

Is there anything that I can do with the data in the above folders that would give me access to my old projects, layers, etc?

QUESTION #2:

Is there a way that I can prevent this problem from happening again? I'd like to be able to put all the data that XMap uses onto an external drive so that it is not susceptible to loss in case of a hard drive failure, or at least put copies there. I could do a backup to an external drive, but this doesn't seem to be helpful if I have to do a new installation of everything.

I'm sorry that I'm not good at describing my problem...as I said, I know nothing about SQL databases.

Scott

[foxtrot_xray]

Folks, I have a two-part question. Let me preface this by saying that I am not a database guru...I don't understand much about SQL and all the other stuff in the back-end that makes XMap work.

Recently, I suffered a computer crash that required new hard drive, motherboard, etc. I was able to salvage some data off of the old hard drive. I had to reinstall XMap on the new system. This is what we were able to pull off of the old drive as it relates to XMAp:
Delorme Folder (probably from /program files/)
SQL Backup folder
Delorme Docs folder
Microsoft SQL Server folder

This happened to me a few years ago, and I attempted to follow the "restore from backup" process that is described in the XMap help documents. However, it appears that this process is geared towards a situation where XMap itself did not have to be re-installed, but rather something happened to SQL itself. Because XMap recognized the backup files that had been previously created, it would be able to restore from them. I could not get it to work with a clean install of XMap...the backup files did not seem to help the situation.

Is there anything that I can do with the data in the above folders that would give me access to my old projects, layers, etc?

QUESTION #2:

Is there a way that I can prevent this problem from happening again? I'd like to be able to put all the data that XMap uses onto an external drive so that it is not susceptible to loss in case of a hard drive failure, or at least put copies there. I could do a backup to an external drive, but this doesn't seem to be helpful if I have to do a new installation of everything.

I'm sorry that I'm not good at describing my problem...as I said, I know nothing about SQL databases.

Scott

Okay, first, I'm not familiar with the restore documents for XMap. I am a database guru, and therefore have never needed them.

Having said that, here's what I would do, in this order (some you may have already done):
1. Install XMap.
2. If you did not have XMap install SQL Server, install SQl Server.
3. Find your backed up SQL Data folder. Find the TWO FILES for your XMap database. (Usually the files are "<database name>_Data.mdf" and "<database name>_Log.ldf". Copy these two files to the new SQl Server data folder.
4. Run the SQL Server Management Studio. You need to Attach these files, so after connecting to your SQl Server, right-click on the 'Database' node and select "Attach..". Use the "Add" button to find the .MDF file you just copied over.
5. Click OK, and your database will be mounted and ready to be used.

After that, ion XMap, you should ,be able to point XMap to your new server and find the database you just restored. You're good to go.


Now, for backing up:
Like any other application, all the netlink downloads and such can be moved to external storage, check out Topo posts on that very subject.
I would *NOT* move the database files to an external drive - performance would be horrible!
To make a backup of the database, which I would do often, in SQL Server Management Studio, right-click on the database, select "Tasks.." -> Backup. Do a FULL backup to a .BAK file, and sore that on your external media.

--Mike.

[wsbsmith]

Thank you so much...I'm going to try this tonight.

[wsbsmith]

I do not have SQL Server Management Studio on my machine. I looked for a download, and found an "express" version on Microsoft's web site, but it really seemed more like it was trying to install (reinstall) SQL Server 2008 itself during installation, so I cancelled it.

Any thoughts?

[foxtrot_xray]

I do not have SQL Server Management Studio on my machine. I looked for a download, and found an "express" version on Microsoft's web site, but it really seemed more like it was trying to install (reinstall) SQL Server 2008 itself during installation, so I cancelled it.

Any thoughts?

Ah, if you don't have it installed - download that and run it. Yes, it looks like it's going to install SQL Server, but when you get to the part where it asks you WHICH components to install, you'll see that ONLY the management tools are listed and available.

[wsbsmith]

Congratulations...you're now officially "on the hook."

I'm at SQL Server 2008 Setup - Feature Selection
It lists:
Instance Features
Shared Features
Redistributable Features

but I don't see Studio associated with any one of these.

Thank you so much for your help.

Scott

[foxtrot_xray]

There should be next to nothing listed in the top and bottom options, the middle is the management items, open that up and you should see the Management Features.

(If the Instance folder has a bunch of server information, then you didn't get the Studio, you got the entire SQl Express 2008 installation, which is not needed.)

--Mike.

[foxtrot_xray]

This is the install you should have gotten, in case it wasn't:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/de ... px?id=7593

--Mike.

[wsbsmith]

I actually don't have any options at all...see attached screenshot.

[foxtrot_xray]

I actually don't have any options at all...see attached screenshot.

Is that the installer from the link I provided?

[wsbsmith]

yes

[foxtrot_xray]

yes

Okay, then go ahead and continue through the setup.

[wsbsmith]

I went ahead and reinstalled SQL Server and Mgt Studio is now available. I've followed the directions that you gave, but get this error each time. Thank you so much for your help. Feel free to quit at any time.




TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
------------------------------

Attach database failed for Server 'REGION-6CA4AE8B\XMAP7'. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName ... i_PCU_Main).100916-1939+)&EvtSrc=Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ExceptionTemplates.FailedOperationExceptionText&EvtID=Attach+database+Server&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Cannot attach a database with the same name as an existing database. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName ... i_PCU_Main).100916-1939+)&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------

[foxtrot_xray]

Hey,
That error means exactly what it says - the name you entered in when attaching (if it had asked you, otherwise the name that the files were from) already exists in the system.

If the existing database has your data in it already, you can skip the restore/attach steps. However, if it's an empty database and not the same as the one you're restoring, delete the existing one first.

[wsbsmith]

Thank you again for your help. I deleted the databases from the DATA folder, and re-copied my recovered files. Looks like I got success on one of them, but not on the others. One of the Delorme Sample DBs is what I am really needing.