Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DCP not connecting to Server (DSS200)

This is topic DCP not connecting to Server (DSS200) in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=003052

Posted by Laura Hicks (Member # 9365) on 06-23-2017, 08:53 AM:

When I turn on my Christie CP2220 DCP, it takes about 7 minutes to boot up, but now my monitor is stuck on the screen with the Dolby logo where it says "Connecting to Server... (searching)" and it has been stuck here for 40+ minutes. I can use the TPC, turn on the lamp, project from Blu-ray players, etc. but I cannot access the Server or any of my DCP files. I called Dolby and they said I'd need to call in a technician. Anyone else have this problem before, or any thoughts on how to fix it?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-23-2017, 10:08 AM:

Power cycle the server and it will likely come back. If it doesn't then you have a corruption in the show manager database and you'll need to perform an unconfig to clear the database. the down side is that it will also clear out any GPIO or Serial commands you may have configured.

Generally speaking, it should take less than 2 minutes at the "Splash" screen for the server to connect. If it is going longer than 120-seconds, or you come in to find that it is stuck at the splash screen for many minutes, power cycle the server (leave the server off for a good 30-seconds too).

-Steve

Posted by Laura Hicks (Member # 9365) on 06-23-2017, 11:29 AM:

It must be a corruption then cause I power cycled it last night, didn't work, and came in this morning and tried again and it still won't turn on [Frown]

Thanks for the help!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-23-2017, 11:57 AM:

Corruption would be to use the unconfig script and select option 2.

When you power cycled, did you pull the power from the SERVER (not the projector) but the two power cords for the server itself?

Posted by Laura Hicks (Member # 9365) on 06-23-2017, 12:01 PM:

We have a Trip-lite that turns on everything all at once so I just turned that on/off. Should I try just turning off/on the DSS200, but leave the projector on?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-23-2017, 01:49 PM:

If the server is definitely going off, then having the projector on or off shouldn't matter.

Note, to perform an "unconfig" will require a password so I can't go beyond that here but that sounds like what you will need to do. In addition to losing your serial cues and GPIO configurations (if you even have them), you'll loose any built up shows. You won't lose any content or keys though.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 06-24-2017, 03:55 PM:

Dolby Cinema Support does provide config and unconfig videos (among others) on Vimeo, including listing the password right in the video.

I will not specifically link the URL, but google would bring it up if you enter 'Dolby unconfig video'.

I'm not implying that you should not take advantage of a Dolby-certified technician, but when I had some questions, Dolby redirected me to their Vimeo videos, and said that it was okay for me to direct people to their videos.

As Steve pointed out, pay attention to the downsides of doing the unconfig and config, and make sure you have your serial and GPIO commands written down to re-enter them once your DSS200 is back up and running.

Have a good day,
Leslie

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-24-2017, 05:49 PM:

You don't need to write them down but make sure you have a copy on a thumb drive. There is a special serial script that will copy the cues onto a thumb drive and take them from a thumb drive back onto the server. The GPIO, while it won't save them to a thumb drive, one can always reload their own cues. The default cues will be there until someone over-rights them, even after an unconfig.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 06-24-2017, 07:57 PM:

Really? That would be a handy script, I must confess. Is it freely available? It certainly would save a few minutes of re-entry.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-24-2017, 10:22 PM:

The moral of the story is to save a backup of any serial commands you have configured and a written record of your GPIO commands before you have to unconfig your Show Manager database. If you then do have to for any reason, recovery should be quick and easy. I don't know any way of backing up SPLs, but assuming there isn't one, this should be all you'd need to reconstruct from scratch if you do get a database corruption and have to unconfig.

The other thing to note about unconfig-ing Show Manager is that it may reset the Show Manager passwords ("administrator," "projectionist," and "operator") to their factory defaults as stated in the manual, if you have changed them to something else. It did, when I had to unconfig a couple of years ago: I don't know if this behavior has changed in more recent software versions.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-25-2017, 03:15 AM:

Leslie,

The script is accessed from the command line. The login is serial. It is a "wizard" so it will guide you through the rest.

Note, if you have access to the Dolby Customer site, download the DSS200 manual (version 4 is on the site) and search for "serial" and it will have a section that details the procedure for importing/exporting the serial cues.

In system 4.9.0 (and beyond), both serial and GPIO configurations will be things that can be FTPed both onto or off of the server.