Contacts and Calendars on OS X Server

Question

Level 1

6 points

Contacts and Calendars on OS X Server

I updated OS X Server and found today that I had lost all of my Contacts and Calendar information. As the Server was used to sync this data between my desktop, iPad and iPhone I was somewhat shocked. Thankfully I managed to manually restore my Contact information but not the Calendar information for the past year. Does anyone know where this information is stored and how to restore it from a TimeMachine backup?

Since starting this I also note that all of my reminder information has disappeared. I'm hoping that this could be recovered to save me a lot of time and effort manually rebuilding it all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The OS X Server is on a Mid 2010 Mac Mini Server which has been updated to OS X Yosemite. It had been running well until the update to version 4.0.3.

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 2:51 PM

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Answer 1

Japib

Level 4

2,843 points

Jan 11, 2015 3:02 PM in response to PennardMac

hi.

Make sure the Calendar app is closed;
first unhide user library:
- From the OS X Finder, open a new window and go to the users Home folder (hit Command+Shift+H to jump to Home instantly)
- Pull down the “View” menu and select “Show View Options” (or hit Command+J if you like keyboard shortcuts)
- Check the box for “Show Library Folder” then close the View Options panel
go in this folder: users --> <yourusername> --> Library.
Delete the calendar folder
enter time machine.
recover the Calendar folder from before you updated OS X Server.
(optional) hide user library. (same steps)

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Answer 2

PennardMac Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 13, 2015 7:26 AM in response to Japib

Thank you for your reply Japib.

Unfortunately the location you give whilst being true for the Calendar files used by the Calendar.App doesn't appear to be where the Server stores its data.

It seems that Server.App stores its data for Calendar, Contacts, etc. elsewhere. I have yet to find where this data is stored.

Thanks again

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Answer 3

Jan 16, 2015 1:01 AM in response to PennardMac

It's in a Postgres database in

/Library/Server/Calendar\ and\ Contacts/Data/

I haven't (yet) had to attempt a restore. I'd be interested to hear how you get on. Good luck.

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Answer 4

jepping

Level 3

785 points

Jan 16, 2015 7:30 AM in response to putneysam

If there is a local copy still available somewhere, export that and recreate the calendar and import it.

That would be a great fast way to get your calendars back.

Otherwise shut down the calendar server, go to a local machine, restore the local timemachine data as advised before in this thread and restore local calendar data, start the calendar.app and export all calendars.

Then delete those calendars, start calendar server, recreate calendars and import your old data.

Goodluck

Jeffrey

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Answer 5

PennardMac Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 16, 2015 9:52 AM in response to putneysam

Thank you for the assistance. Unfortunately when I looked in that location on my server in was empty. I then had a look in the Time Machine backups - similar it was empty. It is remarkable as I know that the data must exist somewhere as a) I was using it up until the upgrade and b) I've recreated the contact data.

Unfortunately I think that in future much as I have made great use of the Server Calendar and Contacts in the past I might looks for an alternate location for the future.

I sued it in the past as it was being backed up - as usual I ought to have checked before hand that the backup was available for restoration before relying on it.

Thanks again,

Colin

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Answer 6

PennardMac Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 16, 2015 9:57 AM in response to jepping

Thank you for replying. Unfortunately I've looked at don't have a copy of the data - believe me I have looked everywhere. I have managed to re-create much of the Contacts and Reminders but the past Calendar data is long gone. I'll just have to rely on my diary to ascertain what had happened when.

As I said in my reply to PutneySam I think that I'll have to find an alternative solution for the future.

Thanks again,

Colin

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Answer 7

jepping

Level 3

785 points

Jan 16, 2015 10:00 AM in response to PennardMac

You're welcome, but it this very strange that no timemachine copy has a previous calendar folder or data available.

There are no other local clients with timemachine enabled that had that calendar data on the local account? You could that back-up.

As with all upgrades/updates, creat a clone, make a backup and verify both, then upgrade and thoroughly test everything.

I have had my share of migration/installation issues in the past, but a reliable clone and backup go a long, long way.

You never know if you're calendardata has some form of corruption in an attachment for instance, so the server might get stuck and exit on that during migration. Just be prepared and Yosemite Server will be a great affordable addition to your network.

Goodluck

Jeffrey

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