[Usability] WatchDog improvements (2 Viewers)

[regeszter]

I am working for an new solution.

• The 4. option will be removed
• The 3. options will check if the TV Server is local or remote and will automatically get the files from the remote service.
  
• The stop/start tvservice function will be do the same.

 

[regeszter]

v4:

• The original screen restored (have only 3 options), the WatchDog will decide if the TV Server is local or remote.
• The start/stop TV Service works on local and remote too.
• The WatchDog remembers the last folder.

 

[azzuro]

hum,
i'm not sure, if remove the 4 choice, is good solution.
i think the 4 can be usefull.

 

[regeszter]

hum,
i'm not sure, if remove the 4 choice, is good solution.
i think the 4 can be usefull.

Why?

 

[mm1352000]

My idea to create an watchdogservice for TVE. It could comminicate the wachdog.exe and could collect/zip the logs locally and send to the watchdog client.

Hmmm, okay. To be really honest I don't think I like this plan.
Reason: installing a second service just for collecting log files seems quite extreme. To make it work perfectly would maybe require quite complex code and definitely careful testing:

• install service successful, with firewall access
  
• uninstall service successful and clean (registry, files)
• supporting all the configurations/scenarios:
  • MP only
  • MP + local TV Server
  • MP + remote TV Server
  • local TV Server only
  • remote TV Server only
• TVE 3 vs. TVE 3.5 vs MP2 Native TV (...or maybe you only care about TVE 3?)

IMHO the best solution is the simplest, and simplest seems to be to only support collecting logs from a local TV Server (with or without MP installed). For the remote case, people should set up TeamViewer/RDP/Radmin/whatever on their server, and then just run the watchdog on the server.

Anyhow, let's see where this goes...

Remote control for tvservice is not planed only add an application for user to collect the local and remote log as easy as we can.

What is the menu "manage remote TV Server" for, or do you intend to remove it?

v4...

Does this version fix the crash when MediaPortal.xml is not present?

 

[regeszter]

What is the menu "manage remote TV Server" for, or do you intend to remove it?

Why?

install service successful, with firewall access

I can install the service with /INSTALL from nsis installer.

uninstall service successful and clean (registry, files)

Same. Nsis can remove the service and the files.

remote TV Server only

What is this?

TVE 3 vs. TVE 3.5 vs MP2 Native TV (...or maybe you only care about TVE 3?)

What is the difference between TVE3 and TVE3.5 regards log folder and tvservice name? The WatchDogService do not interact with tvservice.

The MP2 guys have to write own watchdog.exe of course but they can connect the watchdogservice too.

Does this version fix the crash when MediaPortal.xml is not present?

Not yet. Thx!

 

[mm1352000]

I can install the service with /INSTALL from nsis installer.

I'm pretty sure this does not take care of the firewall. That has to be done separately.

Same. Nsis can remove the service and the files.

Yes, sure. What I was trying to say is that you have to write the NSIS script to make sure certain files are not left behind after uninstalling (eg. full product cleanup), or removed when they should not be (eg. remove only TV Server, leave MP installed). All of that can take quite a bit of testing/care.

What is this?

This could be any multi-seat installation where the client is not MP1. Maybe it is MP2, or XBMC... or are you only trying to handle MP1?

What is the difference between TVE3 and TVE3.5 regards log folder and tvservice name? The WatchDogService do not interact with tvservice.

It depends on how TVE 3.5 is installed: standalone, or as a plugin for MP2 ("Native TV").

If standalone:

• log location = for now same as TVE3 (c:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\log)
• service name = for now same as TVE 3

...BUT the logs have different file names - <log name>.log.<date>.<count> (eg. tve-35.log.2014-08-12.3). So, only including *.log in the zip file is not enough.

If MP2 plugin:

• logs = C# logging is written to the MP2 Server log files; currently C++ filter logging goes to the TVE3 log folder
• service name = there is no TVE service; only the MP2 Server service

The MP2 guys have to write own watchdog.exe of course but they can connect the watchdogservice too.

Okay... but then maybe TV Server should also get it's own watchdog?

 

[regeszter]

I'm pretty sure this does not take care of the firewall. That has to be done separately.

Right. I need to work on opening firewall.

Yes, sure. What I was trying to say is that you have to write the NSIS script to make sure certain files are not left behind after uninstalling (eg. full product cleanup), or removed when they should not be (eg. remove only TV Server, leave MP installed). All of that can take quite a bit of testing/care.

It is done, but need more testing.

This could be any multi-seat installation where the client is not MP1. Maybe it is MP2, or XBMC... or are you only trying to handle MP1?

The watchdog.exe part of the MP1 so you can not collect log from MP2 or XBMC now.

It depends on how TVE 3.5 vs installed: standalone, or as a plugin for MP2 ("Native TV").
If standalone:
log location = for now same as TVE3 (c:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\log)
service name = for now same as TVE 3
...BUT the logs have different file names - <log name>.log.<date>.<count> (eg. tve-35.log.2014-08-12.3). So, only including *.log in the zip file is not enough.
If MP2 plugin:
logs = C# logging is written to the MP2 Server log files; currently C++ filter logging goes to the TVE3 log folder
service name = there is no TVE service; only the MP2 Server service

The WatchDog.exe is part of the MP1. If the user install TVE3.5 as MP2 plugin, he/she can not use it with MP1 so the watchdogservice is not needed.

If the TVE3.5 is on same pc as MP1 and the log name is changed we need to change the current watchdog.exe too!

Okay... but then maybe TV Server should also get it's own watchdog?

We can named it as logcollector.

 

[regeszter]

@azzuro

I have finished the rework as I think.

• The WatchDogService can be deployed/removed by our installer.
• The windows firewall is opened by our installer.

I pushed my work to git. The branch is ready to testing.

 

[azzuro]

i must found time, for test it ....
thank you, i hope have more improvement on it .... for help tester & user for help tester lol