ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Andrew Farrar -
Number of replies: 5

Hello, 

This isn't necessarily a moodle question, more of a linux question.  Yesterday I installed new SSL certificate files on our moodle server.  we were running moodle 3.4 running on ubuntu 16.04.  When I went to reboot the server, it came back up as running ubuntu 14.04, which it had been previously before we upgraded about 7 months ago.  Basically it looks like it reverted back to a version of the server from 2 years ago, as all of my app files, database files, etc. appear to be missing.  I'm somewhat dumbfounded as to how this happened.  I will have to restore this from old backups, as I stupidly did not make a current backup before rebooting the machine. 

My question is, has anyone else encountered this phenomenon on a linux server before? I'm not even sure where to begin to look to try and make sure that this doesn't happen again.

Thanks! 

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Andrew Farrar

Re: ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
This must be a virtualized server. The virtualization somehow got instructions to revert back to an old back-up. There is a tiny chance that this is a shared server. But then all it customers must have got backdated!

No, never seen or even heard of this kind of a thing under Ubuntu. Linux generally don't have the (much loved) time machine like Apple Mac.
wink


Average of ratings: -
In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Andrew Farrar -

Thanks Visvanath, yes i forgot to mention it is virtualized.  its running on VMWARE, so thats what I'm suspecting the issue was. unfortunately, we've never gotten the automatic backups to work on linux, so I'm limited to manual snapshot backups.  I just wasn't sure if it may be an OS thing, where the OS itself pulls a backup if it can't boot.  

I'll just have to chalk this one up as lessons learned, and to always make a current backup on this thing in the future.  

Thanks

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Andrew Farrar

Re: ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
VMware? OK, then it is not Ubuntu which reverted back, by some mistake VMware went back to an old snapshot.

You can always ask VMware to jump to a different snapshot. If you made one after your big round of upgrading, you are back in business.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Andrew Farrar

Re: ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Ditto to what Visvanath has already said.    Things like that do not happen by themselves!

Do have a question, however .. how did you upgrade from 14.04 to 16.04.  Ubuntu does have the ability to upgrade entire series via package manager (apt-get etc.).   Many that have tried that 'in place' OS upgrade have stated it didn't work or they had major problems thereafter.

If a reason cannot be found as to why/how that ocurred, think I'd reboot it several times to see what happens.

And ... it might be best NOT to restore to the server having issues ... but a fresh/new install of 16.04 ... then restore moodle backups.

Right after ... reboot.

Strange!

'spirit of sharing', Ken


Average of ratings: -
In reply to Ken Task

Re: ubuntu reverted to old version on reboot

by Andrew Farrar -

For the 14.04 to 16.04 move i just did it right in place on the server.... with copious amounts of backups.  I just ran the "release-upgrade" i believe.  After I did the OS upgrade, i ran the moodle upgrade from 3.0 to 3.4, updating the environment along the way (php, mysql, etc.).  That process went smoothly, and i didn't have any major issues except incompatible plugins.  Until now, that is.  but this certainly seems to be virtualization related.  

Thanks for the tips Ken, thats a good idea about a fresh server.


Thanks,

Andrew

Average of ratings: -