Server Looping

Shaviv · 25th May 2003, 23:17

There is a slightly irritating bug I've found with WinAmp and ShoutCast, that if the player tries to open a .wma file it stops transmitting to the server. This means that if the DJ had previously been speaking, playing, whatever, the buffer contains 1.30mins of sound that stops when it hits the end (the moment the player tried to open the .wma); listeners who reconnect hear the same 90 seconds of sound when they do.

This is kind of annoying, and it happens unpredictably on occasion, so I wonder. Could SHOUTcast perform sanity checks? Meaning, it tests to see if all its functions are working properly and, if not, restarts itself.

...after all, it works for AT&T.

DJHotIce · 26th May 2003, 01:26

wma files I believe arn't supported.

Shaviv · 26th May 2003, 01:28

I know. However, the operator screwing up should not cause the player or the server to screw up.

And if it does, the programs should be able to restart themselves to clear the errors. Most every other server program does this.

FesterHead · 26th May 2003, 02:24

The problem is at the Winamp/DSP combo level, not the DNAS (server) level.

If you don't send the DNAS a source, well, it can't send anything off to connected clients. The DNAS has no provisions for "oh, you meant to play this."

If the DJ is not smart enough to correctly source the DNAS, that's their problem, not the SHOUTcast tools.

Want to play *.wma's?
Check out the Sticky post titled:
SHOUTcast: Important Info & Answers to FAQs. READ ME!

Scroll down a bit and look for the section titled:
DSP Issues -> How to play WMAs with SHOUTcast

Shaviv · 26th May 2003, 12:55

My question is not how to make it transmit .wmas.

My question is how to get maximum uptime out of my server, and perhaps suggesting that a sanity check function be implemented.

An analogy: I have a wood chipper. I can feed it all the wood I want, and it happily puts out wood chips; but if I feed it metal, it chokes up and dies. The best-designed chipper would detect that the engine's cut out and the intake is clogged; it would restart the engine, put it into gear backwards to clear the jam, then go back to working as normal.

As I said, most server programs detect errors in themselves and respond by closing and restarting.

Since operator error is inevitable (after all, there are over a dozen different people who have access to the server), my focus is on keeping the server from jamming for more than a few moments and without myself or the other admins booting the DJ and asking him to reconnect.

Basically I'm saying that while SHOUTcast is pretty cool, and pretty useful, it's also got a pretty significant flaw. And it's not (to my knowledge) open source, so there's nothing I can do to fix it myself.

Tom · 26th May 2003, 18:20

; AutoDumpSourceTime specifies how long, in seconds, the source stream is
; allowed to be idle before the server disconnects it. 0 will let the source
; stream idle indefinately before disconnecting. The default is 30.
AutoDumpSourceTime=30

No source will kill the connection, listeners will get nothing since the server is down. Looping should only occur for the number of seconds listed above.

Tom

Shaviv · 26th May 2003, 20:31

It's not no-source. I still see the DJ's IP address listed as the source, though the DJ will see that he's disconnected.

In addition, our server's been known to loop for hours on end.

Shaviv · 28th May 2003, 19:02

Okay, sanity check is not the right term for the feature this server program lacks:

It's a connection check. The server should send something to the broadcaster, saying, "Are you there?" And that person's DSP client should say, "Here I am!"

Have it do this every ten seconds. If it doesn't get a response, it resets itself and disconnects from the DJ's computer.

FesterHead · 28th May 2003, 19:25

code:
; AutoDumpSourceTime specifies how long, in seconds, the source stream is 

; allowed to be idle before the server disconnects it. 0 will let the source 

; stream idle indefinately before disconnecting. The default is 30. 

AutoDumpSourceTime=30

Set AutoDumpSourceTime=10 then restart your DNAS.

Shaviv · 28th May 2003, 19:31

The server thinks the DJ's still connected and transmitting. So that won't work.

FesterHead · 28th May 2003, 20:18

If the DJ is transmitting a source to the DNAS, then (s)he won't be dropped.

If the DJ stops (e.g. clicking stop on a Winamp/DSP combo) transmitting a source to the DNAS, (s)he will be dropped after AutoDumpSourceTime seconds.

Tom · 29th May 2003, 04:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Shaviv
The server thinks the DJ's still connected and transmitting. So that won't work.

