Caution when using HE 2.7.2 to backup 2.8 project

[jfh]

Control 4 support has said "it should be OK" to back up a 2.8 project using HE 2.7.2 to get around the driver broker error, as long as you don't do anything else in 2.7.2.

I am beginning to believe this is not true.   I have been seeing some strange behavior (corruption?) that I notice only after I make a local backup with 2.7.2 and it seems to relate to the last code items changed immediately before the backup.  

The most recent example is where I had added some code to use the Chowmain Event Logger driver to write a variable to the log.  Worked fine when I tested it immediately before making a backup.  After the backup (with an unexpected controller reboot afterwards), whenever any of the new code was called the name of the variable was written to the log rather than the contents of the variable.  In each case, deleting the line that writes to the log and dragging a new copy fixed the problem.

 

this may also explain funkiness with certain macros no longer working (and getting "fixed" by recreating the code), but I can't say for sure these problems happened immediately after a 2.7.2 backup.

 

I am no longer going to use HE 2.7.2 to backup a 2.8 project - just going to rly on the new Backup agent until C4 fixes HE.

[AnOutsider]

I've seen some weirness as well, and have just gone back in to fix it again. Serves me right for not staying on 2.5.3

[alanchow]

Broker handles the communication between composer and director.  Composer still supports the older C4SOAP method however I suspect there are new functionality in broker not in the older communications protocol.

im surprised support told you it was ok.  Everyone at Control4 have always said to me that you should always use the same version of composer for that version of director.  That's why I have about 10 different versions installed to support all the different director versions I have to work with.

[alanchow]

Double post

[jfh]

Yup, my dealer opened up a ticket on code suddenly not working on 2.8 a couple weeks back.  I specifically asked if a local backup of 2.8 could be safely made with HE 2.7.2 and C4 support told him yes and that the broker driver problem would be fixed in the next release of HE.

 

On a related note, are there any tools to detect corruption or verify that a project is uncorrupted?

 

 

[msgreenf]

4 hours ago, jfh said:

Yup, my dealer opened up a ticket on code suddenly not working on 2.8 a couple weeks back.  I specifically asked if a local backup of 2.8 could be safely made with HE 2.7.2 and C4 support told him yes and that the broker driver problem would be fixed in the next release of HE.

 

On a related note, are there any tools to detect corruption or verify that a project is uncorrupted?

 

 

Yes. Pro will automatically check for corruption 

[alanchow]

1 hour ago, msgreenf said:

Yes. Pro will automatically check for corruption 

Pro only checks for proxy misalignments.  Fixes  it if it finds any but cannot find major project issues.

Do not mix and match composer versions.  Simple 

[jfh]

So, if corruption is suspected - what is required to restore to a clean project?  Would appreciate a high level overview.

I figure some sort of factory reset on the controller and restore from backup, but don't know the specifics.   And would my backups made by the 2.8 backup agent be safe to restore from?  Or would the corruption likely be "stored" in the backup?  

Not Looking forward to a worst case scenario of fresh install of everything and recreate all the code.

 

As for not mixing releases, I had always followed that warning.  But if support says it's OK to do to bypass a bug C4 introduced in 2.8, you have to take them at their word.  And marvel at the laziness of the developers not doing a version compatibility check and warning (or forced exit) on initalization if different levels of Composer and OS levels can cause issues.  

("Danger Will Robinson! Danger! My sensors have detected a mismatch between Composer and Control4.)