[missing-sync-palmos-talk] Second sync problems with Contacts and
MS 5.0.2
Michael Wenyon
michael at wengam.com
Thu Dec 1 10:20:03 PST 2005
Here is my latest testing of my problem getting past the first sync
in Contacts. Two runs, both the same up to stage 8:
1. Hard reset Palm (Tungsten E2).
2. Backup iCal, Address Book databases.
3. Revert to same backup of iCal, Address Book.
4. Restart computer.
5. Reset sync history in iSync preferences.
6. Restart computer.
7. Enable Contacts, Events and Tasks conduits, desktop overwrites All
to Palm (one time only).
8. Initiate sync from Palm; first sync (overwrite) completes OK.
First time I continued thus:
9a. No change to data.
10a. Initiate second sync (MS reverts to two-way sync of All)
11a. Palm quits after a few minutes, saying: connection loss, some of
data not backed up.
Log follows:
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sync starting at 12/1/05 10:25 AM (10:25:44) on USB (5.0.2)
> OK Install
> TimeCopy: host 2005/12/01 10:25:48, palm 2005/12/01 10:26:00, diff:
> -12s
> OK TimeCopy
> OK Mark/Space Contacts
> OK Mark/Space Events
> OK Mark/Space Tasks
> OK Mark/Space MemoPad
> OK Note Pad
> OK Install
> Sync completed successfully at 12/1/05 10:42 AM (10:42:05)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sync starting at 12/1/05 10:42 AM (10:42:51) on USB (5.0.2)
> OK Install
> TimeCopy: host 2005/12/01 10:42:55, palm 2005/12/01 10:43:07, diff:
> -12s
> OK TimeCopy
> OK Mark/Space Contacts
> Event conduit was unable to open the Event database on the handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space Events (0x400a)
> Task conduit was unable to open the Task database on the handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space Tasks (0x400a)
> MemoPad conduit was unable to open the MemoPad database on the
> handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space MemoPad (0x400a)
> Failed Note Pad (0x400a)
> OK Install
> Sync completed successfully at 12/1/05 10:51 AM (10:51:16)
Second time, I had removed the SD data card before step 1;
went OK up to step 8; from 8, I continued thus:
9b. Set Contacts to only sync one group of about 50.
10b. Initiate second sync.
11b. After a long time, sync finishes. Everything seems OK.
12b. No change to data, start third sync.
13b. Palm quits after a few minutes, saying: connection loss, some of
data not backed up.
Log follows:
> Sync starting at 12/1/05 11:16 AM (11:16:25) on USB (5.0.2)
> Unable to install files to card (0x2903)
> Your device was not restored because the restore was canceled or it
> timed out.
> OK Install with 2 message(s)
> TimeCopy: host 2005/12/01 11:17:27, palm 2005/12/01 11:17:39, diff:
> -12s
> OK TimeCopy
> OK Mark/Space Contacts
> OK Mark/Space MemoPad
> OK Mark/Space Tasks
> OK Mark/Space Events
> Unable to install files to card (0x2903)
> OK Install with 1 message(s)
> OK Backup
> Sync completed successfully at 12/1/05 11:34 AM (11:34:11)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sync starting at 12/1/05 11:35 AM (11:35:41) on USB (5.0.2)
> TimeCopy: host 2005/12/01 11:35:43, palm 2005/12/01 11:35:55, diff:
> -12s
> OK TimeCopy
> OK Mark/Space Contacts
> There was an error starting a synchronization session. This conduit
> has been unregistered, and the next time you synchronize you will
> be prompted to synchronize. If that does not happen, try restarting
> and synchronize again.
> SyncClient error. Can't initialize sync session.
> OK Mark/Space Events with 2 message(s)
> OK Mark/Space MemoPad
> There was an error starting a synchronization session. This conduit
> has been unregistered, and the next time you synchronize you will
> be prompted to synchronize. If that does not happen, try restarting
> and synchronize again.
> SyncClient error. Can't initialize sync session.
> OK Mark/Space Tasks with 2 message(s)
> Sync completed successfully at 12/1/05 12:30 PM (12:30:47)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sync starting at 12/1/05 12:46 PM (12:46:01) on USB (5.0.2)
> TimeCopy: host 2005/12/01 12:46:03, palm 2005/12/01 12:46:15, diff:
> -12s
> OK TimeCopy
> OK Mark/Space Contacts
> Event conduit was unable to open the Event database on the handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space Events (0x400a)
> MemoPad conduit was unable to open the MemoPad database on the
> handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space MemoPad (0x400a)
> Task conduit was unable to open the Task database on the handheld.
