client side WOL & DB off-line message handling

[2leftfeet]

I am running a client/server configuration where I put the server to sleep if not in use. Currently, I use a script (which works), that wakes the server via magic packet, enters a polling loop until the server DB wakes, and then starts NPVR on the client. Although the process works, it takes a while for the script to execute and start NPVR. I am wondering if this process could be sped up by having NPVR, in client mode, automatically send a magic packet to the server, go into a wait state until the server wakes and the DB is available, then enter the desired NPVR mode?

If the client tries to access the server's database when server is off-line, a "Server database not found" message appears. Clicking the "OK" button clears that message only to be replaced by "unhandled exception" message, displaying a "continue" button. Pressing the continue button only brings back the unhandled exception message again and on and on - in an infinite loop. Only killing the nextpvr task in task manager seems to rid this message. Not very user-friendly, IMO.

The above suggestion would eliminate the infinite loop and hopefully start NPVR on client side much faster.

[pBS]

to speed up starting client, i put server's address into the hosts file on client, as it seems the dns lookups are quite slow leading to slow startup of npvr..
like: 192.169.0.10 pvrhost
[obviously adjust host and ip to your specs]
in hosts file at %windows%\system32\drivers\etc\

[2leftfeet]

pBS,

Great tip! I put the adr in hosts and it sure did speed startup - thanks!

I am still getting that awkward message though, need to be handled better, IMO.