[Approved] Powerscheduler network monitoring (share + traffic) (1 Viewer)

[tourettes]

Wouldn't call standard MS Windows functionality a hack...or perhaps I would

Hack doesn't have to be a bad code. It could also be a something that is not an optimal solution from the user point of view. Or maybe a better word for this one would be "kludge".

What I would like to see in addition to this patch an feature patch that would do following:

• send WOL to the server from multiseat client when tv plugin is accessed (EPG/live tv/recordings)
• send WOL to the server when any server share is accessed thru MP GUI

Then we would have an elegant solution for the S3/S4 for server. Both WOL and non-WOL server types would be supported.

As I see it WOL is only required to start the server when it's shutdown. This would be a rare use case...

Or in that case that user doesn't want to have his/hers server waking up constantly when no one is going to access the server. When working with MP that has bug crowd we need to think on a bigger scale than just a some specific use case when adding features.

 

[JBravo]

Another suggestion is to have PowerScheduler Client plugin to send the WOL to the server.

As I have understood it MP client always needs a connection to the server, reference https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/1-0-final-svn-builds-303/mp-client-cant-reconnect-after-connection-tv-service-lost-52455/#post366097

Then PowerScheduler Client plugin would be responsible for waking the server and keeping the connection alive.

 

[infinite.loop]

Another suggestion is to have PowerScheduler Client plugin to send the WOL to the server.

Yes thats what i meant.
WOL would be the prefect solution to go for.

 

[tourettes]

Another suggestion is to have PowerScheduler Client plugin to send the WOL to the server.

As I have understood it MP client always needs a connection to the server, reference https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/1-0-final-svn-builds-303/mp-client-cant-reconnect-after-connection-tv-service-lost-52455/#post366097

Then PowerScheduler Client plugin would be responsible for waking the server and keeping the connection alive.

Sounds like a plan When we are going to see such patch?

Indeed client needs always access to the server (sorry for forgetting that as I personally use only single seat installation). So when MP client is opened PS client plugin should send the WOL signal to the server and then this patch would keep the server alive as long as the client is alive.

 

[JBravo]

The keep alive part is also included here, https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/submit-patches-mediaportal-tv-server-etc-325/power-scheduler-keep-alive-fix-60782/.

The Network Monitor patch handles the case when no MP clients are running, but you want to keep the server alive when using other network services such as FTP etc.

So then it's only WOL that's missing to have a complete feature. By the way doesn't WOL require the server MAC adress?

I found some .NET sample code, downloadlink on the following page http://www.depicus.com/wake-on-lan/woli.aspx.

So is someone interested in putting the code in the right place?

 

[tourettes]

Yes, WOL requires the MAC address of server to be assigned. That's something the user needs to find out and fill to the settings of the client.

 

[netexplorer]

Hi,
for those who don't have MP client installed, but want to use the HTPC as fileserver or play a file with VLC, i have provided some small scripts. Maybe interesting.

 

[arion_p]

tourettes:
Perhaps MP Client could find the MAC of the server each time it successfully connects to the server and then store it in its configuration. This way if connection fails, the stored MAC can be used to wake the server up. If the user changes the configuration to use another server or somehow the server's MAC changes (i.e. because of change of net card or deliberately changed in advanced settings of net card properties) it will be automatically retrieved upon next connection. If at that time the server is down, the user can be asked to turn it on and retry (that will only happen once).

IIRC PowerScheduler already has some code that can get the MAC from the IP of the server (as long as the server is up and running) and also perform WOL on that MAC. It just isn't used right now. Perhaps when i'm done with another patch I'm working on, I could work on that.


Arion

 

[infinite.loop]

@tourettes:
Perhaps MP Client could find the MAC of the server each time it successfully connects to the server and then store it in its configuration.

i thought the same.

now we only need an volunteer to create this functionality as patch.

 

[sgt-suicide]

Greetings.

now we only need an volunteer to create this functionality as patch.

On a windows based host

arp -a

could be the way to go.

The mp client already knows the ip or hostname ( for watching tv) - after the first contact with the server we should find its mac-adress bext to the ip inside the local arp-cache of our client.

Alas I am not that big in c# but there bound to be a way to question this resource.
-

To pick up the discussion from an earlier point- to me the changes both JBravo and Disaster-123 are working on ( and providing btw) should gain much much more attention.

I agree with tourettes`s saying

When working with MP that has big crowd we need to think on a bigger scale than just a some specific use case when adding features.

but I think it won't take long for the average user to try out multi seat configurations. Since the start and spreading of NVidias ION platform as well as intels atom platforms the thought arises to buy more then one media pc for your home. Especially when it is much easier to provide tv via wlan than to install more cables...

By now the user will most likely run into trouble, as the standard powerscheduler is so eager to force the server into suspend mode. Actually - the last time I was watching a recording from a client, I hadn' t even time to select another one, because the server was already suspending.

To me the minimum adjustment should be a "grace period" in tvsever's powerscheduler, like maybe 5 minutes or so before entering suspend mode.