MP with media server

[ryan20021982]

Ok I am building a media server to store all my movies and music and have a question about the IMDB info

I will have 2 media centers accessing this server and both will have MP installed

My question is can I also install MP on the server (will be running xp so I know its fine)

and then point both media centers to the file on the server with the IMDB info

instead of scanning for IMDB on both media centers???

Would be so much easier if I could just scan with the server and both media centers

would update to what it has.

I dont have the server built yet waiting for parts but wanted to ask to see if anyone has tried

something like this.

thanks in advance

[piranha]

Yes, I actually use shared database. It's fine as long you have only one client writing to the db at the same time.
I map a share of the server as a drive to each workstation, and change the location of the databases in "c:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\MediaPortalDirs.xml"

<Dir id = "Database">
<Path>t:\Database\</Path>
</Dir>

It is not recommended to change the MediaPortalDirs.xml directly, as you would need to apply the changes after each upgrade.
In theory it should work if you place this file in My Documents, but it never worked for me this way.
It is also important that the shares added to My Videos are present on each client (map the shares to the same drive letters).

I also change the <Dir id = "Thumbs"> dir, to have all the thumbs, fanart located in one place.

[ryan20021982]

Cool thanks for the reply

I wont have a problem with only one writing to it at a time cause

I was planning on using the server to scan everytime and was thinking

not even having the media centers connected to the net so that will work great

thank alot

[piranha]

Just remember, this will make ALL your databases shared. TV, Music, TV Series, Moving Pictures etc..
You cannot have only one shared this way.

[ryan20021982]

Ok thats fine that will actually work great since I will have a tuner card on 1

and will be able to watch the shows from both

[2BitSculptor]

I'm surprised that MP doesn't have a built-in config function for assigning client to server dB with write restriction. It could get the server name from the client's tvserver set-up or browse for the server, and then know where the db is located.

(dreaming again)

Chuck

[piranha]

You are assuming that those 2 are on the same server. But that assumption doesn't work for everybody.
Some people do not use TV part at all, what to do then?

Changing the XML file is not a big problem for those who want this type of behaviour. Note that write restriction cannot be applied, as the db contains info about watched episodes etc, and need the write permission. The only issue you may have now, is if 2 or more clients try to write at exact same moment (which is very unlikely).

[2BitSculptor]

Actually, I was trying to allow for the TV server and Media db being on separate machines... I was looking at the quick and dirty result first, if TVServer was present, then auto select that machine, unless you wanted to change it by browsing to another machine which might hold the media database (or select local machine as db location).

by write restriction I meant polling the network to see if a write activity was being done by another client., then wait for it to be done before a write attempt (isn't that how most clients work that use a central db server?).

Not everyone is up to the task of changing xmls directly... and an automated configuration system would also accommodate the generally lazy people (like me) .... imagine if all the configurations for the system had to be done by direct xml edit, I wouldn't bother with the software if it didn't have a GUI . ... although, I remember building 3D objects by entering xyz coords and surface attributes with a text editor, and then rendering with a long command-line string (I've REALLY gotten lazy)

Chuck