Schedule

Hi

If I understand your question correctly, where you have items on the schedule that overlap, then the client will show both items in rotation until the clash finishes. This is intensional.

There is a priority flag checkbox which you can tick for a layout which will set that one to be the only one shown for the whole time that it's scheduled.

Cheers

Alex

Hi Alex
Understand what the quiz said about checbox of priority! Thank you!
But because when I schedule in a new layout does not update the player. Only if I restart the player it updates scheduled for the layout. What may be happening?

What version of Xibo are you running?
What Operating system is the server on?
What webserver are you using? (Apache / IIS)

Cheers

Alex

version of the client: xibo-client-1.0.0-final-win32-x86.msi (md5)
server: xibo-server-1.0.0-final.zip (md5)
OS: Ubuntu Server 8.4
Web server: Apache 2

And what is the collection interval set to on the client?

Also do you definitely have the timezone setting in Xibo set to the same as your servers timezone? We found a bug this week that will cause things to act funny if they don't match.

If they don't match, you need to switch either setting and then restart Apache/MySQL for them to pickup the changes.

Alex

The time zone to use is (GMT -3:00 BRASILIA)

Range:
Layout 01
2009-05-21 final start date 2009-05-21
08:00 start time end time 12:00

Layout 02
2009-05-21 final start date 2009-05-21
12:00 start time end time 21:00

(I have to restart your computer so that the layout 02 works)

Yes - I understand, but do you definitely have GMT -3 set in Xibo AND on your Ubuntu installation?

How long is the collection interval set to on the client. It defaults to 900 seconds which means that you could have to wait until 12:15 until Layout 2 is shown (because the client will only update its play list once every 900 seconds (or 15 minutes)).

Cheers

Alex

How to give focus to this is GMT -3 configured?
The time for consultation of player are set to 60 seconds!

In Xibo it's in the settings section.

On Ubuntu, run the "date" command from the terminal and it will tell you the default timezone.

Cheers

Alex

The time zone is correct in xibo and ubuntu!

OK - there's a known issue with XMDS but we think this only affects Windows servers - however I suppose it might be causing this.

Can you download xmds.php from the attached bug report and replace the version in your Xibo installation with this version.

Cheers

Alex

Thank you for your attention! I will try it!

Sorry to have opened another question!
Yes I did replace the file XMDS.php
at the following link: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/ ~ xibo-maintainers/xibo/encke/annotate/head% 3A/server/xmds.php
The problem continues!

The time is configured to query the server in 60 seconds.

Still unsolved

That is the wrong XMDS to have replaced it with...

The "Encke" branch is for our 1.1 experimental release of Xibo and has not had the appropriate patch applied to it.

Please could you try the bug report attached to this question (https://bugs.launchpad.net/xibo/+bug/373626) and download the XMDS.php that is located there.

This may fix your problem (we hope!)

If it does not fix the problem - could you ensure that the display status light in the admin interface > displays page is always Green for that client.

Cheers,
Dan

Thank you! I make the switch file XMDS.php now!
I give news!

I had to change the file xmds.php!
In Loogged The light is always green in one of the client, but the other 3 (three) clients is red! I will continue testing to see if the problem solved.
What is the light Interleave?

Hi

The interleave light shows if you want the client to play the default layout as well as anything you have scheduled.

If it's off, the default layout is shown when nothing is scheduled. If it's on, then the default layout is shown in combination with whatever is scheduled.

Cheers

Alex

-----Original Message-----
From: <email address hidden> on behalf of Edson Rodrigues
Sent: Fri 22/05/2009 21:01
To: Alex Harrington
Subject: Re: [Question #71877]: Schedule

Question #71877 on Xibo changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/xibo/+question/71877

Edson Rodrigues posted a new comment:
I had to change the file xmds.php!
In Loogged The light is always green in one of the client, but the other 3 (three) clients is red! I will continue testing to see if the problem solved.
What is the light Interleave?

--
You received this question notification because you are a member of Xibo
Developers, which is an answer contact for Xibo.

Hello everybody!
I was three days testing this problem and checked the following conclusion!
When you start the client xibo-he begins to query the server for 60 in 60 seconds! But after a time to stop consult the server!
I will be registering a bug this problem!
No more!
Thank you!

