OOAK Table Tennis Forum
https://ooakforum.com/

A serious forum issue
https://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31456		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  haggisv [ 12 Jun 2017, 11:38 ]
Post subject:  A serious forum issue
Hey guys

There seems to have been some hick up with server, and as a result some users have had their account deleted! :( :( :(

There is no malware on the site (I've checked), nor was this done by any admin/moderator, because these action are all logged.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of it, but fixing a mysql database is something I know very little about.
I know there problem occurred around Jun 10th, not sure if it happened only once, or multiple times.

If anyone has any tips, or has experience with this type of thing, please post, PM or Email me at: haggisv dot internode dot on dot net (removed the dots & spaces).

I do have backups of the database, but of course it would mean some of the latest posts would be lost :( :( :(
Author:  jixiaolan kc [ 12 Jun 2017, 21:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
I left clicked on Robot Blocker but the message:The requested user dose not exist!?

All his previous messages also disappear from my message list. Is this part of the problem? :(
Author:  keme [ 13 Jun 2017, 02:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
In MS SQL server there is a "recovery mode" which makes this possible (though tedious, IIRC). I never had the opportunity to use it myself, but I attended a course where it was shown "live", recovering something like 5 records in a single table. Had to fiddle with transaction IDs or some other sequence numbers in conjunction with timestamps to get it right.
For MySQL I heard of "binary logs" which, as far as I recall, is supposed to offer similar rescue options.

In either case, to perform reliably I suspect that the option has to be swithced on before the accident (preferably from the last backup) and running continuously up to the point of recovery, without log purges.

I believe that this kind of option will be disabled by default, to give better performance and less storage space "wasted". Did you (or the people running the web/DB host) by any chance enable it?

Edit: See this discussion on stackoverflow. The post about recovering MyISAM files may apply to your database...
Author:  haggisv [ 13 Jun 2017, 11:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
jixiaolan kc wrote:
I left clicked on Robot Blocker but the message:The requested user dose not exist!?

All his previous messages also disappear from my message list. Is this part of the problem? :(

Yes unfortunately it is. Robot Blocker and Danthespearton are the two that I know off that were affected. Really sorry guys... I'm doing my best to sort this. :( :( :(
Author:  haggisv [ 13 Jun 2017, 11:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
keme wrote:
In MS SQL server there is a "recovery mode" which makes this possible (though tedious, IIRC). I never had the opportunity to use it myself, but I attended a course where it was shown "live", recovering something like 5 records in a single table. Had to fiddle with transaction IDs or some other sequence numbers in conjunction with timestamps to get it right.
For MySQL I heard of "binary logs" which, as far as I recall, is supposed to offer similar rescue options.

In either case, to perform reliably I suspect that the option has to be swithced on before the accident (preferably from the last backup) and running continuously up to the point of recovery, without log purges.

I believe that this kind of option will be disabled by default, to give better performance and less storage space "wasted". Did you (or the people running the web/DB host) by any chance enable it?

Edit: See this discussion on stackoverflow. The post about recovering MyISAM files may apply to your database...

Thanks keme, I'll look into that. :up:

I think me best bet is to recover their profiles and posts from a backup... it will take me a while to work out how to do this, because as most of you know, I'm no great programmer, and I'm a noob when it comes to databases. :(
It is quite possible that all the posts are still in the database, but somehow the member profile got deleted... so if I can restore the profile, the posts might link up automatically.

When this forum was started, over 10 years ago, I never thought I'd ever be managing a site this big. Only when issues like this happen, you realise you're out of your depth... but what else can I do? :( :( :(
Author:  Cobalt [ 13 Jun 2017, 11:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
You can just keep doing the best you can. :up: :up:

Its a great forum and sometimes things just happen.
Author:  keme [ 13 Jun 2017, 16:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
Cobalt wrote:
You can just keep doing the best you can. :up: :up:

Its a great forum and sometimes things just happen.

I second that. We're still around. The lost parts may be missed, but the forum does not collapse. Make the best of what you/we have, and carry on.
Author:  hookshot [ 14 Jun 2017, 06:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
Robot Blocker, Hello new guy. Congrats of your first post!

:rofl:
Author:  haggisv [ 14 Jun 2017, 09:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
There... They're looking a little less 'new' now at least. :oops:

Robot Blocker and Danthespearton: I've discovered that all your posts (and presumably also your PMs) are still in the database, so nothing is lost. :whew: :whew: :whew:
You can see Robot Blocker's posts here: search.php?author_id=414&sr=posts, and Danthespearton's posts here: search.php?author_id=14116&sr=posts
I've just got to work out how to link them back to your accounts.

I also can't help but wonder if anyone else is missing...if you notice that you get an error on when clicking on someone's username, please report it here, so that I can sort those out as well. :(
Author:  haggisv [ 15 Jun 2017, 17:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
I believe I've worked out how to fix it. I've fixed Robot Blocker's account, and I can see his posts and PMs again so I'm assuming it's all working, I just need for him to confirm before I can fix other accounts.
Author:  Robot Blocker [ 15 Jun 2017, 20:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: A serious forum issue
Alex you're a star, thanks mate, i didn't actually have to log out, i just went to messages and voila!!!

You know more than you let on!!! :lol: :lol:
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC + 9:30 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/