Contacts on client machine suffer from disk I/O errors

Question

Contacts are running slow if not at all on my client machines.  I check the logs and it is having trouble with accessing the files and or writing the files.  all other programs seem to work fine.  Mail hangs but I think it is because of the contacts issue.  It seems to have trouble reading the contacts list and dumps the list and attempts to rebuild from iCloud and the server.  there are many .unknown files in the library.  The logs state that there is a disk I/O error while accessing /Network/myserver/Volumes/MyBook/Users/username/Library/Address Book (this is from memory but it is close).  The contacts work perfectly (as expected) if the user is logged into the server.
I am running 10.8 server and clients with shared home folders.  the user folders are on an external drive.  the drive does have permissions turned on.  I have wiped out the contacts directory in the  Library folder and it proceeds to rebuild but the problem is still there.
would rebuilding the clients from scratch help?
David Urban

Answer 1

Hello
I have exactly the same problem (its taken me ages to figure where the issue is).
Currently running 10.8 Server on Mac Mini Server
10.8 Clients include another Mac Mini, 2x MBAs
31/07/2012 21:47:45.068 Contacts[340]: Unknown error reading database file, will attempt reimporting: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=256 "The file couldn’t be opened." UserInfo=0x7f8e7da52520 {NSSQLiteErrorDomain=2058, NSUnderlyingException=I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/804A0C27-5BDC-42ED-B64B-0B4A48BB0C72/AddressBook-v2 2.abcddb.  SQLite error code:2058, 'disk I/O error'} {
    NSSQLiteErrorDomain = 2058;
    NSUnderlyingException = "I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/804A0C27-5BDC-42ED-B64B-0B4A48BB0C72/AddressBook-v2 2.abcddb.  SQLite error code:2058, 'disk I/O error'";
And so on:
31/07/2012 21:47:45.069 Contacts[340]: Move Address Book store at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/804A0C27-5BDC-42ED-B64B-0B4A48BB0C72/AddressBook-v2 2.abcddb to /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Sources/804A0C27-5BDC-42ED-B64B-0B4A48BB0C72/AddressBook-v2 2.abcddb.3DE2BE43-E068-4AED-A635-AE1988E6118F.unknown
31/07/2012 21:47:58.145 Contacts[340]: CoreData: error: (2058) I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.  SQLite error code:2058, 'disk I/O error'
31/07/2012 21:47:58.146 Contacts[340]: Unknown error reading database file, will attempt reimporting: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=256 "The file couldn’t be opened." UserInfo=0x7f8e7bcb5b40 {NSSQLiteErrorDomain=2058, NSUnderlyingException=I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.  SQLite error code:2058, 'disk I/O error'} {
    NSSQLiteErrorDomain = 2058;
    NSUnderlyingException = "I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.  SQLite error code:2058, 'disk I/O error'";
31/07/2012 21:47:58.147 Contacts[340]: Move Address Book store at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb to /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.F13475A4-E1FC-4427-91FF-7FE935E2F40C .unknown
31/07/2012 21:47:58.890 Mail[333]: CoreData: error: (522) I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail /Data/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.  SQLite error code:522, 'disk I/O error'
31/07/2012 21:47:58.891 Mail[333]: Core Data: annotation: -executeRequest: encountered exception = I/O error for database at /Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail /Data/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb.  SQLite error code:522, 'disk I/O error' with userInfo = {
    NSFilePath = "/Network/Servers/mountainserver/Users/test123/Library/Containers/com.apple.mai l/Data/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/AddressBook-v22.abcddb";
    NSSQLiteErrorDomain = 522;
At first I thought it may be related to upgraded 10.8 clients and server i.e. went throught the normal install option without re-installing OSX.
So I completely rebuild (i.e. erased and then installed Mountain Lion from USB stick) the server and the client machines...but I still get the same issue, so clearly this is NOT the solution.
I have also observed (upon reading others' issues with Contacts/mail) apple forums - so I followed the the same action (trashed the Address Book folder in ~Library/Application Support/ ) after unchecking everything in iCloud in system prefs/restarting etc.) but this doesn't so solve the problem either
I also observed teh following behaviours:
Login into iCloud for the first time - appears to be ok
Run Contacts - appears to be ok
Wait the addresses to sync from iCloud - appears to be ok
Quit
Run Contacts - still appears to be ok
(i.e. the errors above are not displayed in log)
Run Mail (which takes a long time)
Contacts sudden looses all address and effectively both Mail and Contacts freeeze. It is at this point I start seeing the above errors
I get a further odd error in Contacts (in a triange with '!' warning)
Basically Contacts and mail don't seem to want to work together - they appear ok in isolation - obviously this isn't acceptable.
I've noted that if I create a local logon on any one of the client macs, the issue with contacts/mail does not occur and runs perfectly smoothly. So in my eyes it appears to be a problem in Mountain Lion Server/Client Combo Only (I did not have this issue under Lion Server/Client Combo)
H - E - L - P !!