Ghost Replica - Easy to reproduce Notes Bug

HCL Domino Domino Forum
1

– Required setup –

  • Your Mail File must be located in a subfolder on your Domino Server ("/mail/, for instance);

  • You must create a Local Replica of your Mail File in the ROOT of your Notes\Data directory (Even if Notes will suggest putting it in the “/mail” directory);

  • You must configure your location document so that it points to your Local Replica (4th Tab (Mail), Server : Local, FileName : YourMailFile.nsf)

Now, follow these steps closely :

  • Close all Notes Windows;

  • Open your Local Replica;

  • Open your Server Replica;

  • Close your Server Replica;

  • Ask a friend to send you a note;

  • Wait for the scheduled replication to occur.

There you go! Now, Right-Click on your Mail File Bookmark and select Open Replica. You should now have THREE Replicas shown.

  • One is your Local Copy;

  • One is your “Real” Server Copy;

  • One is a Ghostly Server Copy, supposedly located at the root of the Domino Server.

Needless to say, having a Ghostly Replica like that can lead to all sorts of problems, ranging from selecting the wrong Copy when trying to open your Server Replica to having your Local Copy stubbornly trying to replicate with the Ghostly Server Copy.

If anyone can consistently reproduce this bug as written, please reply to this post to help strenghten my thoughts.

Thanks

Marco Poutre

2

Subject: Don’t take me wrong, but… what seems to be the problem?

You have two pointers to the same database. Whatever is your selection, you are reading from and writing to the same local database, Am I wrong?

I suggest to have a [folder].dir file under your data directory, so you may have your databases anywhere you want, but still using the same directory structure to Notes (notes\data.…)

cs.

3

Subject: One pointer doesn’t work at all!

The 2nd Server Pointer yields a “File does not exist” because there is no copy of my Mail at the Root of the Domino Server.

Notes seem to assume that, since my Mail is in the Root of my Client Notes\Data directory, there ought to be a copy of my Mail at the Root of the Domino Server as well.

Have you followed the steps to reproduce this bug? Definitely weird - Undoubtedly a bug.

Marco Poutre

4

Subject: Ok… I will

I have this user’s mail database which is called mail\lpachecho.nsf on the server and a local replica mail\jlp.nsf

It works ok. But definitely is not the same case 'cause you are using it outside the data directory.

I will follow the steps you said.

cs

5

Subject: Ghost Replica - Easy to reproduce Notes Bug

oops, now I have the same problem on my WS:did you find a way to delete ghosted replica from list?