# Errors and \`node-id\` values
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749
**Category:** General
**Created:** [26 December 2022 20:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749 "2022-12-26T20:57:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [26 December 2022 20:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/1 "2022-12-26T20:57:42Z")
Ok, I have been down this road before - sorry.
I have a SHOCKING memory to what was _resolved_ from my question.
What I think:
All nodes have a unique `id` so when they have an error it is given and you/I can search for that node.
I say _example_, but they are from real errors that happened on different machines.
The _format_ is usually like this: (example)
`90c309f3.55a2`
I asked a while back because I was getting errors with no `.` in the node's ID field.
They look like this: (example)
`e4cf8781c0c037bf`
Yet, today I see that this **IS** valid.
Could someone who is up to speed with all this mind helping me understand what is what?
Thanks in advance.
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [26 December 2022 22:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/2 "2022-12-26T22:22:08Z")
The format changed, with node red 3.0 I think, but not certain about that.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [26 December 2022 22:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/3 "2022-12-26T22:25:23Z")
Appreciated.
I have to get my devices up to date, but some are so old they are still on STRETCH!
(Yeah, I know.)
But the main ones are on Buster, so that is good.
If I am on 2.1.4 and 2.2.2:
Will that be ok to update to 3.x (running Buster on the machine)?
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [26 December 2022 23:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/4 "2022-12-26T23:11:31Z")
Just to note that updating Node-RED will not change the ids of any existing nodes - only newly added ones.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [26 December 2022 23:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/5 "2022-12-26T23:16:03Z")
Thanks.
I am just maybe accepting that I should update the main machines I use nearly DAILY to 3.x rather than having a mish-mash of versions.
I just don't want to break that which is working after all the fun I've just had with _stupid mistakes_ I've made in other areas.
It has cost me weeks trying to get things _working_, and I have only just got things nearly back to a happy state.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 December 2022 07:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/6 "2022-12-27T07:38:23Z")
If a machine is doing its job and I am not doing further development on it, and it is not exposed to the internet, then my policy is to leave it alone.
If I have to do any significant new work on it, however, then I upgrade it first, make sure it still works, and then start the new development.
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### Author:  [@paulkeates](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/paulkeates)
#### Post date: [27 December 2022 14:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/7 "2022-12-27T14:52:01Z")
Hi,
And take a backup first, in case of emergencies... right?
Cheers!
Paul
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 December 2022 16:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/8 "2022-12-27T16:55:11Z")
I keep image backups of all my PIs, so if I mess up or lose a card (or pi) I can be up and running again very quickly.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 08:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/9 "2022-12-28T08:58:15Z")
Other than taking the SD card out of the machine and backing it up on another machine to another card.....
Can it be done in situ? (in place)
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 13:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/10 "2022-12-28T13:41:57Z")
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Other than taking the SD card out of the machine and backing it up on another machine to another card.....
That is the way I do it (using clonezilla, which gives relatively small images as it only images the used sections of the card, not all the empty space.).
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Can it be done in situ?
I don't know.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 20:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/11 "2022-12-28T20:47:50Z")
Ok, thanks.
But that means the device (RasPi) has to be taken off line while backing up.
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### Author:  [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 21:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/12 "2022-12-28T21:03:04Z")
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Can it be done in situ? (in place)
Yes. But you need another device of at least the same size. So on a Pi, a USB stick would do the trick. You can use the age-old `dd` utility to do an exact backup of any storage device on Linux.
Well, actually that's not true! If you have a large SD-Card you could partition it (not a lot of actual help of course!). Or you can `dd` to a file and move that off-device.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 21:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/13 "2022-12-28T21:11:20Z")
But to do `dd` the partition has to be unmounted first - doesn't it?
(Not having a go at you.... Just that is something else I only just remembered now.)
So basically I'm stuck between a rock and hard place to make active backups.
Clonezilla looks like a good option if it makes small images.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 21:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/14 "2022-12-28T21:57:36Z")
I am pretty sure it does need to be unmounted, as if a file is being written to as dd is reading that files area the file (or folder) could be corrupted in the image.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 21:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/15 "2022-12-28T21:59:12Z")
Seems I am really stuck with this then.
As said: I may just have to go with `clonezilla` as suggested.
Just taking the main machines offline to to backups is not ..... good.
But if it has to be done, then so be it.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 22:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/16 "2022-12-28T22:12:51Z")
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> taking the main machines offline to to backups is not ..... good
Neither is finding that the SD card has gone AWOL and you have no easy way to build a new one.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [28 December 2022 22:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/17 "2022-12-28T22:18:45Z")
Agreed.
I do backup my flows to a USB stick now and then (only when things change) so that does reduce a lot of heartache.
I need to get smarter so NR monitors / detects new backups (`watch` node?) and copies them to the USB stick.
Ok, quick explanation of why I'm doing it that way:
The USB is formatted NTFS. (Good and bad)
The SD card supports sharing and I share the `public` directory so I can copy any _backups_ to a REMOTE machine. I still haven't got that working as good as I would like.
So as a second option I also copy them to the USB stick.
Then if the SD card goes _fft!_ I have a backup on the USB stick.
This is a whole other can of works - active backups - so I shall not carry on about that here.
When I get time/motivation I will have to look at getting something working that keeps active backups.
But that in itself may need to be backed up now and then..... argh! 😉
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### Author:  [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)
#### Post date: [29 December 2022 11:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/18 "2022-12-29T11:40:52Z")
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> But to do `dd` the partition has to be unmounted first - doesn't it?
Come on folk, the answers are only a search away. [How to Clone Your Linux Hard Drive: 4 Methods (makeuseof.com)](https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-methods-to-clone-your-linux-hard-drive/).
dd on a mounted drive has some potential risks but it has been the go-to tool for decades. But as shown, there are loads of other tools too. The Linux filing systems are very robust and handle this kind of thing very well.
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### Author:  [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)
#### Post date: [29 December 2022 11:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/19 "2022-12-29T11:43:33Z")
> [@Colin](#):
>
> Neither is finding that the SD card has gone AWOL and you have no easy way to build a new one.
Depending on how complex your OS config is. An easy answer is to keep a pre-configured spare to hand and only back up the node-red (and db maybe) essentials. I've shared some scripts for node-red backups before and you can simply extend to zip up the latest and SCP/FTPS it to another device.
Recovery is as simple as copying over the latest node-red backup, swap the card and go.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [29 December 2022 12:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749/20 "2022-12-29T12:01:11Z")
Exactly, that was my point.
I use git to backup but the effect is the same.
[Next page](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/errors-and-node-id-values/72749.md?page=2)