> Failed Mark/Space Tasks (0x400a)
> Sync completed successfully at 12/1/05 12:53 PM (12:53:26)
It will be probably be the weekend now before I can do any more testing.
--Michael
On Dec 1, 2005, at 8:55 AM, Brian M. Criscuolo wrote:
> That is definitely indicating a problem with the sync engine, as we
> ask it for the list of current groups. I will send further
> instructions later as to the best way to reset the sync engine.
>
> b
> On Nov 29, 2005, at 5:55 PM, Michael Wenyon wrote:
>
>> Brian,
>>
>> 30 minutes after I did the test you suggested, my MS conduit
>> settings were still showing the set of groups from my 'old' or
>> previous Address Book file (complete with a single check box on
>> the one group I was syncing or trying to sync the last time I ran
>> a sync) and not from a 'new' Address Book file which I double-
>> clicked on, and reverted to, at the appropriate stage in your
>> instructions. The reverted-to Address Book has a different number
>> of groups with different names than the previous one.
>>
>> For good measure I just restarted my computer, but no change. So,
>> I can open my currently-loaded Address Book and see one set of
>> groups, or I can open MissingSync Contacts conduits settings and I
>> see another set of groups from my previous Address Book file.
>>
>> Michael
>>
>>
>> On Nov 29, 2005, at 4:24 PM, Brian M. Criscuolo wrote:
>>
>>> The groups are not there immediately after the reset and AB
>>> revert because AB hasn't finished synchronizing (we get the
>>> groups from the sync engine).
>>>
>>> My suggestions still stand.
>>>
>>> b
>>>
>>> On Nov 29, 2005, at 2:57 PM, Michael Wenyon wrote:
>>>
>>>> Brian,
>>>>
>>>> Sorry, I omitted a detail that might be important: when I
>>>> eventually went ahead anyway and did my first sync, all the
>>>> groups were successfully transferred to my Palm (as categories),
>>>> and if I then opened the Contacts conduit settings window in
>>>> MissingSync, my five groups (plus 'All') were now properly
>>>> listed -- and, of course, selectable, which is why I was able to
>>>> do a second sync on one group only. I should perhaps have said
>>>> that the groups are simply not visible immediately after the
>>>> iSync reset and Address Book revert, and until the first sync is
>>>> completed. Does this alter your suggestion for my next step?
>>>>
>>>> Michael
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Nov 29, 2005, at 2:10 PM, Brian M. Criscuolo wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Michael,
>>>>>
>>>>> On Nov 29, 2005, at 1:56 PM, Michael Wenyon wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Brian,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I followed your suggestions (eventually, see below) and so far
>>>>>> my own testing showed some initial success but then a return
>>>>>> of my previous problem: I got an OK first 'overwrite' of all
>>>>>> contacts (2000 contacts, 26 minutes) followed by an OK two-way
>>>>>> sync of only one selected Address Book group (400 contacts, 36
>>>>>> minutes). I then added one new contact in that same group/
>>>>>> category to each of the desktop (AB) and handheld databases, I
>>>>>> waited several minutes and initiated a third sync of that
>>>>>> group (ie. same settings as sync 2). This ran for 8 minutes,
>>>>>> was 'OK' on the desktop (according to log and by safe receipt
>>>>>> by Address Book of the new handheld contact); but the handheld
>>>>>> quit the sync ('connection lost') and it had not received the
>>>>>> new desktop contact. Some other details:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Only the Contacts conduit was enabled. I did the preliminaries
>>>>>> twice, partly because the first 'reset sync history' never
>>>>>> finished before my computer went to sleep. I clicked again,
>>>>>> and it finished quickly. But then, when I had reloaded my
>>>>>> Address Book and I peeked at the Contacts conduit settings in
>>>>>> MissingSync, I found there were none of my (five) groups shown
>>>>>> in the list. I expected to see them there but they did not
>>>>>> appear even when I restarted and waited an hour (at this
>>>>>> stage, I still had not tried a first sync). I wasn't sure what
>>>>>> to do, but suspected a bad 'reset sync history'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a feeling that the reset sync history failure is causing
>>>>> this as well.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Also I received a message from an earlier support query
>>>>>> suggesting I remove Palm Desktop. So I trashed Palm Desktop
>>>>>> and associated prefs (but not data) files; I then uninstalled
>>>>>> and re-installed MissingSync and started over with your
>>>>>> instructions.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Now the 'reset sync history' completed OK, but again
>>>>>> individual groups were not displayed in the Contacts conduit
>>>>>> settings window in MissingSync. I went ahead and synced anyway
>>>>>> and got the results described above.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Try this:
>>>>> - Back up your Address Book data (File menu).
