Object reference error during Import

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:06 am

Good morning,

Using v3.5.0:
I exported a folder with the Import/Export utility (about 6700 transactions total), but when trying to import it into another repository (same server), the app crashes with an object reference error (attached). Any ideas?

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:53 am

I should add that I couldn't find anything in neither the Import/Export log nor the server log with regard to the error.

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:10 am

I've thrown every trick I know of at getting this particular import to work, but I hit various roadblocks in the form of errors.

I'll start at beginning; we exported part of our VSS database last week (following all recommendations) and imported it to a clean repository just fine. This has been up and going in Vault for 2 weeks. I need a particular folder of this Vault repository copied to another repository (my "master" repository, which was created earlier this week after my first attempt at it failed due to checksum errors; see http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?t=6927 ); I used the Import Export tool to export the folder I wanted and received NO ERRORS, but the error in screenshot above is what I get shortly through the import.

I then tried using the Import Export tool to just export a subfolder of this project; again, exports with no errors. But shortly after trying the import, I get this error (in both a popup dialog and in the ExportImport log):

<generic>: [<No Name>:2368] Folder Import: An exception occurred in ProcessResults_ProcessTransaction() Tx: 553510 on 11/4/2005 4:58:28 PM
Change Set Items (Create Folder) $/Test/InfoDirections/Misc Exception: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at VaultFolderExportImport.frmImport.ProcessResults_ProcessTransaction(ImportCommandResult icr)

Nothing was being written to the server log during either import attempt, except for a bunch admin login statements with a timestamp.

So I went back to my original VSS database that I exported into Vault 2 weeks ago, and after doing diffs to find out nothing in this particular project had yet changed, I would try to use the VSS Import tool once again, but this time at my other "master" repository. However, while some files are successfully imported with history, a bunch of others are not, and I am getting quite a few of those FileCheckSum errors I reported in that earlier thread.

I tried once more with the VSS Import tool on the same archive to a brand new repository, and that imports cleanly. I Export from that clean repository with Import/Export tool with no problems, but trying to import I'm back to that object reference from earlier above in this message.

In summary:
***I can VSS Import this particular archive from VSS with NO PROBLEMS to a clean repository.

***I cannot VSS Import this particular archive into my desired target master repository without checksum errors on about 25% of the files (basically it imports the files with the first 1 or 2 revisions of history and then quits).

***I can Export a folder (with Import/Export Utility) from a healthy standalone repository without issue.

***I cannot Import a *.vfe file into ANY repository without one of the above two object reference errors.

***The sgvault.log only throws the FileCheckSum exceptions from the VSS Import in this format : VaultFileUpload.aspx encountered: FailFileInvalidCheckSum (one for each problematic file revision)

***The sgvault.log shows nothing I can find with regard to use of the Import/Export utility, aside from the act of the admin user logging in.

***The VaultFolderImportExport.txt shows no exceptions with regard to the export of any transactions I have attempted.

***The VaultFolderImportExport.txt does not make any reference to the object reference error in the screenshot at the beginning of this thread (when I tried to export the entire target folder).

***The VaultFolderImportExport.txt does make reference to the import of ProcessResults_ProcessTransaction() Tx: 553510 (when I tried to export just 1 of 9 folders in my target folder).

***With regard to the errors described in the 2 log files above, debug logging provides no additional information than what's there/not there as opposed to normal logging regarding neither the checksum or the Import Tool transaction errors.

Well that was a doozy of a posting; hope I didn't put anyone to sleep.

I could REALLY use your advice on where to go next; are there particular logs, db backups, VSS archives, machine information I can send you to make sense of this? I have 11 more VSS branches worth of stuff to import into my master repository by the end of the year, and it worries me that towards the tail end of my first version that I'm getting inconsistent VSS import behavior, and zero desired behavior with the Import functionality of the Import/Export Tool.

Thanks very much,

--jdavidi

Post by **jclausius** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:28 pm

jdavidi:

Can you try the import with Vault 3.5.1?

There were some issues addressed in that release which might solve this problem as well.

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:56 am

We're planning to upgrade this weekend; I will let you know the results.

Thanks,

--jdavidi

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:18 am

All errors mentioned in the summary section of my 10/21/06 posting above still happen after the v3.5.1 upgrade.

Please advise?

Thanks,

--jdavidi

Post by **jclausius** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:38 am

We can approach this a couple of different ways.

The easiest thing to do would be to send the Vault Folder Export file (.vfe). We can then test the import in a debug environment to see what is going on.

A different solution would be to place the Vault Server in Debug Logging mode, delete the export/import log file, run the export again, and then send both the logs for evaluation.

Let us know how you would like to proceed.

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:45 am

Hi Jeff,

I have the vfe file available that we could start with--it's 4.5 MB. What's the best way to get that up to you guys?

If that's not enough, I could rerun the export after hours this evening and get those log sets to you.

Thanks very much!

--jdavidi

Post by **jclausius** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:56 am

You can send it to me by email. Click the email button below to send me a message.

Post by **jclausius** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:18 pm

jdavidi:

Can I ask you to try something? Can you create an empty repository, and import the file you sent me into that repository?

In my test the import succeeded successfully. I'm currently running in import into $/ID/POS/WSAPIC/ES (abbreviated for privacy reasons). If that works, then there must be something about the repository you are importing which is causing the problem.

Now, I've only addressed the Vault Import issue. Do you want to also pursue the VSS import problem?

Post by **jclausius** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:23 pm

The import to a sub folder also successfully completed.

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:35 pm

Hi Jeff,

I will try the import on a blank repository this evening.

As for the VSS Import issue with the FileCheckSum errors, yes we would really like an explanation/workaround if possible. We're holding up our import schedule because we're afraid of what it might do to our live repository. The Import/Export method was an attempt at a workaround for a set of projects that didn't make our initial import run.

Thanks; anything more you need from me file-wise I can get you.

--jdavidi

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 7:35 am

Good morning!

The import to a blank repository was sucessful for me as well. So that means our main repository has a problem though? Hmm...any type of diagnostics we could run other than debug mode (this hadn't revealed anything extra in the log when I first encountered the problem).

Thanks,

--jdavidi

jdavidi · Post by **jdavidi** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:12 am

Got anything for me yet guys? Been a week, and we're still in that "wary of imports" frame of mind...

Post by **jclausius** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:35 am

Since the import worked on an empty repository, there's nothing wrong there. I was waiting for you to respond about my question about the VSS side of things? Do you still want to investigate that?

Getting back to the import, there are three options here:

A) Eliminate any networking issues - Have you tried the import on the Vault server itself using "localhost" for the server's host name?

B) Client side cache issue - This is not likely the problem, but we could try:

1) Closing all Vault clients , admin tools, IDEs, etc.
2) Deleting the client side cache ( delete CacheMember_Repository and CacheMember_LastStructureGetTime from your Vault client's cache location ).
3) Retry the import.

C) Send the database t SourceGear so it can be inspected at a deeper level to see why the import may be failing against one specific repository.