The DNAS should drop the connection if no data is being sent. Check the following:
1) AutoDumpSourceTime is NOT set to 0
2) The DJ does not have Auto Reconnect on.

Other than those two things the only other thing I can think of is that the DNAS is having problems closing the source socket for some reason. Are you running the latest DNAS (1.9.2)? What OS?

Tom

25th May 2003, 23:17	#1
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	Server Looping There is a slightly irritating bug I've found with WinAmp and ShoutCast, that if the player tries to open a .wma file it stops transmitting to the server. This means that if the DJ had previously been speaking, playing, whatever, the buffer contains 1.30mins of sound that stops when it hits the end (the moment the player tried to open the .wma); listeners who reconnect hear the same 90 seconds of sound when they do. This is kind of annoying, and it happens unpredictably on occasion, so I wonder. Could SHOUTcast perform sanity checks? Meaning, it tests to see if all its functions are working properly and, if not, restarts itself. ...after all, it works for AT&T.

26th May 2003, 01:26	#2
DJHotIce Forum Loser (Forum King) Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: That place I can't remember the name. Posts: 4,617	wma files I believe arn't supported. -DJHotIce Bounce Multimedia - Professional Web Design

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26th May 2003, 01:28	#3
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	I know. However, the operator screwing up should not cause the player or the server to screw up. And if it does, the programs should be able to restart themselves to clear the errors. Most every other server program does this.

26th May 2003, 02:24	#4
FesterHead Alumni Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 14,109	The problem is at the Winamp/DSP combo level, not the DNAS (server) level. If you don't send the DNAS a source, well, it can't send anything off to connected clients. The DNAS has no provisions for "oh, you meant to play this." If the DJ is not smart enough to correctly source the DNAS, that's their problem, not the SHOUTcast tools. Want to play *.wma's? Check out the Sticky post titled: SHOUTcast: Important Info & Answers to FAQs. READ ME! Scroll down a bit and look for the section titled: DSP Issues -> How to play WMAs with SHOUTcast

26th May 2003, 12:55	#5
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	My question is not how to make it transmit .wmas. My question is how to get maximum uptime out of my server, and perhaps suggesting that a sanity check function be implemented. An analogy: I have a wood chipper. I can feed it all the wood I want, and it happily puts out wood chips; but if I feed it metal, it chokes up and dies. The best-designed chipper would detect that the engine's cut out and the intake is clogged; it would restart the engine, put it into gear backwards to clear the jam, then go back to working as normal. As I said, most server programs detect errors in themselves and respond by closing and restarting. Since operator error is inevitable (after all, there are over a dozen different people who have access to the server), my focus is on keeping the server from jamming for more than a few moments and without myself or the other admins booting the DJ and asking him to reconnect. Basically I'm saying that while SHOUTcast is pretty cool, and pretty useful, it's also got a pretty significant flaw. And it's not (to my knowledge) open source, so there's nothing I can do to fix it myself.

26th May 2003, 18:20	#6
Tom Moderator Join Date: Apr 2000 Posts: 4,485	; AutoDumpSourceTime specifies how long, in seconds, the source stream is ; allowed to be idle before the server disconnects it. 0 will let the source ; stream idle indefinately before disconnecting. The default is 30. AutoDumpSourceTime=30 No source will kill the connection, listeners will get nothing since the server is down. Looping should only occur for the number of seconds listed above. Tom

26th May 2003, 20:31	#7
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	It's not no-source. I still see the DJ's IP address listed as the source, though the DJ will see that he's disconnected. In addition, our server's been known to loop for hours on end.

28th May 2003, 19:02	#8
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	Okay, sanity check is not the right term for the feature this server program lacks: It's a connection check. The server should send something to the broadcaster, saying, "Are you there?" And that person's DSP client should say, "Here I am!" Have it do this every ten seconds. If it doesn't get a response, it resets itself and disconnects from the DJ's computer.

28th May 2003, 19:31	#10
Shaviv Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 8	The server thinks the DJ's still connected and transmitting. So that won't work.

28th May 2003, 20:18	#11
FesterHead Alumni Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 14,109	If the DJ is transmitting a source to the DNAS, then (s)he won't be dropped. If the DJ stops (e.g. clicking stop on a Winamp/DSP combo) transmitting a source to the DNAS, (s)he will be dropped after AutoDumpSourceTime seconds.