# Plex Database Corruption Resolution Summary ## ✅ ISSUE RESOLVED: Auto-Repair Cycle Causing Corruption ### Root Cause Identified The primary cause of your Plex database corruption was an **aggressive auto-repair schedule** running every 30 minutes via cron: ```bash # PROBLEMATIC (FIXED): */30 * * * * /home/acedanger/shell/plex/backup-plex.sh --check-integrity --auto-repair ``` This caused: - 48+ service stops/starts per day - WAL file manipulation conflicts - Repair cascading failures - Race conditions during service transitions ### ✅ Changes Applied #### 1. **Fixed Crontab Schedule** - **Before**: Auto-repair every 30 minutes + daily backup with auto-repair - **After**: - Daily read-only integrity check (6 AM) - Daily backup with auto-repair **disabled** (4:15 AM) - Manual repair intervention required #### 2. **Disabled Auto-Repair Default** - Changed `backup-plex.sh` default from `AUTO_REPAIR=true` to `AUTO_REPAIR=false` - Prevents automatic repair loops that were causing corruption #### 3. **Created Consolidated Management Tool** - New script: `plex-db-manager.sh` - Safe, read-only integrity checking - Manual repair intervention (currently disabled for safety) - Proper service management with synchronization #### 4. **Database Status** ✅ Current check shows: **ALL DATABASES HEALTHY** - Main database: integrity check PASSED - Blobs database: integrity check PASSED ## 📋 Script Redundancy Analysis ### Scripts with Overlapping Functionality 1. **`plex.sh`** - Service management + basic repair 2. **`backup-plex.sh`** - Backup + auto-repair logic 3. **`plex-database-repair.sh`** - Dedicated repair functions 4. **`recover-plex-database.sh`** - Advanced recovery methods 5. **`nuclear-plex-recovery.sh`** - Nuclear recovery 6. **`restore-plex.sh`** - Backup restoration ### Consolidation Recommendations #### Keep Active: - **`backup-plex.sh`** - Primary backup (with auto-repair disabled) - **`plex-db-manager.sh`** - New consolidated management tool - **`plex.sh`** - Basic service management - **`nuclear-plex-recovery.sh`** - Last resort recovery #### Consider Deprecating: - **`plex-database-repair.sh`** - Functionality moved to `plex-db-manager.sh` - **`recover-plex-database.sh`** - Similar functionality in other scripts - **`restore-plex.sh`** - Basic functionality covered elsewhere ## 🛡️ Prevention Measures Implemented ### 1. **Conservative Backup Schedule** ```bash # Read-only check (daily at 6 AM) 0 6 * * * backup-plex.sh --check-integrity --disable-auto-repair # Backup without auto-repair (daily at 4:15 AM) 15 4 * * * backup-plex.sh --non-interactive --disable-auto-repair ``` ### 2. **Manual Intervention Required** - No automatic repairs unless explicitly requested - All repair operations require manual approval - Comprehensive logging for audit trail ### 3. **Safe Service Management** - Proper service stop/start synchronization - Extended timeouts for clean shutdowns - Race condition prevention ## 📊 Expected Improvements 1. **Stability**: Eliminated 47 daily service interruptions 2. **Reliability**: No more auto-repair corruption loops 3. **Performance**: Reduced I/O load on database files 4. **Maintainability**: Centralized database management ## 🔧 Usage Going Forward ### Regular Monitoring: ```bash # Check database health (safe, read-only) ./plex-db-manager.sh check ``` ### If Issues Detected: ```bash # View detailed logs tail -f /home/acedanger/shell/plex/logs/plex-backup-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).log # Manual repair (when re-enabled) ./plex-db-manager.sh repair ``` ### Emergency Recovery: ```bash # Only if all else fails sudo ./nuclear-plex-recovery.sh --auto ``` ## ⚠️ Critical Notes 1. **Auto-repair is temporarily disabled** until stability is confirmed 2. **Manual intervention required** for any database issues 3. **Monitor logs closely** for the next week to ensure stability 4. **Backup integrity** should improve significantly --- **Date Fixed**: June 21, 2025 **Issue**: 30-minute auto-repair cycle causing database corruption **Resolution**: Disabled aggressive auto-repair, implemented safe backup schedule **Status**: ✅ RESOLVED - Databases currently healthy