How to find missing mxf files..in a 40TB server...

[Brian Merlen]

So one of our editors was moving some files over and isn't sure what happened. We shoot on a 40tb server and then dump to another server for post guys to work on. All the files are offline, relinking and consolidate transcodes aren't working. The servers are damn near full...so its got 40tb of MXFs in it, and no ones got time to look through them all to find 200gb of missing data... unless that becomes our only option and it is cheaper then a reshoot...

So any tips for retracing where it may of mistakenly ended up? I'd really appreciate any pointers folks!

I am waiting to hear back from the editors on what their workflow is for moving the data in an attempt to figure out what might of been the problem...

 

[Todd T]

Which operating system are you running?
What method was used to move/copy the files?
Have you tried searching by date?

 

[John Geronilla]

If you're not on an Interplay system, could you try using the media tool and filter the search by your project where these MXFs were created?

 

[Eric Z]

The best thing you can do is install a program called "Everything". It's for Windows only, totally free, and has both portable and installer versions.
It will index those 40TB very quickly, and you'll be able to find any file on it as quickly as you can type.
It's been an indispensable tool for me, and I recommend it to everyone. Really a must have.

 

[Brian Merlen]

apparently we move the mxfs from one server to another at the Windows 7 my computer level. Everyday I capture tethered to an Avid from a Scarlet in DNxHD175x. I rename my 1 folder to the date.

So the editor doesn't know if she copied my MXFs or cut the MXFs but when she pasted its not the right MXFs and all of that day is now offline. I am hoping for her sake it can be found somewhere in the server. Supposedly the server can "roll back like time machine" but I am not familiar with the process.

So I will continue to look for it, if its really gone I'll try rolling back when the shoot is over is my current plan, after we migrate the new data else where.

 

[ericyoung]

Can't you just to a search/Find for the filenames.mxf?

 

[Brian Merlen]

So I believe I found the MXF files, but they don't want to relink, or consolidate transcode and the AMA plugin doesn't seem to work and keeps telling me to download it again.

One of the editors friends suggested losing the index files and that Avid would recreate them and that would fix the issue. So we copied everything including the bin and tried that but it doesn't seem to be working. Any tips would be hugely appreciated because the bin that went offline is twenty percent of our 5 day shoot, so its kind of a big deal to get it working again...

So we are still trying to figure out what to do, I'll try researching around some more...but any leads are highly appreciative!

Currently we think that the files which were supposed to be copied to the second server are actually all still on the first server, and duped. But without any way to relink, consolidate, and third party programs aren't playing back the MXFs. the third party program actually said the duration is 0...

So heck if I know, I'll keep trying

 

[Brian Merlen]

So we are REALLY DESPERATE RIGHT NOW TO FIND A way to open our dupe MXFs to see if they are whats missing. We tried the Avid forum, we got the top USC Avid support guys to help us, and so far we can't get it online. We are going to use a free Avid support call in two hours if no one can help us, and I hope they fix the issue.

Only thing left after that is rolling back the server, or reshooting. I am not familiar with the roll back process and am not sure what the management will decide, but if anyone can please help us we could really use it right now! Thank you all!

 

[Adrian Jebef]

So we are REALLY DESPERATE RIGHT NOW TO FIND A way to open our dupe MXFs to see if they are whats missing. We tried the Avid forum, we got the top USC Avid support guys to help us, and so far we can't get it online. We are going to use a free Avid support call in two hours if no one can help us, and I hope they fix the issue.

Only thing left after that is rolling back the server, or reshooting. I am not familiar with the roll back process and am not sure what the management will decide, but if anyone can please help us we could really use it right now! Thank you all!

Uh, I'm not an editor by any means but I am trying to get a sense of your problem. You said you have located the mxf files, correct? But you can't open them or import them into Media Composer?

