"Segmentation Fault" when using Database Backup Manager

Hi all!

Using the Database Backup Manager has always been a breeze but it now has ceased working. I don't know if the trouble is within ZenCart or something out there in SQL/database land.

I get the following errors:

Result code: 139
Warning 0 => Segmentation fault
Error Failure: The database has NOT been saved.

This is my client's site, not my own so I see he has apparently attempted a backup many times over the last 2 days, however the file size of each is very small (50 bytes) so it seems it was not a proper backup. Don't know if that might be a clue to anything.

I don't really know where to begin trying to troubleshoot this so I throw myself upon the mercy of the Forum!

Thanks,
adam

It worked before? First ask the host what has changed.

Well, I checked with the ISP and they said this is actually a very general error message and not particularly helpful... more to the point, they were able to back up the database using conventional methods with no problems. Thus it appears that the trouble is with something in ZenCart. (Though why it formerly worked and now doesn't, I can't imagine.)

I hope this can be fixed, as the PHPmyadmin method of backing up is a lot less user-friendly...

1. If it worked "before", then your host has changed something.

2. The "Backup MySQL" plugin uses the command-line mysql tools on your webserver. If your host has recently changed security permissions or changed mysql versions, or otherwise affected the ability for a PHP script on your server to run the exec() command in order to trigger the mysqldump binary, then that will be the cause of the problem.

3. Your fallback option is phpmyadmin, unless your host is willing to give you shell access to run the mysqldump binary manually yourself. However, most won't give shell access because most folks don't know how to use the command-line telnet interface and allowing shell access also makes the server more vulnerable to hackers.

You'll have to sort out the issue with your host.

A segmentation fault error indicates that something running on the server ran into a memory problem or encountered corrupt executable files or found a bug in the operating system or croaked due to incompatibilities between software versions of things being run simultaneously. This typically is a result of the server administrator making software changes, but can also be a result of someone installing rogue software on the server and causing other corruption problems.

One thing you could do to rule out your site as being the cause ... is to install another Zen Cart store into another subfolder+database, add the backup plugin, and run it. If it also generates the same error, then it's likely a server problem.
If it doesn't, then something's gone awry in the files you've uploaded in your main Zen Cart store. In which case, you'll need to find out what's busted by checking each and every file. One way to do that is documented here: http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Diagnosing_Obscure_Issues.

I still suspect it's a server-side issue.

Thanks DrByte, I will run those suggestions past my ISP, and (or maybe first) I will try another ZC install and see if it lets me back up. Then check the ZC files if necessary... If I'm still stumped at the end of all that, I'll report here!

Well, I've been going back and forth with the ISP on this one... they did make some progress. It now gives a new error message but also says the database has been saved. Here's the error:

0 => mysqldump: Error: Couldn't dump tablespaces SELECT command denied to user 'rvallee'@'souari.forest.net' for table 'files'

Success: The database has been saved.

And this is the message Tech Support sent me:

I've updated the mysql client libraries and we no longer get a core dump:

[here they quote the messages above]

Is there any particular reason this specific table would have stricter permissions? It does seem to have dumped about as much data as could be expected, but I'm not sure if this particular table has always given you an error or not.

Since my database knowledge is totally basic, I have no idea how to even answer this question. Any suggestions or ideas about what this means? Is my entire DB actually being backed up now?

cosmocanuck:

Error: Couldn't dump tablespaces SELECT command denied to user 'rvallee'@'souari.forest.net' for table 'files'
Zen Cart doesn't use a table named 'files' unless you've added extra tables.
Since the backup plugin is attempting to backup all tables in the selected database, perhaps it's just warning you about a system table that somehow made its way into your Zen Cart database. If that table doesn't get included in your backup, it shouldn't affect your Zen Cart content. It may be related to something else, but should be fine in terms of your store.

Your host should be able to explain both that error message and the purpose of the 'files' table.

Verrrrry in-teresting! 8^)

I'll pass that info along to my ISP tech support.

Glad to hear the backup is likely a-OK!

Curioser and curiouser. From my ISP:

"What's curious is that there actually isn't a table named "files" in your database -- so I'm not at all sure why the backup function is trying to back it up. There's a "files_uploaded" database, which contains the following keys:

files_uploaded_id
sesskey
customers_id
files_uploaded_name

...but it doesn't appear to contain any data."

So why would ZC be trying to backup a table named "files"? Or is that even what's happening?

At least the backups seem to be working now, despite the disturbing error message. But I'd sure like to figure out where it's coming from...

What exactly did your host change on their server BEFORE this all started happening?
I still wouldn't be very comfortable if I were you.

Let's find out what the backup tool is trying to "do".
Open the backup page
click the backup button
before you click Backup Now in the right-hand sidebox, note the bold text there ... it's a list of command-line parameters.
Copy and paste it here.
But be sure to replace ONLY your database-password with *****.

The database name listed in the parameters is the one it's attempting to do a backup on. Is that the same database that your host says there's no "files" table in? It shouldn't be trying to backup a "files" table if there isn't one ...