Firebird 4: Database page errors directly after gbak, which dissappear after some calls of gfix

[KlausMu]

When I restore a backup with Firebird 4.0.1.2692 (gbak) and immediatly after I run gfix, I get
Number of database page errors : 6
When I rerun gfix after 1 or 2 seconds, I get
Number of database page warnings : 6
After another rerun, all errors and warnings are gone.
Seems firebird is healing the errors ...
Is this normal? I don't have this behaviour with 3.0.8.33535.

[hvlad]

Could you show messages that appears at firebird.log while gfix runs ?

[KlausMu]

Ok, it is a little bit different, but still weird.

• I do a restore with gbak.exe from a backup created in FB 2.5, and the resulting DB seems to have errors, but only in FB4, not in FB3
• running gfix -v -fu (errors are repaired) leads to 6 errors, second run to 6 warnings, third run is fine
• running gfix -v -fu -n (which should not repair to my understanding) immediately repairs all 6 errors, second run shows no errors

So I changed the title to "Firebird 4: Database page errors directly after gbak, which dissappear after some calls of gfix"

Here are the details:

---

restore: .\gbak.exe -rep -c -v -user sysdba -password secret d:\Firebird2.5.fbk d:\new.fdb
I do a restore from a Firebird 2.5 backup.

---

first run: .\gfix.exe -v -fu -user sysdba -password secret :d:\new.fdb

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation started

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1843 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1844 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1845 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1846 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1847 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1856 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:47:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation finished: 6 errors, 0 warnings, 6 fixed

---

second run: .\gfix.exe -v -fu -user sysdba -password secret :d:\new.fdb

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation started

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1843 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1844 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1845 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1846 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1847 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Warning: Page 1856 is an orphan

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:48:41 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation finished: 0 errors, 6 warnings, 6 fixed

---

third run: .\gfix.exe -v -fu -user sysdba -password secret :d:\new.fdb

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:01 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation started

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:01 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation finished: 0 errors, 0 warnings, 0 fixed

---

first run with .\gfix.exe -v -fu -n -user sysdba -password secret :d:\new.fdb

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation started

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1843 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1844 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1845 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1846 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1847 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Error: Page 1856 is used but marked free

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:49:44 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation finished: 6 errors, 0 warnings, 0 fixed

---

second run with .\gfix.exe -v -fu -n -user sysdba -password secret :d:\new.fdb

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:50:30 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation started

WORKSTATION Wed Feb 16 19:50:30 2022
Database: D:\NEW.FDB
Validation finished: 0 errors, 0 warnings, 0 fixed

[hvlad]

Please check next snapshot build

[KlausMu]

Ok, so the bug was in gfix, not in gbak? "gbak -c" with 2692 and afterwards "gfix" with 2728-snapshot shows no errors. Thanks for fixing it.

[hvlad]

Yes, the problem was within validation code. It reported false errors due to garbage collection in system tables at not appropriate moment.

[pavel-zotov]

@@@ QA issue @@@
Could not reproduce on b/r of starndard employee database from FB 2.5