HD100/SageMC-CenterSage Lockup Issue

[scm]

I've been using the HD100 with SageMC for several months. I use the CenterSage theme. I regularly have a problem where when the TV/HD100 are turned on (HD100 turning on from sleep), I get either a black screen or the Sage starting up logo that never progresses to a menu. The only solution is a restart of Sage service. The latest beta significantly increases the occurance of this problem, so I had to revert to the last full release of SageTV. This limits the number of times I see the problem to once a day or everyother day. This week, I finally took the time to try out the stock STV, and this resulted in two things:
1. I was reminded how much I prefer SageMC!!
2. The lock-up problem has not shown up in three days now.

This appears to be a problem either with SageMC or CenterSage (though I've had it occur with other SageMC themes also). It may also be a SageTV core issue that SageMC reveals.

Does anyone have a clue how to solve this issue? It is seriously reducing my love for the HD100!!! Thanks.

[bialio]

I seem to remember seeing this problem for a while - back before I created CenterSage - on my extenders running SageMC. It was when the HD100 first came out. I don't remember what if anything fixed it- but I never see it anymore.

Does your server run in Service Mode?

btl.

[scm]

Yes, I run in service mode. I can't find any pattern to the what triggers the problem.

I would like to post a debug log file, but I have a question. If I run debug mode on the server, should it also record issues reported back from the extender? Would both be written to the same log file or are they logged separately?

[AzTech]

I have the exact same issue. I've found that I usually have 6-8 times to turn on and off the HD Extender before it locks up and I need to restart the service. From my testing and tweaking, the only thing I can say for certain is that it definitely has to do with SageMC + HD100. I've just never been able to pinpoint specifically what setting in SageMC (if any) is causing it. I can turn on and off my MVP's as many times as I'd like and it works fine. But once the HD Extender causes the lock up, the MVP's won't work either until I restart the service. I've scoured the boards in the past to find anybody that had the same problem but never had any luck so I just figured it was unique to my configuration. So I just accepted the problem...I like SageMC waaaaaay too much to stop using it. I've basically worked around it by just keeping the HD extender on all the time. It is not ideal but it is better than restarting the service daily.

[scm]

AzTech,

Thanks for the feedback. I doubt we are the only ones. I'm glad to hear keeping the HD100 on "fixes" the problem. I need to reprogram my remote to not turn the extender off.

Steve

[bialio]

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...postcount=5699

This is the thread where I brought this up a while ago. Make sure you are running the latest firmware.

[scm]

Bialio,

Did support ever get back to you?

I am using the latest released firmware. The latest beta with beta SageTV made the problem occur 3-4 times more often.

I have debug logging set to true. EDIT: Just realized that since I had debug_logging set to true and not TRUE, I wasn't getting a debug log. I deleted info from another files that is not related.

[bialio]

I think there was a known lockup issue when resuming from standby that was fixed in one of the firmware releases, and that's probably when I stopped seeing it.

One thing I'd suggest - on the STV that you are running do all your importing from the Server. Importing STVI from the extender is hit and miss - you are better off loading up stuff on the Server, and then selecting that STV on the extender. YMMV.

btl.

[scm]

I actually am not using any STVi now because I just don't want to add variables to the problem. Hopefully, now that I am getting a real error log, it will show something when I see the problem again.

[scm]

I've finally had time to look at my error logs. The errors that pop out to me from two error logs, found at the bottom of the log around the time of failure, are:

From sagetv_2.txt:
Fri 6/13 6:17:04.940 Error w/SageTV client connection:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Fri 6/13 6:17:04.941 MiniError-2:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Fri 6/13 6:17:04.949 MiniError-3:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Fri 6/13 6:17:04.949 MiniUI ServerSocket died from:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.027 Cleaning up PM
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.028 MiniError-1:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.032 Killed Carny.
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.032 Killed Scheduler.
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.033 Error calling finishWatch from VF goodbye:java.lang.NullPointerException
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.033 Ministry is shutting down....destroying the converts in progress
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.033 Killed Seeker.
Fri 6/13 6:17:05.033 Killed EPG.


From sagetv_1.txt
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.659 MiniError-2:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.668 Error w/SageTV client connection:java.net.SocketException: socket closed
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.673 Killed Carny.
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.673 Killed Scheduler.
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.673 Error calling finishWatch from VF goodbye:java.lang.NullPointerException
Sat 6/14 9:01:08.686 Ministry is shutting down....destroying the converts in progress.

I am attaching sagetv_2.txt file. Sagetv_1.txt is 4mg, so its too big to attach. Does anyone see anything that is causing this or could correct it?

Steve

[scm]

Bump in desparate search for help. How I wish I could file an official help request, but since this is a SageMC specific problem, I am having to rely on the community to help me solve this.

[gplasky]

It sounds like a component like the NIC is sleeping on your server and not waking up in time for the extender. Go into all your devices and turn off allowing the device to sleep to save energy or whatever the phrase is.

Gerry

[scm]

Thanks, Gerry. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that. I'll check it tonight and see!! I hope it is that simple.

[scm]

My NIC was set to allow the computer to turn it off to save power. I have disabled this. Only time will tell if it worked.

[scm]

The change to the NIC power setting did not help.

I am getting so frustrated by this. It just doesn't make sense that I'm consistently having this issue and very few others see it.

Any other suggestions?

[paulie]

I am of no help to you scm, but to let you are not the only one. This happens to me also, both on my Hd extender and one of my mvp's.

[scm]

Thanks, Paulie. I am almost scared to post anything right now. I upgraded everything to the lates Beta (SageTV and extender firmware) this Monday night. I've not seen an issue since, but that has only been 36 hours. We'll see.......

[infocus13]

Just to add my 2c to this conversation, I've had my server reboot (i.e. crash & reboot) every couple of days ever since I started using CS theme. I've also noticed that using CS my heap size keeps growing & is huge (400+ meg) and sage's memory consumption on the server becomes ridiculous (600+ meg). Once I've switched back to foofaraw, the heap size is "normal" (180-250mb) and no crashes.

Just my experience, otherwise CS is a great theme.

[bialio]

Originally Posted by dkatchalov

Just to add my 2c to this conversation, I've had my server reboot (i.e. crash & reboot) every couple of days ever since I started using CS theme. I've also noticed that using CS my heap size keeps growing & is huge (400+ meg) and sage's memory consumption on the server becomes ridiculous (600+ meg). Once I've switched back to foofaraw, the heap size is "normal" (180-250mb) and no crashes.

Just my experience, otherwise CS is a great theme.

I suspect that the memory consumption is not so much an effect of the theme as it is the .layout that the theme uses. The way the fixed focus dynamic menu's are coded doesn't go out of it's way to conserve memory.

All of my clients and extenders run Centersage, and I don't have any reboots or crashes. On my server now SageTVService is using 350 MB of system memory.

btl.

[paulie]

I have returned to using the default sage and have had no problems since but I do miss the MC. As soon as the problem is resolved I will return to MC.