Plex only sporadically reachable after installing PMS-1.18.1.1973-0f4abfbcc-x86_64

[Mcgus2]

I have not received an answer to my PROBLEM:

If there are so many people who have the same problem suddenly, isn’t it possible that there is a problem in the Program / Server / ?:

[jerauf_gmail_com]

If there are so many people who have the same problem suddenly, isn’t it possible that there is a problem in the Program / Server / ?:

Thank you.

[ChuckPa]

Please make a ZIP of the Logs folder and attach it.

[Mcgus2]

In my previous note is the Zip. Anyway, I updated yesterday to the new PLEX and I updated the Synology to update 4. it worked again like other times and today it doesn’t work again.

I can’t do the Zip because I can’t access the server with Plex. I can access it with other applications
After I update PLEX again with the same package and only after restarting synology I can access it in the server but I can’t play any movie or any music record on the server or smartphone.:
Previo: Plex Media Server Logs_2019-11-14_09-15-11.zip (4.0 MB)
After: Plex Media Server Logs_2019-11-14_09-27-22.zip (4.2 MB)

[ChuckPa]

Thank you for them but those logs are useless.

Because you enabled VERBOSE logging (off by default), Everything I need to see has been lost off the end.

Verbose logging is only valid in specific cases. This is why it’s off.
We turn it on, allow it to gather about 2 minutes (all the buffer will hold) and then capture logs.

The defaults are here: https://support.plex.tv/articles/201105343-advanced-hidden-server-settings/

I need you to manually edit the Preferences.xml file, using the Synology Text Editor app only (download it in Package Center)

1. Install Text editor
2. Stop PMS
3. File Station
4. Plex share
5. Navigate in until you see “Preferences.xml”
6. Open the file with the text editor (Right click on it and edit)
7. Right before the end of the line, in front of the />, I need the following text added so it looks like this when done.
8. Save the file
9. Start PMS
10. Go back into General Settings and Verify Debug is ON, and Verbose is OFF.
11. Once done, we can continue waiting until it fails again.

logDebug="1" LogVerbose="0" />

Screenshot from my Synology

[uhzyaj]

Hi Chuck,

The issue happened again, so I zipped new logs. I’m not sure what I’m doing differently. I’ve checked version and date on PMS and on the NAS, they’re all correct.

Regards,

JeffLogs (14-11-2019).zip (11.2 MB)

[jfbarsoum]

Hi @ChuckPa

would be willing to try the manual SQL process. Let me know how we’d proceed

Latest logs below fyi, from both Synology servers

Plex Media Server Logs_2019-11-14_10-36-28.zip (4.7 MB)

Plex Media Server Logs_2019-11-14_16-33-50 - SYN1.zip (6.3 MB)

[ChuckPa]

This is done at the Synology command prompt. (SSH access)

1. Control Panel - Terminal & SNMP - Enable SSH
2. User ‘admin’ has a password assigned you know.
3. STop Plex
4. Using “Putty” or ssh sign in as admin.
5. Run the shell commands below
6. Leave the ssh session signed in just in case.
7. Start PMS when done.

This is my terminal session.

What it does.

1. Elevates to admin (root) privilege
2. makes a backup of the existing DB just in case
3. Opens SQLITE3 to modify the DB (you may need install SQLite3 – can’t remember)
4. Deletes one index from the DB which isn’t in importable but is recreated when PMS starts
5. Defines an output file
6. Exports the entire DB to that output file (It’s text SQL output)
7. Exits
8. Opens the new DB we will create and imports the SQL statements to create the new DB
9. sets the permissions so user Plex has ownership again

admin@moesern's password: 
admin@moesern:~$ sudo -su root
sh-4.3# cd "/volume1/Plex/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases"
sh-4.3# ls
com.plexapp.dlna.db		      com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db-2019-07-01  com.plexapp.plugins.library.db		  com.plexapp.plugins.library.db-2019-09-23
com.plexapp.dlna.db-shm		      com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db-2019-07-04  com.plexapp.plugins.library.db-2019-07-01
com.plexapp.dlna.db-wal		      com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db-2019-07-07  com.plexapp.plugins.library.db-2019-07-04
com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db  com.plexapp.plugins.library.blobs.db-2019-09-23  com.plexapp.plugins.library.db-2019-07-07
sh-4.3# cp com.plexapp.plugins.library.db PlexDB.backup
sh-4.3# sqlite3 com.plexapp.plugins.library.db
SQLite version 3.10.2 2016-01-20 15:27:19
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> drop index index_title_sort_naturalsort;
sqlite> .output  plex.db.sql
sqlite> .dump 
sqlite> .quit
sh-4.3# mv com.plexapp.plugins.library.db plex.db.modified
sh-4.3# sqlite3 com.plexapp.plugins.library.db < plex.db.sql
sh-4.3# chown plex:users com.plexapp.plugins.library.db
sh-4.3#

With this done, if all is now working correctly, then the DB was indeed the issue

Rescan all your files and force update the metadata.

Empty the trash and optimize the DB when done.

You can then use File Station to delete those extra files.
They are under the Library/… / Databases directory

[jfbarsoum]

Just to clarify – my administrator ID is not “admin” (as per recent Synology security suggestions), I assume that doesn’t change anything to the script above?

[ChuckPa]

Correct; Username admin is no longer required if you’ve changed per the Synology security advisory.

The essential privilege needed above is root

[jfbarsoum]

I tried the script, seemed to run fine – but unfortunately, no joy. Plex still crashes daily.

[wediggers]

After updating about 2 weeks ago plex only works for a few hours after starting every night then i have to restart plex and sometimes the whole Synology and it will be good for a few more hours?

[jfbarsoum]

I ordered and installed a memory upgrade on the Synology Plex server. (2GB -> 16GB). % Physical memory use, is way down as is memory swap use (not surprising)… Will see if it makes a difference on the frequency of crashes.

[ChuckPa]

2GB of memory really isn’t enough. Synology configured it as a NAS not a media appliance and hence the root issue.

1. DSM uses, after loading its apps, about 750 MB
2. PMS uses, about 1GB but will grow

The result is often insufficient space for any real utilization.

We recommend 8GB but 16 will serve you well.

[jfbarsoum]

FWIW, PMS hasn’t crashed since I upgraded the memory. But I ran Plex for at least two years on 2GB without a hiccup (tbh I didn’t even realise the memory was upgradeable). Something must have changed in how the Plex server manages memory for there to be such a big difference overnight. And the 416play runs on 1GB of memory… I suppose I’ll have to look about upgrading that one. Not as easy from what I read

[jfbarsoum]

It’s been a few days and no Plex crashes to speak of. Took a few screenshots to show the performance difference when going from 2GB to 16GB on a DS1815+ – it’s quite significant (it will be pretty obvious where the change was made). I’ll try taking the DS416play to 8GB and see if I get a comparable change.