Strand File Server

[karlbock]

I am currently tyring to set up a file server for our strand shownet network.

 

I am using the IOFTP32 utility running on a windows 98 PC, the PC can see both of the desks (530i & 520 both running the latest software) and the node on the network when using the 'who' command.

 

The desks config files are setup correctly with the IP address of the file server PC and the desks show the name of the file server PC in the report screen however the problem that I am having is that the desks do not show the server PCs hard drive in the archive window (it should appear below the desks A:\ & C:\ drives).

 

Has anyone else had a similar problem and how can it be solved?

[JMC]

I don't know if this is on the right track, but try creating a directory in the root of the drive which you are running ioftp from called c:\shows\ - see if that helps it pick it up...

[strand600X]

you need the server software to see it

baz

[JMC]

Heh... or there could be that!

[karlbock]

Thankyou for the suggestions however all of our desks are running the server software and I have a c:\shows folder on the server PC. The only thing that I have not yet done is update the software on our Node however I do not believe that this should have any effect on what I am trying to achieve.

[JMC]

Can the desks see the server via Report > Diag > Net Diag?

[SimonW]

I had to set all of this up recently in order to do backups from a hired desk with a dead floppy drive. Admittedly I was running IOFTP from a virtual machine on a Mac, but the principle is pretty similar.

 

I found the entire process to be dependent on the order in which things are switched on - the fileserver seemed to need to be up before the desks. Also, if the desks couldn't see the fileserver, switching between LIVE and ARCHIVE a few times would often solve the problem.

 

Cheers,

 

Simon.

[Kazeja]

Can you pm the the config files for your console and server please?

[Andi_Davis]

Having established that you can see other devices on the network with a WHO command, you can test the status of your IOFTP32 application further by trying a LOGIN command. On the command line in the IOFTP32 window type:

 

LOGIN 192.168.0.68

 

This will attempt to log you into your main console (assuming the IP I've specified above is the IP of your main console, which it will be if you have a standard installation).

 

If you cannot login to the main desk successfully then IOFTP is not performing reciprocal communication between the the file server and other nodes, so you will not be able to save to the server (archiving in this way is basically an FTP transaction between the main console and the file server).

 

If this is the case, it may well be because you have not configured the Windows IP correctly. IOFTP32 shares networking responsibilites with the Win32 OS on which it is being run (in your case Windows 98). This means that you need to configure a manual IP address in Windows, and this address MUST match the IP you've assigned in the 220NODE.CFG file on the file server. If the Windows IP address is incorrectly configured you'll find that under some circumstances you can see other devices on the network using a WHO command, but are not able to communicate with them - which sounds a little like the scenario you describe. This is basically because a WHO command detects broadcast-only data from other nodes in the form of a 'heart beat' containing each device's IP. node type, and node name.

[karlbock]

I can see the server PC from the lighting desk ( Report -> Diag -> Net Diag) however the link status column says 'no link'.? This changes to 'OK' when I login into the lighting?desk from the server PC using the login command in IOFTP32.

 

 

 

I am 99.9% sure that?all of my network settings are correct on the Server PC as I can communicate both ways to and from the desk.

 

 

 

The Lighting desk can see the Server PC in Net Diag and in the Report Page however it does not appear in the Archive screen.

[Andi_Davis]

I can see the server PC from the lighting desk ( Report -> Diag -> Net Diag) however the link status column says 'no link'.? This changes to 'OK' when I login into the lighting?desk from the server PC using the login command in IOFTP32.

 

I am 99.9% sure that?all of my network settings are correct on the Server PC as I can communicate both ways to and from the desk.

 

The Lighting desk can see the Server PC in Net Diag and in the Report Page however it does not appear in the Archive screen.

 

Hmmm... slightly odd.

 

Have you tried moving showfiles between the main console and the file server using IOFTP? This will confirm for definite that your communications are running fine (althought I suspect from your posts that this is already the case). As a quick run down, on the file server do the following:

 

LOGIN 192.168.0.68 (assuming this is the IP of your main console)

 

CD \SHOWS (changes the main console's directory from \220OS to \SHOWS)

 

SHOWS (displays all showfiles in your main's SHOWS directory, showing both filenames and the show title, also indicating the presence of backup files)

 

LCD \SHOWS (changes your local directory path to the file server's SHOWS directory)

 

GET DEMOSHOW.SSF DEMOSHOW.SSF (substitute a real filename here! Select from the list generated by the SHOWS command...)

 

If the file transfer appears to be successful, double check the size of the transfered showfile via Windows on the server (there's a chance it may simply be an empty showfile shell, in which case the size will appear as 0kb!

 

If this process all works fine then you most definitely have a fully comminicating system... in which case I'm gonna have to scratch my head a bit more! Let us know how you get on...