Hello Edson,

Are you saying that after 60 seconds the "Logged In" light on the Displays page is red?

The Xibo schedule is working for many people - so we suspect there must be something particular to your installation which is causing a problem.

If the Logged In light is green then it means the Xibo client is connecting to the server for new information. Your investigation of this light is important to see what is happening.

Sorry you are having problems,

Dan

Unsolved and Needs Information...

We need to determine if the clients are remaining logged in or not.

There's no point in fileing a bug until we understand what the problem is - it could very well be an issue local to your machine. Every time this issue has come up before it's never been solved except where people have put it on a different server and the problem magically disappears.

So you've replaced xmds.php with the version suggested and there is no improvement?

Can you set the update interval to say 120 seconds and then start the client. Then monitor the Apache access log and see when the client is polling the server. Assuming you make no change to the schedule or media, it should poll every 120 seconds or so.

Also go in to the Management menu -> Report Fault and work through the wizard. When it tells you to reproduce the problem then start the client running. Once it stops polling the server again, work through the remaining steps and send the troubleshoot.txt to <email address hidden> for us to see what's happening.

Cheers

Alex

Before using the Report Fault functionality could you also Edit the Display (Management -> Displays) and set auditing to "Yes"

The light is green for a while but then it turns off and turns red, just connect again on restart the player (xibo-client).
Thanks!

Ok! I am doing a log auditing to "Yes" to assess this issue!
Thanks!

OK good - now you have the auditing enabled for that display I suggest that you follow the process Alex mentioned above.

Thanks,
Dan

Hi Edson. Thank you for the troubleshoot.txt sent to us via email.

I see from this file that you have only 1 layout scheduled but this layout has 94 SWF files assigned to it. I can also see that this layout is assigned to 2 of your displays (the only two active displays).

I have a question.... how do you know that the Xibo Client has stopped talking to the Xibo Server?

Are you suggesting that when you add a new SWF to your layout (for example you add Number 95) it does not get shown on the Xibo Client?

Could you please run the following test.
- Un-schedule all your layouts for 1 display
- Create 1 layout called "Test" using one of the templates
- Add 1 Text item to the region with a small duration (10 seconds)
- Add 1 SWF file (a small one) with a small duration (10 seconds)
- Schedule the Layout

- Observe the client - it should stop showing the previous layout and start showing the "Test" layout

Once the client is showing the test layout
- Edit the Layout and Add 1 more text item

- Observe the client - does it update with 3 text items?

I look forward to the results.

Cheers,
Dan

Still not solved - awaiting extra information

Hi Dan! Thank you for the evaluated log troubleshoot!
I will be doing the test you recommended.
publish the results!
Thanks!

I have a question.... how do you know that the Xibo Client has stopped talking to the Xibo Server?
Responding: Well the client-xibo not register in the database the last access! which saw no information in the logs!

Are you suggesting that when you add a new SWF to your layout (for example you add Number 95) it does not get shown on the Xibo Client?
Responding: When you add a swf content to the layout if the light is green the update is no problem! But the problem that it is red must restart the xibo-client to make it fresh and update the layout.

Dan and Alex! I suggest the following test!
You install the xibo-server-1.0.1-1.zip (md5) ai.
I install the xibo-client-1.0.0-final-win32-x86.msi (md5) here in Brazil!
Oh you will see that after a while for him to consult the server!

What do you think?

Edson

I'm really sorry but we can't help you unless you answer the questions put to us. I fully understand what you're telling me the problem is, however you haven't said what the result of Dan's test was?

Can you tell me exactly the setup you have so we can try and replicate it? Server OS, Client OS, Web server and version.

Cheers

Alex

Hi Edson

I saw you already gave me the information I need to reproduce.

I've setup a Xibo server (1.0.1-1) running on Ubuntu 8.10 patched to today in BRT (Sao Paulo) timezone. I've connected a Windows XP SP3 client running Xibo Client 1.0.0, also on BRT timezone.

I created a test layout with one small region with some text in it. I scheduled that layout on to the client and ran the client. The layout was shown as expected.

I then made a change on the layout by adding a new region with a second text item in it. After 60 seconds or so (the collection interval of the client), the change was reflected on the client.

