NOOP messages & UI freezes

[johns55]

I am running SageTV on a headless server sitting in the back room and running the SageClient in the living room next to the TV across cat5. Sage is 2.2.5 RC and have Cayars17 on the client. About 95% of the time everything works fine, but every once in a while, the user interface will freeze for a minute or two.

Looking in the Server Sage log files I see thousands of:

Thu 2/10 6:24:55.034 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=/192.168.0.106,port=1959,localport=42024]
Thu 2/10 6:24:55.898 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=/127.0.0.1,port=1152,localport=42024]
Thu 2/10 6:24:55.900 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=/127.0.0.1,port=1155,localport=42024]
Thu 2/10 6:24:59.220 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=/192.168.0.106,port=1957,localport=42024]

And on the Client I see:

Thu 2/10 6:36:36.167 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=disk/192.168.0.111,port=42024,localport=1958]
Thu 2/10 6:36:41.167 Received command of:NOOP from Socket[addr=disk/192.168.0.111,port=42024,localport=1956]

I am consistently seeing about 30/minute.

Normal or do I have something set wrong?

[Opus4]

I don't believe the NOOP log entries have anything to do with it, since they have been in the logs for a long time.

My first questions for anyone experiencing these UI freezes:

1. Does it happen with just the client, or the server too? (Using the server UI while using the service may count as client usage for this purpose.)
   
   
2. Can you check email while the freeze is ongoing? (or access anything on your network?)

I'll finally join the "my UI is freezing for 20-30 seconds" discussion since it is now happening here. What happened to cause this? I'm not really sure, but it didn't occur on my system because of a SageTV upgrade. I'm running the same version I was yesterday, but last night I did install the java 1.5 upgrade (I was previously using v1.4.2_5). I noticed a few strange things after doing that, so I reverted to JRE 1.4.2_07. It still happened, so I put 1.4.2_5 back. Still happens.

Am I seeing the same sort of freezing others are seeing? So far, I've noticed:

• The freeze period is almost exactly 25 seconds every time.
• They seem to start & end when the system clock is always at the same seconds marks: at one time it would always start at 7 seconds past the minute & end at 32 seconds past. I haven't yet noticed how many minutes elapse before it happens again, but it happens quite regularly/frequently. [Edit: The freezes seem to start at 4.5 minute intervals, so I can predict the next one to almost the exact second, including when SageTV is not running.]
• During these freezes, my network connection is frozen -- I can't check email or load a web page.
• The SageTVClient UI would freeze, but the server UI on the same system never does. This fits the previous symptom because the client talks to the server via the network fairly often. (This client talks to the server on my main HTPC, while the server on this PC is only for testing. So, this client & server don't connect to each other.)
• I've experienced the freezes even while SageTV is NOT running.

Since I reverted back to an older version of the JRE & it still happens, I'm wondering if v1.5 left something behind when it was uninstalled. (I guess I should check to see if there is a way to manually make sure ALL parts are removed.)

I recently started using NAV 2005 too, btw, but I didn't think this started after that installation.

For others having these freezes: what JRE version are you using? What antivirus? Was anything else newly installed when it started? (Oh great... that question just made me realize that some Windows security updates got installed yesterday evening too.)

- Andy

[plawlor]

This could be a good thread...

I have my server in the basement on the main TV, but have a client in the living room that gets used often. The UI on the server never freezes. I'm not using the Sage Service. My client UI freezes quite regularly and has for quite some time. Prior to the last few days, I was using Sage 2.2.4Beta (Server and Client) and Java 1.4x. When it would freeze, Sage Client would lock up permanently. I would have to kill Sage and restart it. I am now on Sage 2.2.5RC (Server and Client) and Java 1.5. The client still freezes, but I can get it to react through a REW, FF, or STOP most of the time. The odd time, it will still lock solid. I'm using McAfee VirusScan 7.1 on Windows XP SP2.

[johns55]

My server is in the back room. Since I have had it where the UI freezes but the TV Show/recording continues I would have to guess that my network and server are okay.

Originally Posted by Opus4

My first questions for anyone experiencing these UI freezes:[list=1][*]Does it happen with just the client, or the server too? (Using the server UI while using the service may count as client usage for this purpose.)

Until Monday, I was running 1.4.2_6, am now running 1.5. I have had freezes with both.

Originally Posted by Opus4

same version I was yesterday, but last night I did install the java 1.5 upgrade (I was previously using v1.4.2_5). I noticed a few strange things after doing that, so I reverted to JRE 1.4.2_07. It still happened, so I put 1.4.2_5 back. Still happens.

I an running Symantec AV on the server with the Video directories excluded, nothing on the client.

Originally Posted by Opus4

I recently started using NAV 2005 too, btw, but I didn't think this started after that installation.

My server is running 2003, client is XP. Both with all patches/updates. I first started seeing the freezes in Sage 2.2.4. Do not remember them in 2.2.2 or 2.2.3.

Originally Posted by Opus4

For others having these freezes: what JRE version are you using? What antivirus? Was anything else newly installed when it started? (Oh great... that question just made me realize that some Windows security updates got installed yesterday evening too.)

[bgorrell]

I had problems like this that have gone away now. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what fixed it. Out of frustration of trying one thing at a time, I went all out and did the following:

- Uninstalled Java (all versions), deleted directories
- Uninstalled nVidia decoder, deleted directories
- Uninstalled ATI video drivers, deleted directories
- Uninstalled Hauppauge drivers, deleted directories
- Uninstalled SP2 from WinXP
- Ran three registry cleaners to get rid of left overs from the above
- Re-installed ATI drivers v5.0
- Re-installed Hauppauge drivers v.22301
- Re-installed Java v1.5.0_01
- Re-installed nVidia decoders
- Installed Sage 2.2.5 over 2.2.4
- Did NOT use SageTV as a Service
- Did NOT re-install XP SP2

At this point, everything is working great again (two weeks now). I'm not messing with it again if it stays this way. I had lockups every other day before.

