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[JONCAT]

I want my laptop to access (read authority) my main database. All of my drives on the main audio PC are mapped network drives. In order for this laptop database to point to the right file locations when started, do I need network drives, as in an NAS? If I de-map the ,they become network drives, and I would need to have the main library access them through network? What I mean is, I would have the main audio PC access the files through network shares as well; will I lose any performance this way? Even though the drives are in fact all hard wired to the main PC?

DC

[Alex B]

About two years ago I moved my media files from D:\Music\ to X:\ so that all PCs can see the X: drive. (This is a simplified example. In reality I had more base folders.)

Step by step:

- Change the D:\Music\ folder name to C:\Mus\ with Windows Epxlorer.
- After that all files are off-line inside MC. (This makes the next step fast.)
- Select all files and run Find and Replace - tick only "Filename (path)", Find what: D:\Music\ ,  Replace: X:\
- Share D:\Mus\
- Map this network share with drive letter X: on all other PCs.
- Instead of mapping it locally on the server I use this batch file in my startup folder:

Code: [Select]

subst X: D:\Mus
                   
(Press enter after the subst command line. The "empty" line is needed in the bat file.)

The file format is plain text and the file must have a .bat filename extension. An xxx.bat file can contain several lines for different drive letters & base folders. (replace xxx with your preferred name)

I have not tried if a locally mapped drive reduces performance, but with substituted paths the network drivers are not used at all.

Until now I have used a local copy of the same library on each PC. I am still experimenting with the new shared library feature, but basic functions like playback and browsing seem to work fine.

Edit:

This is my current "subst.bat" file:

Code: [Select]

SUBST X: D:\Mus
SUBST Y: E:\Vid
SUBST Z: C:\Z
SUBST W: E:\HHE\M



[JONCAT]

Thanks, very interesting. I decided to try the Library Server with MC12 and seeking works now. I think I'll be using this for audio and pictures and another  local library for video (since that really doesn't work over LS).

DC

[JONCAT]

Getting breakups & dropouts over LS. Tried the new sharing funtion and its working well so far.

CPU is at 0-4% on PC that hosts the media through the mapped drives which are labled/mapped with the same drive letter on the client PC.

I like that I can reboot the two and edit files with the laptop now in the bedroom...now to convince my wife we need a new dual core lappy.....library conversion would seem to cut down on bandwith usage for Library Server but it eats up the old Dell's cpu big time.

thanks Alex, for your insight, for some reason I was assuming that the mapped drives still had the network prefix in the filename! This is nice. Got the shared library playing over Linksys WRT54GS>Airport Export Express via MC12 captured by Airfoil for the living room.

DC