Problems setting up a shared library and database

[kazadharri]

OK,
I had all my tracks set up on a laptop with an external drive while I was deployed. Once I got home I wanted to bring them over to a shared home network I have. The problem is now I can not get the files (tracks) to display correctly and play through the network. They are greyed out. And I have followed the FAQ, and tried the change driver script, so PLEASE DO NOT point me there.

Here is want I wanted to have ended up with. A single database and library that I could play from any PC on the network, or wireless through the laptop, and be able to update rating, play count etc.

Here is what I did.
1. Downloaded and installed a new copy of MM gold to the server pc. (am just running a peer to peer network, but have one PC which has the majority of the files and data on it- acting like a file server)

2. Copied over the other files and folders (scrips, preview, etc...) from the laptop to the PC.

3. Made the changes to the MM.ini file as in the FAQ and placed a copy of it in the server PC's C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey folder. Laptop has the same file in its MM folder.

4. Moved the MM.mdb file from the laptop to the the server pc my Doc folder. So there is one MDB file, and it is on the server PC.
path>>> \\Jeffsoffice\my doc-jeffoffice\My Music\MediaMonkey\MediaMonkey.mdb

5. Added the line DBNAME=\\Jeffsoffice\my doc-jeffoffice\My Music\MediaMonkey\mediaMonkey.mdb in both the laptop and server MM.INI file

6. Made sure the external drive was attached to the PC, and was able to be shared across the network. It has a local name of F drive on the PC, and is called \\jeffsoffice\zen in the network. All music files are on this drive.

So I figured everything would be good. But....

With the server PC everything seems to be ok. The Library for the drive appears, and all the songs, including rating, play counts etc....

But the Laptop through the network is not working. All the songs are greyed out, so I tried the moved HD script and it did not work, even though I made the changed in the scripts INI file. It gives me the error that "MM_HDD.vbs can not be ran".

It does look like the complete library is there, but the songs are un available (greyed out). I can "see" the all the tracks in the libary view..

So I tried the missing files/tracks method. Nothing showed up. So I am at a loss...

I also setup the file monitor start-up scan on the LAPTOP, but in 2 hours it had only scanned 2000 or so tracks out of 18,000 and it appeared to be actually adding tracks to the library as duplicates??? With the network path, and the other being the "local" path
Please help.
If there is a log file, or other information needed please let me know.

Thanks,
Jeff

[emalvick]

OK,

4. Moved the MM.mdb file from the laptop to the the server pc my Doc folder. So there is one MDB file, and it is on the server PC.
path>>> \\Jeffsoffice\my doc-jeffoffice\My Music\MediaMonkey\MediaMonkey.mdb

5. Added the line DBNAME=\\Jeffsoffice\my doc-jeffoffice\My Music\MediaMonkey\mediaMonkey.mdb in both the laptop and server MM.INI file

6. Made sure the external drive was attached to the PC, and was able to be shared across the network. It has a local name of F drive on the PC, and is called \\jeffsoffice\zen in the network. All music files are on this drive.
....

Thanks,
Jeff

As you've stated, the DB is being shared properly since you are seeing all the files... What is wrong is the locations of the files. Your DB file is probably referring to the F: drive on the PC. Once you access that DB on another computer, it can't find the files on their own F: drives (if they even have an F: drive).

What you need it to refer to the "\\jeffsoffice\zen" as the root path for all your files. All of your computers (even the PC) will be able to find the network path.

This should work. Now, I haven't done this directly, but rather I mapped my network path to a local drive name that was consistent for all network computers. I.e. I use the M: drive as a mapped music drive on each computer. I'm not sure it's ideal, but it works sufficiently for me... (I've heard that using the direct network path is quicker).

Erik

[kazadharri]

OK,
That sounds like a fix. How would I change that in teh database file?
I tried uesing the one script but it did not work. And I don't have a copy of access?

[emalvick]

Well, I am not terribly knowledgeable on these things myself, so that is where my solution using an M: drive came in.

Outside of Media Monkey I made the folder a share on the network and mapped it as the M: drive on ALL computers, even the computer the music is stored on.

So, on the server I have a folder D:\Music\. I made that folder a share and mapped it as the M:\ drive using my Windows Explorer and the Network Browser. So, the server now has an M:\ as do all the other computers.

In MediaMonkey I then scan on the M:\ drive instead of the D:\Music\. This way when any computer runs MediaMonkey it can see the M:\ drive and access the files.

