Branch failure (3.52)

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:22 am

Server & Client: 3.52

We used to branch OK but this time, Vault client returned a popup dialog which just says "Failure". Below are all the logs I got. Can you please help me to sort that out?

Thanks in advance.

Vault Client Message Pane:

[11/13/2007 10:58:38 AM] Preparing data to begin transaction
[11/13/2007 10:58:38 AM] Beginning transaction
[11/13/2007 10:58:39 AM] Branch $/Projects/My Project/CW/Code
[11/13/2007 10:58:40 AM] Ending the transaction
[11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM] An error occurred while trying to end a transaction.
[11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM] Transaction failed
[11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM] Item $/Projects/My Project/CW/Code caused the transaction to fail: Failure
[11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM] Transaction failed

Vault Server, sgvault.log:

----11/13/2007 10:59:25 AM tri (10.11.12.144)--SSL Enabled An error occurred while retrieving the root folder's branch information. The folder could not be branched.
----11/13/2007 10:59:25 AM tri (10.11.12.144)--SSL Enabled System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at VaultServiceSQL.VaultSqlSCC.BranchFolder(VaultSqlConn conn, String strSessionID, Int32 nRepID, Hashtable htSharedItems, HybridDictionary htTxModifiedItems, Int64 nTxID, Int32 nTxItem, Byte nTxType, VaultDateTime vdTxBegin, String strItemPath, String strNewBranchName, String strXml, BranchingModTime bmt, VaultFolder vfRoot, String strTxComment, Int32& nCopiedSecurityFolderRights, VaultFolder& vfOut)
at VaultServiceAPILib.VaultTransaction.PreCheckProcessBranchOrSnapshot(Int32 nCurrStatCode, String strSessionID, VaultRequestBranch vrb, Boolean bCommitWork, VaultTransactionContainer txContainer) at VaultServiceSQL.VaultSqlSCC.BranchFolder(VaultSqlConn conn, String strSessionID, Int32 nRepID, Hashtable htSharedItems, HybridDictionary htTxModifiedItems, Int64 nTxID, Int32 nTxItem, Byte nTxType, VaultDateTime vdTxBegin, String strItemPath, String strNewBranchName, String strXml, BranchingModTime bmt, VaultFolder vfRoot, String strTxComment, Int32& nCopiedSecurityFolderRights, VaultFolder& vfOut)
at VaultServiceAPILib.VaultTransaction.PreCheckProcessBranchOrSnapshot(Int32 nCurrStatCode, String strSessionID, VaultRequestBranch vrb, Boolean bCommitWork, VaultTransactionContainer txContainer)
----11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM tri (10.11.12.144)--SSL Enabled (f7048f2e-e313-4bd9-9c8a-63437898de98) EndTx (Revision - 0) returned: Failure
----11/13/2007 10:59:26 AM tri (10.11.12.144)--SSL Enabled (f7048f2e-e313-4bd9-9c8a-63437898de98) CopyBranch: $/Projects/My Project/CW/Code to $/Projects/My Project/CW/Releases/2.7 - Carlsberg (Phase 3)/Code returned: Failure

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:37 pm

Could there be something wrong in the Code folder?

I got the same error trying the branch operation on 3 different machines, one of them is the Vault Server itself.

The Code folder It has 4 subfolders. If I branch each subfolder then there is no error. Is there any possible reason I can branch the subfolders but failed on the parent folder?

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:14 pm

There may be a problem with the Code folder. I have our Vault server specialist take a look at this log error.

Have you tried restarting IIS, then attempting the branch again?

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:31 pm

I'd like to but can't do it now because we are in the middle of the day. So I have to content with the turn around tricks to branch each sub folder individually.

Could the computer which starts the branching operation has any influence?

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:39 pm

I'm sorry I don't have a quick answer, but we have not seen that error before. I don't think this is an issue with the client, but more likely a Vault server or database.

The first step would be to restart IIS when you have the opportunity. You could also try deleting and undeleting the branched folder in the repository.

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:29 pm

lbauer wrote:The first step would be to restart IIS when you have the opportunity. You could also try deleting and undeleting the branched folder in the repository.

What is the mechanism behind the IISReset action that could possibly make the branching issue disappear? BTW I have seen this suggestion in other posts related to branching issue. Is it a common cure?

I can not delete / undelete the branched folder because it doesn't exist (the creation of the branched folder failed).

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:25 pm

lbauer wrote:Have you tried restarting IIS, then attempting the branch again?

Just did IISReset, attempted branching the Code folder in a test target folder. Still same error.

Also just updated server + client to 3.53, same error.

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:54 pm

Try deleting the folder you're trying to branch, and then undelete it. I know this sounds like waving a chicken over your head, but this has worked for some users, by resetting the path.

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:13 pm

lbauer wrote:Try deleting the folder you're trying to branch, and then undelete it. I know this sounds like waving a chicken over your head, but this has worked for some users, by resetting the path.

1. Created $/Projects/My Project/CW/Releases/_TEST_Branch folder
2. Delete _TEST_Branch folder
3. Undelete
4. Branch $/Projects/My Project/CW/Code to $/Projects/My Project/CW/Releases/_TEST_Branch

Got same error.

Today another user had also failed the branch operation on another repository. The error messages and logs are similar to what I reported here. What is worrying is that repository was stable and had no activity since almost year. I am afraid the upgrade from 3.19 to 3.52 we did in August 2007 had corrupted some data: http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?p=34672

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:40 pm

You've contacted us via email; we'll continue to troubleshoot this offline.

Tri · Post by **Tri** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:30 pm

Update: issue solved.

We sent our sgvault DB to SourceGear tech support. In spite of a long investigation SG could not reproduce the issue, and suggest to make a clean re-installation: backup sgvault DB, uninstall Vault Server 3.52, restore DB, redownload Vault Server 3.53 and re-install.

I also took the opportunity to apply all latest patches to Win2003 Server and SQL Server 2000.

The branching error is gone after that. I'm not sure if it was the uninstall + reinstall of Vault Server of the Win2003 & SQL2K patches was the main factor but at least the problem is now gone.

After 1.5 months, still works OK. We have just made another successful branch today

Thanks very much to SourceGear tech support for all your help.

lbauer · Post by **lbauer** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:50 pm

Thanks for the kind words.