>>>>> - Restart, then reset the sync history (make sure AB and iCal
>>>>> are not open) and then restart immediately.
>>>>> - Double-click on your AB backup file to restore it. Quit AB
>>>>> and wait a while.
>>>>> - Check the conduit settings; you should see the groups present.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> By the way, I saw in Activity Monitor that after the second
>>>>>> sync had 'finished', a process called AddressBookSync started
>>>>>> and ran for four and a half minutes at up to 90% CPU capacity.
>>>>>> I presume this is the process that delayed appearance of
>>>>>> records in Address Book that I noted in a previous message.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, that it is. Address Book has a faceless application doing
>>>>> its sync.
>>>>>
>>>>>> I am not sure what to try next. Any suggestions?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --Michael
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Nov 28, 2005, at 8:31 AM, Brian M. Criscuolo wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Michael,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Nov 27, 2005, at 11:03 PM, Michael Wenyon wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> This is indicating that the sync engine is trying to manage
>>>>>>>>> a lot of records; it is consistent with what I've seen in
>>>>>>>>> the past. This usually happens in the latter stage of the
>>>>>>>>> sync. How much RAM do you have?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1 Gigabyte RAM, 733 MHz G4, and over 2000 contact records
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That should be sufficient.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> - Have you considered filtering by Group? It is possible
>>>>>>>>> that there is a record in the sync database that we can't
>>>>>>>>> handle - a rouge entry - and if you can remove it from the
>>>>>>>>> sync process you can have a successful sync. It happens,
>>>>>>>>> especially with data that has been around a while, through
>>>>>>>>> OS upgrades and device synchronizations.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> A few days ago I made a tiny subset of my contacts (50
>>>>>>>> entries), and loaded those 50 as my entire Address book.
>>>>>>>> That worked OK on subsequent syncs, as I recall. [Suspecting
>>>>>>>> a rogue entry, I also once 'reverted' to an entire Address
>>>>>>>> Book backup dated September 2005, so before I even installed
>>>>>>>> MissingSync -- but that also failed on the handheld on
>>>>>>>> subsequent syncs as above.]
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I tried filtering by a single group of 500 entries after the
>>>>>>>> 50-entry Address Book synced OK, but the Palm quit as before
>>>>>>>> and I did not try any more filtering by group.
>>>>>>>> [Incidentally, after I made new groups in Address Book, they
>>>>>>>> weren't visible/available immediately in the MissingSync
>>>>>>>> 'settings' panel for Contacts; I had to restart my computer
>>>>>>>> to be sure to see them all there and so be able to choose
>>>>>>>> just one to sync]. I have re-set and re-installed Palm
>>>>>>>> Desktop, iSync and MissingSync since then, so I may try
>>>>>>>> syncing by filtered group again over the next day or two.
>>>>>>>> That would not be practical if I had to do it every time, of
>>>>>>>> course.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No, filtering each time *is* impractical and is not necessary
>>>>>>> if the sync works. The timeout is the issue and we need to
>>>>>>> get to the bottom of why that is happening.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Incidentally, I was surprised to discover how long it takes
>>>>>>>> for iSync to reset the sync history -- some warning to that
>>>>>>>> effect in your instructions might be helpful. Maybe it is
>>>>>>>> the speed (733 Mhz G4) of my computer. To be honest, the
>>>>>>>> first few times I tried to reset I think I closed iSync
>>>>>>>> prematurely, not realizing the reset was still in progress.
