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[sixdoubleo]

I just upgraded from mc11 to mc12 and it looks like the /silentimport switch is gone.  I used to have a custom task on my server which would perform a nightly silentimport.

Can anyone confirm this?  Or better yet, what are the command-line options on the new mc12?

Thanks!

[sixdoubleo]

Sorry I didn't search thoroughly enough.  Anyway, command line options are here:

http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/The_Command_Line

Looks like my problem is elsewhere....

[Mr ChriZ]

Are you aware MC 12 can monitor folders automatically?
As new media files are placed in them, it can pick them up
and import them in to the library.

No need to do it as a nightly process. 

[sixdoubleo]

Yeah, I saw the auto-import....but that requires me to leave MC running, which I don't want to do.  This is on my Media Server which also runs SageTV Server, TVersity and a couple other services.  I'd rather not run another one.  Rather than have MC monitor a directory, I'd rather tell it when to do it.

Once I get an up-to-date import, I have the server shoot the library out to my two HTPC's and two office desktops which run MC, as well as create backups, etc....  Auto Import seems suitable for a single-instance standalone use, but I'm doing other things in a multi-client encironment.  So it works best if I can control the import...know when it starts/stops etc.

Also, the /silentimport command was (as the name implies) silent.  On the server, there is never an interactive logon session.  The silentimport, because there was no GUI, could run under a service account in a non-interactive state.  I am assuming (and maybe you can correct me if I'm wrong) that using autoimport would require leaving a session logged into my server?



 

[sixdoubleo]

OK, so I have verified that /silentimport is not working....  I am running the following command:

c:\windows\system32\mc12 /SilentImport D:\ImportTest

D:\ImportTest contains two files....test.wma, and test.mp3. 

When I run the command, MC12.exe and Media Center 12.exe both pop up in the task list for a second, and then go away.  The files are not getting imported.

Is there a log somewhere that might tell me what is happening?  Manual importing works fine.

[Matt]

This will be fixed in a coming build.  The import is starting in a background thread, but the program is closing silently before it finishes!

Thanks for letting us know.

And auto-import may still be a better choice.  MC reconciles the disk and database on startup, so there's no need to leave MC running all the time.

[sixdoubleo]

And auto-import may still be a better choice.  MC reconciles the disk and database on startup, so there's no need to leave MC running all the time.

Thanks guys for the responses.  But as far as the above, can you explain? 

Here is my situation...maybe you can suggest a different solution than what I am doing.  I have two HTPC's in my house running MC.  They need an updated copy of the library each day.  First off, I choose not to use the library server because these clients need to ability to make playlists and whatnot.  If the library server allowed clients to make/modify playlists, then I would use it.

So sssentially what I do is this...

1. All music is located on a Windows 2003 Server. 
2. Clients map to this music share as M:\
3. I have two HTPC's running MC...Living Room and Entertainment Room.  (once in a while I run it in the office, but not important)
4. Each client maintains it's own Library located at C:\HTPC\MediaCenter\Library  (I changed the path for ease of distribution)
5. Each night the server runs a silent import of the M: drive.
6. When the import is complete, it copies the updated library to a directory on the the server.
7. When clients start MC, they check the above server directory (via a batch file) and sync it to their local library (C:\HTPC\MediaCenter\Library).

How would auto-import fit into this setup?

[Matt]

You could configure each client to auto-import M:\.  The client will then silently stay synchronized with your M:\ drive.

Another neat approach MC 12 adds is the ability for everyone on the network to share the library same library. (like M:\Media Center Library)  The first person to open gets read/write access.  Subsequent users get read-only access.

[Mr ChriZ]

Auto Import as a service actually would be a nice feature.

[Matt]

Auto Import as a service actually would be a nice feature.

MC will reconcile the disk and database on startup, so there's probably no need.

However, run MC in "Media Server" mode on Windows startup to accomplish the same thing.  This is a reduced footprint version of MC that enables sharing plugins, remote controls, etc. to function.

[Mr ChriZ]

MC will reconcile the disk and database on startup, so there's probably no need.

