Error when user submits form: Save Error registry ID already exists

[observa]

Hello!

We’ve been using Kobo deployed on our infrastructure, installed with kobo-install docker and inputting data for a few hundred users and several thousand entries.

Lately for the last weeks, we have had a recurring issue with users reporting errors when submitting: specially on forms with offline-online mode enabled.
We have a few “admin” users on Kobo toolbox, but we use a single link generated with an admin user account and then shared with all input users for each form given. When they access and fill out the form they get:

**

Save Error: this registry or ID already exists.

**

The forms are quite lengthy and do not involve any “unique” fields marked as such, but cause confusion as the users doubt if they is a restriction on entries or a possible “system overload”

The forms published are either on their first version deployed or even 4th or 5th, and it happens in both cases.

This has proved to be quite inconvenient. as our current “solution” involves re-generating the link with another account and then sharing it back to the users, not until they have reported the issue though causing significant frustration and distrust on the platform’s quality.

Checking the logs also includes lots of entries similar to this:

enketo_express_1  | 06:41:50 0|enketo  | hashArr ca:my.Sample.Domain.net/TheUserAccountThatGeneratedTheFormLink,aExRvJTmPbbizgfAM9u9LE [ 'md5:5fd5745ec8d4b9c584a4d241d35b9176',
enketo_express_1  | 06:41:50 0|enketo  |   'f87a574cfcbb6ddb847b84d2559dd263' ]

We have also suffered on a few previous instances of links expiring and reporting that the Form ID is not valid; again fixing the issue by re-generating links, again with the drawbacks and inconveniences already mentioned.

What is happening? Is there any way to avoid it?

Please help!

[jnm]

The Enketo hashArr messages are normal and just informational logging (not errors).

@observa

Save Error: this registry or ID already exists.

Is that error the exact text that appears? I can’t find that message in the code. If you’re receiving it in a language that’s not English, you don’t need to translate it: just paste the exact message here (or take a screenshot).

If the text of the error is actually “This record name or ID already exists,” it’s related to duplicate UUIDs in the browser storage. From the Enketo author:

The underlying reason is that a record with that instanceID is already saved in the browser storage. The ID-generation should theoretically almost completely avoid collisions (1 in several billions chance I believe), so it’s likely some reproducible issue caused by a bug in the code. Until we can reproduce it reliably though, it will be hard to figure out what is going on. I hope somebody comes up with a way to reproduce it. (Redirecting to Google Groups)

[ricardopmarinho]

This issue happened to me two times already. It seems to be related to saved drafts not send to the server yet.

[stephanealoo]

Hi @ricardopmarinho
Considering that this issue is based on a post that is more than 2 years old. Could you explain your context a bit more?

Stephane

[ricardopmarinho]

I’m using Eketo to fill a form and when I save a draft and try to send other filled form, the "save error’ appears.
This does not happen if there is no draft saved

[Kal_Lam]

@ricardopmarinho, would you mind clearing the cache of your browser and trying it again? Maybe you could change the browser you are using and see if this happens again.

[ricardopmarinho]

The problem just appears when there is a draft. Just sent this issue to inform that this problem persists

[Kal_Lam]

@ricardopmarinho, which server are you using?

[ricardopmarinho]

Kobotoolbox. Then I open the form through there

[Kal_Lam]

@ricardopmarinho, can you share with us a login link so that we could identify the server you are using?

[Kal_Lam]

@ricardopmarinho, as a quick check would you mind doing the following to see if you are able to reproduce the issue again:

• Download your xlsform from the project that had this issue.
• Upload as a different project.
• Collect data with Enketo and do the same that you did previously.

[raquelchaicoj]

@jnm

The underlying reason is that a record with that instanceID is already saved in the browser storage. The ID-generation should theoretically almost completely avoid collisions (1 in several billions chance I believe), so it’s likely some reproducible issue caused by a bug in the code. Until we can reproduce it reliably though, it will be hard to figure out what is going on. I hope somebody comes up with a way to reproduce it. (Redirecting to Google Groups)

Hola, hay alguna actualización sobre este tema? justo me acaba de pasar,

Alguna solución?

[Kal_Lam]

@raquelchaicoj, as a quick workaround, would you mind clearing your browser’s cache? Clearing the cache of your browser should help you solve this issue.

[raquelchaicoj]

hola, eso no soluciono el problema con el usuario y ahora ya no puede enviar información y tampoco puedo cambiar los permisos del usuario, ni tampoco borrarlo. ¿que debo hacer?

[Kal_Lam]

@raquelchaicoj, in this case you could upload your data manually to the server as oultied in the support article Manually Uploading Submissions.

[wroos]

Hello @ricardopmarinho,
It might also be related to duplicate names given to the (saved/new) forms.

[Yahia]

I am currently having this issue - i have cleared the cache and it was resolved for me but the we have already sent this link to hundreds of enumerators and next week they should start conducting a household survey for over 4000 families! they have already reported this issue last night during the testing period.

Please help!

[Kal_Lam]

Welcome to the community, @Yahia! Could you also let us know the browser you are using?

[Yahia]

@Kal_Lam I was using Safari when I had the issue (before I clear the cache) but not sure what the enumerators will be using in the field - I can check, but would it make a difference? They’re using Samsung tablets

[Kal_Lam]

@Yahia, could you request them to use the latest version of the Chrome, Firefox, Edge to see how it behaves? These modern browsers should solve your issue. Feel free to reach us back if the issue still persists.