Power out, can't connect to local server

[slartibartfast]

Ron, if you have been able to use LMS during previous power outages, what has changed in your setup since the last time you used LMS on generator power?

The internet was working during previous outages.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

[Redrum]

<snip>
I could see my music library from my desktop device over ethernet and samba. What I could not see was my music library within LMS, either through mobile apps or the default web-based UI via ethernet. Just not there.

<snip>
Since locally we could see everything over the network, and since LMS was the only utility apparently unable to find the music library, my assumption was that it was something to do with the absence of an internet connection. This was seemingly confirmed when the internet service came back BEFORE the devices were off the generator power and back to mains power. At that point, with the devices still being run from the generator panel, I was able to have LMS see the music library.

Ergo, the problem must have been lack of internet connection.

<snip>
I'd like to know before the next power outage.

Ron

I reread this post, and since you would like to figure it out, let me throw in one other possibility that has happened to me. I see you are using pcP on a pi. Where is your music library?

When I first started using pcP on a pi, with a USB HDD for my library, I followed the instructions and moved the LMS cache and settings to the HDD. At that time, I really didn't know the pros/cons. What happened to me is that on recovery from power failure, the drive mount got "lost" but it looked like it was there (via the pcP interface). The first time I rebuilt the whole "broken" pcP SD. After that I did some digging and realized I could unmount/remount the HDD (uncheck->apply->check->apply) and everything was restored.

Since then I keep my settings/cache on a 3rd partition on the SD, works best for me (frequent power failures). I don't entirely remember what my system behaved like, but I think I remember Samba seemed to work, and I could see my music library (is that possible or a miss-memory?). On pcP, I don't know if samba works independently of LMS?

What doesn't correlate with your situation is in my case, it would never just come back without the unmount/remount.

Jim

[garym]

On pcP, I don't know if samba works independently of LMS?

Excellent ideas Jim. On the above question, I see no reason why samba would be at all connected with LMS. So one could work and one couldn't.

[RonM]

Well, it remains a mystery. As noted, the library came back when the internet did, quite independent of power (it was all on the generator power throughout). When in the past the power was out and we were on the generator, typically the internet was fine except maybe for a very short time. Didn't have the problem then.

I haven't yet tried to disconnect the internet purposely and see what happens. That is the obvious next step.

The Pi/pcP is connected to an external HDD; it's the only access to the HDD, so of course when using Samba to view the library it's going through the Pi. Samba worked, LMS didn't, when the internet was out. I can't remember for sure where the settings/cache are placed, but I don't think it's on the HDD.

I'll report back on the result when I disconnect the internet.

R.

[Redrum]

The Pi/pcP is connected to an external HDD; it's the only access to the HDD, so of course when using Samba to view the library it's going through the Pi. Samba worked, LMS didn't, when the internet was out. I can't remember for sure where the settings/cache are placed, but I don't think it's on the HDD.

R.

Your configuration is exactly mine (pi with direct connect USB HDD) where, on power failure recovery LMS would lose track of the drive mount, but (I think) Samba worked. Like I said, I had cache and prefs on the HDD and determined that was the problem. If your cache and prefs are on your HDD, I'll bet that's what happened.

I could recover by going to the pcp UI, it looked like it was mounted (but wasn't), then unmounting, then remount the drive. After say the 5th time I moved the prefs to a 3rd partition and it never happened again. YMMV.

Jim

[RonM]

The issue wasn't the power failure, it was the loss of the internet connection (indirectly caused by the power failure, as the provider's radio towers were out because of power). When our power first went out we had no difficulty with internet access on generator back-up. Eventually the back-up power at the transmission towers lost capacity and the internet went out. It was only then that LMS lost the ability to see the library.

When the power came back to the tower (shortly before it did for us), the reverse happened. All of a sudden LMS could see the library, even though the system was still running on the generator.

Perhaps I'm the one misunderstanding something.

R.

Edit -- I just checked, cache and prefs are not the HDD but are on the SD card

[Redrum]

Perhaps I'm the one misunderstanding something.

Nope, probably me not being clear. What i described above is also internet "outage" as a result of power failure, like you. "Outage" being that the power restore (or when I would fire up the generator) would cause the pi pcp to boot quickly, while the isp modem takes up to 5 minutes. So, pcp doesn't see internet on boot.

But, again, I had cache on my mounted HDD (not anymore) and for some reason the mount got lost. At first I didn't know what happened and how to recover. I eventually found that unmount/mount brought everything back. But since I now have cache on SD, it no longer happens. At my cabin, we get power outages of 4-48 hours every month or two, so I am a seasoned vet

I only mentioned it as a possibility because my symptoms were exactly the same as yours.

Hope everything is now all settled for you

Jim

[RonM]

Yeah, got it. The difference is that my router and Squeezebox arrangements (Pi, HDD) are on a UPS that gives them a couple of hours after the power goes out. So those systems never actually lost power. I had them on the generator before the UPS ran out of battery.

Whatever, all is well now. At some point I'll turn off the internet connection to see what happens.

R.