Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[vforrest]

I use a NAS drive on a network to store my music files, and I'd like to set my main library to a directory on the NAS. When I try to do that, I get a message saying JRiver can't establish a library there. Is it possible to set the main library (or any library) on a NAS and if so, how?

Vade Forrester

[csimon]

I didn't know it actually prevented you from doing it but it's always been highly recommended not to put the library (i.e. the database) on a network file share because of performance issues. The program is continually needing instant access to it and searching it and file-sharing over a network is not good for this.

[glynor]

Read:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_Network_and_Slow_Storage

[glynor]

I didn't know it actually prevented you from doing it

It doesn't.  Something else is broken (probably filesystem permissions on the volume).  But it is a terrible idea anyway, so... 

[astromo]

But it is a terrible idea anyway, so... 

Is there an exception to this rule of thumb in the event that the NAS acts as a DLNA server?
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DLNA#Using_DLNA_--_Finding_DLNA_Renderers_and_Servers

[MrC]

You're conflating two different things here.

A NAS acting as a DLNA server is independent of where MC stores its folder and files that comprise a "Library".  Any MC library should be on local storage, the faster the better, since it is accessed frequently and heavily.

[vforrest]

What the Wiki says described how MC 18 behaved, but to my very pleasant surprise, MC 19 has played music from my NAS flawlessly. I thought it might have to do with its memory management.

However, that's beside the point. I'm not asking how to fix sonic problems, but how to set up a library on the NAS. When I access it directly, I hear no playback problem at all.

[astromo]

You're conflating two different things here.

A NAS acting as a DLNA server is independent of where MC stores its folder and files that comprise a "Library".  Any MC library should be on local storage, the faster the better, since it is accessed frequently and heavily.

Not the intent. I just wanted to make sure that I hadn't done something daft on the home front. In any case, all useful stuff to be aware of. Thanks .. 

[StuckMojo]

One Question, i want to buy this NAS: Synology Diskstation 2413+

This is definitely not a 'slow' NAS. Fast enough to set my main library to a directory on the NAS?
Or can i get troubles with MC, because it's to slow?

Anybody using this NAS?

[csimon]

That Synology is at the top of the range I think, in fact any NAS will be "fast enough" to be used as a NAS for data file storage and serving. However when it comes to database access, file sharing over a network is not recommended, for any speed of NAS.  A local disk is going to be much better than one attached over a network. It depends on how well the software is written but I remember having huge problems with network-shared Access databases in work some years ago, not just speed problems but integrity and locking problems too, especially with multiple users.

If MC was a client/server database then that would be a different matter as all database searches would be done on the server/NAS and there is no file sharing over the network going on. (That's what we'd all love to do of course! Stick MC server on a NAS so that clients send requests to and receive data from it, not needing to store and synch a local database nor physically access the database over the network).

Yes, it will work, but the phrase to remember is it's not recommended to file-share your library database over the network.

[csimon]

What the Wiki says described how MC 18 behaved, but to my very pleasant surprise, MC 19 has played music from my NAS flawlessly. I thought it might have to do with its memory management.

I think you are confusing the storage of media files with the storage of the library, becuase you haven't been able to set up your library on the NAS so how come you're now saying it's workedflawalessly?

However, that's beside the point. I'm not asking how to fix sonic problems, but how to set up a library on the NAS. When I access it directly, I hear no playback problem at all.

Accessing media files directly?  You're not going through a database, i.e. the library.  I don't think you'll be able to hear any difference if there are performance problems, the effect might be that MC gets sluggish.

[glynor]

What the Wiki says described how MC 18 behaved, but to my very pleasant surprise, MC 19 has played music from my NAS flawlessly. I thought it might have to do with its memory management.

No, I just wrote that a few weeks ago.  It is absolutely accurate for MC19.

I think you are confusing the storage of media files with the storage of the library, becuase you haven't been able to set up your library on the NAS so how come you're now saying it's workedflawalessly?

Right.  The "Library" has nothing to do with the place where the media files are stored.  It refers only to the database MC uses as the back-end.  Read the Wiki article again.

You absolutely can store your media on a NAS.
You can, but should not, store MC's "Library" (the database) on a NAS.

One Question, i want to buy this NAS: Synology Diskstation 2413+

This is definitely not a 'slow' NAS. Fast enough to set my main library to a directory on the NAS?

All NASes are slow compared to a local disk.  Even if a NAS is able to "peg" a Gigabit ethernet link, that is still limited to around 100mbps (and hardly any consumer-class NAS boxes will even come close to that).  A modern SSD can do 400mbps without blinking an eye.  And, those are sustained throughput figures.  Random access times on a NAS will always be an order of magnitude worse than their performance when doing a sustained read (aside from perhaps very-high-end "Enterprise-grade" SAN systems).  Access to the database is mostly random-access (tiny little bursts of reads and writes) while media playback cares more about sustained read throughput.  Again, though, you can put your media (music files, video files, etc) on the NAS, you should not put your Library on the NAS (MC's database listed in the Library Manager).  This is mostly due to random access performance.

Is there an exception to this rule of thumb in the event that the NAS acts as a DLNA server?
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/DLNA#Using_DLNA_--_Finding_DLNA_Renderers_and_Servers

What MrC said.  That's not relevant.  The DLNA server is a server, and works through an entirely different mechanism.

[glynor]

If you are talking about storing your media files (the FLAC, MP3, and video files) on a NAS, this is fine, and has always been fine.  I've stored mine on network volumes since MC12 (or maybe earlier).  If this is what isn't working, then something else is wrong.  Probably permissions or a general network problem.

[psam]

One Question, i want to buy this NAS: Synology Diskstation 2413+

This is definitely not a 'slow' NAS. Fast enough to set my main library to a directory on the NAS?
Or can i get troubles with MC, because it's to slow?

Anybody using this NAS?

I am using the 1813+. This is same CPU, memory etc. with the one you are looking into, but only 8 Hard Drive bays compared to the 2413. Also the smaller model expands up to 18 hard disks instead of 24.
I am using two individual PCs using the same NAS folders to keep my media , so I keep the library on SSDs local to each of my my PCs.
The libraries are around 30MBytes each and the thumbnails around 1.5 Gbyte, on the SSDs.
The Synology NAS delivers from 75 to up 130 Mbytes/sec  to either PC, which is reasonably fast
You'll never feel you have slow transfers with this machine assuming you will be going through CAT6.

[dean70]

I use the 1813+ with library files running from NAS. Use a managed switch with link aggregration with 3 active ethernet connections to NAS so that multiple client PCs are not competing for bandwith on a single interface.