[Kazeja]

Thanks for the config files, few things came up that I didn't realise that made me do a few experiments.

 

One thing that does need to be clarified. The server application allows the console on which the server application is installed, to interogate the hard drive(s) of other consoles/PC's on the network when in console mode as opposed to IOFTPDOSing.

 

Simple experiment I carried out with a console and a 510.

 

Instal the ci software and when prompted to do so, choose file server and install to a directory called c:\file. Ditto for cn.

 

Repeat the process and when prompted to fo so, choose 500 platform and install into a directory c:\500. Again, ditto for cn.

 

Edit the 220node.cfg files in both directories to the following.

 

In c:\file\220node.cfg, change standard setting to

nodeaddr = 192.168.0.61

nodetype = IOFTP

hostname = file

 

In c:\500\220node.cfg, change standard setting to

nodeaddr = 192.168.0.62

nodetype = 510i

hostname = 500

 

DO NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE OTHER PARAMETERS.

 

On your 500 console, edit your c:\220os\220node.cfg file line

 

file_server_addr = 192.168.0.61(or62)

 

Leave (if poss) all other settings in their default. OK, you can change node address, type, and name to suit your requirements, usual rules apply re no duplication of addresses and names

 

Power up the console.

If you've selected

file_server_addr = 192.168.0.61 then go to the pc/510, change to the c:\file directory, type neton, followed by IOFTPDOS.

 

When in archive mode on the console, you should be able to see the PC hard drive (assuming server is enabled on the console).

 

If youve selected file_server_addr = 192.168.0.62 in your console config file then fire up the 510 in console mode and once again you should be able to see the pc/510 hard drive (assuming server is enabled on the console).

 

You mentioned that

 

"I can see the server PC from the lighting desk ( Report -> Diag -> Net Diag) however the link status column says 'no link'.? This changes to 'OK' when I login into the lighting?desk from the server PC using the login command in IOFTP32"

 

This is correct. and suggest you try transfering shows as per Andi Davis instructions to verify the integrity of the network connection. It also implies that the network settings are configured correctly on the PC.

 

Also

"The Lighting desk can see the Server PC in Net Diag and in the Report Page however it does not appear in the Archive screen".

 

This will also be correct if you do not have server enabled on the console, or if enabled, them the 220node.cfg file is suspect.

 

If that is the case, suggest you go to a default 220node.cfg and ONLY change the

file_server_addr = 0.0.0.0

line to suit.

 

Enough waffle for now and will pm you the 2 example config files I used along with phone numbers should you wish to discuss when in front of a console.

[obsoperator]

Thanks to all, especially Kazeja. This thread was very helpful in getting a Dell Inspiron 2650 laptop running (in DOS, I've given up my Win98 and Win95 machines) with two 520i's in New York City.

 

For the benefit of others, I wanted to note that I had to extensively edit the laptop's neton.bat batch file in the c:\file directory. The large number of possible ethernet drivers was freezing up my machine before the batch file (which sends all console output to >nul) completed. First I deleted the >nul redirections so I could watch the file run (and crash.)

 

I used the WinXP Control Panel|System|Device Manager to get a look at a likely configuration and model number for my motherboard network adapter, and then (back in DOS) commented out all of the other network driver calls in neton.bat . It turned out that I didn't have to change any of the command-line parameter in the Strand-written driver invocation.

 

Perhaps needless to say, there's no point in loggin into the Backup console, because it sends its Archive requests to the Main console. You can look at the Backup hard drive, but the Backup can't effectively save to the file server.

[scottmcleod]

Instal the ci software and when prompted to do so, choose file server and install to a directory called c:\file. Ditto for cn.

 

I hate to dig up an old thread, but I'm trying to set up something similar with an old Satellite Laptop that I have (Toshiba). What's the difference between C3/C5/Cn/Ci/Hc/SN ? I tried using the C3/C5 installers, and both seemed to work, until I had to run from dos, and both said my laptop didn't have enough extended memory... (5mb required?)

 

My guess is C3/C5 are 300 / 500 , SN is for the nodes... but I could be completely wrong.

 

What I'd like to do right now is get the laptop running as a backup fileserver, AND/OR as an offline editor. Both have floppy drives, so definitely a possibility.

 

Even better, would be if I could somehow get the designer's remote (or ANY kind of remote) software and get it working on there, but it appears that you need that USB key to run it.

 

RANDOM SIDE QUESTION: Is it possible using the various strand downloads and maybe an ethernet>DMX unit to construct a live-backup console? To put together a computer that would run live along side the 300 in case of hardware failure?

[gareth]

C3 is for 300-series desks

C5 is for non-I 500-series

CI is for 500i series

CN is the console networker software

HC is the console help files

SN is for nodes