My best guess is the fix was removal of SP2, as I had tried all the other steps one at a time before. However, it could have been a combination of disabling SageTV Service and removing SP2.

When you delete Java, be sure you delete all versions and the directories. Also be sure that if you are using 1.5 that you have the 1.5.0_01 build.

[johns55]

Originally Posted by bgorrell

My best guess is the fix was removal of SP2, as I had tried all the other steps one at a time before. However, it could have been a combination of disabling SageTV Service and removing SP2.

Maybe not so much SP2 but the SP2 firewall? I manage lots of XP machines in student computing labs and have not had any bad luck with SP2 that just configuring the FW didn't fix.

In my setup, the client where the freezes take place has nothing and does nothing except run the sage client. It is XP with all fixes applied. My server just has the sage service and comskip running and that's it. Don't even have a keyboard, mouse or monitor hooked up to it.

I do not see any problems with the video stream, it has the apperance that just the UI is having problems communicating with the server or something.

[Opus4]

It sounds like the symptoms described here don't all match, but I'm not certain if bgorrell meant his problem was similar to mine, which is defintely affecting my network, since _all_ network activity stops, even when SageTV is not running. In SageTV, it is not just the UI: if a video is playing, it will stop until the connection opens again & then it will continue where it left off. Uninstalling a couple things, java included, and then cleaning the registry sounds like a possibility. These network pauses every 4.5 minutes are getting really irritating.

Does anyone know if java installs any files outside the java dir? I could be pointing the finger in the wrong direction, but v1.5 was the last thing I installed before this started. Hmm... maybe running some Selective Startups using msconfig would help narrow it down.

- Andy

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I could be pointing the finger in the wrong direction, but v1.5 was the last thing I installed before this started.

Yup, I was pointing a finger at the wrong thing. Uninstalling Norton AntiVirus 2005 clears it up for me. The strange thing is that this didn't start right after the installation of NAV 2005, so I figured there was no problem with it. Let's see... NAV 2005 temporarily freezes my network for 25 seconds every 4.5 minutes and Norton Ghost 9 crashes the system as soon as it tries to boot, even in Safe Mode. I'm not having much luck with Symantec software lately.

I have no idea if this will help anyone else's periodic UI freezes, but there is another thing to watch for.

- Andy

[Opus4]

Another update: it turns out that disabling NAV 2005's "Internet Worm Protection" solved the recurring network pauses for me. I'll see if Symantec has anything to say.

- Andy

[johns55]

It would appear that my pauses in the UI are gone. Do not know for sure what did it. The last thing that I changed was the update to java 1.5. Initially after the upgrade, things did not change. I suspect that maybe I had neglected to reboot either the server or client machine?

[bgorrell]

On the Norton AV thing, I highly recommend disabling Autoprotect as it is a resource hog. It will noticably slow down most systems and is especially unfriendly during video playback. Watch your memory usage while playing back a video and it will keep dropping and dropping. Disable Autoprotect and repeat. Your memory will stop dropping. At least be sure you exclude all your video directories if you want to use Autoprotect.

Personally, I switched to AVG, Free Edition. It's resident protection doesn't slow my system down at all, doesn't have the memory usage problem, and has cought several threats that Norton overlooked. Plus, it's free!

[something fishy]

I understand that Grisoft are no longer updating the virus definitions for the Free edition of AVG antivirus.

I use avast on my desktop machines but that has resident scanners and indexers that might not work too well on a PVR.

I'm afraid I use nothing on my dedicated sage machine though it is behind firewalls and has no email accounts set up.

If Ghost is causing problems I can recommend Acronis true image.

[mls]

Originally Posted by something fishy

I understand that Grisoft are no longer updating the virus definitions for the Free edition of AVG antivirus.

Grisoft is no longer updating for the previous version 6 after the middle of Feb. 2005. You should have gotten a notice to upgrade to version 7 at some point.

Anyway, just get the new Free version 7 of AVG and then you can continue getting the virus definition updates.

[wrwaugh]

My machine just started these lockups. I am at 2.2.5
The only new thing was that I installed Norton Ghost, ghoseted the drive, then unistalled Ghost using add/remove programs.

Note: 1. The lockups occur at the exact same point in a recording... if I back up and play it again, it locks at the exact same point. 2. I get the same lock ups if I play a sage recording back in Nero Player. I will try another player also and report.

no other significat operations occuring at the time of the lockup... I use AVG 7, and Executive Diskeeper Defrag scheduled to run at another time.

[wrwaugh]

A bit more wierdness... I am not really sure as I have not tested enough, but I think the lockups only occur on files recorded after I did the Ghost installation.
During these lockups the cpu usage is 100% and consumed by Sage.exe

[wrwaugh]

Found Symantic updater in program files... deleted with Add/Remove programs... lockups remain.

Interesting note: if I Crtl-Alt Delete and activiate task manager the sound begins again but the video remains frozen. Has anyone ever seen this before?

[wrwaugh]

I ran Registry Medic and the problem is gone

[bgorrell]

Originally Posted by wrwaugh

I ran Registry Medic and the problem is gone

Great! I have been a loyal Norton user since the days of DOS, but Symantec's bloated software has gotten out of control, while becoming less functional at the same time. I still use its firewall, but I refuse to use its anti-virus or norton utilities anymore. Seems to slow down my computer and cause more problems than its worth.

I am not impressed with the ad blocking and e-mail filtering of other firewalls so far. Any recommendations so I can get rid of Norton all together?