Do I need multiple servers

[delgross]

Right now I have my HTPC running Sage 4 as a server with what I guess you call the pseudo client interface.

I have just built a much nicer client which I intend to make the main HTPC and move the Sage Server to the basement.

I have the system working now with a client license on the new machine. However, I had some difficulty keeping my ripped DVD's and music on the local machine and playing them with the client. So to get things running I moved the DVDs and music to the server.

If you followed that here is the question. If I were to purchase an additional sage server license would I be able to connect the new machine to the server in the basement, buit still keep the dvd and music files local??? I know the answer iprobably is that you can do this with the client, but for some reason I was unable to get it to work and I would also rather not have all the dvds and music running over the network.

Thanks,
ED

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by delgross

I have the system working now with a client license on the new machine. However, I had some difficulty keeping my ripped DVD's and music on the local machine and playing them with the client.

You need to make sure that the media files reside at the exact same path on both client and server. That means either mapping the drives the same on both, or more easilly, using UNC paths.

[delgross]

I thank you for your reply. I did have it said up this way. I must misunderstand how the client works. If I set it up with UNC paths and the music and DVDs are on the client hard drives don't the files move from client HD to sage server back over the network and then back to the client???

ED

[sleonard]

You did not misunderstand, content not on a system w/ a full copy of sage will be sent first to the server and then streamed to the client but if you were to set up the 2nd system w/ a full copy of Sage as a slave to the 1st then each server could stream it's own local content directly to clients (which would be the psuedo-client on the 2nd system in your case).

[delgross]

Well thank you. That was kind of my impression. As an aside. Will the second copy of Sage Server pseudo client be able to act as a client to the copy of Sage server on the machine with my decoder cards??

ED

[Opus4]

If a 2nd full copy of SageTV is used as a client, then it acts just like a client; it is not a server too. What it does allow you to do, though, is also use that PC as a network encoder so that encoders in that 2nd PC can be used by the main server.

There has been a fairly recent change in the way clients work regarding streaming media... the client will now try to access the file directly. If it can do so, it will play the media w/o having to stream through the server (that's the new part). If it can't access the file directly, then it will stream through the server, as it has done in the past. (Edit: except for something like a ripped DVD, as stanger89 mentions, below -- that requires direct access & can't be streamed.)

- Andy

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by delgross

If I set it up with UNC paths and the music and DVDs are on the client hard drives don't the files move from client HD to sage server back over the network and then back to the client???

Not necessarilly, it's more complicated than that. For example, I'm pretty sure DVDs are read directly from disc (hence the need for direct access). I assume all formats that require direct access are not streamed.

Here's a post by Narflex on the subject:
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...36&postcount=5

FWIW, I don't know why you'd want all the storage (read noise/heat) in the client anyway

-edit

I should read, I see Andy already mentioned the direct reading thing.

[delgross]

A thanks to Andy. That clears things up. The main reason I want most of the storage on the client is convience. The new machine has two raptors in a
raid 0 array. It burns DVDs fast. I don't want to have to copy the files over the network after I rip them.lSame with music.

ED

[ben_95sl1]

Just have the moving of files to the server automated by dirmon which runs a custom batch file whenever the files exist on the client - if you know what I mean. It would start moving files almost immediately after they were copied over. Dirmon info is in the customization section of the forum.