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AFP File corruption when copying from Share A to B

Hi,

I've got a MacPro working as Fileserver (10.6.8 Server) for about 10 Clients (all on OS X 10.6.7 and .8) with Adressbook, AFP, DNS, iCal, OD and SMB running.

The Server is connected over 3 bonded GbE NICs to the Network and has a Promise RAID5 SCSI-320 Storage for the Files.

We need to push a lot of big Images (PSD, Tiff, etc.) around over the Network, so this Configuration seemd pretty fast and not too complex. Right now it was working well for over a year (except for minor problems).

Two weeks ago I accidentally found a TIFF-Picture with some 108 x 1 px fields on it where the colors were messed up.

The only thing i've done with it was to copy it from one AFP-Share to another from my MacPro Client. The original File was still there, so I copied it again and got the same result just on other parts of the Picture (no message, nothing in the Logs). Than I tried to copy a PSD File with some Layers in it (about 800 MB) and the result was some kind of Van Gogh painting 😮 (means interesting collors, but the whole picture was messed up).

So I started a Testing-Marathon where I checked all the funny stuff like ACLs, POSIX, Cables, Switch, RAM, HDDs, with/without RAID, OSs, OS-Settings, other Clients, direct connetions between the Clients, NIC-Settings, change the com.apple.AppleShare … … … I tested a lot different stuff.

Now I can say that the File-Corruption occurs when you use AFP, the two NICs which are communicating send and receive Data at the same time (copy paste between 2 shares) and the Ethernet speed (in activity monitor) is higher than 40 MB/s.

I'm able to reproduce the Corruption with 10.5.7 / 10.6.3, .7, .8 and with Lion.

Most tests i've done with a direct connection MBP5,2 - MP5,1 (to reach the speed) but sometimes it worked even with an iMac8,1 - MBP Connection.

No Problem with SMB-Shares, but they are much slower (max. 20 - 30 MB/s).

Did I miss something?

Can anybody confirm this behavior?

I'm very grateful for Ideas, I don't have any more and I woldn't like to switch to SMB.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Aug 15, 2011 7:15 AM

30 replies

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

May 9, 2013 5:33 AM in response to berlindude

I have also reported it (one or two years ago), don't expect any help …

I really hope this is not the case, having spent over £2,000 on a new server/RAID setup. I now feel we should have stuck with the slower yet more reliable G5 PowerMac setup.

E.g. you have the shares A, B and C (folders a, b and c on the RAID), take the shares away, make a new folder d and the share D and put the folders a, b and c in d.

I'm not sure this will work for our setup, we have a Pegasus R4 RAID which has been partitioned and we share each hard drive partition over the network, we also have a separate thunderbolt drive for achived files.

I imagine we would need to reformat the R4 to a single drive then use a folder system on the drive as you have suggested.

I will forward this thread to the Apple support adviser I have been speaking too, in the hope something gets resolved. I'm not giving up on Apple yet, but I can see how you have after all these years.

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

May 10, 2013 4:32 AM in response to cygnusx

I'm sorry to say, but I think too that the "start from scratch tactic" with one single drive will be the best way. The safety and usability is going to **** (Maybe there is an App for this 😝), but who cares, it's fast like thunder.

And hey, 2k is no money in this world here. We've spent over 25k € in last 5 years for Apple hardware. I now need some new client machines and maybe a 3rd server. But great: you can't buy these overpriced MacPros any more here in Germany. There are no more Xserves or any kind of machine to buy in the Apple world wich you could call "Server". The MiniSe… 😁 how to put an FC or SCSI Card into it?

And for my clients? They need a powerfull machine and a non glossy display … what was the problem with the MacPros again? Ah, the EU laws.

We want to give them our money, but they don't want it because with iStuff the profit margin is much better.

Right now Apple is a Consumer Computer and Telephone selling company.

They simply don't want us poweruser any more. The dau is a better cow 😉

I'm sorry, I am realy pi..ed on Apple. After 16 years loyalty I now have to learn working with Linux if they don't bring something good at the next WWDC.

May 10, 2013 10:09 AM in response to berlindude

Not sure if it is available in Germany, but for FC there is always the Promise SANLink

http://www.promise.com/storage/raid_series.aspx?region=en-global&m=192&rsn1=40&r sn3=49

And for other cards there is the Sonnet Echo box

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpresschassis.html

I have used the promise SANLink, and it works well, but it is too bad it is not 8Gb though.

