Combining machines for recording

[Infidelus]

I've been trying (and mostly failing) to get Argus TV configured to combine tuners from two different servers, but Argus TV keeps throwing a wobbly. Sometimes it'll record from all the machines, other times I just get spammed with email errors.

Here's my current setup:

Machine 1

Argus TV Recorder/Client setup
MS SQL 2012 R2
TCP port 1433 & UDP port 1434 opened in firewall as per MS KB articles to allow connection to remote SQL server.
Scanned and mapped all channels and services

Machine1.rar

Logs from Machine 2

(113.81 KiB) Downloaded 523 times

Machine 2

Argus TV Recorder only
Scanned and mapped all channels and services

Machine2.rar

Logs from Machine 2

(87.2 KiB) Downloaded 489 times

On machine 1, I've added the recorder from machine 2. Ping & share tests both come back OK.

I'm clearly doing something wrong though as I keep getting emails from Argus TV saying:

Code: Select all

Recordings Scheduler on WHS reported the following error (15/06/2015 22:57:30):

Failed to start recording Breaking Bad (Crawl Space - 11/13) on recorder ARGUS TV (card 1)

Your ARGUS TV system may require your attention!

Code: Select all

2015-06-15 22:56:30.0154 [Info ][Recordings Scheduler]: Starting recording Spike - Breaking Bad (Crawl Space - 11/13) on ARGUS TV (card 1)
2015-06-15 22:56:30.1402 [Error][Recordings Scheduler]: Failed to start recording Breaking Bad (Crawl Space - 11/13) on recorder ARGUS TV (card 1)

Now, I've seen these errors occur and Argus does still record, but more often the errors occur and Argus TV just generates error after error in the logs and fails to record anything.

If I remove the recorder from machine 2 and restart the services, Argus TV starts recording again.

So what am I doing wrong

[Christoph21x]

One very silly question: you´re not running on both machines the Argus TV Scheduler pointing to the same SQL database?
This sounds a bit as if you had configured both machines as ¨client and server setup¨

Let us know...

Greetz - Chris

[Infidelus]

One very silly question: you´re not running on both machines the Argus TV Scheduler pointing to the same SQL database?
This sounds a bit as if you had configured both machines as ¨client and server setup¨

Let us know...

Greetz - Chris

Thanks Chris

I did choose the Standalone Server option and only unticked the Messenger & Web Server options. With those settings it does ask you to connect to the SQL Server, which I had assumed (having not tinkered with it before) that that's how it worked, so I just went with it and connected it that way. Guess that's not right!

I'm trying again and unticking all the Server options at the top and just leaving the recorder console. I do get errors when saving settings that way (maybe still need the Scheduler client), but I can still add Machine 2 to Machine 1 and a test recording seems to be working (albeit the priorities are wrong as discussed in another thread).

I'll see how it copes tonight as I do need both tuners for this evenings scheduled recordings.

[Christoph21x]

Hey Infidelus

Try looking at the determined client-only second server, if the service ARGUS-TV scheduler is active. If so, there´s a misconfiguration (two servers).
If so, you may stop the service.
After stopping it, please check the config on scheduler 1st server (connection/ping to recorder no. 2) and on the second (recorder-only), if all cards are active

[Infidelus]

Chris,

Thanks again. I'll have another tinker at the weekend and try a client only configuration. Setting client only seems counter intuitive as you actually want it to be a recorder, and to me that's a server, but as I've unticked all the server options during setup anyway it does make a little sense ... sort of

On a plus note, all my recordings worked last night using both cards and Argus TV didn't spam me any email errors, so that's a bonus!

Cheers

[Christoph21x]

Hey Infidelus

No errors? Did you cahnge something?
Welcome & no need to say thank you

Have a nice eve - Chris

[Infidelus]

No changes apart from those I made in the post above yours

I still get errors in the console, but not with the actual recordings (which I think you'll agree is the most important part )

I had a little play around today after your previous post. I can't set Argus TV as a client only (assuming that's what you meant) as I don't get the recorder then, so I'm on more of a custom install.

On Machine 2's install I've unticked all the 'Server' options, enabled the Argus TV Recorder and the Recorder and Scheduler Consoles.

When I open the Recorder Console I get this error:

Opening Recorder Console GUI

recorder_console_warning.png (5.25 KiB) Viewed 14982 times

And if I click on the 'Channels' menu, I get:

Channels menu

recorder_channels_warning.png (4.57 KiB) Viewed 14982 times

Apart from that, recordings seem to be working fine now (touch wood).

While Argus TV does allow for this kind of setup (and in fact specifically mentions it - albeit very briefly), I don't think the documentation reflects that. It was clearly trial and error for me getting it working.

[Infidelus]

After a few months trying to get this working properly, I've come to the sad conclusion it just isn't going to happen. Multiple recorder machines seem completely unreliable. It seems to work the first few days when you set it up, but if you reboot the machines, there's about a 90% chance the non-local machine isn't going to do any recording afterwards, and I can't see any reason why. I can ping both machines from the scheduler, and the recording shares are all correct, but it's just not working.

[Christoph21x]

It works here since years...
Only since win10 i have problems with the recorder only machine

[Infidelus]

Sadly Argus just doesn't seem interested in scheduling any recordings on the remote recorder most of the time, even when it should. Instead it cuts short active programs (adjust or drop pre/post-recording for recordings in case of conflict) and errors out when there are too many things for it to record on the main recorder.

I can't see any good reason that it isn't working at this end, but it just isn't even remotely reliable.