There is a server on the qnap; this is my main and most used PMS.
The main media is on the qnap and this is the media being played on the ipad plex app
There is a folder on the WD that the QNAP sees as part of a 4K movies defined library on the QNAP. It is only used as extra disk space just like an “external drive” via HybridMount as an external device. This is specific to additional 4K media because of file sizes. Your understanding is correct except for the additional storage space being linked in a QNAP PMS 4K movies library with the storage source coming from the PR4100.
The status of the QNAP Plex server is that it runs constantly.
PR4100:
There is a server on the PR4100; this is only now used as a backup PMS. Obviously it has a different name, it’s own settings, etc. It shows up in Plex.tv as a second server, separate and apart from the QNAP server.
There is media on the PR4100; the media on the PR4100 is a duplicate of the media on the QNAP except for the 4K content. The 4K content on the PR4100 is not included in the libraries referenced by the PR4100 PMS; it is only tied to the QNAP 4K movie library. The PR4100 4K media directory is only used as extra disk space for the QNAP PMS to play 4K movie files locally.
The PR4100 Plex server is running constantly; the PR4100 is powered up to serve additional 4K files for the QNAP, and the PMS is running on it as well. But again, the PR4100 has a completely separate set of shares, folders, and defined libraries.
Yes, I can restart the PR4100 PMS.
Sequence of events leading up to the problem:
The PR4100 server has been used for about 3 years now. I keep PMS updated.
The QNAP server is about 4 months old. I copied the media files from the PR4100 to the new QNAP. All media files were duplicated on the QNAP from the PR4100. The QNAP has been configured as described above for about 3 months now (which is when I added SSDs, one for the Plex server app/metadata, and one for a cache).
Both servers have been functioning fine in the current configuration, up until Feb. 1.
6 days ago the ipad Plex app was automatically updated to 6.7.1 (may not have anything to do with this problem, but seemed coincidental)
On Feb. 1st I updated both the QNAP and the PR4100 PMSs to the latest released version
On Feb 1st, almost immediately after doing the update on the QNAP, I experienced the QNAP PMS crashing when playing movie files using the ipad Plex app.
Thinking the problem was PMS update related, I backed up to the previous PMS version on the QNAP. I again experienced a similar failure when using the ipad Plex app to play movie files from the QNAP.
I opened this trouble topic on Feb. 2 because every time I tried to play a movie using the ipad Plex app, the QNAP PMS would crash and have to be manually stopped and restarted. At this time I did not think to see if the PR4100 PMS would also crash when accessed by the ipad Plex app.
I received Dane22’s instructions and I then moved all media files on the QNAP from the multimedia share to a newly defined share and assigned new library folder references per instructions.
I again tried to access and play movies using the ipad Plex app from the QNAP PMS; the server crashed just the same as before.
I then tried playing multiple simultaneous movie files via Plex web (Plex.tv) from the QNAP PMS with complete, repeated success. It wasn’t until I tried to play a movie file from the QNAP PMS using the ipad Plex app at the same time that it again crashed. At that time the QNAP PMS would not manually restart, so I had to completely restart the QNAP NAS.
I then accessed the PR4100 server using the ipad Plex app (I switched to the PR4100 server in the ipad Plex app) and after trying to play two movies, the PR4100 PMS also crashed. It experienced the same crash as the QNAP PMS was experiencing. I had to manually restart the PR4100 PMS.
I’ve since performed several tests of playing movies via Plex web (Plex.tv), simultaineously on both servers with complete success. I’ve played them on different devices, including the ipad via Plex.tv with complete success. It is only when the ipad Plex app is used to access either server that they crash. The crash is very repeatable. I play a movie (partially) on the ipad Plex app - I select another movie, it plays the pre-roll and then crashes when attempting to access the chosen movie from PMS on either nas.
The above led me to conclude that the problem is most likely with the ipad Plex app and not the QNAP server, or for that matter, the PR4100 server. They both worked together just fine before, playing files on the ipad Plex app repeatedly and other devices right up until Feb. 1st when I updated PMS. Nothing changed in configuration of either NAS on Feb. 1st except the PMS updates. Nothing had changed on the ipad except the prior automatic Plex app update, which had occurred before Feb. 1st.
Thanks very much for that details explanation. It helps a great deal.
We have two variables in flight here. Let’s eliminate one.
Please manually install the previous QNAP version of PMS on top of the existing one. It will downgrade by itself. It will need a little bit of extra time with the database (wait 60 seconds) and then should be ok to go.
With it now back at the last known good server version, test the iPad.
If it fails now, it’s the tablet. anything from Reset Customizations to full uninstall,reinstall,sign in again,select new default server.
I am using current production (6.7.2) on an iPad Pro 2017 12.9" model. Not experiencing these issues so we’ll figure it out.
I installed PMS 1.18.5.2260, which was installed prior to this problem. I tried it again and sure enough, using the ipad Plex app resulted in crashing the server. I did find it interesting to note that even though the first movie played just fine, and the second pre-roll played, I watched the dashboard and the “NOW PLAYING” did not show anything at all. In the past, it has always shown when something was playing on the ipad; I should have noticed this before now as well. I then reset customizations. The first pre-roll and movie played, and the pre-roll did show up in the dashboard under NOW PLAYING, but the movie did not. The second one crashed the server - again.
