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[swinster]

Hi All,

I'm sure this has been asked for before and I think this is possible to do, but I want to run the library server on a server where a user doesn't login, hence I need it to run as a service.

Any chance of doing this?

Chris

[raym]

There's 3rd party products out there that let you run any exe as a service. I use FireDaemon (google it). It would be nice if we had a "run as service" option for Library Server though.

[swinster]

Cheers. I think this is more than a "nice" option. I would go as far to say essential. Bit pointless having a 'server' that can only be run as a client!!!

[Jaguu]

Options > Startup > Run on Windows Startup > Media Server (allows Library sharing, TV recordings etc.)
Just login once.

[swinster]

Yes, but this doesn't work as good as it should. My server automatically shuts down and starts up at specific times, which then means I would need to re-log on each time - a real pain. This needs to be a proper windows service that runs without user interaction.

[glynor]

Options > Startup > Run on Windows Startup > Media Server (allows Library sharing, TV recordings etc.)
Just login once.

If you have problems with your server rebooting on it's own, just set it up to auto-logon.  It isn't hard.

Running as a service could be nice, but then you'd lose the local access via the copy of MC on the system.  Since the "server" copy of MC would be running as a service, the real copy of MC would need to run as a client of that server (because they'd be running as different users on the system), which would limit you to the client-level functionality.  How would you change your Views and whatnot?

I use plenty of "server-like" applications on my server machine that run as user-level applications in the tray.... I don't know.  Not a big deal, really.

[swinster]

I don't really use the server for desktop applications, more like a server. I've never needed a server application to require the user to log into the server before.

I've never quite understood the implementation of the MC 'server' application and have always felt it would be better that it could be split into a client and server install, not combined. There are many other applications out there than can do this and will work more than happily with the client on the same machine yet serve data to other clients if so required. Hell, even Windows Media Player can do this!

Personally, I would rather NOT set up auto login on my or any server.

[glynor]

The problem is that MC running in true "client" mode (connected to a server) isn't fully functional.  You can now (but only recently) actually tag all your files and everything, but there are limitations.  From a "client" copy of MC, you can't use the Send To -> External menu items.  You can't drag-drop to the desktop to make copies.  And, most importantly, you can't change your Views (even the Playing Now list isn't saved when you exit the client).

That's just not the way the system was designed.

Maybe someday, but for now, you need a "real" user-level copy of MC with direct access to the database, at least occasionally.  If it ran as a system service, this wouldn't be possible.

[swinster]

I didn't realise that this would be so limiting. Looks like I will need to come up with a new plan, maybe a virtualised machine.

This has come about because of the way I have changed my set-up, but its been something that I have been planning for a while. I had hoped that some progress would have been made on this especially considering all the other 'server' style functionality being touted.

What exactly does the the JRService.exe (Media Centre 15 Service)  do then, which does run as a system service?

[swinster]

After a bit of thought about this, I think the only way I can have this work for the foreseeable future for me is to set the Media Centre 15 executable as a service - I will simply have to stop the service and then start as a app on an interactive remote login if so required. By no means is this the best solution. Visualisation is probable, but this won't be just yet a while.

I must say I quite disappointed that after all this time MC still is not truly client/server based, particularly from the library server point of view.

[JimH]

I must say I quite disappointed that after all this time MC still is not truly client/server based, particularly from the library server point of view.

Client/Server is not equivalent to running a service.

[swinster]

No true. However, I want the library server to run as a server, as indeed a lot of people have requested over the years. I.e. to run on a remote computer with no user interaction on that machine required, and any interaction with it completed via a client. All file handling/searching/manipulation etc can be done on the server and results passed back to the client. The server will also be responsible for setting up the stream to the client/s. The client and server parts can both run on the same machine or different machines, yet they are separate and distinct.

In order that a server runs on a remote machine with no user interaction, it is usual that it runs as a system service. Of course in the case of MC15 this then has limitations as Glynor has pointed out above. Yet a lot of people have requested this type of implementation and it would probably benefit many more as well.

I am already seeing a lot of people take up server system in the home, especially with things like Windows Home Server and the next version, Aurora, just around the corner. This is going to be a way people will want thier system set up in the future, and we have been asking for it here for years.

[JimH]

Did you try running Media Server?  Tools/Options/Startup/Windows Startup.

[swinster]

Yes, and as said above, it doesn't work as good as it should do. It simply adds a line into the Run Key of the HKCU registry, which runs the MC15 exe in a reduced mode with the "/boot" parameter when a user logs on. If the user logs off - bye bye library server. If the user doesn't log on, no library server. Not exactly what is required.

[MrHaugen]

I do understand that you would like to run it as a service. It would be more logical for a "Server" oriented application. But unfortunately the software is not built for that at this time. You'd simply loose to much functionality, as Glynor mentions.

If you do not have some very special needs for this server of yours, it would be very easy to make this work though. As Glynor mentions, there are way to automatically log on as a user, and you can set MC15 and it's server functions to start on user login. If you're concerned of the security, you can set the screen lock down to about nothing, and the server would be password protected. The only way why I could see this as a problem is if you require more than one console user. But who needs that at home? Different remote users should do the trick in 99% of the cases, right?

[swinster]

I do understand that you would like to run it as a service. It would be more logical for a "Server" oriented application. But unfortunately the software is not built for that at this time. You'd simply loose to much functionality, as Glynor mentions.

All, I can say is I look forward to the day that this is actually the case.

I will experiment with the various different options and see what works best for me.

[JimH]

Yes, and as said above, it doesn't work as good as it should do. It simply adds a line into the Run Key of the HKCU registry, which runs the MC15 exe in a reduced mode with the "/boot" parameter when a user logs on. If the user logs off - bye bye library server. If the user doesn't log on, no library server. Not exactly what is required.

Why not set up a use to auto login?

[swinster]

Why not set up a use to auto login?

It messes up other services/tasks I run at other times. This is OK for a remote user login via RDP, not not a terminal user, which is what the auto login does.

[raym]

@swinster - FWIW I agree with you but I don't see this changing in the near future. Like I said, I have MC running as a service on my server no probs using FireDaemon. When I need to make changes to the "master library" on the server or whatever, I just RDP to it and run a basic script which stops the service and starts MC normally (you could even put it in your startup folder if you wanted to).

[swinster]

@swinster - FWIW I agree with you but I don't see this changing in the near future. Like I said, I have MC running as a service on my server no probs using FireDaemon. When I need to make changes to the "master library" on the server or whatever, I just RDP to it and run a basic script which stops the service and starts MC normally (you could even put it in your startup folder if you wanted to).

This is exactly what I have now done and given everything else I have running on my server, it works as I would expect. Indeed, on other installation in work I have similar scripts that start-up or shutdown services as you describe so I am comfortable with this. I have used the standard tools available from the MS resource kit for Win 2003.

The only thing so far is that i haven't been able to set the authentication scope to be able to work as a Local System account, although I guessing this has something t do with the fact that certain configuration files are stored in a user profile as the instance can be different for different users.

[swinster]

Has anyone got a full list of what CAN'T be done from a remote client? Does such a list exist? If not, I think it would be a useful addition to the Wiki. At least in that way people will understand what can and can't be achieved remotely, however they set up their library server.

For instance, I'm trying to do something that think should be achievable in that I wish to rip a CD from a remote client into the shared library and make sure all the tag a correct, then update the cover art but I'm finding this more difficult than I expected with some odd results.