Recursively delete the .log files on a domain controller... reboot and see what happens.

I had a nice run of six hours this morning restoring from backups and
rejoining computers to the domain.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Nick Andre wrote to All <=-

Recursively delete the .log files on a domain controller...
reboot and see what happens.

1. Disclaimer: I know nothing about the operation of a domain controller.
2. Question: Why would it care if log files were absent?

I had a nice run of six hours this morning restoring from backups
and rejoining computers to the domain.

Ugh. Sounds like a lot of <not> fun. Were there any dollar bills added
to the "swear jar"?



... As a matter of fact, it IS a banana in my pocket.
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

Hello Nick!

** On Saturday 12.08.23 - 14:50, Nick Andre wrote to All:

Recursively delete the .log files on a domain
controller... reboot and see what happens.

I had a nice run of six hours this morning restoring from
backups and rejoining computers to the domain.

Why is recovering .log files important?

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: (} Pointy McPointface (618:250/1.9)

On 12 Aug 23 16:40:00, Gamgee said the following to Nick Andre:

Recursively delete the .log files on a domain controller...
reboot and see what happens.

1. Disclaimer: I know nothing about the operation of a domain controller.
2. Question: Why would it care if log files were absent?

Active directory uses a database that depends on logfiles to "play back" a set of transactions in case of failure... and apparently depends on every file being present in the set.

When one of those logfiles goes missing, this breaks a consistency check on startup. The database does not load, thus active directory fails to start,
thus the server completely fails to boot requiring all sorts of convoluted steps to either repair the database or restore from backup. There is no automated process to repair or tell the system not to depend on the logfiles.

The backup restored must not be from too long ago, otherwise a stored token that establishes the trust of a computer on a domain expires, thus every computer must re-join the domain.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Nick Andre wrote to Gamgee <=-

> NA> Recursively delete the .log files on a domain controller...
> NA> reboot and see what happens.

1. Disclaimer: I know nothing about the operation of a domain controller. 2. Question: Why would it care if log files were absent?

Active directory uses a database that depends on logfiles to
"play back" a set of transactions in case of failure... and
apparently depends on every file being present in the set.

When one of those logfiles goes missing, this breaks a
consistency check on startup. The database does not load, thus
active directory fails to start, thus the server completely fails
to boot requiring all sorts of convoluted steps to either repair
the database or restore from backup. There is no automated
process to repair or tell the system not to depend on the
logfiles.

The backup restored must not be from too long ago, otherwise a
stored token that establishes the trust of a computer on a domain
expires, thus every computer must re-join the domain.

Wow. That seems like a painful process. Glad you got it sorted, and
thanks for the explanation.



... Internal Error: The system has been taken over by sheep at line 19960
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

On 13 Aug 23 07:31:00, Gamgee said the following to Nick Andre:

The backup restored must not be from too long ago, otherwise a
stored token that establishes the trust of a computer on a domain expires, thus every computer must re-join the domain.

Wow. That seems like a painful process. Glad you got it sorted, and thanks for the explanation.

All good now! I have backups... of backups... of backups.

Got burnt years ago with a hard drive crash, swore "never again".

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Re: Re: Fun with domain controllers
By: Nick Andre to Gamgee on Sun Aug 13 2023 04:03 pm

All good now! I have backups... of backups... of backups.

Got burnt years ago with a hard drive crash, swore "never again".

Wow, how many drives/TB are you using for backups?

candycane

===
user is generated from /dev/urandom

...Old age is life's parody.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: -=[conchaos.synchro.net | ConstructiveChaos BBS]=- (618:200/50)

On 13 Aug 23 19:59:49, Candycane said the following to Nick Andre:

All good now! I have backups... of backups... of backups.

Got burnt years ago with a hard drive crash, swore "never again".

Wow, how many drives/TB are you using for backups?

2tb portable hard drives for computer and server images.

Two Dell R510's each with 64 terabytes of storage for media.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Re: Re: Fun with domain controllers
By: Nick Andre to Candycane on Sun Aug 13 2023 09:14 pm

2tb portable hard drives for computer and server images.
Two Dell R510's each with 64 terabytes of storage for media.

You REALLY got burned that time, huh?

candycane

===
user is generated from /dev/urandom

...Deny thy father and forget thy tagline.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: -=[conchaos.synchro.net | ConstructiveChaos BBS]=- (618:200/50)

On 14 Aug 23 08:44:36, Candycane said the following to Nick Andre:

2tb portable hard drives for computer and server images.
Two Dell R510's each with 64 terabytes of storage for media.

You REALLY got burned that time, huh?

Years ago I got tired of "stupidity".... thats all I will say.

In the beginning I was backing up to Travan, then Dat72, then LTO2 tapes. As time went on the size of the backup sets grew bigger and hard drives got cheaper. It made sense to go with an image-based hard drive backup.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Re: Re: Fun with domain controllers
By: Nick Andre to Candycane on Sun Aug 13 2023 09:14 pm

2tb portable hard drives for computer and server images.

I used to do just that for smaller deployments, but I found out doing it that way is a pain in the ass.

It is much better to have proper backup servers and having at least some stuff back itself up automatically.

I got some used NAS unit for 100 bucks for doing that for my home computers.

--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

On 17 Aug 23 17:34:51, Arelor said the following to Nick Andre:

2tb portable hard drives for computer and server images.

I used to do just that for smaller deployments, but I found out doing it tha way is a pain in the ass.

The problem here at home is not the computers or the VM's. The problem is backing up 64 terabytes of personal NAS files externally off-site. What good is a single NAS if a fire or theft happens at my apartment. Then its all gone.

Right now I have a second 64tb NAS server which mirrors the first, same model same drive config etc... everything. I suppose it could be parked at a
friend's place and maybe set up some kind of VPN tunnel to push backups when needed.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)

Nick Andre wrote to Arelor <=-

Right now I have a second 64tb NAS server which mirrors the first, same model same drive config etc... everything. I suppose it could be parked
at a friend's place and maybe set up some kind of VPN tunnel to push backups when needed.

Synology does that. I wish I had a friend with a similar need for
storage and unlimited bandwidth, we'd buy two synology units and back
them up to each other.



... HACK THE PLANET!
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (618:300/16)

On 18 Aug 23 08:44:00, Kurt Weiske said the following to Nick Andre:

Synology does that. I wish I had a friend with a similar need for
storage and unlimited bandwidth, we'd buy two synology units and back
them up to each other.

I heard good things about Synology but it was too expensive for me, even
used ones I looked at.

I picked up a couple Dell R510's from a computer chop-shop for next to
nothing and bought all new 16tb drives to do Raid 5 in both.

Configured Dell Irac so one server can be scripted to tell the other to power itself on, copy files via simple batch file that does XCopy /S and shutdown.

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
* Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (618:500/24)