File Geodatabase Failure

[AndrewBrown1]

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

[LanceShipman]

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?

[AndrewBrown1]

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.

[LanceShipman]

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?

[AndrewBrown1]

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...

[AndrewBrown1]

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.

[LanceShipman]

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.

[VinceAngelo]

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

[AndrewBrown1]

Great information to know.

Thanks guys,

Andrew

[HenriRiihimäki]

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.)