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[macdonjh]

I just installed a QNAP NAS.  Our NAS is connected via ethernet cable to our wireless router.  My Mac Mini is also connected to our router via an ethernet cable.  I have connection/ communication with the internet and the NAS.  I've started a new library, mapping to the folders on the NAS as the source of my media files.

Here's my problem: I configured Auto Import and started it.  MC imports a few hundred of the thousands of files and then "stops responding suddenly" (my Mini's "words").  I've restarted MC and restarted Import several times with the same result.

Does anyone know why Auto Import or Import won't work properly across our network (that's a grand word for the hardware we have)?

[HaWi]

I just installed a QNAP NAS.  Our NAS is connected via ethernet cable to our wireless router.  My Mac Mini is also connected to our router via an ethernet cable.  I have connection/ communication with the internet and the NAS.  I've started a new library, mapping to the folders on the NAS as the source of my media files.

Here's my problem: I configured Auto Import and started it.  MC imports a few hundred of the thousands of files and then "stops responding suddenly" (my Mini's "words").  I've restarted MC and restarted Import several times with the same result.

Does anyone know why Auto Import or Import won't work properly across our network (that's a grand word for the hardware we have)?

What is your OS? How do you access the media folder on your NAS from the Mac? SMB? NFS?
There could be stability issues and your shared folder is dropped from the Mac and that leads to the process being interrupted. I have had issues like that before. I found that using NFS to mount the media folder is more stable but I also employ ConnectMeNow to remount the share automatically when it gets dropped.
EDIT: Typo

[bob]

Someone reported a similar issue, specific to the M1.
Would you try disabling the auto-imports then doing the import manually by doing the "Import a Single Folder" function at the top level of your desired folder of imports and report back?
This will isolate one of the variables in the process.
Thanks.

[macdonjh]

HaWi, my operating system is OSX, I just updated from Catalina to Big Sur last night.  I had this trouble yesterday with Catalina and I have it today with Big Sur.  I have no idea what protocol is being used to transfer or access files from the NAS.  I can ask QNAP tech support.

Bob, I will do that.  I currently have auto-import configured to import from four or five sub-folders of the same main folder on the NAS.  Just a point of clarification, I've had no trouble for the past several years with external, USB-connected hard drives.  This new NAS is giving me fits.  I'm glad IT isn't my day job.

[bob]

HaWi, my operating system is OSX, I just updated from Catalina to Big Sur last night.  I had this trouble yesterday with Catalina and I have it today with Big Sur.  I have no idea what protocol is being used to transfer or access files from the NAS.  I can ask QNAP tech support.

Bob, I will do that.  I currently have auto-import configured to import from four or five sub-folders of the same main folder on the NAS.  Just a point of clarification, I've had no trouble for the past several years with external, USB-connected hard drives.  This new NAS is giving me fits.  I'm glad IT isn't my day job.

Something you might want to check is whether you are connecting with APFS or SMB/CIFS.
APFS might try to support file change notification. I'm almost certain SMB cannot.
Since NAS APFS support is open source software and is absolutely not free of errors you might have uncovered a bug in it.
MC uses file notification to watch for changes on supported filesystems when you have it setup to auto-import.

[macdonjh]

According to QNAP tech support, their hardware uses SMB for file access.

Thanks to all for trying to help me with this.

Curiosity question: do Windows users report similar difficulties?  I ask because my Mac is pretty old, and suffering from Sneaky Apple Slow-down Syndrome.  I might replace it and if I do, I'll get a PC rather than an Apple.  If this isn't a problem Windows has, that would be one more reason to replace my media computer.

[bob]

According to QNAP tech support, their hardware uses SMB for file access.

Thanks to all for trying to help me with this.

Curiosity question: do Windows users report similar difficulties?  I ask because my Mac is pretty old, and suffering from Sneaky Apple Slow-down Syndrome.  I might replace it and if I do, I'll get a PC rather than an Apple.  If this isn't a problem Windows has, that would be one more reason to replace my media computer.

Ok, on your auto-import settings for each folder would you check to see if "analyze audio" is enabled and disable it for each if so.
See if the behavior is different. Thanks.

