Best way to setup database on NAS?

[daztrue]

I've just bought MM and so haven't begun building libraries yet. But my music is stored on my NAS and I have two PCs, both of which I've installed MM on.

From looking at the MM options I can see where the database is stored, but I want any tips about the best way to combine two local databases into one on the NAS - or at least have the two PCs accessing the same one on the NAS.

I managed to overcome what many consider the impossible by doing the same with iTunes; I just want to know if there's either an 'official way' or any other success stories that may be helpful.

[Teknojnky]

MM uses sqlite database, you can specify the database location in the mediamonkey.ini file.

see @ http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... 49&nav=0,2

that said, performance will typically be very slow and highly likelyhood for corruption.

in general, databases files do not perform well on NAS's.

[daztrue]

Thanks. The link also mentions the option of moving the .ini file in order to share settings. I DON'T want to share with other accounts on the same PC - for that the link suggests moving .ini to ProgramFiles\MediaMonkey, which means sharing settings with all accounts on the PC.

I only want to share the database and settings with my own account on my other PC, so I want to know if, like the MM.db file, I can move the .ini file to the same networked location (still editing it of course). Or does the .ini file have to be somewhere in a default MediaMonkey path? If so, would there be some other way of accessing a networked database from just one account per PC? Could it be done whilst keeping .ini files local?

[Lowlander]

To access the database on the network you don't have to move the ini file, just add the DBNAME line pointing to your new DB location.

The ini can only be in 2 locations which are the original and the Program Files location.

[Teknojnky]

moving the database and moving the medimonkey.ini are entirely independent.

if you do not want shared settings, then you will have to modify each users mediamonkey.ini to point to the new location.

more details and info @ http://www.mediamonkey.com/wiki/index.p ... ediamonkey

the information there applies to both an external drive or network share.

[daztrue]

To access the database on the network you don't have to move the ini file, just add the DBNAME line pointing to your new DB location.

From links I've already read on this thread, aren't most configurations stored in the .ini? Wouldn't that mean that if I changed any settings on PC1, I wouldn't see them when opening on PC2, due to the .ini files remaining local? And couldn't this also cause conflict?

if you do not want shared settings, then you will have to modify each users mediamonkey.ini to point to the new location.

As I mentioned, I have an account on each of 2 PCs, and want them to access the same MM DB on my NAS. 2 other users on my PCs also have an account on each PC, for whom I wish to create the same setup, meaning 3 NAS account-based MM DB - 1 for each user.

Having viewed your wiki link, are you sure about installing MM on my NAS - especially as it's Unix-based? Plus, it states that the .ini file would have to be in the same directory as the MediaMonkey.exe file. Why is this, considering that it isn't by default? With these instructions, considering that I want to store each DB in a location only accessible by the individual user (excluding the administrator), that would imply that I'd have to install MM on my NAS 3 times!

The ini can only be in 2 locations which are the original and the Program Files location.

Surely it must be possible to have the setup I want without installing on my NAS? If not, would it be possible to install MM to shared network folder and rename .ini files in order to include more than one in the same directory? Then, after editing, each user could still have their own DB stored in their own share, each using its own .ini file with a specific name.

[Lowlander]

No, you need to modify the ini for all PC's that want to use the DB on the NAS to point the DB on the NAS. So on all PC's the ini file require the addition of DBNAME=path.

Unless you wish to setup the Virtual CD or Previews no other changes are needed to the ini file and different ini's wouldn't affect the database.

[Teknojnky]

its very simple

move your database to your nas in a shared location: \\nasname\sharename\mm.db

add the line to mediamonkey.ini for each user that will use the shared db

DBNAME=\\nasname\sharename\mm.db

again, and especially if you have a large database, you may find that performance is not that great stored on a nas, and be sure to make backup copies of the db often in case of corruption.

[daztrue]

No, you need to modify the ini for all PC's that want to use the DB on the NAS to point the DB on the NAS. So on all PC's the ini file require the addition of DBNAME=path.

I understand about the editing of the .ini, but just to clarify, are you stating that it's still fine to have the .ini files for both PCs in their local/default paths, with the DB on the NAS, even though config data (as I understand it) is stored in the .ini? As I mentioned before, I'd picture settings being made on one PC and not being manifested on the other.

move your database to your nas in a shared location: \\nasname\sharename\mm.db

add the line to mediamonkey.ini for each user that will use the shared db

DBNAME=\\nasname\sharename\mm.db

Again, I understand this part, but you make no mention of moving the .ini files, which makes me think you're talking about accessing them locally - which again raises the issue I've just mentioned to Lowlander.

Unless you wish to setup the Virtual CD or Previews no other changes are needed to the ini file and different ini's wouldn't affect the database.

I do want to set up these features as well, and from what I've seen in Teknojnky's wiki link, wouldn't this require installation on the NAS? If so, would there be any way of setting the .ini with separate syntax for each of the databases I want to put in the separate locations on the NAS?

[Lowlander]

Yes, as mentioned there is no problem keeping the ini files local. Of course settings will only affect the local PC, but this gives no problems when sharing a database between different computers.

[daztrue]

Yes, as mentioned there is no problem keeping the ini files local. Of course settings will only affect the local PC, but this gives no problems when sharing a database between different computers.

As I suspected - unfortunately. What exactly do the .ini settings consist of, and could this type of setup cause confliction or effect integrity?

Unless you wish to setup the Virtual CD or Previews no other changes are needed to the ini file and different ini's wouldn't affect the database.

I do want to set up these features as well, and from what I've seen in Teknojnky's wiki link, wouldn't this require installation on the NAS? If so, would there be any way of setting the .ini with separate syntax for each of the databases I want to put in the separate locations on the NAS?

As I want these features, that's not going to really work practically by keeping the .ini files local - is it? What about the above question regarding Teknojnky's wiki link?

Also, it states that it's possible to have "shared settings while still having independent databases". I understand that that means individually-located databases with the .ini in the Program Files folder installed on the NAS (unless there's another way), but as mentioned above, I need to know exactly what the .ini settings consist of in order to know whether it will be practical for me.

[Lowlander]

could this type of setup cause confliction or effect integrity?

As said before no.

As I want these features

Then just makes sure you set them up in all machines the same way.

[daztrue]

How would local .ini files affect the Virtual CD and Previews settings?

[Lowlander]

The settings are stored in the ini file, but the track links are stored in the DB. Thus all PC's must have the same setup for this to work. Tools > Options > Virtual CD & Previews

[daztrue]

Me again!

The settings are stored in the ini file, but the track links are stored in the DB. Thus all PC's must have the same setup for this to work. Tools > Options > Virtual CD & Previews

After emphasising that track data was stored in the DB I realised that all would be okay as long as settings were kept the same. However, it just dawned on me (although I think I know the answer!): what is the exact purpose of the following paths? I'm guessing that they store temporary files whilst using these features.

c:\users\<username>\appdata\local\MediaMonkey\VirtualCD\
c:\users\<username>\appdata\local\MediaMonkey\Previews\

Also, if at any point I choose to change any settings, will it be stable to do so on one PC, close MM and then open MM and make the same changes on the other PC?