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[texaganian]

I've been running MC since before it was MC (waaaay back when JRiver only had Media Jukebox available) and I've always been a strong supporter and proponent.

Although I've usually been slow to upgrade to new versions, until now I've always been happy once I did.

15 is a completely different matter, however. I have all sorts of dislikes and disappointments with it but the whole thing reached a new low today.

I have a computer which I use when I'm working in my server room. I don't use this computer very frequently so it wasn't until a month or so ago that I installed MC on that computer. I installed 15.0.80 to match the version and build on my server and didn't have any trouble getting the new client to connect to the server (on port 4200, where I have it configured), load the library and stream music. I was busy at the time and forgot to install a license on the new client computer.

Today, the MC on the client computer complained that it need a license. So I downloaded and installed a valid MJR without any problem.

But now, no matter what I do, the client absolutely, positively will not connect to the server, giving the classic "Media Center failed to load the library 'MS00' and will attempt to load the previously selected library".

Note that I made NO changes to either client or server other than installing the .mjr license file on the client!

In previous versions when I'd occasionally run across a similar type of problem on a specific client I could simply tell the client to search/scan for a library beacon and it would work but that no longer seems to be available.

Bah! Humbug!

Anybody got any suggestions on how to make this work?

[JimH]

Please try build 132 from the top of this board.

[texaganian]

Installed Build 132 on server and the client. Still won't connect the old skool way of using hostname:port or ip:port.

It was a little bit painful, though, as the new build didn't retain my server configurations when I installed it. That surprised me.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding... is it no longer possible to select a defined server via File > Library > Load Library or via Library Manager and connect successfully? I ask because the client will connect using File > Connect to library and then supplying the access key but that approach doesn't fit my usage needs very well.

[Alex B]

Note that I made NO changes to either client or server other than installing the .mjr license file on the client!

The license installation doesn't change anything that would affect the server connection.

In previous versions when I'd occasionally run across a similar type of problem on a specific client I could simply tell the client to search/scan for a library beacon and it would work but that no longer seems to be available.

The layout of the "connect window" may have changed a bit, but otherwise this works for me exactly as it has always worked.  (  File > Library > Load Library > Connect to Library > Library Server: Search... )

Installed Build 132 on server and the client. Still won't connect the old skool way of using hostname:port or ip:port.

I have the server stored as "ip:port" in the list of libraries and it works fine. Double-check the address and port. If your PCs get the IP addresses by using DHCP maybe the addresses have changed.

It was a little bit painful, though, as the new build didn't retain my server configurations when I installed it. That surprised me.

Installing a new build on top of an earlier build has never changed my server configuration.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding... is it no longer possible to select a defined server via File > Library > Load Library or via Library Manager and connect successfully? I ask because the client will connect using File > Connect to library and then supplying the access key but that approach doesn't fit my usage needs very well.

The access key system just gets the IP and port numbers from a JRiver server (i.e. Library Server sends that info there). After the client has received the IP and port numbers it connects in the standard way. Since the Access key system works the problem is probably outside MC. If you are using NAT the access key system may return your server's external IP and that may explain why it works even when you have a problem with the local IP address or name resolution.

[texaganian]

I'm not real sure how to take your response. You seem to spend most of it just denying simple realities which I reported.

1. I agree, the license installation shouldn't change anything. But the ONLY change I made on my entire network was to install the license on this client and now the client won't connect. That is simply a fact.

2. I did finally find Search but thanks for the pointer to it anyway. It used to be available at File > Library > Seach and also within Library Manager. Seems to me it should still be available in Library Manager. Library Manager seems to have been gutted.

3. As I said, nothing else changed anywhere on the network other than installing the license. I had entries both as FQDN:port and IP:port (just in case my DNS servers both went down, though that hasn't happened in the past 10 years). These entries were not changed. Nor did the server IP (which is static) change. Nor did the port.

4. Installing a new build on top of an old one may never have changed your server configuration but when I installed 15.0.132 over 15.0.80, the Library Server port config was changed from 4200 (where I have run it for years and years) to the default.

