can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

General discussion about Universal Media Server (no support or requests)
Post Reply
pippo75
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2023 9:28 pm

can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by pippo75 »

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I would like to install UMS on a mini PC
(HP ProDesk 600 G1 DM, 8G ram, 500GB SSD, cpu i5-4570T quad core, Win-10 pro 22H2 build 19045.2486)
as a server usable only by 'client' in the LAN (no access from the Internet to this server).
As a "backup" for my movies, I use a USB 3.0 RAID box (2 x 3TB hard drives in RAID-1, NTFS).
Hence some questions about using this hardware with UMS.
A) Can UMS handle USB 3.0 RAID (enable RAID for playback and suspend RAID when no longer in use...)?
B) being the videos resident in the RAID, would UMS be able to correctly manage the database?
C) which version of UMS do you recommend me to use?
Sorry if I rambled but I think these are questions to ask yourself before proceeding with the installation.
User avatar
mik_s
Moderator
Posts: 1115
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:03 pm
Location: UK

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by mik_s »

I have no Idea about RAID but UMS can use any available drive to the system and I would assume all RAID functions would be handled by the OS or the controller in the RAID box.

As for which version to use I suggest staying with the latest version.

V12 moved the settings to the web browser which is much better for headless servers to set up. There are still some bugs that has crept in when making this change so best to be updated.

Since around v10 I think support was added to enable metadata to be gathered to for showing in the web player, things like episode names, plot actors etc.

If the computer is not connected to the internet then an earlier version might be better, however a load of bugs were found and fixed since then, and a lot changed in the way networking was handled in v11+
Logs are important for us to help, Please follow This Link before asking for support. Just a forum cleaner, Will help if I can but no expert.
boss
Posts: 343
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:07 pm

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by boss »

I have UMS on a Linux server and all my media files are on a RAID array (BTRFS) and work fine.
That said, the UMS program and database etc are on the operating system drive. (Only the actual media is on the RAID array).
pippo75
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2023 9:28 pm

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by pippo75 »

Thanks to both mik_s and boss for your testimonials and suggestions. As I understand it,
using an operating system like Widows 10 may not make it easier to manage USB drives.
I'm personally of the opinion that the server software should manage the peripherals
they reference. For example the port where the RAID is connected.
The server only knows if there are active clients and/or streams.
Consequently -the only one- to act, in this case, on the ports of the managed peripherals:
certainly not the operating system.
This is where my first question, with specific reference to Windows 10, arises.
boss
Posts: 343
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:07 pm

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by boss »

From windows, how do you normally access your USB RAID array.
Does it have a drive letter assigned to it?
Or by some other method?

I would think you would have a drive letter assigned to the USB RAID array.
If this is the case, you would just put the media file locations in the UMS configuration.

EG:
If your USB RAID array was assigned drive letter "M"
M:/Media/Vidoes
M:/Media/Images
M:/Media/Music
Etc or whatever names you wanted to give you media file directories.

I am not really sure about some of the things you are asking.
For example:
A) Can UMS handle USB 3.0 RAID (enable RAID for playback and suspend RAID when no longer in use...)?
What do you mean "suspend RAID when not in use". Is not your USB RAID array connected all the time to your mini-pc?cess

I would have thought it to be simple. EG:
Install UMS on the windows 10 computer.
Place all your media files on the USB RAID array.
Configure UMS to access your media files located on the USB RAID array.
pippo75
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2023 9:28 pm

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by pippo75 »

@boss
Thanks for the reply:
A) sorry I didn't mention this earlier: RAID has a fixed letter
B) Windows 10 (as I understand it, correct me if I'm wrong..)
has only one way to manage usb ports: ON - OFF.

This would involve (if I understand correctly) "physically" disconnecting
the USB device and then "physically" reconnecting the USB device.

In the management of internal HDDs, however, the O.S. itself can act to activate
the 'suspended state' of the HDD (energy saving) and then reactivate it (more or less) 'on the fly'.

I was wondering if UMS could "handle" USB 3.0 devices in much the same way that
the O.S. puts in place for HDDs, without having to physically unplug and replug the device,
allowing the device to "unplug" (save power) and then plug back in when the server requests it.

And so, not finding relevant answers on the forum, I tried to ask.
boss
Posts: 343
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 1:07 pm

Re: can UMS handle an external USB HDD?

Post by boss »

The USB port would act just like any other.
When windows accesses the USB port, it becomes active again.
I have never had occasion to have to unplug and plug in a USB device to activate the port.

Best thing would be to install UMS and see how it goes.
There are settings in windows where you can change the state for USB devices.
https://www.top-password.com/blog/set-w ... leep-mode/
Post Reply