Data loss due to unreliable sync and lots of missing version change history

[BloodyIron]

I have now lost multiple notes due to sync between either a desktop or android tablet not quite working right, and the version history being barely any entries. I just wrote like 10 questions for a job interview I'm about to do that should have been sync'd back to the server multiple times, but by the time I got back to my desktop, I lost half of these questions because the desktop version got synced overtop of the tablet work, and NONE of the "version history" versions for the file itself (when going into the Files function) has ANY of the data lost.

And this ISN'T the first time this has happened!

A sync ecosystem like this cannot have this much data loss, and frankly if it keeps up being this egregiously unreliable, I'm going to just stop using Notes through nextCloud completely.

Data loss for things like this cannot be acceptable, especially overwritting back onto the tablet like I've described. I could understand losing maybe a few characters or something, but ugh.

Anyways, this is clearly a bug composing of multiple aspects, including the incomplete Version Control aspect.

[stefan-niedermann]

Well, first of all: Pity, that should of course not happen (and given there is a user base of approximately 20.000 users this does not happen on a regular base).

Second: Data loss is always bad, no matter whether it was caused by defect hardware, a bug in the OS, web server, NC, an App, a sync client or an ecological catastrophe. Not having a relialke backup strategy is bad, too. Let me note that this is part of your responsibility (to be exact, the administrators, assuming this is you).

However I agree that such a behavior is clearly a bug and one that should get fixed. So how did you imagine that this issue can be reproduced when you ignored the issue template, did not provide any information about your environment, used version, configurations (e. g. used editor) and so on? Why did you not copy the synchronization error message and post it here? I think there's a big fat Copy button next to it. If you want help and enhance the situation, you need to be more verbose, at its current state this issue is not more than a rant. Legit, but won't change anything.

[BloodyIron]

As for reproducing the issue, I was actually later on (a few hours?) able to get the Android device to "recover" the version that got over-written. But I do not know why it was so much later that the Android version of Notes detected this. The Ansdroid device at the time (and generally almost all the time) is on the same LAN as the nextCloud system, my WIFI is extremely reliable (UAP-AC-PRO), so connectivity was good. It didn't really make sense, but there were some connectivity issues that seemed to be within the app itself (as I was refreshing the app as I was adding to the list of questions).

So from my UX perspective, I would have expected (so to say) nextCloud to have had more versions in the recent history for me to restore from (with the Files app, outside of Notes). Considering I had "told" the Notes app to sync contents in the realm of 8 times over the span of writing the contents.

So as to how to reproduce it, that's a tricky one, as the app seemed to maybe be acting in a way that was unexpected (the connectivity issues) as I really did not have those issues previously. And considering that the app effectively told me sync was successful each time (spinning circle finish spinning and dismisses without error) my "expectation" was the content was on the nextCloud server (when it wasn't). Which makes reproduction hard as nails IMO.

As for my Enivronment:

• nextCloud: v27.1.5 running on LAMP stack in a VM
• Notes App (server-side): v4.9.2
• Editor, I think I was using the rich text editor on Android, but I am not 100% sure this moment (human memory is immutable, right?)

I did not have the sync errors until I went to my desktop to reach the content there. Before then I had seen multiple instances the syncs were working. I posted as soon as the expected results did not match expectation (when the dataloss was observed first).

I understand it was mostly written as a rant, I hear that, and it kinda was. I'll gladly share more info, environmental or otherwise, but right now not sure which more info to add that is helpful. So yeah I'm game for helping you/others help me, no worries there. :)

I do appreciate your response and help on this though, thanks! :D

[joshtrichards]

To clarify, by "desktop" are you referring to accessing Notes via the Nextcloud Server Web UI? Or are you referring to something having to do with the Nextcloud Desktop sync client?

[BloodyIron]

To clarify, by "desktop" are you referring to accessing Notes via the Nextcloud Server Web UI? Or are you referring to something having to do with the Nextcloud Desktop sync client?

No, Desktop means both webGUI and the desktop sync client. As in, another computer separate from the device the content was syncing FROM, not specifically only one way of accessing nextCloud on another device.

The issue was present when the content was read on any other device in multiple different ways of accessing nextCloud's content.

[jayjay73]

I can confirm a data loss / sync issue. I just installed notes together with the IOS app and within minutes of creating a test note and using the IOS app and the web app interchangeably I was seeing lots of version mismatches.

After half an hour I gave up and de-installed everything notes related. I'd like to help you out, guys, but if this basic level of functionality is not working, I'm out. The "user base of approximately 20.000 users" that don't experience this are no help here.

All the best.