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[flac.rules]

Hello. I have a problem while using the library server function, first a little background on the setup:

Computer A: Is the computer running the Library Server, it has no AV running, it has several drives with media (the drives are attached to a hardware raid card). The computer is connected to a gigabit switch.
Computer B: Is a server with a quad-core xenon, no AV, and directly connected to the same gigabit switch. It runs Server 2012 R2, and also Win8 on wmvare.
Computer C: Is a portable dual-core computer (a Macbook air running windows 7), connected with wifi. (a RT66UU that works as a router for the network, the gigabit switch mentioned above is also connected to this router)

I have tried running a Library client on both computer B (both on the server 2012 install, and the wmware install of win8), and computer C. The library client is playing from the library server. On all machines I get a similar problem. It works fine some minutes, or some songs, then CPU-load starts to increase quite a lot. (to about 25%), after that, at seemingly irregular intervals, the GUI starts to freeze up totally for a minute or two, before it springs to life, and plays maybe for another 10-15 minutes with high CPU-load, before the gui hangs up abit again. The song plays fine while the GUI is unresponsive, however, if a song change happens, the next song doesn't start before the GUI is responsive again.

A quick rundown of the major findings so far:

- Browser engine makes no difference
- Using a local library, but populating it with the same networked files that is on the library server (by mapping up drives), does NOT have the same problems. It is ONLY when using the library server function.
- Selecting "use local files if available" on the client while having the network location mapped (but using the library server) seems to make no difference.
- Using play from memory seems to lessen the CPU load, but it is still high, and the main problem, then GUI hang ups still happen.
- The library server itself exhibits no apparent problems, CPU load is 1% or less throughout.

However be advised that not all the above mentioned tests have been run on all three setups (server 2012, win8 virtualized and Win 7 native on computer C), I have however reproduced the problem on all three setups several times. I also have two more computers I can test on if needed.

I have a pretty wide range of hardware so I can test quite a lot of configs in that sense. I have tried to keep the first post pretty short and concise, but more information is available, if needed, so just ask.

Any help is appreciated.

[JimH]

You've got a lot of complexity.  Try simplifying it.  Reduce the number of variables to a minimum.

Test without VMWare and without Windows Server.  Use Win7 or Win8 for both.

Test only two machines, one a client and one a server (Library Server).

Test copying large files at the OS level, to see if there is a problem with the networking itself.

Network hardware can often cause problems.  A bad NIC, or set wrong, for example.

Using a local library, but populating it with the same networked files that is on the library server (by mapping up drives), does NOT have the same problems. It is ONLY when using the library server function.

[JimH]

It works fine some minutes, or some songs, then CPU-load starts to increase quite a lot. (to about 25%), after that, at seemingly irregular intervals, the GUI starts to freeze up totally for a minute or two, before it springs to life, and plays maybe for another 10-15 minutes with high CPU-load, before the gui hangs up abit again.

What type of files are you playing?  Have you tried a single file type, for example?

[flac.rules]

You've got a lot of complexity.  Try simplifying it.  Reduce the number of variables to a minimum.

Test without VMWare and without Windows Server.  Use Win7 or Win8 for both.

Test only two machines, one a client and one a server (Library Server).

Test copying large files at the OS level, to see if there is a problem with the networking itself.

Network hardware can often cause problems.  A bad NIC, or set wrong, for example.

- I will test without Wmware and server on a third computer if that is ok, I would rather not reinstall the core os on computer B.

- To clarify, only two machines are used at any on time, I have not used several clients connected to the MC library server at the same time. I have just tried different setups to eliminate possible problems, and gain more information.

- Large file copying caps out at 125 MB/s and stays there the whole time (in other words, maxing out the network speed)

- I have checked the network hardware settings, and updated all drives, I couldn't find any obvious problem (that is, i had teaming setup, but i have turned it off now, but it doesn't seem to solve it). But i could try mapping up the the media drives on another computer (since that seems not to cause problems), and then run the library server on that computer. That might(?) give an impression if the network card is the problem.

[flac.rules]

What type of files are you playing?  Have you tried a single file type, for example?

Flacs and MP3 files only. Playing just flac makes no difference. I can check only mp3, and only video.

[flac.rules]

A question, i have another computer on the network that does not have the same problems (that is, the CPU is a bit high sometimes, but the GUI never hangs), this computer has a different setup of MC, so I want to see if i can pinpoint any setting that might be part of the problem, so

1. Is there some way to reset all options to default? Clear library doesn't seem to do it?
2. Is there some way to compare settings between two installs other than manually checking all options and noting the differences?

[JimH]

1.  Uninstall and remove registry settings.  You'll lose everything MC except the license.

2.  No.  That seems unlikely as a cause though. 

A corrupt library or file would seem more likely.