Changing Recorded TV location from \\localhost\... to \\server\...

[wayner]

I am running Sage for WHS and it is using \\localhost\TVshows for my Recorded TV location. I would like to change this to \\server\TVshows. This is effectively the same location but how the file path shows in wiz.bin should be more robust as it should work properly for all clients on my LAN, would it not?

Therefore can I just follow the instructions for changing the folder name that were give for moving from drive letter to UNC and then use the advanced method for moving files.

In other words - go in and modify the Video Recording Directories path from \\localhost\TVshows\ to \\server\TVshows, stop Sage, change the advanced_video_file_recovery=true, start Sage, let it read in the files and then stop sage and change advanced_video_file_recovery=false?

A suggestion for Sage - perhaps you should change the default for video recording directory from \\localhost\... to \\server\... assuming that you can read the server name as this will be more robust for Sage users in the future.

[gplasky]

Since both paths are actually the same you could probably get away with adding the new path \\server\TVshows first and then remove the \\localhost\Tvshows path. I had done that with my WHS server as I moved drives into the pool. Didn't seem to have to use the advanced recovery setting.

Gerry

[matt91]

I agree. I've "moved" paths that are really just a different name by simply adding the new pathname, then deleting the old.

Sage can still see all the files, and so it updates the wiz.bin after a few minutes (or maybe next restart, can't remember) automatically.

[wayner]

But will this change the path to the file in wiz.bin - or will it stay with the \\localhost\ which is fine on the server but will cause errors on cllients?

The reason I ask is that I am using SJQ and it can do processing of the files on the clients. When it tries to process (i.e. Comskip, Transcode) a file on the client I am concerned that it will read the path from wiz.bin as \\localhost\TVshows rather than \\server\ and this will cause an error as this path does not exist on the client, just on the server.

I believe, but I am not 100% sure, that the Advanced File Recovery causes Sage to rebuild the wiz.bin database of files found in the TV Recordings folder(s) with the current filenames.

[bjp999]

You wouldn't have problems playing back the show on the client, but would have trouble with comskip.

Take a look at this post. I think you would need to follow this procedure to get the shows updated to point to the "\\server\path" UNC name. (Many thanks to Andy for helping me get this working on my system).

Link

[wayner]

Thanks bjp999 - I think this should be pretty easy for me as I don't have to do steps 1&2 - I just have to change the recording folder from \\localhost\... to \\server\... I don't have to actually move or copy the files since they are already in this folder - I am just using an alternate name for the folder that maps to the same location. Therefore I also don't have to do steps 3&4.

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by wayner

Thanks bjp999 - I think this should be pretty easy for me as I don't have to do steps 1&2 - I just have to change the recording folder from \\localhost\... to \\server\... I don't have to actually move or copy the files since they are already in this folder - I am just using an alternate name for the folder that maps to the same location. Therefore I also don't have to do steps 3&4.

I just want to try to clarify things for you, in case there's any remaining confusion. Let's say your recordings are in \\localhost\Recordings right now. As far as I know, you can't get Sage to directly change that to \\server\Recordings, but you can get it to change to a different shared folder name, e.g., \\server\SageRecordings. Basically, in order for Sage to update your recordings to the new UNC path, e.g., \\server\SageRecordings, you need to empty the \\localhost\Recordings folder, and move everything to \\server\SageRecordings. If you didn't move things into a new folder, Sage would simply continue to look at \\localhost\Recordings, see those files are still there, and happily let things continue as-is for previous recordings, using the new path only for new recordings. So, the basic steps are:

1. Create a new shared folder \SageRecordings
2. Add \\server\SageRecordings as a recording directory
3. Close Sage. Move recordings to \SageRecordings folder
4. Start Sage. Sage should automatically update file paths
5. Check the video storage location for some recordings in the stock UI to verify it is using the new path
6. If it's working, remove \\localhost\Recordings as a recording directory and delete it

That's probably not the best explanation, and maybe you already gathered that from the posted link, but I wasn't sure based on your previous post.

I should also caution that it's been a while since I did this, and maybe Sage did something to make it easier. But, I was pretty sure this is what I had to do when I switched over to UNC paths about a year ago. There is an entry in the Sage FAQ about how to do this. You should probably make sure my directions match the ones in the FAQ.

[wayner]

Are you sure that I have to actually move the recordings from one folder to another? I want to avoid this as I have about 1.5TB or recordings and I am pretty sure that moving them will take a long time, even when it is on the same drive pool of WHS.

I thought that the advanced file recovery essentially rebuilds the wiz.bin database with all of the recordings in your recorded TV folders.

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by wayner

Are you sure that I have to actually move the recordings from one folder to another? I want to avoid this as I have about 1.5TB or recordings and I am pretty sure that moving them will take a long time, even when it is on the same drive pool of WHS.

It doesn't seem like it should, but I don't really know how that works when you're dealing with drive pools. In any case, you wouldn't even have to move the files, you could rename the share and create a new share with the old name.

I thought that the advanced file recovery essentially rebuilds the wiz.bin database with all of the recordings in your recorded TV folders.

It's possible. Quite frankly, I really don't know what that property does. The general FAQ has an older section on moving recordings (before the property existed) and it was pretty clear that you had to do something special to get existing recordings to change. The newer thread that covers moving recordings doesn't get into that. You could always try it and see what happens. It shouldn't do any damage (but backup your wiz.bin just in case), and would be pretty easy to try. After trying it you should be able to tell if it worked by looking at the details of a recording using the stock UI. I think at the bottom it tells you the file location.

