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[RogueStorm]

I have a Dell SC420 that I use as a back end file server.  I was told in another thread that you cannot use a mapped drive on WinMCE that is mapped to a Samba server on the backend.  So I started thinking and if I were to setup my Linux file server as an iSCSI target, I should be able to store WinMCE files on the Linux box using an iSCSI target drive, right?  We have an iSCSI SAN at work and the MS iSCSI initiator will connect to our SAN from a Win2k or WinXP workstation and act just like an internal hard drive.

Can anyone think of a reason why this wouldn't work (WinMCE iSCSI drive to Linux backend file server)?

This is all of course for eventually connecting my Xbox360 to my WinMCE box but storing large amounts of data on my backend Linux box.

[aaron1017]

Bump, any development?

[RogueStorm]

QUOTE(aaron1017 @ Jan 12 2006, 03:37 AM)

Bump, any development?

No, I am still waiting on my copy of WinMCE to come on Monday.  After that it will be a few more days before I reload my SC420 server with a Linux distro and the iSCSI root software.

I just know that at work I have a Win2k Pro machine with the MS iSCSI software adapter setup and attached to our 16TB iSCSI SAN and it treats the iSCSI drive just like it were a physical drive once it's setup.  I figured I could do the same for WinMCE.

If anyone else wants to try it before next weekend when I expect to get it working though, feel free.

[RogueStorm]

QUOTE(RogueStorm @ Jan 14 2006, 06:16 PM)

No, I am still waiting on my copy of WinMCE to come on Monday.  After that it will be a few more days before I reload my SC420 server with a Linux distro and the iSCSI root software.

I just know that at work I have a Win2k Pro machine with the MS iSCSI software adapter setup and attached to our 16TB iSCSI SAN and it treats the iSCSI drive just like it were a physical drive once it's setup.  I figured I could do the same for WinMCE.

If anyone else wants to try it before next weekend when I expect to get it working though, feel free.

I managed to install FC4 on my Dell server today and I also got the iSCSI Target software installed.  I need to get a 1Gbit NIC for my MCE box so I can run a crossover between that and the server.  I've also got the iSCSI initiator software installed as well.  Hopefully, I'll have time tomorrow night to finish up.  I'm so close I can taste it!

[RogueStorm]

Well, I have every reason to believe that this will work at this point.  I managed to get setup and connect the iSCSI drive over the network and format it in the Disk Manager on WinMCE just like it was a physically attached hard drive.  I copied files to the drive over the network and everything.  iSCSI target is really easy to setup on FC4 as well using the information contained in the link below.

http://fedoranews.or...et_in_5_minutes

It really is that easy.  Tonight I am going to install a gigabit NIC in my WinMCE box and run a crossover cable to the iSCSI target server and segment all my storage traffic on a close network segment like we do at work.  The only thing I haven't tested yet is whether or not I can redirect the WinMCE recordings to the iSCSI targeted drive on the Linux box, but after my success last night, I'm 99.9999999% positive that MCE will see the iSCSI drive just like a SATA drive installed in the system.

[tgm4883]

QUOTE(RogueStorm @ Jan 4 2006, 08:46 PM)

I have a Dell SC420 that I use as a back end file server.  I was told in another thread that you cannot use a mapped drive on WinMCE that is mapped to a Samba server on the backend.  So I started thinking and if I were to setup my Linux file server as an iSCSI target, I should be able to store WinMCE files on the Linux box using an iSCSI target drive, right?  We have an iSCSI SAN at work and the MS iSCSI initiator will connect to our SAN from a Win2k or WinXP workstation and act just like an internal hard drive.

Can anyone think of a reason why this wouldn't work (WinMCE iSCSI drive to Linux backend file server)?

This is all of course for eventually connecting my Xbox360 to my WinMCE box but storing large amounts of data on my backend Linux box.

If I am reading this correctly somebody told you that you couldn't connect to a drive that was a network drive on your WinMCE computer?  If that is so, while it is correct, there is a workaround.  I have a samba server setup as my file server and on my windows mce machine all my media is on network drives (drives on the file server, not local)  

Its early so give me a few hours to try and remember how I did it, but it involves setting up a logon script for the xbox user.  I just have to remember what was in the script now.  (I don't use it anymore as I had to dual boot win XP and winMCE.  It was just easier for me to use my xbox for media)  

I think this may have been it.  http://blog.vanosdal...8292c9f722.aspx

[RogueStorm]

QUOTE(tgm4883 @ Jan 26 2006, 11:00 AM)

If I am reading this correctly somebody told you that you couldn't connect to a drive that was a network drive on your WinMCE computer?  If that is so, while it is correct, there is a workaround.  I have a samba server setup as my file server and on my windows mce machine all my media is on network drives (drives on the file server, not local)  

Its early so give me a few hours to try and remember how I did it, but it involves setting up a logon script for the xbox user.  I just have to remember what was in the script now.  (I don't use it anymore as I had to dual boot win XP and winMCE.  It was just easier for me to use my xbox for media)  

I think this may have been it.  http://blog.vanosdale.com/PermaLink,guid,5...8292c9f722.aspx

That's right, I was told that WinMCE would not allow recordings to be written to a file share.  I know that music, pictures, etc. can be stored on there and mapped into WinMCE, but I want to record videos directly onto storage that is NOT attached to the WinMCE box.  Let me know if you can directly record dvr-ms files using a mapped drive or UNC path on a Linux box and I'll give it a try as well.  Part of this though was also my interest in setting up a SAN at home similar to the half million dollar one we use at work.

[Ezrem]

QUOTE(RogueStorm @ Jan 26 2006, 06:35 PM)

That's right, I was told that WinMCE would not allow recordings to be written to a file share.  I know that music, pictures, etc. can be stored on there and mapped into WinMCE, but I want to record videos directly onto storage that is NOT attached to the WinMCE box.  Let me know if you can directly record dvr-ms files using a mapped drive or UNC path on a Linux box and I'll give it a try as well.  Part of this though was also my interest in setting up a SAN at home similar to the half million dollar one we use at work.

If you can't record to network drives, then UNC mapping will definitely not work.

As you've guessed, there's absolutely no reason that recording to an iSCSI volume would not work (barring network performance issues, as disk IO is up there during recording), as windows cannot differentiate it from any other direct attached disk.  I have no doubt if you used gigabit connections, you'd be fine once you got the iSCSI stuff working on the linux server.  100mbit may be insufficient, though.