How to Keep Headers Synchronized with Server

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 3:49 pm

I would like my Message List to match what's actually on the Servers I use, so when they roll off the server, they get removed from my list. I've had a couple of cases recently where the list showed messages, but getting them failed with 'No Message'. That started me looking. NewsPro is showing complete binaries, going back to March 21st in some of the most heavily used binary groups. But, it looks like it's only on one server, UltraFeed. Now, I know they 'claim' good retention, but I seriously doubt that it's THAT good.

All my servers have the same (default) setting, which I thought was meant to do what I want:

Last Headers per Server: All
Retention (range): Natural
The Rest: Delete

So, have I missed something. How do I get everything 'back in step'.

alex · Post by **alex** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 6:36 pm

If the server works ok it is always the case (you may need to invoke 'get new headers' to get the up-to-date picture).

Servers may (normally it is not the case) delete messages from the middle of the header list, if you invoke 'rescan headers' it will reflect this.

And in the end the supplied header list may be not correct, I saw that e.g. on astraweb, they give headers for one-two weeks but when you try to download bodies of older than a few days headers the server returns 'no such article', I suspect maybe the server ran out of the disk space and it is purging bodies without updating its header lists, not much can be done here since the server doesn't provide consistent information about what it has, but I believe these are temporary server problems, maybe it makes sense to contact their support and ask why it happened and when it will be fixed.

Also for some case reset the newsgroup (or server if it helped with one newsgroup) and download headers again to ensure the server didn't rebuild indices or was replaced by another server.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:23 pm

Just fired up Agent, for the 1st time since March 26th. (Been using NewsPro instead

)

For the movie groups I'm following, it had headers, for complete binaries, dated from 3/19 through 3/26. Ran a 'Get New Headers'.

Headers now show from 3/30 through 4/10.

That information was from 1 server only: UltraFeed

Then ran a 'Get New Headers' on NewsPro. It's still showing messages going back to 3/21.

Taking snapshots, all the 'old' binaries are all from one Server - UltraFeed, according to the Properties. Using the Filters with Server, this certainly looks the case. My other servers have nothing older than 4/6 or 4/9. And "Server is just" shows tons of messages on UltraFeed from 3/21 through to 4/7.

Thoughts.

alex · Post by **alex** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:33 pm

for clarity reset the newsgroup ('reset newsgroup(s)' from the context menu and download headers only from ultrafeed (expand the newsgroup select the server and invoke 'get new headers'.

if you see the older headers without bodies - it is what the server returns. if you want to reduce the retention (so it will show less that the server has) - you can do it in edit menu->properties->servers, force retention - for ultrafeed, if you set there 1-10 it will show only headers for the last 10 days, but it in fact server returns more headers, with setting a retention newspro will just filter out older headers.

with the 'natural' retention newspro asks for header list and you see everything what server has, there is no way to get expired headers from a server unless server has a problem and returns wrong info in which case every newsreader will show the same (unless there is an artificial limit set in newsreader by date or number of headers).

edfreeman · Post by **edfreeman** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:58 am

If you check your groups every day, why try to view all the headers? Filter out anything that hasn't been posted in the last day, or two days, or ever how often you check . . .

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 1:20 am

Resetting and Get New Headers seems to have cleared it up. But I'll keep an eye on it for a while. The number of articles in the UltraFeed part of each group is now about a third of the value it was before.

Thanks Alex.

And as to the other comment. I don't try and read them all. I filter out the New each time I Get New Headers. But I couldn't help notice the headers still there from 3 weeks ago before filtering. Plus if it isn't purging any headers, then that DB is going to get pretty biiiiiiig over time.

alex · Post by **alex** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 1:39 am

maybe they keep some old header and delete later headers, in the future if you see that again use 'rescan headers' instead of 'get new headers', it checks every header for existence and it is faster than downloading all headers directly after reset.

jsdkr · Post by **jsdkr** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:09 pm

I had the same problem last week ? maybe before that even I just deleted them an the problem has not returned . Global search for date is in range , delete . this is on or at least using giganews and easynews ( through isp )

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