Accessing videos on network shares

[d2tw4all]

Ok I'm flooding the forums with posts, but I'm really trying to get this sagetv config nailed down before I bite the bullet and pay for it. I have a windows server hosting video files on a freenas device. It's unclear to me how best to present those files to SageTV. Do I need to map a network drive or is Sage UNC aware? Also do I have to do this on the backend, or each frontend, or both? I'd love some step by step guidance here!

Tom

[Fuzzy]

It is recommended that you use UNC paths. Mapped drives are not visible to windows services (as drive mapping is a user level action). You only have to set it up once (just add it to sage's list of 'Media Center Import Directories'). This can be done from any instance of the Sage UI (Client, Extender, Server), and only needs to be done the once.

[d2tw4all]

ok that's good, my other question then is, the windows server requires permissions for access to the share, where do you specify what permissions to use when using UNC?

Tom

[Fuzzy]

Best option is to just remove the protection from the share. Just removes potential complciations, and really, what are you trying to avoid by having it protected?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by d2tw4all

ok that's good, my other question then is, the windows server requires permissions for access to the share, where do you specify what permissions to use when using UNC?

Tom

If you're running a full Sage setup, it's best to have your service set to run as a user with permission to access those shares. I created a user on my server (which runs sage) and my NAS, both named Sage and with the same password and I gave this user access to any share I want it to be able to use. I have the Sage service set to run as the the user Sage and thus it can access all those share.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Best option is to just remove the protection from the share.

IMO that's never a good idea, always better to have things password protected. Every one of my machines has a user with a password, and all my shares are password protected.

And no, that doesn't mean I have to go around entering passwords all the time. My machines are set to auto log in so I never have to enter a password to log in, and I generally use the same user/pass combo on all my machines so I just give that user access to the shares and I can browse all my shares without ever entering a password, yet I don't lose any of the security benefits.

Just removes potential complciations, and really, what are you trying to avoid by having it protected?

People who "borrow" your wireless network for example. If you've got it set up right, it's just as transparent as having no passwords on anything.

[d2tw4all]

Ah yes that's a really good idea, I just need to create a DVRUser account on the windows server and then each frontend and as long as they all have the same passwords it should work. HOWEVER the only thing is, while the backend service you can run under a different user context, the frontends are running the client under the logged in user's context so I guess I'd have to autoadmin login with the DVRUser login on those, or use some kind of CPAU to kick off sage loading...

Tom

[korben_dallas]

Originally Posted by d2tw4all

Ah yes that's a really good idea, I just need to create a DVRUser account on the windows server and then each frontend and as long as they all have the same passwords it should work. HOWEVER the only thing is, while the backend service you can run under a different user context, the frontends are running the client under the logged in user's context so I guess I'd have to autoadmin login with the DVRUser login on those, or use some kind of CPAU to kick off sage loading...

Tom

The client machines don't need direct access to the NAS device. So long as the SageTV Client application can, wherever it is running, connect to the SageTV server, then it will have access to everything the server has access to, through the SageTV client/server food chain.

[Fuzzy]

There are performance reasons to let th clients have direct access to the storage though (using UNC paths, so it s exactly the same path). This way the clients only have to stream direct from the storage, instead of NAS -> Server -> Client.

As for the security issues...

1. There isn't anyone I don't trust on my network, and THAT is secured. I guess if someone WAS able to break into my house, and hook a laptop up to my router, and then guess my routers admin password to allow it access, THEN i guess they would have unrestricted access to watching my movies...
2. I still have password protection on my important shares... but really.. movies?

[toricred]

If I remember correctly (I don't use clients anymore), the user the client is running as has to have at least read permissions to the UNC path if you're using comskip files.

[Fuzzy]

Correct, all Sage will pass through the Server-Client connection is the media file itself. If you have other files, such as comskip, then the client needs to have access at the exact same path.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by d2tw4all

Ah yes that's a really good idea, I just need to create a DVRUser account on the windows server and then each frontend and as long as they all have the same passwords it should work. HOWEVER the only thing is, while the backend service you can run under a different user context, the frontends are running the client under the logged in user's context so I guess I'd have to autoadmin login with the DVRUser login on those, or use some kind of CPAU to kick off sage loading...

Tom

When I ran a client, it was under a different account than the Sage ran as on the server, but both had access to all the shares. No issues.

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

The client machines don't need direct access to the NAS device. So long as the SageTV Client application can, wherever it is running, connect to the SageTV server, then it will have access to everything the server has access to, through the SageTV client/server food chain.

For recordings that's true, but for comskip files and DVDs, the clients need to directly access the UNC paths.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

As for the security issues...

1. There isn't anyone I don't trust on my network, and THAT is secured. I guess if someone WAS able to break into my house, and hook a laptop up to my router, and then guess my routers admin password to allow it access, THEN i guess they would have unrestricted access to watching my movies...