[macdonjh]

I tried importing my media folders separately, rather than performing an Auto Import.  So far, so good, though I haven't looked though each part of my library to see if I agree the various imports were successful.
Cover Art
Lectures (audio files)
Movies (video files, sidecars, .jpg, appx 5000 total files)
Shows (video files, sidecars, .jpg, appx 6000 total files, I think), this "manual" import added 2961 files to the MC Library
Music (audio files, .jpg, appx 30000 total files), this "manual" import is running right now, but only 4100 or so files are being added to my MC Library, so hopefully my previous import attempts were partially successful.

I forgot to check my Auto Import settings before I started these manual imports, I'll check that in a couple of minutes...

[macdonjh]

Analyze Audio On Import is not activated.

Importing from my Music folder failed again.  I got a pop-up window stating MC had closed suddenly.

Also, I checked my Library, the Movies seem to be fine.  My TV Shows; however, are all goofed up.  It looks like they may all have imported, but they are all in a single "folder" in my main view.  It looks like the "divisions" between the shows didn't import for some reason.  In the View I have:
   All Series (233)
   A list of all the individual episodes in the library (which should be significantly more than 233, I have 300 Looney Tunes cartoons alone)
   
If I look in the All Series "folder", my Shows appear to be grouped into their proper subdivisions: [Series]/[Episode].

[macdonjh]

And this was new today: I got a second pop-up telling me Terminal wanted to take control of something (no details provided).  I opened System Preferences and changed my security setting to allow Terminal to make changes.

MC had "quit suddenly" again prior to that pop-up.  It seems like something is wonky with my connection between my Mac and the NAS.  I did check last night and the NAS IP address (set via DHCP, I haven't had any luck getting it to work properly with a static IP address) had changed.  I wonder if that's a problem?  Or should the router notify my Mac when the NAS IP address changes automatically?

[HaWi]

Regarding static IP for the NAS, I'd  suggest to keep IP via DHCP setting on the NAS but make an IP Reservation for the NAS on the router. This way, the router DHC always assigns the same IP to the NAS. Otherwise, when the router assigns a new IP address other services will not be kept up-to-date.

[bob]

A couple of things.

1) When MC crashes during audio import it's almost guaranteed to be a corrupt file. Logging at that point can be useful.
2) If you are doing manual imports for testing, please remove the watch folders. This is to try and separate the components of the import process to pin down where an issue might be.

[macdonjh]

I'll have to look up how to make an IP reservation...

The NAS does keep a log, I'm supposed to learn how to get access to them and upload some to QNAP tech support.

[macdonjh]

I enabled logging in MC27, tried importing again, unsuccessfully.  I've attached the log from tonight's attempt.  I didn't understand a word of it. 

Note, I've also posted this question in the MC for Windows forum.  Mostly to find out if Windows users have this trouble at all.  If not, I may simply replace my computer.  It may be time anyway.

[bob]

I enabled logging in MC27, tried importing again, unsuccessfully.  I've attached the log from tonight's attempt.  I didn't understand a word of it. 

Note, I've also posted this question in the MC for Windows forum.  Mostly to find out if Windows users have this trouble at all.  If not, I may simply replace my computer.  It may be time anyway.

It appears that this is the last file processed.
/Volumes/Multimedia/Music/Satriani, Joe/Joe Satriani/Satriani, Joe - Home.wav
I'd be suspicious of this one. You might try temporarily moving it out of way so it can't be found on the import and see if that fixes the issue.

[macdonjh]

I will try that...  It may be a duplicate file, it doesn't have my typical naming convention.

[macdonjh]

I still haven't tried removing that Joe Satriani file from my library and importing again.  Instead, tonight's exercise is to load MC28 on my PC (trial version) and try auto import on a much newer Windows computer.  If this works well, I think the Mac will be retired.

If not, I'll go find that Satriani track and remove it to see what happens.

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions so far.

[macdonjh]

I've decided to switch platforms.  I've installed a trial version of MC28 on my PC and everything worked correctly immediately.  My Mac Mini is now in a closet...

Thanks to everyone for helping out.