I'd be interested to hear your results if you give it a try. Maybe Opus will pop his head in and provide some wisdom. Either way, I think the How to move files FAQ should get updated.

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by reggie14

It doesn't seem like it should, but I don't really know how that works when you're dealing with drive pools. In any case, you wouldn't even have to move the files, you could rename the share and create a new share with the old name.

I'm not sure WHS would like or even allow that if the shares were created in the console. Moving 1.5T of files will take a while but it'll probably be necessary, imho. Be sure to turn off folder duplication for the shares in question until the move is complete, that'll help some.

EDIT:
After re-reading there may be nothing to move. I thought \\localhost\sharename was out of the pool and you were moving the files into the pool. You should just be able to change the name in setup to \\WHS\sharename with advanced_video_file_recovery set to true.

[bjp999]

When Sage records a show, it remembers the full pathname it wrote the file to so that it can replay the file.

It will use that full pathname to play back the file, EVEN IF THE ORIGINAL RECORDING DIRECTORY IS NO LONGER A VALID RECORD DIRECTORY OR HAS BEEN RESPECIFIED USING A UNC. You can see the full pathname by looking at the detailed properties of the recording. You'll see they still refer to \\localhost.

Updating the recording directories has no impact on these existing recordings, but new recordings will be cateloged properly, and therefore comskip will work with these new recordings from client machines.

For comskip to work on a client with the older recordings, you need to get SageTV to recatalog the directories for the existing recorded files to use the UNC filenames (\\server\...) that are also accessible by the client.

The method is to use the advanced_video_file_recovery feature, but there is a catch. Sage will only recatelog recordings that are not accessible using their existing full pathname. So you need to get them out of there. This is the reason you need to move the files to a different directory (or rename the existing directory if you prefer). Note that moving even 1.5T of files from one directory to another directory on the same disk will only take a few seconds and not require more disk space.

Maybe an example will help. Say you have a recording cateloged as "\\localhost\recordings\lawandorder1.mpg" and you want it recateloged to "\\sageserver\recordings\lawandorder1.mpg". Changing the record directory will have no effect. Running advanced_video_file_recovery will have no effect (because "\\localhost\recordings\lawandorder1.mpg" IS ACCESSABLE). But if you create a new shared directory called "recordings2", move all of the files from recordings to recordings2, and set \\sageserver\recordings2 as a record directory, then advanced_video_file_recovery WILL work, and you'll see it in the detailed properties as "\\sageserver\recordings2\lawandorder1.mpg". If you want to get it back into the "\recordings", you'd have to do this again, but this time move them into the "\\sageserver\recordings" directory. Make sense?

Refer back to my prior post and Andy's referenced instructions. It will only take a couple minutes and all of your recordings will be properly recateloged.

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by bjp999

Note that moving even 1.5T of files from one directory to another directory on the same disk will only take a few seconds and not require more disk space.

That may be true if there is only one drive in his WHS pool but I doubt that's the case and I don't think shares can safely be renamed if they were made in the WHS console. There's no guarantee that creating a new share will place it on the same drive in the pool. If he has to move the files to recatalog them it will probably take a long time.

[bjp999]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

That may be true if there is only one drive in his WHS pool but I doubt that's the case and I don't think shares can safely be renamed if they were made in the WHS console. There's no guarantee that creating a new share will place it on the same drive in the pool. If he has to move the files to recatalog them it will probably take a long time.

I am not a WHS expert, but know Windows XP pretty much inside and out. Didn't realize that these "pools" would make moving files more than just a renaming event.

The next thought is renaming the shares, but you said that could be problematic too.

The last thought is just forgo comskip on preexisting recordings, but know that it will work going forward. If the hurdle is too high to move all those recordings, that may be the best option.

[S_M_E]

WHS is a different animal to be sure.

Shares are created differenty but after relooking at the WHS console again I found out that the share CAN be renamed in the share's "properties" so moving the files shouldn't be needed if just renaming the share will work.

[wayner]

So then I should rename the folder in WHS, change the video recordigns directory to the new folder, run Advanced recovery and then reset the name back to the original and change the Video recordings folder to \\server\TVshows. Does that seem to be the suggested course of action?

[S_M_E]

Not quite the way I understand it but I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong.

I think he's saying you have to rename your share in the WHS console, set the new name as the recording dir and run advanced_file_recovery. Then you repeat that process to get the name back to the one you had originally.

IE:
rename \\localhost\TVShows to \\WHS\SageTV and change the recording dir in Sage (advanced recovery should pick that up)

Then rename \\WHS\SageTV back to \\WHS\TVShows and change the dir in Sage again (advanced recovery will pick that up again.)

Why not just change it once to \\WHS\SageTV and forget about \TVShows; that would save you time...

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

IE:
rename \\localhost\TVShows to \\WHS\SageTV and change the recording dir in Sage (advanced recovery should pick that up)

I'm not entirely sure if this is necessary, but after renaming the share to \\WHS\SageTV, I'd create an empty share accessible at \\localhost\TVShows.

Plus, I think it's sort of important how you order when you shut down Sage. I'd do it this way: Create an empty share at \\WHS\SageTV, and add it as a recording directory in Sage. Shut down Sage. Get rid of the empty \\WHS\SageTV share. Rename the \\localhost\Recordings share as \\WHS\SageTV. Create an empty share at \\localhost\Recordings. Start up Sage with advanced recovery on. Make sure things work. Remove \\localhost\Recordings as a recording directory.

Why not just change it once to \\WHS\SageTV and forget about \TVShows; that would save you time...

Agreed. Though, this might force you to change things like DirMon, if you have it set up.