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[ferday]

i've never done multiple MC installs before, but a smoking deal on a new computer has me moving to a dedicated HTPC/desktop workstation combo in the next few days (i currently just use one desktop)

i would like to have the main MC running off the new PC and have the HTPC as a client, but would like to do tagging operations, etc. from the client likely most often, but still have the option to do some file management while i'm on the workstation

is there any tips/anything i should know configuration wise right off the jump, to help eliminate some painful forum searching?

thanks

[mwillems]

Things I wished I knew about library server setup before I started:

1) Some tagging/library maintenance activities can only easily be done from the server:

a) Adding/Changing cover art
b) Changing library views or theater view schemes
c) Renaming files/Changing the location of files on a disc from inside MC
d) Importing new items into the library
e) Ripping CDs

And I'm sure there are a few others.  There are workarounds for some of these: you can use remote desktop software like Teamviewer to do 1,2,3, and 4.  You can use a separate special purpose "maintenance" local library on a client to do 1, 3, and 5, and then move the files to folders on the server (see 2.b below for how that might work).  But generally, if neither box will be headless and all other things are equal, make the server the box that's easier for you to get face-time in front of, it will make your life easier  

2) Everything works much better if you share the directories/drives on the server over the network and either map them the same way on the client or use UNC paths in the library.  For example, if all of your audio is in a directory on your server called "X:\Audio," share the server's X: drive over the network and then map the resulting share to the X: drive on your client so the client sees everything as X:\Audio as well (or just use UNC paths). That does two useful things:

a) The client can access the files directly through the share which means that playback is less dependent on the server computer to serve and transcode files.  File access just works much better this way.
b) If you have autoimport setup to watch the shared directories on the server, then you can prepare, tag, and rip files in a separate library on the client box and then just dump them into the shared directory.  The server will then automatically pick them up and read all the tags, etc.

3) Turn off auto-import on the client box, it can lead to mischief the way the system currently works.

[Arindelle]

excellent post once again MWilliams -- that should be stickied.

One thing to add maybe, is the autosync option.

I do almost all of my tagging and maintenance from a client ... syncing tags between client and server does not happen in real time, and it goes both ways. If you have a long tagging session, I find this best to turn this option off and manually sync when the tagging is done -- as the loaded library is a "virtual" one and is not being written to directly until the sync takes place. The autosync happens reasonably often but happens in both ways. So if you spend 20 minutes tagging some 6 cd box set you could find that the server has re-synced your work to the state it was in before you put in all of the work.

I tend to leave auto sync on for playback stats and things, but serious tagging and maintenance I keep it off

Options=>Media Network=>Client Options=> Autosync ....

Manual sync File=>Library=>Sync

In this way the staging area referred to can be just a temporary directory in the watched "shared folders". Put a tag like incomplete or retag, and you can have immediate access and keep files separated without creating a separate library. All you have to do is take off the tag and from the server (or teamviewer) use the Rename, Move, Copy command (for which you can make presets customized to your main directory structure if you want/need) and move them on the server.

PS -

Also you might find it convenient at first to restore the server library backup to the client, which can port all of your database structure and settings -- redoing the audio and video options are often much faster than doing over your views and other customizations you might have done and want on the client.  Afterwards, you can select all files on the client and delete them form its "Main" library. (Every local install has a "Main" Library). You will be loading the server library after this work around if this suits your workflow of course. You can rename this to Server Library or Downstairs or whatever to avoid confusion.

In your case of course this would be very handy as none of the settings would have to be changed except that the old PC would become the client -- so zone options, audio, settings, auto import probably hve to be tweaked. One thing on this approach. On the old PC (now your new client) - even if you want to keep the same zone settings you may have to rename or recreate them on the client. If you want to show and control the server's zones from the client; there could be conflicts if the naming is exactly the same.