Debugging Content Deployment issues

(Last updated June 17th with the Object Reference Not Set to an Instance)

 

SharePoint's Content Deployment feature is a very complex functionality that, unfortunately, does not work all the time.  I've had scenarios where it ran very smoothly and I've had other scenarios (albeit similar in terms of architecture and design) that simply seems to have a different issue everyday.

 

What I'll attempt here is to include a few ways of debugging Content Deployment as well as links to fixes (or at least, known issues).

 

Is the error reproducible?

First of all, is the error reproducible.  If it's not, then it'll make it harder to determine the issue but I've had cases where we could still work it out.  If it is reproducible, I'd suggest 2 things:

• Use STSADM -o export [...] and STSADM -o import [...]    These commands are essentially a Full Content Deployment but it's also a little bit more verbose and you may be able to get the exact error and item.
• Open the exported CAB file and look at the item that's failing.  For example, if you successfully 6872 objects, look at the 6873e object in the CAB file.  (note that this also works if the error is not reproducible)

 

Look at the ULS logs

The Unified Logging System (ULS) logs may contain more information regarding your issue.  Look at the logs at the same "time" and see if you have more information depending on the type of error and how verbose you are logging.

 

Look at the Windows Event Log

For some reason, since we have SharePoint logs, we tend to go less often in the Windows Event Logs.  It's actually surprising how much more relevant the information can be there and it's also easier to search on an event ID than a string, especially if you have a localized error message.

 

Unfortunately, a default installation of SharePoint may also bring a lot of errors in the event log (that could be .NET errors, DCOM errors, etc.) so I would suggest taking a look at it before going to production and apply any other fixes that would help.

 

Run SPSReport, especially if you plan on opening a support call

You can download it here : https://www.codeplex.com/spsreport.

 

Try between Incremental & Full Content Deployments

Okay, that's not a funny one but I've had cases where I had a reproducible error during incremental and we couldn't figure out why.  We ran a Full Content Deployment and the error disappeared for a couple weeks.  I had the opposite cases too though :)

 

While this may seem trivial, I often forget to look at the CAB file myself so I guess it's possible that not everyone knows about it; same with the Event Log.  Hopefully, they will give you enough information to find out which item is breaking your deployment or if a fix is available.

 

Read the exported Manifest.xml file

The manifest file contains all deployed objects and may help determining which of them broke.  However, you need it to break during Import because the manifest file is only completed at the end of the Export phase.  Plus, the Incremental jobs almost always delete the file when the content deployment fails (and succeeds).  You can read about it here.

 

 

List of issues I've worked with (with or without fixes, I will update with comments & new issues/fixes)

 

The given key was not present in the dictionary. at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowKeyNotFoundException() at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.get_Item

Solution: The Post-SP1 rollup fixes (WSS, MOSS) are fixing this.

 

Save Conflict Your changes conflict with those made concurrently by another user

Solution: None yet, often case, a following Content Deployment may work.  I have to check at the CAB file for this one but I didn't get the chance

 

The specified file is already used

Solution: Delete the file and create it under another name; or delete it, deploy, and recreate it.  Also, the new post-SP1 WSS roll-up may fix this as it seems to fix it for lists (hopefully list items as well) : KB941422.

I also documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2007/11/20/incremental-content-deployment-completes-successfully-with-errors-mentioning-that-the-name-is-already-is-used.aspx.

 

Transaction logs are growing fast, especially when using Full Content Deployment

Solution: While this seems to be by design, you can limit the transaction log file by using a SQL "Simple" recovery mode.  However, it also means that you can only recover your database with a backup (not with a backup + log backup).  Also, Database Mirroring requires a Full recovery mode.

 

Object reference not set to an instance during export

Solution: The .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 fixes an instance of that issue (related to memory issues).  However, there's another case when you have a Quick Deploy job running while you flag a page to be quick deployed.  You can read it here.

I noticed "Unhandled Exception: System.AccessViolationException: Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt." messages in the ULS logs and Event Logs. See KB923028.

 

Full Content Deployment may be slower after installing SP1

Solution: None yet, not a "known issue"

I documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2008/02/13/make-sure-you-test-your-content-deployment-after-installing-sp1.aspx.  I basically ran some performance tests (after noticing a performance degradation) after installing SP1 and got some concerns.  Update: Note that in some cases, Anti-Virus software may be the cause to this as well (pre and post SP1).

 

HTTP (400) Bad request, Invalid Hostname or "the file type is blocked" ... error message

Solution: Configure your SharePoint Alternate Access Mappings (AAM) for your site so that the default zone for the Central Administration isn't load balanced; or configure IIS so that it responds when the server name and port number are used instead of the load balanced URL.

I documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2008/01/28/central-administration-and-alternate-access-mapping-aam-issues-with-content-deployment-and-sp1.aspx.

 

The URL "Style Library/en-us" is invalid

Solution: Delete your site collection at the destination, create a Publishing Site at the destination, delete it, and now create a Blank Site.

I documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2007/10/10/content-deployment-the-url-style-library-en-us-is-invalid.aspx.  Update: In fact, doing this also creates the correct Timer Jobs for other operations such as Variations to work so it's a requirement.

 

The TCP connection was forcibly closed

Solution: Run the "Netsh int ip set chimney ENABLED" command; KB912222

I documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2007/11/17/slow-content-deployment-transportation-tcp-connection-was-forcibly-closed.aspx.

 

Links are updated at the destination and are still pointing on your authoring farm

Solution: None officially nor planned so far.  I ended up creating a simple "StringReplacement" HttpModule for a customer.

I documented this one here : https://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2007/11/20/content-deployment-does-not-fix-links-at-import-when-the-source-has-been-deployed-with-features.aspx.

 

You cannot perform this action on a checked out document

Solution: Someone probably checked out a document at the destination.  Unfortunately, the logs do not tell you which document is checked out.  I ended up creating an STSADM extension that would list all checked out documents by anyone.  If anyone knows a CAML query to do this, it would also be an easy way to do it in the Content Structure Reports.

 

Master pages are not honoured

Solution: Install SP1 or create an STSADM extension to update it.  However, note that incremental content deployment will not "erase" your update so you can update it manually at the destination after the initial content deployment.

 

Violation of Primary Key

Solution: Install SP1.

 

Special characters are not deployed correctly

Solution: Install SP1.

 

Update : Error 4958: The stream does not support concurrent IO read or write operations

Solution: Set the FileMaxSize property to 2MB in the Content Deployment Configuration.  Thanks to Jian Gao for this one.

 

Update : Violation of Primary Key on #ExportObjects

Solution: This one occurs sometimes when you modified some files in the Style Library and an exception is thrown early in the Export stage.  If you have this, go in the Style Library of your source web site, click on List settings and then Versioning settings and update the versioning so that it only accepts Major versions (NOT major & minor).  Execute the Content Deployment and it execute fine after.

 

 

Maxime

Comments

• Anonymous
  February 18, 2008
  PingBack from http://www.biosensorab.org/2008/02/18/debugging-content-deployment-issues/

• Anonymous
  May 07, 2008
  There is more info on Content Deployment issues in earlier blog entries here. But the best information

• Anonymous
  May 16, 2008
  I ran into some more Content Deployment issues lately and I was going through the manifest (see http://blogs.msdn.com/maximeb/archive/2008/02/19/debugging-content-deployment-issues.aspx

• Anonymous
  June 17, 2008
  Regarding "Error 4958: The stream does not support concurrent IO read or write operations.": I receive this error when I run content deployments, either from the stasadm command or the GUI. I would like to try to update the FileMaxSize property. Do you know how or where I can try to update this value? Is it a registry parameter? Thank you in advance. --Sandy

• Anonymous
  June 18, 2008
  You can only update through the API.  The class Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing.Administration.ContentDeploymentConfiguration contains a property called FileMaxSize. You can read about the property here : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.publishing.administration.contentdeploymentconfiguration.filemaxsize.aspx. Maxime

• Anonymous
  August 23, 2008
  Incremental deployment often fails with following error. "The object has been updated by another user since it was last fetched.... and the only way to fix the issue is to recreate destination site collection and do full content deployment. -> We have installed MOSS SP1 , Content Deployment Post SP1 as well as MOSS Infrastructure updates. Any help is greatly appreciated

• Anonymous
  August 25, 2008
  The "The object has been updated by another user since it was last fetched" error has been accepted as a bug and should be included in the next cumulative update. If I remember correctly, I was able to workaround that issue by doing a Full Content Deployment once and then going back to incremental (the issue didn't come back so far). Maxime

• Anonymous
  March 29, 2011
  Did you find any solution for the issue "Save Conflict Your changes conflict with those made concurrently by another user" ?

• Anonymous
  March 29, 2011
  I'm afraid I haven't worked much with Content Deployment since 2008, I simply did not have a business requirement for it since then.  So, unfortunately, I cannot have an answer to this error with neither 2007 or 2010 as there has been substantial changes in this functionality.