topic Re: File Geodatabase Failure in Data Management Questions

File Geodatabase Failure

AndrewBrown1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:36:15 GMT

Hi Guys,

This morning I was working on a project which had the layers pointed to a file geodatabase in the filesystem on our server; things were normal.

But then I had to utilize some geoprocessing tools that required an output location, so when it came time to point the output to the geodatabase, I couldn't see the file geodatabase.

So, using the built-in Catalog, I looked for the geodatabase. Apparently, ArcMap/Catalog didn't recognize the file geodatabase; instead it thought it was a folder with the .gdb in the folder name.

At this time, the layers were still linked to the file geodatabase, but once I closed and reopened the MXD, all of the layers were broken.

Does anybody know what's going on? Is my file geodatabase corrupted? If so, can I recover it?
All of this project's data was stored in there. If it's all gone, I'm simply SOL.

I'm running ArcGIS 10 SP2. My coworker with SP1 cannot see the geodatabase either. I know the geodatabase was created using ArcGIS 10 SP1.

Thanks,
Andrew

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

LanceShipman — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:09:17 GMT

Is there a gdb file under the file geodatabase directory? Can you post a listing of the contents of the file geodatabase directory. Are you using a windows or Linux server?

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

AndrewBrown1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:26:44 GMT

There isn't a 'gdb' file within the folder, but here are the contents of the folder:

12/16/2010 01:40 PM             3,961 a0000000b.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a0000000b.gdbtablx
12/16/2010 01:40 PM             4,118 a0000000b.spx
12/16/2010 01:48 PM           411,475 a0000000f.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a0000000f.gdbtablx
12/16/2010 01:48 PM            20,502 a0000000f.spx
12/16/2010 01:49 PM           554,688 a00000010.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a00000010.gdbtablx
12/16/2010 01:49 PM            12,310 a00000010.spx
12/16/2010 01:50 PM           390,016 a00000011.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a00000011.gdbtablx
05/25/2011 12:43 PM                 0 a00000011.spx
12/16/2010 01:52 PM           426,771 a00000012.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a00000012.gdbtablx
12/16/2010 01:52 PM            20,502 a00000012.spx
12/16/2010 01:58 PM            17,092 a00000015.gdbtable
12/16/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a00000015.gdbtablx
05/18/2011 11:10 AM            62,354 a00000016.gdbtable
05/18/2011 11:10 AM             5,152 a00000016.gdbtablx
02/11/2011 03:34 PM             4,118 a00000016.spx
05/06/2011 03:33 PM           982,428 a00000017.gdbtable
05/06/2011 03:33 PM            10,272 a00000017.gdbtablx
05/06/2011 03:33 PM            10,311 a00000018.gdbtable
05/06/2011 03:33 PM             5,152 a00000018.gdbtablx
12/27/2010 02:03 PM             2,078 a00000019.gdbtable
12/27/2010 02:03 PM             5,152 a00000019.gdbtablx
05/06/2011 03:33 PM            11,313 a0000001c.gdbtable
05/06/2011 03:33 PM             5,152 a0000001c.gdbtablx
05/06/2011 03:33 PM               400 timestamps

We are using Windows Server 2008 on the machine.

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

LanceShipman — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:22:09 GMT

With the "gdb" file missing ArcGIS will see the file geodatabase directory as a folder. Given the files you listed, the file geodatabase is non-recoverable. Where are processes run on the file geodatabase after you last accessed it successfully? Was a backup restored?

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

AndrewBrown1 — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:17:44 GMT

We're working on locating a file system backup, but the geodatabase was working when I first began working on that MXD. I noticed things started to malfunction when I tried to load a feature class into it as the gdb became a folder.

Is this a normal occurrence? Why can't a new 'gdb' file be regenerated? Could I use one from another gdb?

I don't see how it could just stop working...

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

AndrewBrown1 — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:27:48 GMT

We just found a backup from the day before and restored it to that time period. I'm glad my data is back.

I'm keeping a separate backup just in case the gdb decides to fail again.

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

LanceShipman — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:36:28 GMT

I'm glad that you were able to find a backup. Please keep an eye on what processes are run on the data.

This is not a normal occurrence. A gdb file can be copied from another file geodatabase, but it appears that some of the files under the file geodatabase directory were missing and these can not be recreated. A 10.0 File Geodatabase contains 40 files upon creation, a 9.3 contains 25. Adding data to the file geodatabase will create more. If a file geodatabase contains less than the initial number of files, it's damaged.

A file geodatabase cannot be damaged without some external action. It's just a collection of files. External action can be copy/paste/move of the file geodatabase outside of ArcGIS (Windows Explorer) where a file is locked and the copy/paste/move process does not compete. Restoring a partial backup would leave a damaged file geodatabase.

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

VinceAngelo — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:03:04 GMT

I once corrupted a file geodatabase when I did a Copy from ArcCatalog 10.0, but didn't wait
until the job had completed before copying the .gdb folder to a network share (I have since
put the Python window in the foreground).

- V

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

AndrewBrown1 — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:44:06 GMT

Great information to know.

Thanks guys,

Andrew

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

HenriRiihimäki — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 06:03:59 GMT

Hello,

I started to build a file geodatabase from different point shapefiles. I only got one file imported and then my file geodatabase failed. Yesterday I saved my edits, shut down the computer, and today 5000 out of 5501 observations are gone. With file geodatabase recovery -tool I can see the file how it was yesterday, but I can export only 500 records. The rest is again missing.

Yesterday I added data creator and editor fields, I figure they might be the reason behind the corruption?

I have a backup in .shp-format, but it doesn't allow NULL values in the fields that I'd like them to be.
A working (trustworthy) geodatabase would be nice.

Ideas?

-Henri

(ArcGIS 10.1 sp 1.)

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

LanceShipman — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 22:17:52 GMT

What is the source of the shapefiles? Where they created with ArcGIS or ?

Failed how? What error was returned?

Was this working before you added data creator and editor fields?

Any details would be helpful.

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

ThomasStanley-Jones — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 20:01:26 GMT

I have also had this happen to me. Not on anything crucial though. I've usually noticed it when i try and delete a File Geodatabase with ArcCatalog 10.1. Can't say I've noticed it with 10.0. I would delete the FGDB and then it would show up as a folder with a .GDB extension. Couldn't delete it with ArcCatalog, and not even with Windows Explorer until I restarted my computer. This happened about half a dozen times before I realized what was going on. Now I only delete them with Windows Explorer.

Re: File Geodatabase Failure

LanceShipman — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 20:34:41 GMT

The needing to restart indicates that another process has a lock on the file geodatabase. A file geodatabase cannot be deleted id a lock is present. You should delete a file geodatabase from ArcGIS, not from the file system. Deleting a file geodatabase from the file system may leave some files on disk. Rather than rebooting you need to shut down the locking processes. From windows explorer look in the file geodatabase directory. You should see some files file a .lock extension. The file names include the process number.