MLS Restore does not update system accounts

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dajoker
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MLS Restore does not update system accounts

#1

Post by dajoker »

Every week I test a backup from MLS on our clerk computer to make sure it's working properly and that we'll be ready should that computer ever explode. On the second computer where I perform the restoration I have MLS 2.8.2 (just like on the main computer) and accounts are still not being updated properly from the first machine. This second machine has been doing these restores for quite some time (since many other accounts were enabled in MLS) and those are not going away. For example previous members of the ward who have since moved still show up and as enabled accounts with rights while on the source computer they are without rights or are completely removed. I'm guessing there is some part of the restore that isn't overwriting the previous settings (removing old accounts or reducing their privileges in MLS) but would like to see if I'm alone in having this symptom.

In other news that isn't as critical some of the really old accounts in MLS (the previous bishopric from when MLS was first used) when I choose to 'Remove' old accounts they are disabled (presumably) but have an option to 'Restore' while more-recent accounts that are removed are completely gone. Is there something about the old accounts that causes their removal to never completely take place or is this just some kind of corruption in my database? This particular symptom is on the main source computer so it doesn't have anything to do with the computer being restored-to.

Thanks.
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opee
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#2

Post by opee »

dajoker wrote:In other news that isn't as critical some of the really old accounts in MLS (the previous bishopric from when MLS was first used) when I choose to 'Remove' old accounts they are disabled (presumably) but have an option to 'Restore' while more-recent accounts that are removed are completely gone. Is there something about the old accounts that causes their removal to never completely take place or is this just some kind of corruption in my database? This particular symptom is on the main source computer so it doesn't have anything to do with the computer being restored-to.

Thanks.


If they have done any financial transactions (checks, tithing, etc.), they will not be removed for 3 years. This is intentional based on retention requirements for financial records.
lajackson
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#3

Post by lajackson »

dajoker wrote:On the second computer ... For example previous members of the ward who have since moved still show up and as enabled accounts with rights while on the source computer they are without rights or are completely removed. I'm guessing there is some part of the restore that isn't overwriting the previous settings (removing old accounts or reducing their privileges in MLS) but would like to see if I'm alone in having this symptom.
In trying to duplicate your problem, I have run into a related problem that may have the same root cause. Can we get this thread over to the developers?

I have used MLS 2.8.1 to do the following test:

Computer #1 backup copied to Computer #2 and restored there.
Computer #1 added new user (with administrative privileges).

Computer #1 backup copied to Computer #2 and restored there.
New user added at Computer #1 does not appear on Computer #2.

This, then, is the reverse of what you have seen, where you deleted a user and the backup does not carry that information over to a new installation.

It appears that the file with the user/password information is not correctly saving and restoring.

What is scary in my case is that if we were to have to wipe or replace Computer #1 and restore from our backup, it appears that we would not have accurate user information.

I suspect that the developers would be delighted to hear about this.
russellhltn
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#4

Post by russellhltn »

Is this a bug or is this a feature? ;)

What happens if you restore the file on a computer that doesn't have that unit on it? (for example wipe the unit from computer #2 and do a restore.)

It may be desirable to roll back the data without messing up the logins. But if there is no data, then they are restored.

If I'm correct, then I don't see a problem.
lajackson
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#5

Post by lajackson »

RussellHltn wrote:What happens if you restore the file on a computer that doesn't have that unit on it?
Good call. It works as you suggested. A fresh install has all of the login data correctly shown.
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dajoker
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#6

Post by dajoker »

opee,

That makes sense. Removing somebody today I saw a message that would seem to reflect that as well. Is this in the Help system somewhere? I scoured it for a while to no avail and it may be something others come across in the future. On the same note will the accounts be removed automatically after three years, I presume? I guess I could test that by playing with a date or two but MLS is so annoying in that area I'd rather not.

To the other responder, is it possible to get this fixed so that non-fresh restores also work? If it's a lot of work and the developers are busy doing other things maybe it's not worth it but it doesn't seem like it would be that bad from here (after all I have no code, am not a coder by trade, and haven't been for several years so I should know best).


Thanks for the prompt replies.
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aebrown
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#7

Post by aebrown »

dajoker wrote:Is it possible to get this fixed so that non-fresh restores also work? If it's a lot of work and the developers are busy doing other things maybe it's not worth it but it doesn't seem like it would be that bad from here (after all I have no code, am not a coder by trade, and haven't been for several years so I should know best).

I'm sure it's possible to change MLS so that restoring data on top of an existing data set would replace the current user data with the user data from the time of the backup. But I wouldn't consider it a "fix", but rather a loss of functionality. I think it's pretty obvious that the MLS developers went to extra work to preserve user data during a data restore because it makes things work better in some situations. So I vote to leave it the way it is.

One of the problems with restoring old data sets is that in the time that has passed since the backup was made, passwords have been changed, user accounts have been inactivated, and user rights have been changed because of calls and releases. If the data is old enough, it's even conceivable that the administrators of that time have been released in the meantime. So it may be hard to find people with the correct rights who know the old passwords. Preserving the user data avoids the problems with having to know what users were active with which rights and passwords back then.

If someone wants the old user data restored, they can always delete the existing MLS data and then do a restore. But if the MLS developers were to "fix" the code as you propose, there would be no way to restore old data and still preserve current user data, which may well be very desirable.
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