Synology backup

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adriciu
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:10 pm

Synology backup

Post by adriciu » Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:03 am

In order to create an OD human readable backup I am using a Synology NAS at home (actually it is used more as a data server), and Synology Cloud Station Backup. Usually I start the process manually in the evening and I stop it in the morning. The files I backup are Apteryx, MySQL, OpenDentalExports, OpenDentImages, Sample Consent Forms, as well as a folder with various forms in the office. Usually the backup goes smoothly until it gets to the last 4-6 files: mysql\data\opendental\appointment .MYD (this is a 3.12 MB file which is prepared and uploaded again and again), mysql\data\opendental\emailmessage.myd (200MB), mysql\data\opendental\computer.myd, mysql\data\opendental\computer.myi, mysql\data\opendental\procnote.myd, From there it goes on a loop, and keep backing up the same files. The problem is that it consumes a lot of bandwidth, and my Synology station used in the last month more than 800 GB of downloaded data. This is becoming a problem, as I have now a 1TB datacap from Xfinity. Is there something I am doing wrong, or I should be doing differently?
PS I just cleaned up my emails (I don't know why I have any, as we are using another service for emails), and I had 8600 email, cleaned down to 90 something.
Thank you
Adrian

tgriswold
Posts: 122
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:52 am

Re: Synology backup

Post by tgriswold » Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:36 am

My guess would be that synology backup has a problem with trying to copy files that are locked/in use, or possibly it thinks that those files have been changed during the backup process (though not sure why, it sounds like you're running this at a time where no one is using OD) so it tries to recopy, but gets stuck doing it endlessly. I'm not really sure why the emailmessage, and computers tables in particular would be issues though, if you are not using OD for email. We do not often make changes to the computer table

The email cleanup was a good place to start, should bring the size down significantly, but i'm not sure that will help. The safest/cleanest way to get a mysql backup is to stop the mysql service, and I know a lot of people slip that into their backup scripts if they know no one is using OD at the time, but the problem is if the backup process takes an extended amount of time you can't just wait there to confirm the mysql service restarted correctly (if it doesn't your office staff won't have access to OD first thing in the morning). However, its not required to stop the service to do a backup of the DB at all, it just ensures the tables are not "in-use" to cause any issues with copying. I'm kind-of at a loss as to why any backup service would get stuck there and continue to copy over and over again.

Just to clarify from your info, is the backup service just copying those 4 tables over and over, or does it get stuck on those tables and start from the beginning again (and again and again)?
Travis Griswold
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

tgriswold
Posts: 122
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:52 am

Re: Synology backup

Post by tgriswold » Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:40 am

Now that I actually think about it, my
We do not often make changes to the computer table
comment is wrong. If any instances of OD are still open and running on your client machines we do update that table with a heartbeat (computer.LastHeartBeat) to let OD know that the computer is still connected to OD. This would happen even in the middle of the night when no one is using OD, they would just have to have OD open and sitting at the log-in screen (after selecting and connecting to the DB, if the .ini file isn't set to auto-select DB)

That would account for the computer.myd and computer.myi, still not sure why emailmessage or procnote would be being changed in the middle of your backup system.
Travis Griswold
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

adriciu
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:10 pm

Re: Synology backup

Post by adriciu » Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:34 am

The backup is done all the way to these files, and then it rewrites only them. We do have OD clients opened in the office all the time, and I can have the staff turn off everything to see what would happen. I don't know why the email file is changed so often, as well as I don't know how did I get the emails in the first place (???)

tgriswold
Posts: 122
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:52 am

Re: Synology backup

Post by tgriswold » Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:33 pm

Worth a try at least, but yeah it might be completely unrelated to the file's being new or in use. Could just be some other weird issue that synology has, I am not familiar with it.
Travis Griswold
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

adriciu
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:10 pm

Re: Synology backup

Post by adriciu » Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:54 pm

I would like to insert some screenshots, but I don't know how to do it.

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