why does it take so long to access the server on a PC?

[toecheese]

On my Soundbridge, it takes just a few seconds to load my firefly library. But if I try to access my firefly library using iTunes on another PC on my network, it takes sometimes minutes for the directory to load. Why is there such a big difference and is there any way to speed it up?

[jtbse]

I think you are experiencing the difference between RCP and DAAP. When DAAP (iTunes) needs the track listing, it doesn’t return until it has received meta data for all of the tracks.

On my setup (approximately 8000 tracks), it takes close to 50 seconds after clicking on the libary in iTunes before I can see the tracks. On the SoundBridge it returns in less than 5 seconds.

I don’t think there’s anything that Ron can do about this…it’s just the way that Apple has implemented DAAP sharing in iTunes.

[rpedde]

@jtbse wrote:

I think you are experiencing the difference between RCP and DAAP. When DAAP (iTunes) needs the track listing, it doesn’t return until it has received meta data for all of the tracks.

On my setup (approximately 8000 tracks), it takes close to 50 seconds after clicking on the libary in iTunes before I can see the tracks. On the SoundBridge it returns in less than 5 seconds.

I don’t think there’s anything that Ron can do about this…it’s just the way that Apple has implemented DAAP sharing in iTunes.

Well, I could always do it the way apple does… it stores the whole db in memory. It returns the db much faster, but just look at the cpu/memory info of iTunes running some time to see why I don’t — it would flatten a slug.

Still, I think I can store the expensive queries in memory (playlists) and speed up connections significantly.

In fact, in the svn code right now, it does just that. It seems to connect much faster, although I haven’t actually tested it on a memory-starved device like the slug.

— Ron

[toecheese]

I’m all for not using iTunes if I don’t have to. What might be some of my other options for listening to my firefly server on a remote PC?

[Bo Mellberg]

@toecheese wrote:

I’m all for not using iTunes if I don’t have to. What might be some of my other options for listening to my firefly server on a remote PC?

Well unless you have all your files stored as flac, you could always try FirePlay which is actively developed (link below). If you have flacs and oggs and good bandwidth connection to your server, try the new java client FireFlyClient which looks very promising.

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