5. Since nothing else was changed on any computer or piece of equipment on the network, logic dictates it the problem couldn't very well be outside of MC. External addresses and NATs are not involved. Both the server and this client on on the same network segment. The server has a static IP. No changes were made on the server when this change in behavior occurred. The ONLY thing that I did was install the license on the client and now the same server definitions on the client which used to work no longer work. It doesn't make any sense to me either that installing the license should change any behavior but then bugs are intended and therefore don't necessary follow logic. Simply denying that it occurred doesn't seem to be real useful, though.

I haven't checked my logs but I'm pretty sure I skipped version 14 (and maybe even 13). In version 15, it kind of looks like the "Old Skool" Library Server method of connecting clients may be deprecated (or at least on it's way to deprecation) and perhaps isn't getting the sort of attention it should. Hopefully someone in the know will let me know if this feature is indeed headed toward retirement and I can look at the newer approach to see if it suites my needs. I'm beginning to think though (with this and a number of other issues) that I may just have to revert all the way back to version 12 (which was always rock solid steady for me and really met my needs) and stay there.
 

[craigmcg]

Just a quick question- having found the Search library function, can you connect to the server from that client? If so you should be able to copy/paste the URL into the library manager (File>Library>Load Library>Library Manager>Add). This was the way I found to be easiest for me to set up my client PCs.

[texaganian]

It was a little bit painful, though, as the new build didn't retain my server configurations when I installed it. That surprised me.

Ugh! Change that from "a little bit painful" to VERY painful. It blew away all my carefully constructed View definitions. Argh! Definitely major pain for me.

[rpalmer68]

I haven't checked my logs but I'm pretty sure I skipped version 14 (and maybe even 13). In version 15, it kind of looks like the "Old Skool" Library Server method of connecting clients may be deprecated (or at least on it's way to deprecation) and perhaps isn't getting the sort of attention it should. Hopefully someone in the know will let me know if this feature is indeed headed toward retirement and I can look at the newer approach to see if it suites my needs. I'm beginning to think though (with this and a number of other issues) that I may just have to revert all the way back to version 12 (which was always rock solid steady for me and really met my needs) and stay there.
 

The "old school" way isn't dead, in fact only in the last couple of builds things like syncing to a handheld via a LS client using the HH Cache on the server and Deleting have been added.

Can you just confirm, is the client connecting using access Key or that's no working either? 

[texaganian]

Just a quick question- having found the Search library function, can you connect to the server from that client? If so you should be able to copy/paste the URL into the library manager (File>Library>Load Library>Library Manager>Add). This was the way I found to be easiest for me to set up my client PCs.

Well, the problem is solved although why it occurred is still a mystery.

I deleted the server entries in Library Manager and recreated them with the exact same definitions (in fact, copy/pasted) and they work! Curiouser and curiouser...

Now, sigh, I just have to go recreate all my view defs that build 132 blew away. Argh!

[texaganian]

The "old school" way isn't dead, in fact only in the last couple of builds things like syncing to a handheld via a LS client using the HH Cache on the server and Deleting have been added.

Can you just confirm, is the client connecting using access Key or that's no working either? 

Access key did work. Pre-existing server definitions in Library Manager did not. Most curiously, blowing away those definitions and replacing them with new ones with identical content fixed it! Quite odd.

In the process, I did note some of the new capabilities of the "old school" client/server set up. In my case I definitely want the clients to be read only most of the time (anything else would be a real disaster) but that still seems to be possible. And the capability now to make changes on a client and push them back to the server manually is a HUGE win! That's really cool, as long as I can still keep the default to not pushing changes back.

[texaganian]

Ugh! Change that from "a little bit painful" to VERY painful. It blew away all my carefully constructed View definitions. Argh! Definitely major pain for me.

Aha! Pain alleviated!

I forgot to mention that I was complicit in the pain because, in my haste, I'd failed to take a manual backup of my library before upgrading to 132.

But JimH reminded offline that MC for quite a while now has taken automatic backups and, yes, there was one sitting there that saved my bacon!