Move to SQL server instead of db3 file? (1 Viewer)

meesham

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  • February 15, 2009
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    I agree with fforde on this one, for the amount of data involved I don't believe moving to SQL server will provide much improvement. The ideal solution would be for the client not to access the database directly anyway, have the server access the database and media and then provide the video stream and all the other data to the clients. There's then no need for the same location for media on each of the clients, and also allow for moving to something like a linux or web frontend for the clients. This is obviously outside the scope of mp-tvseries, but it's nice to dream :)
     

    Caramel

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    February 1, 2007
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    I personally would love to see a move to mySQL db, my current setup has a linux fileserver with a collection of hdd's running samba (allowing me to symlink my series folders from accross 4 hdd's to one share directory). My MP machine has a CF Card for a hdd and has absolutely no 'data' stored on it (just windows install and MP) it gets ALL of the MP info from a samba share (even the skin cache is on the share) all done just by changing the MediaPortalDirs.xml.

    The advantage of a mySQL is that i can run that on the linux server and would also allow me to use the same db easily for php web pages etc (to display tvseries files/data and ultimately stream video to laptop/pda/?phone?) I am also trying to figure an easy way to display episodes that i am missing etc.
    Yes i know there are sqlite plugins for php but try using one successfully on the version of sqlite that MP uses before even mentioning them (they SUCK in a bad way.. most are for REALLY old versions on sqlite... cause most PHP devs don't bother with it and use mySQL or other *real* db options).

    Just my 2c

    Caramel.
     

    Hameno

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    January 29, 2009
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    Why do you think this is more relevant now allanp81? What advantages would changing the database engine bring for TV-Series? SQL Server clearly has many many advantages over SQLite for enterprise level applications. But for something as small scale as TV-Series, Moving Pictures (or even MediaPortal!), it in my opinion only complicates the user experience.
    Well, personally i have over 8k Episodes on a nas-server! And to have a central ms sql/my sql db would be great so that they dont have to be scanned on every htpc, which takes about 3h on initial import...
    also i think it would be more performant.
     

    Zasurus

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    I personally would love to see a move to mySQL db, my current setup has a linux fileserver with a collection of hdd's running samba (allowing me to symlink my series folders from accross 4 hdd's to one share directory). My MP machine has a CF Card for a hdd and has absolutely no 'data' stored on it (just windows install and MP) it gets ALL of the MP info from a samba share (even the skin cache is on the share) all done just by changing the MediaPortalDirs.xml.

    The advantage of a mySQL is that i can run that on the linux server and would also allow me to use the same db easily for php web pages etc (to display tvseries files/data and ultimately stream video to laptop/pda/?phone?) I am also trying to figure an easy way to display episodes that i am missing etc.
    Yes i know there are sqlite plugins for php but try using one successfully on the version of sqlite that MP uses before even mentioning them (they SUCK in a bad way.. most are for REALLY old versions on sqlite... cause most PHP devs don't bother with it and use mySQL or other *real* db options).

    Just my 2c

    Caramel.

    I like Caramel above would like to access the db from another application. For me it is the program I wrote that gets my shows and currently it can't read the db3 db or write to it for fear it will currupt it :-( (mind you I am on the forums as I have just managed to currupt my db3 file anyway when my PC crashed watching a show but another story! ;-)).

    I am also interested in starting to add clients in other rooms but have been putting it off because of the single client problem. I personally curently only use TVSeries (you are my life! ;-)) and have over 6k of episodes currently and any I have watched and lost in a HDD crash a few years ago.

    So to sum up I would want a multi access DB for both multiple clients but also so I can access it from other applications to check what stuff I have watched and what I don't have yet... :)

    I don't really care how it is done but the fact I want to access it by other application would really mean I would want SQL Server setup :) And as I have just spent 9 hours trying to recover my crapy db3 file I would like something that has REAL tools and backup so again SQL server of some sorts. :)

    Just my 2 cents! ;) :sorry: LOL

    Zas
     

    fforde

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    I think your kind of missing the point. Using a different database engine has absolutely nothing to do with multi-seat support or being able to access the database from a separate application. I don't know why everyone acts like MS SQL Server or MySQL is some magic bullet for multi-seat support.
     

    disaster123

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    i think nobody knows the technical part. It's more like:
    - tv-series does NOT work on multiseat - even if you share the databasepath over windows network - the db get's corrupt very often (have to restore it ones a week)
    - with mysql nobody will have seen corrupt databases in these case

    so everybody thinks the solution is MS SQL / MySQL
     

    aj1405

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    I think your kind of missing the point. Using a different database engine has absolutely nothing to do with multi-seat support or being able to access the database from a separate application. I don't know why everyone acts like MS SQL Server or MySQL is some magic bullet for multi-seat support.

    I think a lot of people (me included) want a central database, so they can have the same database on all their clients.
    - When you add new entries it's shown on all clients
    - Same watched flag on all clients

    At the moment the only solutions for this are:
    - Use a central SQLite database on a fileshare as described in the wiki. This solution requires you only use one client at the time.
    - Use a file sync tool to distribute the SQLite databases to your clients. This creates problems if you modify something in the database on multiple clients between file sync cycles. SQLite also does a complete database/file lock when you do read/write operations which make the file inaccessible.

    For this to work 100% you have to use MS SQL and MySQL which can handle multiple concurrent connections, something SQLite doesn't support.
     

    joz

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    I agree with aj1405. Concurrency is the main issue in multi seat setups (afaik) and sqlite is not made to handle concurrent transactions, MySQL and MSSQL on the other hand are so it's a logical choice especially since the tvserver needs the same (for the same reason I suppose)
     

    Zasurus

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    I think your kind of missing the point. Using a different database engine has absolutely nothing to do with multi-seat support or being able to access the database from a separate application. I don't know why everyone acts like MS SQL Server or MySQL is some magic bullet for multi-seat support.

    No I understand. And I disagree. It MAY be possible to crate a "multi-seat" system on a SQLite db structure for ONE application but as "aj1405" pointed out bellow SQLite does completely lock the complete DB file during read/write operations making it next to impossible to use with more than one application at once.

    Don't get me wrong I understand what you mean by it not being the complete solution due to the system needed to make sure one doesn't write over the others changes and that if one made a change the others would need to be constantly checking for those changes to be up to date (especially before making there own changes) for me multi-seat is a second problem and something I wanted for the future as I currently don't have more than one PC accessing this DB (don't get me wrong I DO want to be able to do this soon! ;-)).

    I was only trying to say that out of the choice of DB types (file or full server SQL) I would like it to swing towards server SQL so it can ALSO be access (maybe only for reads and a few writes to its own columns/tables) with db like access and sqlite they don't handle this very well (or at all! ;-)).

    Hope this makes more sense? :confused: :D

    I didn't mean to upset you fforde :oops:

    Regards,

    Zas
     

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