MC will re-index any dnx files if you build the Avid Media Files folder manually:

Avid MediaFiles (folder)
MXF (folder)
1 (folder)

Simply copy all of your dnx files into the "1" folder and launch Media Composer. MC will index everything. Create a new project and locate the "msmMMOB.mbd" file that now resides at the bottom of your "1" folder. Drag and drop the MMOB into your empty bin.

If this doesn't give you access to the files within MC nothing else will.

 

[Brian Merlen]

Turns out those dupes were not what I was looking for. It seems the editor cut our MXF files and then copied something else and pasted the wrong files. So we are missing an entire days footage is the gist of it and it appears to be gone completely...


Got any good recovery software recommendations? We tried a few third party ones the editor found online, and I checked the computers and they arrays to see if it can go back to a different "version"...Sadly it wasn't configured though so no help there from within windows...I am basically running out of ideas, so please give me any of if you got them! Thanks!!!

PS the catch is the production doesn't have money for a reshoot or to pay thousands in data recovery...Plus it lived in a 24 bay array so sending it out would be quite costly just because of the sheer size and weight of the rack mount 1U system...

 

[ericyoung]

Usually in Windows, if you do a Cut, but don't do a Paste with those Cut files, the files stay where they were - they don't just disappear unless there's a computer crash or something.

Can you do a search by other criteria - creation date, filesize, basically anything that's uniquely identifiable about the missing files.

 

[Brian Merlen]

Part of the problem is the editor really has no idea what she did or didn't do. We searched everywhere, used the media tool, tried relinking, tried consolidating transcoding, tried looking for the creation date...Tried seeing if we could roll back any of the computers or the array. Its all kind of crazy since we don't really know definitively what the editor did. Basically it was human error of some sort is all I know and that the files are offline and nothing seems to fix it. Its not in the trash, its gone and nothing seems to bring it back. Its really kind of a tragedy since this was the last shoot were using this system on.


Our new system will be using an Evo to set up a Unity environment where only I have write access as far as data goes, that way if anything is lost ever or not captured its all on me. At least it will avoid any human error outside of my own errors. I have been capturing for them for a year and half, 40TB worth without any screw ups on my part so our new system should be fine. Its just a matter of what the heck am I going to do for now to recover the missing data in a cost effective way? If they can't afford a reshoot, I know they can't afford to pay a specialist for data recovery. At this point our only plan is to add the missing files on to our next shoot that starts in a month, and since the production crew is on a day rate we just slowly make up the files by adding them on to our other shooting days.


Its less then ideal though and if I could figure out any other possible way to recover them that would be a blessing. We tried 3 different recovery apps specifically made for MXFs even, but the editor said they all failed...

 

[martinnoweck]

did you go on working on this raid?
i once accidentally hit delete and erased an avid media files folder, i stopped working on this machine and downloaded a recovery software called "recuva" which brought back all the mxf files. (the free version didn't help, but after buying the software it worked instantly)

best wishes and kind regards,
martin

 

[Marc Wielage]

So we are REALLY DESPERATE RIGHT NOW TO FIND A way to open our dupe MXFs to see if they are whats missing. We tried the Avid forum, we got the top USC Avid support guys to help us, and so far we can't get it online. We are going to use a free Avid support call in two hours if no one can help us...

After all this, you're not willing to pay for Avid support?

https://www.avid.com/US/support/support-contact

The only other suggestion I can make is: you gotta back up, at every step of the game. Whether I'm editing or color-correcting, I always try to do a back up at least two or three times a day, like when I'm on the phone or if I go out to lunch. One $50 drive can save your life.

And the third suggestion I'd make is to get insurance. If you're doing this for a living, getting production insurance will pay at least some of the costs suffered in a wipe-out situation like this. Is there no temporary off-line version the editor couldn't use to piece the edit back together? I've had to do that kind of thing before, and it's maybe a day or half a day of extra work, but it's not disastrous.

 

[Will Young]

If u are sure that the mxf are still there
u can drag the dmb file into your new bin
and you can find our the clips in the bin equals mxf in harddrive