>>>>>>>> On my computer, for example, it takes quite a while for iCal
>>>>>>>> to launch (and if already launched, even that visual cue
>>>>>>>> that something is actually happening is not available). I
>>>>>>>> had not actually noticed that little line of text at the
>>>>>>>> bottom of the iSync window telling you that reseting is in
>>>>>>>> progress. On the other hand, maybe the reset completes even
>>>>>>>> if you close iSync before it is finished?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I can tell you that if you're resetting the sync history, it
>>>>>>> may take a long time - there is a LOT of stuff that happens
>>>>>>> in that case, for every client that is synchronizing with
>>>>>>> Tiger's Sync Services. If it's taking a while for iCal to
>>>>>>> launch then it is definitely tied up synchronizing changes.
>>>>>>> Having a lot of data in iCal will lead to slowdowns with that
>>>>>>> application, as it doesn't handle it too efficiently.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> In regard to my 'slow' CPU speed, could some part of the
>>>>>>>> sync be taking so long on my desktop that the Palm assumes a
>>>>>>>> connection loss? Does anyone on this list notice a
>>>>>>>> correlation between the existence of this problem and CPU
>>>>>>>> speed?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't think that would be the problem. Something in the
>>>>>>> sync is taking too long. We try very hard in the conduit to
>>>>>>> make sure the connection is kept alive, but there are
>>>>>>> timeouts built into Sync Services that may get triggered.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My guess in this case is:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> After our conduit processes the handheld records, it goes
>>>>>>> into a sync phase called "mingling" in which the sync engine
>>>>>>> merges records, identifies conflicts, etc. I have a feeling
>>>>>>> that is taking too long, and since we can't keep the
>>>>>>> connection alive for all of that time it drops. Your Address
>>>>>>> Book issue of taking 4 minutes for changes to appear seems to
>>>>>>> back that up (it really shouldn't take that long - they're
>>>>>>> supposed to be instantaneous, especially for an Apple
>>>>>>> application which doesn't have to massage the data like we do).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Suggestion:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Since you have a backup, delete all your contacts from
>>>>>>> Address Book. Then reset the sync history via iSync. Restart.
>>>>>>> Launch AB, quit AB, then launch it again. Import your backup.
>>>>>>> Wait a few minutes for AB to sync, and restart again.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now, set the contacts conduit to desktop overwrites handheld
>>>>>>> and perform a sync.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I think this will get you the cleanest configuration, and we
>>>>>>> can go from there.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> b
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
>>>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk at lists.markspace.com
>>>>>>>> Unsubcribing information, subscription options and list
>>>>>>>> archives can be found at:
>>>>>>>> http://lists.markspace.com/mailman/listinfo/missing-sync-
>>>>>>>> palmos-talk
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ********************
>>>>>>> Brian M. Criscuolo
>>>>>>> Senior Software Engineer
>>>>>>> Mark/Space, Inc.
>>>>>>> bcriscuolo at markspace.com
>>>>>>> <http://www.markspace.com>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
>>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk at lists.markspace.com
>>>>>>> Unsubcribing information, subscription options and list
>>>>>>> archives can be found at:
>>>>>>> http://lists.markspace.com/mailman/listinfo/missing-sync-
>>>>>>> palmos-talk
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
>>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk at lists.markspace.com
>>>>>> Unsubcribing information, subscription options and list
>>>>>> archives can be found at:
>>>>>> http://lists.markspace.com/mailman/listinfo/missing-sync-
>>>>>> palmos-talk
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ********************
>>>>> Brian M. Criscuolo
>>>>> Senior Software Engineer
>>>>> Mark/Space, Inc.
>>>>> bcriscuolo at markspace.com
>>>>> <http://www.markspace.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
>>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk at lists.markspace.com
>>>>> Unsubcribing information, subscription options and list
>>>>> archives can be found at:
>>>>> http://lists.markspace.com/mailman/listinfo/missing-sync-palmos-
>>>>> talk
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
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>>>> Unsubcribing information, subscription options and list archives
>>>> can be found at:
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>>>> talk
>>>
>>>
>>> ********************
>>> Brian M. Criscuolo
>>> Senior Software Engineer
>>> Mark/Space, Inc.
>>> bcriscuolo at markspace.com
>>> <http://www.markspace.com>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
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>>> can be found at:
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> ********************
> Brian M. Criscuolo
> Senior Software Engineer
> Mark/Space, Inc.
> bcriscuolo at markspace.com
> <http://www.markspace.com>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> missing-sync-palmos-talk mailing list
> missing-sync-palmos-talk at lists.markspace.com
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