I then repeated the process adding a third region and text item.

It's been running now for around 30 minutes and so far as I make changes they appear on the client as I would expect.

How long is it taking for you to see this problem?
Did you try recreating the problem in this way - with a very simple layout with only a few text items on it? What was the result?
When you see the problem, is there only one layout scheduled to run at that time?

I'll leave this running all evening and make changes periodically and see if it stops working properly.

Thanks

Alex

HI Alex

Make a new layout and create a new schedule to 10 hours from here and see that the client-xibo goes to consult the server!

Hi Edson,

Are you trying to wind me up! :D

The client/server has been running on Brazillian time now for 5 hours or so and, when I make changes to the scheduled layout, the client correctly shows those changes when it next consults the server.

If I add a second layout to the schedule, then again the client picks that up and shows the extra layout correctly.

Did you replicate my steps above and make a simple test layout?

Alex

Hi Alex
Oh Alex I know I am giving you a lot of work! Much admire you and Dan, I'm just wanting to help!

Get well! I did the test with a simple layout with only 3 content in flash and works well! But when you program logos with many times does not work!

If you want to create a User for you here in my server to see with your eyes what is happening!

You can also connect to your client-xibo here in my server!

Oh I do a program there that you see the problem!

What do you think?

Thanks for your help!

Edson,

That is a great idea (and something me and Alex had already considered asking for).

Could you send us a login account and the server details to <email address hidden>.

We will then connect up a test display (probably tomorrow) and see observe the problem.

Cheers,
Dan

Hi Edson

I hooked a client up the other day and scheduled the two layouts you have created already to it. I then added a third test layout (so as not to disrupt your layouts).

Every time I made a change to my test layout, it was reflected on the client as I would expect. The green light stayed lit next to the Logged In on the server.

I think the issue you're seeing is you're trying to put too much on one layout. The design expects perhaps 10 or so media items per layout (not 90!) - and while there's no reason technically that having 90 shouldn't work, I expect you're hitting some limitation somewhere (possibly in the .net framework).

Could you put together a layout on that server that you are certain causes the client to break and I'll hook a debug client up and see what output we get.

Cheers

Alex

I did a test using the Hamachi software to monitor my players, which have the same problems mentioned by Edson. Clicking on PING function of Hamachi, I noticed that the internet connection is not stable, sometimes it´s down and communication between the client and the server is not done, then returns to communicate (see file attached).
It may be that the problem is with the internet connection of the client, so I will some tests.

What I do not know is if this failure in internet connection may be causing the problem (need to restart the client) as client and server are communicating in a range of time that we define (in this case, 60 seconds) and if a communication fails, logic by the next communication should update normally the client.

Does this failure may be causing the problem? Is there a problem with the XML file? Does the fact that the connection is down does the XML stops working, causing the need to restart the client?

Thank you.

Lindomar

Hi Lindomar

Launchpad questions doesn't support attachments so I've not seen your file. The player is designed from the outset to support both intermittent internet connections and running offline (no connection at all after initial collection).

We're pretty sure Edson's problem is due to having hundreds of media items on a single region or layout - I've connected to his server in Brazil for an 18 hour period making changes now and then and they have always been picked up by the client correctly.

Dan knows more about the .net client architecture. As I understand it the layout and media files are hashed on receipt and only used if those hashes match the ones generated on the server. I don't know what the impact of a corrupt schedule being received might be though.

Cheers

Alex

Hi Lindomar,

It is as Alex says... the server will generate a MD5 HASH of the file or layout (XLF) before it is sent to the client. The file will then get streamed to the client in blocks and re-assembled.

When all the blocks have been received the client will do a MD5 of the file to see if it is the same.

If an individual block fails the client will re-request the same block and if the entire file fails the final MD5 it will request the file again.

It could be the case that your connection is failing somewhere between the client getting the list of files to download - and receiving the last file. If a failure occurred during this time I would expect the files to be "blacklisted" to prevent a never ending download cycle.

You can check to see if any files have been blacklisted by looking in APPDATA for Blacklist.xml

Cheers,
Dan

You go to the first day of the schedule and edit it there.

And please don't edit existing questions. If you have a new question, please
post it in a new thread.

Problem solved with update version!