Again, it probably isn't ideal, and if you can see a way to set up the database by scanning the database directly \\server\music that might be better. My knowledge of these things is limited, and I work off of a directly wired network, so I don't see many speed issues except when I first connect to the network after a reboot (seems to take a bit to find the M:\ drive).

This little work around doesn't require messing with the Access file directly but rather relies on MediaMonkey to scan the network. It does run faster for the scan if you run it off of the server computer since there is essentially no network to really run through when you scan the M:\ drive (or whatever you use). It will be a bit slower than scanning the local hard-drive since the computer has to resolve the M:\ to LocalDrive connection, but it isn't bad, and not worse than what you will see once you have the network shares setup.

Erik[/i]

[GSV3MiaC]

I think the network drive is actually the better solution - it's real easy to change the network drive mapping if the music source moves (as it will when you upgrade the PC it was on, or if you have to move it for space reasons, or whatever).

Fixing the location for all files is pretty easy if you have a copy of Access - someone probably has a script for doing it without. You can have 90 days free trial of Office Vista for the cost of the download, but I'm not sure that extends to MSAccess.

[emalvick]

I think the network drive is actually the better solution - it's real easy to change the network drive mapping if the music source moves (as it will when you upgrade the PC it was on, or if you have to move it for space reasons, or whatever).

Fixing the location for all files is pretty easy if you have a copy of Access - someone probably has a script for doing it without. You can have 90 days free trial of Office Vista for the cost of the download, but I'm not sure that extends to MSAccess.

The drive letter is definitely the easier solution, which is why I use it. I've heard people state that the direct network connection is generally faster, although I can't say I've observed the same (but I'm not expert).

I just notice that when a drive letter is mapped that my computers seem to find the network shares a lot quicker, and it has been sufficient for me...

Plus as mentioned, it is very easy to find a drive letter (and replace it if you find the right software) than to put a whole network path in place.

Shouldn't a person be able to change the paths within MediaMonkey as long as the relative folder structure is the same? ... I thought I remember changing my "D:\Music" root to "M:" and everything working (but I'm not at a computer with MM at the moment). That may have involved a rescan, but I don't remember.

[GSV3MiaC]

I've done it a couple of times but I'm using VCD, so most of y files on the the VCD path, which you can change, and I have MSAccess so I can poke around that way too.

All the paths in the songs table are stored relative to the media, so it really shouldn't be too hard for MM to provide a way to substitute a new media description for the old one .. whether network, local disk, or even URL.

[kazadharri]

OK,
I think I got it to work, mostly>...

I deleted the old MBD file and replaced it with the back up, and did the find missing tracks from the Laptop not the Server PC. It looked like is found all the files except for 250 of the song in various albums.

Can I just do a rescan of the library?

Also I noticed in the INI file of the server PC the file scan if the F drive not the Network path. Do you think that will cause duplicate files to be added?

[kazadharri]

OK. It is working now except for a few "missing tracks" it could not find on the network drive but which I know are there, because I can physically see them in Explorer. And the Server has them on the "F" drive. Sso I may try to move them off the drive and then back into the drive if I have file monitor running it should pick them up??

another question? Since I am sharing the MDB file between the Server and the laptop other computers, is there even a reason to have file monitor running on the laptop and other computers, as long as it is one the server running??

All updates to the database should be pointed at the MDB file on the \\server\

/Jeff

[Lowlander]

When you share the database only one PC would need to have the filemonitor running.

Did you try going through the Location node to confirm that the missing files aren't actually in the library?

[GSV3MiaC]

I've done it a couple of times but I'm using VCD, so most of y files on the the VCD path, which you can change, and I have MSAccess so I can poke around that way too.

All the paths in the songs table are stored relative to the media, so it really shouldn't be too hard for MM to provide a way to substitute a new media description for the old one .. whether network, local disk, or even URL.

OK, there is actually a script for changing the media .. see
http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... ive+change

[kazadharri]

On "misplaced" tracks I have have went through the location an here is what I have.

The misplaced tracks are here:
F:\done music\<album artist>\<album>\<track no.>-<album>-<title>

But they should be here

\\jeffsoffice\zen\done music\<album artist>\<album>\<track no.>-<album>-<title>

The problem is F is the local drive name (map) and Zen is its network name.

Mybe I can just try to reorganize??

/Jeff