There's nobody else on my network, but I still use passwords. I run my wireless with encryption and SSID broadcast disabled, but it's not that secure.

2. I still have password protection on my important shares... but really.. movies?

Why not, there's no down side IMO. I use user level security and all my users have passwords. If I share something I just give the users access that need it (which is well me and sage if it's a media share).

I've had way more problems with share level security, always seems fiddly, especially if not all your machines are running the same version of OS. I've run Linux, XP, Vista, 7, and Server 2003 and never had any trouble when using user security. The boxes I have (laptops) which have Home (XP or Vista) that only have share security were always a royal PITA.

[d2tw4all]

Ok got it working, created a new account on the server, and created same account on backend box. Then I just used the frontend to add the folders, it saw them all so the backend obviously routes all the data. Works well too, saw all my video files, very nice!

Tom

[jeffmart]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

It is recommended that you use UNC paths. Mapped drives are not visible to windows services (as drive mapping is a user level action). You only have to set it up once (just add it to sage's list of 'Media Center Import Directories'). This can be done from any instance of the Sage UI (Client, Extender, Server), and only needs to be done the once.

Hi;

I am having difficulty with this step. I am migrating from SageTV v6 on Mac OS X to v9 on Windows 10. My NAS is a Synology which has worked well with Sage for years. I think I need lover level understanding of the config/mapping of the import directories and the recordings directories.

Do I have to have the user name of my Windows Server for Sage v9 the same as the username of the NAS recordings and import directories?

in the Mac world, my Mac logon is Jeff and my Synology Logon sagetv
do I have to change them both to be the same user name for the windows user and the sinology user account?

[jeffmart]

Originally Posted by jeffmart

Hi;

I am having difficulty with this step. I am migrating from SageTV v6 on Mac OS X to v9 on Windows 10. My NAS is a Synology which has worked well with Sage for years. I think I need lower level understanding of the config/mapping of the import directories and the recordings directories.

Do I have to have the user name of my Windows Server for Sage v9 the same as the username of the NAS recordings and import directories?

in the Mac world, my Mac logon is Jeff and my Synology Logon sagetv
do I have to change them both to be the same user name for the windows user and the synology user account?

Further:

my NAS server name is: SynologyDS213j
user ID on NAS is: sagetv

in the SageTV v9 Service control panel I have "Change user" set to: \\SynologyDS213j/sagetv
then the password

now above that section it says: Run service as user: \\SynologyDS213j/sagetv

I do get an error: "A dependancy or service failed to start"

on the client end, in Detailed Setup-General-recordings directory I go Up Directory to the root, and Specify Directory: \\synologyds213j\

the Directory is not found.

I think I am out of ideas at the moment

[newyankee]

In my case, the NAS is set for unrestricted access, but the key point is to be able to access the NAS from the windows server. If you can open the NAS share from the Windows Network icon, you are good to go.

In Sage, you can assign a import path or recording directory path in the detailed setup. The Sage UI confused me at first, but you can "browse" to the share by moving up the directory tree.

[graywolf]

First think you need username sagetv defined as a Windows user.
Then I think in sagetv service it would be./sagetv

You run the sagetv service as a Windows user that has access to your NAS

[jeffmart]

okay, thanks for the ideas.

I can connect to the NAS drives from windows itself
I could try a windows account names sagetv as suggested but first, I wonder about the error I receive

error: "A dependancy or service failed to start"

I may try a Sage TV re-install or repair

[graywolf]

I'm thinking it was from how you specified the NAS username
I would try first using a Windows user and see if you still get that error

[jeffmart]

Originally Posted by graywolf

I'm thinking it was from how you specified the NAS username
I would try first using a Windows user and see if you still get that error

okay, so the error is gone but the SageTV client (HD200) cannot browse to or map the (specify) the network drive.

I changed the NAS user name from sagetv to match the windows username (Susan) and set the password of the NAS username to match the windows account password

I have changed Run service as user to : Susan

I am able to open the folder on the NAS drive with the media and recordings are stored, by simply clicking on the NAS Server from the Windows Explorer window, in the Network section. I did not specifically map the drive.

should I map the drive?
where in the Setup>Detailed Setup> Recordings Add Directory should I find the folder by Browsing. I use up directory to the Top where I see C:\ and D:\ and Network
selecting Network returns invalid directory and none of the folders I can view while browsing are the NAS folder I am trying to specify

[newyankee]

One general purpose method is to select "search" in the main extender menu. (Assuming v9)

Search/ Browse File Systems/ Browse the SageTV server's Network/

then go from there .. workgroup, system, share, files


Then there is Detailed Setup/ General/ Media center import directories