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[Doof]

The old Media Server allowed you to specify a different library to serve than the one MJ/MC was currently using.

Is it possible to do this with the Library Server service? I'm not seeing an option for it anywhere.

[John Gateley]

No, it's not anymore. The new way allows updating playcounts and last played times.

j

[Alex B]

Doof,

While you were "away" this happened exactly one year ago:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=26487.0

The issue was discussed from this post onwards:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=26487.msg185581#msg185581


I think the number one in the following quote is not possible, but I am still waiting for the number two. Consider this as a yearly bump.

In my opinion two important options are missing:

1. An option for selecting the shared library.

2. An option for selecting the default startup library. I have suggested it earlier:

Assign the server address in Library Manager to a new library. MC will start with it if it was used the last time.

Actually, I would like to see that optional. Quite often I forget to change back to the local library before closing MC. I don't always have the server running. It would be good to have an option for the default startup library.

Mr. Gateley's answer was this:

Nice idea Alex.

j

Please.

[Marty3d]

No, it's not anymore. The new way allows updating playcounts and last played times.

j

I am very sorry to hijack the thread, I'll start another if necessary, but I'm getting kind of frustrated by the silence.

John, for the past weeks, I've  been trying to get some answers about LS without luck. It's poorly documented, only the most basic is in "print".

Could you perhaps tell me what operations and communications are available when you use LS? Are there differences using within Lan or over the internet? The reason I'm asking is that nothing within MC tells you if a user action is actually done or not (ie changing ratings, create/delete playlists etc). See more here

Thank you and again, I'm sorry for interrupting!

[John Gateley]

Hi Martin - I didn't see your other thread (the topic was misleading).

That's how Library Server works: you can change anything on the client, but the changes are not saved on the server, it's very similar to Party Mode.

We may change this in the future, it's been under discussion for a while...

j

[Marty3d]

Ok, thanks! Finally I know that. You saved my good nights sleep

[Doof]

I've noticed that image performance isn't that great through LS. And an update on the server PC doesn't show up on the client PC until the client unloads and reloads the remote library.

So I was wondering... would it be safe to just share the media files through a network share and then have a seperate library running on the second machine?

And has anybody compared the performance of the two methods?

If it's safe, and faster to do it that way, then what would the benefits be to using LS?

Also... would it be possible to get some kind of remote control command that would tell MC to reload a library from LS?

[Doof]

*bump*

[John Gateley]

Hi Doof,

It's mostly safe: if you edit the tags on both machines at the same time, corruption can happen.

The main difference is that with two databases, you need to "update from tags" on each machine after changes to keep the databases in synch, and playcount and last played info are not ever in sync (each database has it's own copy). If you use library server, there's only one database to manage, and playcounts/last played are handled better.

j

[Doof]

So if one PC were going to function soley as a Theater View machine (really no tagging to be done), and I really didn't care about play counts, I could just set the Theater View machine to not update tags when file info changes and everything should be safe?

I'm just seeing some limitations and flakiness with Library Server and I'm not sure what's happening.

For instance, if there's a little hiccup in the network and the client PC couldn't get to something on the remote library, it seems like it'll just hang. It's not really hung, but I can't guarantee that it'll reconnect to the library. Also, for some reason, I can't get it to reliably connect to the remote library every time.

Also, I've noticed that G-Force can't display cover art through library server. Not sure who's bug that is.

All in all, I think I'm leaning towards the double library method.

[JimH]

For instance, if there's a little hiccup in the network and the client PC couldn't get to something on the remote library, it seems like it'll just hang.

Is it wireless?  If so, try a wired connection (to test).  We believe there is a bug in Windows networking that only appears with unreliable connections like wireless networks where the signal is weak or there is interferance.

[Doof]

Is it wireless?  If so, try a wired connection (to test).  We believe there is a bug in Windows networking that only appears with unreliable connections like wireless networks where the signal is weak or there is interferance.

It is wireless. I'll try and do some testing, but as it is, I can't get it to reliably fail for me either. It's just random right now. And once this PC goes headless, a failed connection is going to become a real PITA.

[Alex B]

I use both systems: sometimes Library Server and sometimes mapped network drives.

Doof, have you noticed these posts/threads?

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=29585.msg204025#msg204025
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=32484.msg223210#msg223210

[Doof]

Well, I plugged the HTPC into a wired NIC and now whenever I try to play anything it just sits there and says "Waiting". It downloads and opens the library from the server just fine, and I can browse everything, but nothing will play.

I tried sharing the folders from the server, mapping them as networked drives on the client, and imported them that way. They play fine. The shared library also plays fine from the server.

On the server side, I get this (Don't laugh at the song choice it was just the first thing in the list):

04/04/06 15:31:55 - JRiver Library Server Version 1.0.31 starting...

04/04/06 15:31:55 - Trying Port 80

04/04/06 15:31:55 - Trying Port 81

04/04/06 15:31:55 - Running on Port 81

04/04/06 15:33:28 - Received request for version

04/04/06 15:33:28 - Sending version

04/04/06 15:33:28 - Received request for library

04/04/06 15:33:30 - Sending library

04/04/06 15:33:52 - Received request for a file: E:\Users\Matt\My Documents\My Music\Complete Albums\_Weird Al_ Yankovic\Greatest Hits Volume II\ - Headline News.apl?codec=MP3 Encoder&settings=Mode=1|Bitrate=160 kbps|ForceCBR=0|SpeedBitrate=160 kbps|VBRQualityMode=2|VBRFastMode=0|CommandLine=lame.exe --preset extreme

04/04/06 15:33:52 - Error sharing file, file not found

04/04/06 15:33:53 - Received request for a file: E:\Users\Matt\My Documents\My Music\Complete Albums\_Weird Al_ Yankovic\Greatest Hits Volume II\Folder.jpg

The strange thing is that, looking at the path that's listed in the server, it says the name of the file is " - Headline News.apl". The actual name of the file is "_Weird Al_ Yankovich - Headline News.apl". But again, this same file plays fine from the server.

And this all worked before I disabled my wireless connection and plugged the client directly into the switch.

[John Gateley]

Which version of Library Server are you running?

It would be very suprising that the difference between wireless and ethernet caused this problem...

j

[Alex B]

Monkey's Audio link files (.apl) have not worked with the Library Server for ages. The same is true with cue tracks. The only way to make apl files work is to let the server convert them (I think Doof has the conversion enabled). Even that does not help with cue tracks.

I have previously asked if the library server could have an optional straightforward mode for LAN use. Instead of streaming the files it could just provide an up-to-date copy of the media library with converted standard MS network paths (or mapped network drive letters if preferred). The users would probably need to share the base folders first unless MC could do that automatically. After providing the library the server would not be involved in the playback process. Then anything that can be played locally on the server could be played on the clients too. With that mode the clients could also synch portables and burn CDs easier.

[lOth]

No, it's not anymore. The new way allows updating playcounts and last played times.

j

Now I'm confused. I thought playing from a client would not update playcounts and last played items on the server library. Is that not the case anymore as of 11.1.184? That would be really good news as I've been looking forward to such a feature for a long time.

[lOth]

Well, before anyone answers, I gave it a shot and it works great. I'm just sorry I wasn't aware of this change before (seems like it's been a long time...).

On a side note, I've noticed that the playcount is updated on the server as soon as a song is played on the client rather than at half-time. Is this by design?

[John Gateley]

The playcount update has been in there for a while, I don't remember when I put it in exactly. It's a lot easier at the moment to update the playcount stat as soon as the song is played.

j