However, run MC in "Media Server" mode on Windows startup to accomplish the same thing.  This is a reduced footprint version of MC that enables sharing plugins, remote controls, etc. to function.

Hmm could Media Server itself be used as a service?
This would be great because you could have a server which doesn't
even have a display and if it ever stopped working you could just
reset the machine, while still leaving it secure.

[Mr ChriZ]

Looking around I guess there's other apps around that will let you do this
if you really want it, that will allow any program to run as a service.

[sixdoubleo]

You could configure each client to auto-import M:\.  The client will then silently stay synchronized with your M:\ drive.

This would sort of work, but the OCD/anal side of me goes crazy knowing that mutliple clients are importing the same music, when a single server should be doing it once.    Also, I would want my custom fields, ratings, playlists, and other things I do administratively to propogate to all the clients.   Often I'll do cleanup operations on the library and this would need to get out to the clients.  I suppose I could use my current batch files to sync the local library with the server, supplemented by an auto-update of M:\ at the clients.....  I don't know...I guess I would just prefer that the clients dont do any importing.  I want them lean and mean...with no background tasks to slow them down.  The server is for doing that stuff.  Also, when the server does the imports, it's lightning fast because the music is local to the server.  Clients import over the network and are considerably slower.

Another neat approach MC 12 adds is the ability for everyone on the network to share the library same library. (like M:\Media Center Library)  The first person to open gets read/write access.  Subsequent users get read-only access.

Nice....  I had originally tried to do that way back when (version 10 maybe?) and it didn't work.  That MIGHT work for what I need, but I would still need the silent import so my server could do the importing.

As long as the /silentimport function isn't going to be phased out or anything, I think I'll stick to my current import process as it addresses all my needs and has worked flawlessly for years now.  I'll just do manually imports at the server until the silent switch it working.  I'm not quite migrated to 12 yet anyway...not quite ready to roll it out to the HTPC's until I update my Girder GML for MC12 and test to make sure the remote is working and whatnot.  I'm definitely looking forward to the new version though.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.  And (in cae you don't hear it enough) thanks for developing the slickest media player ever.  I've used MC since MJ7 and nothing comes close to it in any way.  Keep up the good work!

[sixdoubleo]

Hmm could Media Server itself be used as a service?
This would be great because you could have a server which doesn't
even have a display and if it ever stopped working you could just
reset the machine, while still leaving it secure.

If I were running the library Server, I could justify this.  My needs/train of though might be different than others....but I can't see running a full time server (Media Server) just to perform a nightly 5-10 minute import process, no matter how small its footprint.  All I need is a one-time nightly import.  From a system performance and stability standpoint, the goal should always be to eliminate processes you don't need.  "mc12 /silentimport" is perfect because I can launch it when I see fit, based on other system tasks and events.  It does its assigned task, and it exits.  Because I know when it is finished, I can then have a process follow it to then do something ELSE with that updated library. 

Keep in mind that my media server is also a 3-tuner SageTV server, a DVD/movie server, and a TVersity server....so I need to coordinate what is happening on this box.  I try to avoid any process which "listens" continuously, and any process which I do not have complete control of.  Such processes, when combined with other processes can contribute to a server which acts unpredicatbly.

So while I'm sure auto-import, the Media Server, and some of the other "built-in" features are excellent in terms of a single-user setup, hopefully you guys can appreciate my concerns with regards to maintaining a media server for a whole-house solution.

[sixdoubleo]

MC will reconcile the disk and database on startup, so there's probably no need.

However, run MC in "Media Server" mode on Windows startup to accomplish the same thing.  This is a reduced footprint version of MC that enables sharing plugins, remote controls, etc. to function.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but running Media Server on stratup only runs it if a user is logged in, correct?  I know this was the case the last few times I looked at it.  mc1x /silentimport will run even when nobody is logged in, which makes it ideal for a true "lights-out" operation. 

[ThoBar]

Aside from startup, when does auto-import run?

Is there a way to force it? ... or can the /silentimport switch be used to fire it on a schedule? (even if MC is currently running)

Is the /silentimport the best option to update specific folders?

Cheers,
C.