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Author Topic: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System  (Read 904 times)

glynor

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Hey there... I have been crazy busy and have been long-overdue on upgrading the copy of MC on my Server. I tried a couple weeks ago (multiple times), and I had to roll back.

MC30 (and MC31 at least so far) is corrupting my library such that no client copy of MC can connect properly. When I first do the upgrade, everything is fine. However, after 24-48 hours, then I'll find that none of my client copies of MC (which are all on the latest MC30 build) can properly connect. The behavior, once they're "broken" is:
* The initial connection progress dialog takes much longer than usual (usually it is nearly instant and you only see that dialog for a second or two).
* It goes away as though it connected after 30-45 seconds, and MC's UI never appears.
* If I try to re-launch MC, it complains it is already running.
* The Media Center 30.exe process is running, and usually consuming ~10% CPU, but stays stuck forever.
* All clients of MC are impacted. MC29 copies, MC30 copies, Windows, and macOS.

When it gets into this state, I can "fix" it by restoring the Library it auto-saved (or one I made manually) from right at the time of the upgrade. Then the client copies of MC will connect properly again. (I have to kill the stuck tasks, but upon restart they work fine.) But, unfortunately, the next day I'm right back in the same place (and I lose any play stats for the intervening day).

Looking at the Server, nothing seems to be amiss when in this state. MC quits and relaunches fine, and can browse the Library and play assets. I do see evidence, sometimes, of MC seeming to have had issues "launching" (multiple copies of the same error message about launching with the Library in read-only mode). They weren't there all the time, and I've only seen this twice, so I may have specifics wrong (the family-acceptance of the issue is VERY LOW so I haven't really had much time to keep it in this state and let it corrupt itself and do much testing).

I think the issue is related to one of the scripts I have that does automated maintenance on MC at night, though I haven't been able to determine which one. All of the scripts (there are basically 4 per week) work just fine on MC29. I can post them if you'd like, though you'd need my additional tools and prod's MCiS for all of them to work.

I suspect it is one of the simpler two, though. I ran the more complicated ones manually and the client copies kept working afterwards. The one I'm most suspicious of is my "handheld" syncing script, which is attached (the username/password are edited out, but otherwise it is un-edited).
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2023, 06:00:53 pm »

I can probably do more tests, and narrow it down, but it is challenging because of the family acceptance factors (especially since it takes a day or two before it is broken, assuring it happens when I'm unavailable and my wife or daughter are trying to watch TV).

But, were there any intentional breaking changes that would derail COM and MCWS automation during MC30's development?

Would a Library Backup while in a broken state help narrow it down?
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Ekpen

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2023, 07:22:45 pm »

I can probably do more tests, and narrow it down, but it is challenging because of the family acceptance factors (especially since it takes a day or two before it is broken, assuring it happens when I'm unavailable and my wife or daughter are trying to watch TV).

But, were there any intentional breaking changes that would derail COM and MCWS automation during MC30's development?

Would a Library Backup while in a broken state help narrow it down?
where have you been hiding ?
George Omoregie
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JimH

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2023, 08:14:02 pm »

... were there any intentional breaking changes that would derail COM and MCWS automation during MC30's development?
Hi Ed.  Sorry to hear that.  No changes.  Turn off your scripts to test.

Antivirus?
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Would a Library Backup while in a broken state help narrow it down?
Maybe.  It's worth a look.

I assume you've power cycled everything.
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2023, 09:49:18 pm »

Hi Ed.  Sorry to hear that.  No changes.  Turn off you scripts to test.

I did try this for a bit (but one by one so I could try to narrow it down), but the family members lost patience. I need to re-upgrade it again and try once more. I was kinda hoping for a long-shot "oh, that is known, see thread X" answer. Alas, I have to do it the hard way.
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2023, 09:50:56 pm »

Hi Ed.

👋

Hello as well! I do prowl around here some. I've just been quite busy with other projects and haven't had much time for forum chatting. I also fairly rarely have issues with MC, so that's good!
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JimH

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2023, 07:13:01 am »

Antivirus?
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2023, 07:05:32 pm »

So, I updated to MC30 on the server again. This time making sure to make careful, manual backups saved in a "project" folder. Hopefully I can get this straightened out.

Antivirus?

Perhaps, though... I just looked. I had some active exclusions in Windows Defender (which is what I use, set basically to defaults) for various MC processes and folders: JRReader.dll, JRService.exe, the JRiver AppData directory, etc. Though nothing specifically for 30: MC30.exe, Media Center 30.exe. Of course, I also had nothing specifically for MC29 in there. Or 28. The previous exclusions I had in there were for Media Center 26.exe, so we're going back a ways.

I went ahead an added exclusions for Media Center 30.exe and MC30.exe, for good measure. Hopefully it is another 4 years or so before I have to battle that dumb set of dialogs.

MC30 is running well and all of my clients connect without complaining. I have all my scripts disabled.

We'll see about tomorrow.
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Matt

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2023, 09:01:06 am »

You might even try MC31!
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2023, 03:26:19 pm »

You might even try MC31!

I was planning to upgrade the client machines when I got stuck in this rabbit hole.

The server is actually a rack mount system that I don't sit in front of anymore. And I keep it on the final of the "last one" unless forced to upgrade (or I really want something) because dealing with the upgrade prompts on it makes me sad.

So, the project was:
1. Upgrade the server to MC30 final.
2. Give it a few days and then upgrade the clients to MC31 current.
3. Drink a beer.

I never made it to the beer, which definitely caused a sad. I did try, whilst fighting my broken copies, upgrading one of them to MC31 for a bit but it made no difference and I rolled it back.

Clients are all still working this afternoon. I'm sure it is one of my scripts, but... These scripts have been basically unchanged since probably ~MC26 timeframe. So...

What is making it bork the library so hard? Why does the Server itself seem fine, when none of the clients can load? Why doesn't the same thing happen on MC29? And, naturally, why can't things be easy?
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JimH

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2023, 03:41:01 pm »

What is making it bork the library so hard? Why does the Server itself seem fine, when none of the clients can load? Why doesn't the same thing happen on MC29? And, naturally, why can't things be easy?
You might try a different beer.
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glynor

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Re: Problem Corrupted Libraries Preventing Upgrade of Server System
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2023, 12:22:32 pm »

Made it through the weekend and my HTPC still works and can still launch MC, so I think I'm calling it confirmed that it is one of my scripts.

Now to figure out which one, and why. That'll be a bit because I'm traveling for the next week.
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