Shared iPhoto library across wired Network- %$#@$%^&!!!!

Hello,

I've researched this to death, and tried several set-ups, and I cannot find a configuration that works at all well, regardless of cost, for a use that I would think is pretty damn common.

I have 3 macs of three generations (can't all run Mountain Lion and iPhoto '11/9.x) in our house. I load all the pics onto to mine to cull and PP. Now I need to share them with the family on the other Macs. I have LOTS of options (Time Capsule, older Mac Mini to use as media server, Firewire 800 external drive) but nothing seems to work.

When I share the library on my Mac, either internal drive or external (external was less buggy) the connection fails every few days or so- my computer won't wake-up, etc. (I am very well versed at all the sharing settings and have tried all that seemed reasonable). If I set-up a media server, the my library access (20k images) slows to an unacceptable level (full wired network, Gig-E all the way) for editing. Running a media server off the Time Capsule is recommended against (I am still unclear how Time Machine would deal with this if I did it). I am currently using the external drive to drop the library onto periodically and walk the revised library to the other macs and then replace the library manually in each other mac- HIGH hassle factor.

Apple and the Genius guys at my local store came up with zilch.

Anyone have a solution that they are ACTUALLY USING to this problem? Maybe if I had all brand new Macs? I'd love to hear it because I'm mega frustrated. Cheers,

JD

I apologize for what follows as I'm in Europe at the moment and won't be at our US home for months. I have an iMac where the iPhoto library is maintained and a media server at the other end of the house that serves various monitors/tv's. Both machines are Snow Leopard but I've had mixed osx environments here as well.

What I can say is I have never had any issues with photo sharing what-so-ever, so it is possible. Here are a few thoughts based on my set-up.

All machines are on static addresses. Could be your wake problem.

I've seen drives, especially some of the new Eco drives be difficult when attempting to wake. There's a simple Unix command that can control sleep times much better than the osx prefs appear to do it. No guarantees here as some drives control that with their firmware. Sleeping drives can pose problems when responding to a wake event. I've had my media server drive me nuts at times. One would think it will eventually wake but it does not.

There are free utilities that will send out wol signals. They can also be used to monitor what's awake on the network and how long it takes to wake. I'd suggest downloading one of them as they make diagnosis easier. These apps will not specifically indicate sleeping drives being the issue but they point to the culprit machine if there is an issue.

I keep my music and iPhoto libraries on the internal. Video and Pod Casts are in externals and they've had issues (below) at times.

Marginal external power supplies on externals will give you issues similar to wake problems if the app is looking at that drive for anything. A multimeter did not help me as voltages were all ok, I simply moved power supplies around until I located the suspected bad one.

I don't know if the 20k image library is an issue. I have about 7k in iPhoto as its only used for syncing iOS devices and sharing. However, I do have vast music, pod cast and video libraries (10 terabytes) and have no issues what-so-ever. If you can you might boot a clone, wipe out half the iPhoto library and see if iPhoto is the issue.

I run a lot of weird permissions settings on different machines as well as drives. You might want to take a look at them at the file level and see if they make sense. For media, I tend to allow anyone access. Disk Utility only deals with the non-user directories so it's of no benefit here.

If you are using an older Airport Express G only, they can slow down wired networks if they are not configured correctly. They are not worth messing with, buy a newer model. Unless you are running multiple wifi networks, switches, managed or unmanaged, are much easier to deal with and more reliable than routers.

If you're wondering, network drives with an Airport Express are slow and have too many issues to bother with.

Sorry I can't be more specific but, if it were me, I'd start with iPhoto. Is the library too large, does the issue exist between sessions when no changes have been made to the library or only when changes occur, are permissions an issue?

D Alchemist said:

When I share the library on my Mac, either internal drive or external (external was less buggy) the connection fails every few days or so- my computer won't wake-up, etc. (I am very well versed at all the sharing settings and have tried all that seemed reasonable). If I set-up a media server, the my library access (20k images) slows to an unacceptable level (full wired network, Gig-E all the way) for editing. Running a media server off the Time Capsule is recommended against (I am still unclear how Time Machine would deal with this if I did it). I am currently using the external drive to drop the library onto periodically and walk the revised library to the other macs and then replace the library manually in each other mac- HIGH hassle factor.

Apple and the Genius guys at my local store came up with zilch.

Anyone have a solution that they are ACTUALLY USING to this problem? Maybe if I had all brand new Macs? I'd love to hear it because I'm mega frustrated. Cheers,

JD

Click to expand...

threeOh said:

There are free utilities that will send out wol signals. They can also be used to monitor what's awake on the network and how long it takes to wake.

Click to expand...

I only use the share feature for music and movies inside my iTunes library. But if the host computer is asleep I have to wake it first, for this I use a iOS app called NetA

threeOh said:

Sorry I can't be more specific but, if it were me, I'd start with iPhoto. Is the library too large, does the issue exist between sessions when no changes have been made to the library or only when changes occur, are permissions an issue?

Click to expand...

threeOh said:

threeOh said:

Running a media server off the Time Capsule is recommended against (I am still unclear how Time Machine would deal with this if I did it).

