Scheduled Task Mode ?

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Mike88

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Scheduled Task Mode ?

#1

Post by Mike88 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:32 pm

I was reading through the EPG123 Installation Guide & don’t understand how to choose a Scheduled Task Mode. I searched for answers using different combinations of search words but did not find an answer, or at least did not seem like an answer.

I’m reading the words but have no idea what the MXF file is or does. How do I know if my machine generates the MXF file or imports it?

glorp

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#2

Post by glorp » Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:55 pm

Scheduled Task mode really means you use a Windows task that periodically runs EPG123 to create, and optionally load, a program schedule for WMC. There are GUI options in EPG123 to create a scheduled task for you. Towards the bottom-left of the main EPG123 GUI look for the Scheduled Task options where you can enter a time to start the task and then a button to "Create" it. That adds a task in Windows to run EPG123 daily at that time to retrieve and create the MXF file needed, and, optionally load it into WMC (see the checkbox in the GUI). The other mode besides 'Scheduled Task' is just for you to open the GUI and run an update manually using the "Save and Execute" button. The modes just refer to whether you are running the update manually using the GUI or the automatic task is doing it. But both do the same thing.

When EPG123 runs (in either mode) it downloads all the new schedule data for your line-ups from Schedules Direct and rewrites it into a specific format WMC needs. The MXF is that formatted schedule file. It should be a rather large file created in the same directory as EPG123, named epg123.mxf. It's size depends on the total number of channels in your line-up(s). The best way to know what happens when you retrieve a schedule, build the MXF file and import it is to look at the log created. That will be a file named trace.log also in the same directory as epg123.exe. If all went well you'll see that and if errors occurred they will be logged there.

Mike88

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#3

Post by Mike88 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:54 pm

I apologize, guess I didn't word my question properly.

I understand what a Scheduled Task is. But the guide lists 3 different modes: Server Mode, Client Mode, & Full Mode. But it doesn't say when to choose which one. Well it does I guess, but it seems to be related to the MXF file which I know nothing about, let alone where it's created and/or imported from. I'm presuming I'd use Full Mode since I don't have a server and only am using a single PC.

stuartm

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#4

Post by stuartm » Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:05 pm

You are correct. EPG123 supports the idea of one machine (server) downloading data and creating the file used to update the EPG (mxf file) and then importing the new data on multiple other machines (clients) without them having to log on to SD and download the same data. If you just have one PC then use full mode to both download/create mxf and load it into the EPG.

Mike88

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#5

Post by Mike88 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:21 pm

Thank you both for the replies & information.

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garyan2

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#6

Post by garyan2 » Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:23 am

I'll boil it down to, "If in doubt, go Full Mode." Once you become familiar with how epg123 works with WMC, then you can consider the other options which will only benefit a multiple WMC network.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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