I decided to try an iphone to see if the Plex app on the iphone did the same thing. It sure did. I then noticed that “experimental player” was turned on on both the ipad and the iphone. I shut them off on both. I then removed playing the pre-roll from the server. After doing these things, the iphone and ipad Plex apps connected and played the chosen movies, and they showed up on the dashboard. They did not before. Because both the iphone and ipad were doing the same thing and they now appear to only marginally be working, I decided to completely remove and replace the iphone app first. After doing so the iphone app appears to be working better. It is more responsive and it hasn’t crashed the QNAP PMS after beginning play of 5 different movies in a row. It would probably be a good idea for the iOS app team to take a hard look at what they have changed in the last couple of updates 6.7.1 and 6.7.2, as well as the experimental player. Incidentally, my ipad is also a 2017 12.9" ipad pro - love it. Life will be much better once this dang problem is done…
As another check I made sure my TVs were all still able to access and play from the server correctly. They work fine. It is only the iOS Plex app that is causing the problems.
I’ll work on the ipad when I can get more time, and hopefully that will improve with removal, reinstall, etc. Thanks for your help. I realize now that I should have posted this under the iOS app and not here under Linux server. I’ll obviously let you know if anything else comes of the removal and reinstall on the ipad. At this point it does look like a manual removal and reinstall of all iOS Plex apps is required for them to function without crashing the servers as a result of the latest updates.
Sorry, no. I didn’t think of doing that. I moved on to the iOS Plex app as the culprit. I am still curious as to how an ipad client could crash the server though - guess I had never thought the client did anything except read data from the server via pointers.
I have sense had repeated success with the iphone and ipad after deleting the app and re-installing on both devices. Whatever the iOS app team did in the 6.7.1 version update obviously impacted someone like me (iphone and ipad updates both caused server crashes for me). The connection speeds are much faster now (refresh, etc.), but I did also turn the cache back on with the QNAP. Guess we spent a few days working a non-problem as it was not the QNAP nas at all. At least I moved the libraries from the Multimedia folder; maybe that will prevent future problems.
Since you are a QNAP expert, do you know if the TR-004 works well to expand a newer model QNAP nas? Stays connected, integrates well, no data access issues, etc.? I’ve been holding off for the thunderbolt 3 release thinking that would be best solution, but it’s now well into 2020 and no news.
Well, the ipad app now works fine for playing, but it won’t sync with the server now when downloading optimized content from the server (request done on the server). The server simply says “Waiting to be downloaded” and never downloads to the ipad. I did a search and found several older (and a couple more recent) issues like this noting the sync option doesn’t work any more. It will do it if I initiate the sync from the ipad, but not if I initiate it from the plex web interface (plex.tv). Different problem now, and probably something for an ipad Plex app topic.
By the way - Thanks for your help before and sticking with me to get it solved even though we went down a few “rabbit trails.”.
Niel,
If you can grab the logs whenever it misbehaves (a request to everyone) that will always help me the most. We’ll know the logs have the event captured.
As for an app crashing the server, the last time I saw that happen was when Ubuntu had a driver error and issue with the VMNET3 ethernet adapter under VMware and the adapter had LRO (large receive offload) enabled. It would result in a memory panic of the kernel when the app made a very specific request (upload).
The TR-004 will extend the QNAP’s storage. It won’t enrich it’s processing abilities but will add storage bays. Even though it has USB-C, I think it will still run at USB 3.0 speed (common to all other NAS units) – UNLESS – you have added their USB PCI-e expansion card which will take it up to full 10 Gbps.
Neil, I am watching your thread on this as I too am having this problem - only on a TVS-471. My Plex server locks up at odd times as both I and external users access movies and TV shows. I’m interested in what is found to cause this.
What I found was that it was that it was the iOS Plex apps. They are probably all very similar (ipad, iphone), but with the 6.7.1 Plex app update I seemed to be OK until I updated to the latest PMS version on Feb. 1st. I also discovered that my son’s android Plex app crashed the server as well after his most recent update. So, I had him deleted, reinstall and that has been working well now. If I have my dates and versions correct, the problems would have been with the combined client updates and PMS vs 1.18.5.2309. The odd element was that when I went back to the prior PMS version on the servers they were still crashing when accessed by the ipad or an iphone. As you can see from the thread, we tried several changes on the QNAP nas; but, it turned out to be the iOS plex app. After I completely deleted the apps and then reinstalled, I have had no similar problems. Deleting and reinstalling the iOS and android Plex apps seemed to fix the crashing servers for us.
Because I download some media for off-line access to my ipad, I’ve also noticed that now push downloads don’t work for me. In other words, selecting movies, etc. to download to the ipad from the Plex web (PMS) doesn’t work; it simply says waiting to download forever. It does work going the other way though - to request the optimized download from the ipad. I saw that ChuckPA is looking into this latest problem.
But, it would be good if the iOS app folks could figure out what they did to cause the servers to crash, that would be really helpful for future reference. Makes me wonder if it will happen again in a future update without knowing what caused it. That’s why I asked how a client could crash a server in the Plex “ecosystem.” I will grab logs if it happens again to me, but so far its been working very well. I’ve experienced even faster performance than before when working correctly - probably due to moving my media library out of the QNAP default media folder (Dane22 suggestion).
If it helps, I’m set up with my main storage coming from the HDDs in raid 6, I have a 2TB M.2 SSD on which the PMS is installed, and I have a second 1TB M.2 set up as a read-only cache for the HDDs. Not sure the latter makes a lot of difference, but I do get very rapid metadata feeds/refresh, and very quick media start ups.
Good to know. Yes, I use my iPhone to Chromecast to my TV and I first noticed this about a week ago when trying to show some personal video. It locked up and I had to reset the server.
I figure that this also could be happening with people that use my system from outside my network on iOS devices. I will remove Plex from my iPhone and reinstall and see if that solves the problem.
Hope it fixes your problems as well. Your timing of problems beginning is almost exactly the same as mine. It seems obvious that the problems are due to version updates and associated client <=> server clashes.
Just to confirm after another day of no issues, deleting and downloading a new version of the iOS and Android Plex apps has fixed the PMS crashing problem for us.