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

May 30, 2013 4:44 AM in response to cygnusx

Hi cygnusx,

did you got some new information on this? Maybe from your Apple support adviser or someone/-where else?

@flyingcactus:

I know these boxes, but what's next? You have to buy an "MacRack" to get these so called Servers into your rack. You need two of them to have a redundand power supply. Because you now have two machines, you also need two SANLinks or Echo boxes to get your Storage attached and where do you put them into your rack. You can tape them under the MacRack 😉

Or you buy the new Sonnet Echo Express III (don't think this will be inexpensive)

In the end you've got a 3U-two-separate-system-server where the XServe did the same job with 1U.

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

May 30, 2013 5:35 AM in response to berlindude

Only just finished testing in the last few days but I believe I have solved our AFP file corruption problem. After extensive testing and a number of reinstalls, the problem was being caused by Objective Development's Little Snitch application. This was installed on the Mac mini server and client Mac's, once uninstalled from all computers I have been unable to replicate the file corruption. We installed Little Snitch to protect the computers, but it seems to have been interfering with AFP share copies. Not sure if this helps you?

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

May 30, 2013 6:04 AM in response to cygnusx

Finaly a new idea. This sounds plausible and it's possible that in all my testings always was min. one computer with Little Snitch on it. I've tried deactivating it, but I didn't try uninstalling it.

THANK YOU!

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

May 30, 2013 6:49 AM in response to berlindude

Yes deactivating Little Snitch does not work, it needs to be uninstalled using the Little Snitch uninstall application and then the Mac restarted. The problem needs to be reported to Objective Development when I get around to it, but I can't trust their software on our network now.

berlindude, let me know if this fixes your issue and I will report it to Objective Development

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

May 30, 2013 9:06 AM in response to cygnusx

I'll test it asap and write here my results.

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

May 31, 2013 7:23 AM in response to cygnusx

You've got it!

I've copied 5x a package of 4GB Photoshop Files from share A to B (both on an SSD for max. speed) complete without Little Snitch – 5x no MD5 differences!

After that I've installed Little Snitch on only one machine, deactivated it, copied the files again and got the first MD5 errors.

So I would say you're absolutely right. Please report this to them and I'm gona do the same – just in german.

Thank you very much!

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

May 31, 2013 10:11 AM in response to berlindude

Glad it resolved your problems as well, can't trust Little Snitch now even if they fix the problem which is a shame. I did not quite make it to a million Thank you's

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 6, 2013 5:28 AM in response to cygnusx

cygnusx wrote:

can't trust Little Snitch now even if they fix the problem which is a shame

Me neither.

Did you wrote them too?

I already got an answer and they don't believe me. They say, that they are not able to reproduce the Problem.

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

Jun 6, 2013 7:40 AM in response to berlindude

Not had time, if they have Little Snitch running on both Mac's (the server and client) they can't miss the problem as it increases the file corruption. They can't be testing properly, as removing the application solved both our file corruption issues.

Trey

Level 5

4,225 points

Aug 8, 2013 5:52 AM in response to berlindude

I just wanted to comment to say that I'm having what seems to be the same problem at a particular client's site. I'm pretty sure no one there has Little Snitch though, but I'll check to be sure.

Can you guys verify that you haven't seen this behavior since getting rid of Little Snitch?

cygnusx

Level 1

5 points

Aug 8, 2013 6:42 AM in response to Trey

I have not seen the problem since removing Little Snitch off our networked Mac's. I'm now very careful with installing any application that monitors network traffic.

berlindude Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 8, 2013 7:56 AM in response to Trey

Me neither. Maybe your client had Little Snitch installed and didn't remove it through the uninstaller but manually or through some other 3rd party software like AppZapper?

I also tried reproducing it with two clean installed OS. Now I know that it happens when you install a Mac OS Update after you've installed Little Snitch.

It could also be a problem of interaction between Virtual Box/Parallels, Little Snitch and the OS Update.

I didn't had any and don't want to invest my time in this any more. I've reported all of it detailed to Obdev and they say they can't reproduce it. I think they didn't understood how to reproduce it or they didn't want to understand it given that cynusx and I are able to reproduce it.

However, like the Apple Pro hardware there goes the best (and only?) application based Firewall for outgoing connections. 😟

AFP File corruption when copying from Share A to B