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Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitialscan=

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:53 am
by phibertron
I assume that if the following were setup
that upon server start or restart a database update would NOT occur
Am I understanding that correctely?

# Force a database update at startup (skipped by default with scantime=0)
forceinitialscan=0

# -1 for evented, 0 for disabled, positive value for rescan time in minutes
scantime=0

I also assume that if I have the above settings
that any media copied to a file share etc.
the below setting would allow for that media to be added to the database

# bitfield to enable/disable content discovery methods
# (1=Shared Folder Enumeration, 2=File System Events, 4=Import Items File)
contentdiscoverymode=7

Am I understanding that correctly?

As I think the above settings would hopefully allow those people
who have massive media collections
to not have to wait for the database to update on startup

If this is the case, of which I have not tested yet

Re: Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitials

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:30 pm
by winxi
Hello phibertron,
did you already test it? Is really possible with twonky 7.x (or even 6.x) two disable this annoying rescan at startup?
Thanks, winxi

Re: Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitials

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:02 am
by phibertron
No I havent had time to test it yet,
I have been banging away on the new web interface
Still a work in progress, I have made a lot of progress though

http://www.twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10627

Without much knowledge of it, this is what I do know from playing with it briefly

If one did this, it will not scan at startup

scantime=0
forceinitialscan=0

However...

It will also NOT detect any media file additions
It appears that contentdiscoverymode relies on scantime being set

contentdiscoverymode=7

So what can we do about that...
Well we can do a couple of things

Either through the gui config page or through an rpc call invoke a rescan
This is the same as a startup scan

http ://<server_ip_address>:9000/config
http ://<server_ip_address>:9000/rpc/rescan

Or through an rpc call, set scantime=-1
which does allow for the contentdiscoverymode to work as intended

http ://<server_ip_address>:9000/rpc/set_option?scantime=-1

The problem with changeing the scantime is it writes it to the server ini
so thus upon reboot/restart your back to the problem


You have two more choices

1a. set twonky to not start automatically
1b. write startup scripts to start twonky and invoke setting it to -1
1c. write shutdown scripts to setting it to 0 and then have it shutdown twonky

And an optional addition could be to write some timed event script for

http ://<server_ip_address>:9000/rpc/rescan

If you were curious about rpc calls

How to manage Twonky Server with URL RPC GET SET commands
http://www.twonkyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9364

Re: Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitials

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:19 pm
by winxi
thank you very much for your effort, i will test this when a 7.x version is available for nas. it's just a pity that the twonky developer is not willing to implement the simple option to turn off this unnecessary and annoying (at least for people with large media collections) rescan at startup.

winxi

Re: Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitials

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:05 am
by phibertron
No problem
Remeber the sqeaky wheel is supposed to get oiled...
I think as they adjust to the there new direction, the users and or there business market
might force/make them add more requested features
buy being more vocal, maybe the community site willl help with endeavor, time will tell

Re: Twonky 7 skip startup database update with forceinitials

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:50 am
by phibertron
I found a now solution to part of the problem

On windows the settings for the service are located in the registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\TwonkyServer\

This is the default setting for startup of the service
ImagePath = C:\Program Files\Twonky\TwonkyServer\twonkystarter.exe -serviceversion 0

We can add the scantime=0 to the startup like this
ImagePath = C:\Program Files\Twonky\TwonkyServer\twonkystarter.exe -serviceversion 0 -scantime 0

When the service is started it will not do a rescan of the database

1. doing this overides whatever scantime is set to in the server ini
2. it will not overwrite the scantime in the server ini (which is a good thing)
3. but if you want to be able to have media detected when added or deleted -1 is needed

To get the server to do that
Issue an /rpc/set_option?scantime=-1
or
/rpc/restart
or do it from the web interface gui
which will read then from the server ini not the service startup
as this is not a service startup, but is a self restart, they are two different things

I think the best option would be to issue an /rpc/set_option?scantime=-1
via a delayed script that runs post service startup