Import From VSS - Have History But No Data

kevinw · Post by **kevinw** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:32 pm

Sorry - long message...

I have been using VSS6 for many years. Am now moving over to a new PC, so decided time to give Vault a try (I could do with the remote access for one thing). Have installed Vault 3.5.1 on the new XP Pro PC with SQL Server 2005 Express DB. Old PC was W2K Server, running VSS6 (not the d version).

Have made all of the settings changes recommended in your VSS Import tips document, also run Analyze to correct VSS data - now reports no problems. Applied your 6.0c patch to VSS files.

Repeatedly tried to run Vault Import (also 3.5.1) on old PC. Every time went as far as starting to read the files, and then hung with just one bar of the progress bar showing. Windows Task Manager reveals that the import program is not doing anything.

Wanted to try installing VSS6 on my new machine to run both on their. However, embarassing problem - I seem to have mislaid my original VS CDs during a recent move (yes, it is genuine). I now have MSDN Pro disks, but being Pro edition does not have VSS :-(

However, do have a VSS2005 Beta 2 CD. Installed this on a Virtual PC XP Pro Image off the new PC, copied across my VSS data, pointed the program to the data, and other than having to set the system date back (Beta has expired), seems to be fine.

So installed the Vault VSS Import on the VPC, and it seemed to run through perfectly first time, reporting no errors at the end. Great!

Logged into Vault client on the new PC, and sure enough, all of my projects are their, listing all of the correct files. And each one seems to have the correct history records and comments. But just when I thought everything was good to go, discovered a horrible problem - Vault does not seem to contain the actual file contents!!! All seem to be 0 bytes, and if I try to highlight two versions in the history form and ask for the differences, both panes are empty. Vault client shows the status of each file as "missing" until I set the working folder, and then it becomes "Needs Merge". If I choose one to merge, it then overwrites the local file on disk to 0 bytes (thank goodness I had a backup).

Went back to the VSS2005 installation on the VPC to check that. It does behave exactly as expected - I can view the latest version of the file it is holding (even though these files are not physically on the disk), and if I pick a non-binary file, choose history and ask for the difference between two versions, it shows exactly as expected.

One last thing. I thought I should look in the Vault installation directory on the VPC to see whether there was any form of log. Couldn't find one, but did find something interesting. It looks as if the Import has written a copy of the latest version of each file in VSS into that directory???

Sorry for the long story, but what I have in Vault ATM is not really usable, and I hope that something may provide a clue as to what went wrong, and more importantly, how to fix it.

TIA, Kevin

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:40 pm

The first thing to check is our article on a successful VSS import located here:
http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?t=7
Are you sure you had sufficient resources for this operation?

Second, were you using VSS integrated with some version of Visual Studio? If so, we have additional instructions for dealing with that.

Finally, could you send me your import log? It will go by the name of import(DATE).log and is found in: C:\Program Files\SourceGear\SourceSafe Import Tool
You can send that using the private function here or to support at sourcegear.com and just reference back to this forum post.

kevinw · Post by **kevinw** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:56 am

[quote="Beth"]The first thing to check is our article on a successful VSS import located here:
http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?t=7[/quote]

I think I mentioned in my original message that I had already implemented the suggestions from this document.

[quote="Beth"]Are you sure you had sufficient resources for this operation?[/quote]

I assume so since the Import said it had finished successfully. However, I presume that somebody at SourceGear would know how the Import works in terms of when it writes the history records (which did work) and when it populates the files and difference deltas in the Vault DB?

[quote="Beth"]Second, were you using VSS integrated with some version of Visual Studio? If so, we have additional instructions for dealing with that.[/quote]

No, no integration at all. Indeed, most of these files are Visual FoxPro, and these are manually checked in and out through the VSS GUI rather than integrated with the VFP development environment.

[quote="Beth"]Finally, could you send me your import log? It will go by the name of import[i](DATE)[/i].log and is found in: C:\Program Files\SourceGear\SourceSafe Import Tool
You can send that using the private function here or to support at sourcegear.com and just reference back to this forum post.[/quote]

I'm not sure that there is one - this was what I was looking for last night. I can't actually access the machine right now; I will double check later.

Kevin

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:29 am

It was suggested to me that using a beta might be playing havoc with your VSS database for the import.

Are you an MSDN subscriber? If so, you can download VSS 6.0c.

I'll keep a watch for the import log.

kevinw · Post by **kevinw** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:57 am

[quote="Beth"]It was suggested to me that using a beta might be playing havoc with your VSS database for the import.[/quote]

:-(

Actually, that begs another question. How do I wipe the invalid contents that are currently in my Vault DB for when I try again?

[quote="Beth"]Are you an MSDN subscriber? If so, you can download VSS 6.0d.[/quote]

I am - but it is not listed. Mine is the Professional level - I think you only get it at higher levels? Also, I thought the docs said that 6.0d doesn't work?

[quote="Beth"]I'll keep a watch for the import log.[/quote]

I will see what I can find tonight.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:50 am

How do I wipe the invalid contents that are currently in my Vault DB for when I try again?

You should be able to just delete all the folders and you can check in the Admin tool if you want to obliterate them.

Also, I thought the docs said that 6.0d doesn't work?

Sorry, you're right. I've edited my response so I don't confuse others.

kevinw · Post by **kevinw** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:00 pm

Beth wrote:I'll keep a watch for the import log.

Just sent to you via private message.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:47 am

It still seems to point to the version of VSS you are using. Unless there are corruptions in the database, an import should work with the recommended version of VSS. I would recommend coming up with a non-beta version.

If you wish, you can send me your database and I can give it a try here. If you want to go that route, send an email to support at sourcegear.com and reference this thread, and I'll send you instructions from there.

kevinw · Post by **kevinw** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:45 pm

Beth wrote:It still seems to point to the version of VSS you are using. Unless there are corruptions in the database, an import should work with the recommended version of VSS. I would recommend coming up with a non-beta version.

If you wish, you can send me your database and I can give it a try here. If you want to go that route, send an email to support at sourcegear.com and reference this thread, and I'll send you instructions from there.

Thank you for your kind offer. However, I think I have solved it myself. I managed to get a VSS6 installation directly onto the new PC, and ran the Import again from there (after obliterating the bad data in Vault). Running it on a "proper" PC - even though it is also the same machine hosting Vault - seems to have done the job.

I have another question now, but I think I will start a new thread.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Kevin