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Time Machine only backs up locally connected drives (and non-internal local drives only on a opt-in basis). And extra stuff on the TC drive does not interfere with Time Machine, TM creates its disk image for the backup of a computer and what happens outside that disk image doesn't concern it.

Don't know exactly your use model with sharing your iPhoto Library.

If you want every machine to edit and view the originals, that is a bit complicated (as you described)

If you just want to be able to VIEW the photos on all computers, here is what I do with aperture - but I assume it works the same with iPhoto:

1. Main computer - used to view + edit - create Library with referenced masters (original photos are outside the iPhoto Library)

2. use Chronosync (only sync's changes in the lib ) or another synchronization program to synchronize the Library to the other computers (25k photos - 67GB)

This allows to do slide shows and view the photos etc on your other computers since the previews in the Library are more than sufficient for that.

Eduardo- I'm doing something like your suggestion...

I may have not been clear enough: I am looking to share the LIBRARY not the photos. One master library. PP pics from the kids soccer games last season and they are updated for all users/computers. I do 98% of picture taking, 100% of PP, so my iMac as master with read access for another iMac and an older Mac Mini.

I think I may have found a solution: I already use IiPhoto Library Manager (great program) so I can supposedly create reliable access to the master library on mine from the others with IPhoto LM on those machines also. I will try this new approach and report back.

PS: I have read several forum posts that Chronosync cannot do this reliably, but I have never used it.

What you are running into is nothing new, it is the problem of providing access to multiple users to a shared resource. This is what file servers have been all about for small to medium companies for the past 30 years.

Basically:

1. There is no solution where each user keeps their stuff in iPhoto on individual macs.

2. Use iPhoto to choose/edit/tweak/crop images but when you are done, export the "keepers" that you want to show as files in a folder. Probably 90% of the original images aren't fit for showing and should be trashed anyway.

This is where iPhoto/Aperture/Lightroom do have a role to play, but don't rely on them for long term storage or providing a convenient way to share access.

3. You need to decide where you will host the 'shared" images that all can see or contribute to. Either:

a) If you have a primary mac that is also backed up (typical of a small home-office setup) create a folder in users/shared ... and turn on file sharing in the system preferences, giving users access to that.

b) consider investing in a Mac Mini with OSX Lion Server, and configure all the users to connect to this when they are at home. Add a backup drive and encourage all to use this to store files instead of their local internal HDD's, like you would in any corporate environment. And lastly, make sure it has a backup configured so you don't lose everything if the HDD fails.

I use Aperture for PP.

Thanks for the tips, but...

Tried 3a)- cannot maintain access reliably if you ever turn off/sleep host computer.
3b) $1k to start. Not in the budget.

bondiblue said:

What you are running into is nothing new, it is the problem of providing access to multiple users to a shared resource. This is what file servers have been all about for small to medium companies for the past 30 years.

Basically:

1. There is no solution where each user keeps their stuff in iPhoto on individual macs.

2. Use iPhoto to choose/edit/tweak/crop images but when you are done, export the "keepers" that you want to show as files in a folder. Probably 90% of the original images aren't fit for showing and should be trashed anyway.

This is where iPhoto/Aperture/Lightroom do have a role to play, but don't rely on them for long term storage or providing a convenient way to share access.

3. You need to decide where you will host the 'shared" images that all can see or contribute to. Either:

a) If you have a primary mac that is also backed up (typical of a small home-office setup) create a folder in users/shared ... and turn on file sharing in the system preferences, giving users access to that.

b) consider investing in a Mac Mini with OSX Lion Server, and configure all the users to connect to this when they are at home. Add a backup drive and encourage all to use this to store files instead of their local internal HDD's, like you would in any corporate environment. And lastly, make sure it has a backup configured so you don't lose everything if the HDD fails.

Click to expand...

D Alchemist said:

Eduardo- I'm doing something like your suggestion...

I may have not been clear enough: I am looking to share the LIBRARY not the photos. One master library. PP pics from the kids soccer games last season and they are updated for all users/computers. I do 98% of picture taking, 100% of PP, so my iMac as master with read access for another iMac and an older Mac Mini.

I think I may have found a solution: I already use IiPhoto Library Manager (great program) so I can supposedly create reliable access to the master library on mine from the others with IPhoto LM on those machines also. I will try this new approach and report back.

PS: I have read several forum posts that Chronosync cannot do this reliably, but I have never used it.

Click to expand...

I've been using ChronoSync for a long time to keep a mirrored copy of my Aperture Library up to date on my MBP. My main machine is an iMac and whenever I've done some changes in Aperture I use ChronoSync to mirror these updates to my MBP. Works very well and even if my Library is large (975GB by now) the sync updates is pretty quick. The speed of course depends on the network and usually my laptop sits on the same desk as the iMac so I just run an Ethernet cable between them and that gives me full gigabit speed. My blogpost on the networking setup here: http://mfransso.blogspot.com/2011/03/ad-hoc-network-between-two-macs.html

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Mikael