Benefits and Implementation of periodic reboots?

Due to two recent instances where Indigo Server stopped allowing remote access (e.g. it ran, but I couldn’t connect via the app or web, locally or WAN, but i could VNC in to restart it from Mexico), I am wondering if it is beneficial to do a daily re-start of the server.

My reasoning for doing so might be totally flawed, but is anybody doing this? I have an action group that restarts the server (thanks Karl).


MunDMC
Fitter. Happier. More productive.

[jay (support)]

I think I'd first try to get to the bottom of why the reflector stopped working. Any clues as to why? Log errors?

And you say "locally" - does that mean the Mac client wouldn't connect?

To clarify: I wasn’t using Reflector. I couldn’t connect from my lan (or remotely with port forwarding) to port 8176.

Since I didn’t know when it went down, i didn’t even try to search the very busy log (I can’t disable a lot of the logging) for errors.

I have similar issues as described in viewtopic.php?f=104&t=21141&hilit=memory+memory+indigo+client which sounds very similar to what you are seeing. It may be as simple as remembering to close the client down. If you can VNC in you can check the memory usage.

I have similar issues as described in viewtopic.php?f=104&t=21141&hilit=memory+memory+indigo+client which sounds very similar to what you are seeing. It may be as simple as remembering to close the client down. If you can VNC in you can check the memory usage.

Yes! I recall reading that thread while on vacation and panicking that I had just been cut off from Indigo. Wife was not sympathetic.

[jay (support)]

I have similar issues as described in viewtopic.php?f=104&t=21141&hilit=memory+memory+indigo+client which sounds very similar to what you are seeing. It may be as simple as remembering to close the client down. If you can VNC in you can check the memory usage.

That particular bug can be avoided by just quitting the Mac client when not in use. This particular bug has been very elusive in terms of tracking it down. We're still working on it (but we won't hold up 7.3 any longer because of it).

To clarify: I wasn’t using Reflector. I couldn’t connect from my lan (or remotely with port forwarding) to port 8176.

Since I didn’t know when it went down, i didn’t even try to search the very busy log (I can’t disable a lot of the logging) for errors.

So, the server wasn't responding/hung up. Again, diagnosing the actual problem is where I'd start. If it was the memory bug above, then until we find and fix the problem the solution is to just make sure the Mac client isn't running when you don't need it.

BTW, just to let everyone know, this bug doesn't appear to be super widespread, possibly because many of you don't leave the client running all the time. I leave mine on all the time on my production server and never see the issue.

I have same issue, can't remote into server Mac mini even without the client running on that machine. The app and all functions respond perfectly but sometimes I have to pull the plug to restart and get connection back. Not good if I'm trying to remote in from external.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jay (support)]

I have same issue, can't remote into server Mac mini even without the client running on that machine. The app and all functions respond perfectly but sometimes I have to pull the plug to restart and get connection back. Not good if I'm trying to remote in from external.

What are you using to "remote into" the server? When you go to the Indigo Server Mac itself, what happens when you try to start the Client? More details are needed to understand what's happening.

So, the server wasn't responding/hung up. Again, diagnosing the actual problem is where I'd start. If it was the memory bug above, then until we find and fix the problem the solution is to just make sure the Mac client isn't running when you don't need it.

BTW, just to let everyone know, this bug doesn't appear to be super widespread, possibly because many of you don't leave the client running all the time. I leave mine on all the time on my production server and never see the issue.

It very well may have been from the Indigo Client app running on my mac server, though I have never encountered this until 2 or 3 times in the past several months. I have been using 7.2 during this time, but I have also been doing a LOT of new stuff on Indigo, so I do not want to point fingers at 7.2. I also started using Grafana in this time span, which could be using up some resources vis a vis the influxdb.

Just to be clear about the symptoms:
1. Unable to log on via my lan, or via wan
2. On one occasion (but not other), was able to VNC into machine and restart Indigo Server, fixing the problem. The other time I needed to fix it remotely, I could not VNC in OR ssh in to my mac server. That said, Indigo Server was still running, as evidenced by updating logs and my motion-activated lights working appropriately. Restarting Indigo Server again fixed it.
3. The server mac still showed as an active client on my Unifi Cloud Key.

I know, this could be a million things. Still wondering about the reboot practice in general.

@Ianbrown I hear you, it’s a matter of being home on average 3 waking hours a day and having small kids. I’m just entertaining a stop-gap.


MunDMC
Fitter. Happier. More productive.

I instituted a weekly reboot after similar “lockouts” about 6 months ago, and haven’t had any problems since. I chose weekly arbitrarily, and haven’t experimented with decreasing the frequency.

Years ago, in OS9, I'd have to reboot often, as the OS would frequently lock up and the only fix was a reboot. When OSX finally came online, and after a few iterations the OS seemed more stable, I set up a server running OSX, and was curious to see how long it would run without a reboot. While I don't remember exactly, it was several months.

I think Indigo is a very mature, stable app(thanks Jay and Matt), and Apple has done a good job of keeping OSX stable and running as well. I have no doubt that Indigo will run for as long as you want it to, with no problems. These days, I'm just not interested in finding out how long.

So I can't think of a good reason NOT to re-boot, and do so once a week for the most part. This is done in the Energy Prefs/Schedule of OSX. Indigo is a start up item, so rebooting and starting Indigo requires no intervention on my behalf. With that said, my Indigo Mac is headless, and occasionally I have an open, edited document that prevents the reboot, so it just keeps running until I actually intervene. But even in these cases, Indigo and OSX continue to run.

I'd be curious to see what the uptime is for Indigo from others, but I have no doubt it is weeks/months long.

I have same issue, can't remote into server Mac mini even without the client running on that machine. The app and all functions respond perfectly but sometimes I have to pull the plug to restart and get connection back. Not good if I'm trying to remote in from external.

What are you using to "remote into" the server? When you go to the Indigo Server Mac itself, what happens when you try to start the Client? More details are needed to understand what's happening.

I normally use VNC, but do also try teamviewer which I sometimes have more luck with. The server mac is run headless so I cant easily connect it up to a screen to get access directly.

I just restarted it, and have set it to restart once a week and will see if that helps. Its now noticeably quicker to respond, and Homekit on my phone now refreshes in < 1second, rather than 5-30 seconds it has been doing the last week or 2. Its probably been close to a month before it was last restarted.

I'll see if the regular restarts help. It may just be that the mac mini is struggling. Its a 2014 1.5Ghz i5 with 4GB of RAM running 10.14 that also runs SS. I am wondering whether I get a local apple specialist to add more memory, or whether I upgrade to another 2014 with a lot more memory, or possibly splash for a brand new model.

I just restarted it, and have set it to restart once a week and will see if that helps. Its now noticeably quicker to respond, and Homekit on my phone now refreshes in < 1second, rather than 5-30 seconds it has been doing the last week or 2. Its probably been close to a month before it was last restarted.

Following. Looking forward to see your thoughts over the next month or two.

Currently:

I have my iMac connected to a USB relay card which can power on/off my modem and router. I run an AppleScript to test for internet failure by pinging Google servers. If failure occurs then I restart my modem followed by my router. This takes care of the issue of my internet freezing up.

I have my iMac powered through a smart plug on my current Iris system. If the iMac itself freezes up I can cycle the power to it.

The above handles either my internet going down or my iMac that reboots the internet freezing up.

With my move to Indigo my thoughts are to put the iMac on a Wi-Fi smart plug so I can restart it if it freezes up. Then I am only screwed if the internet stops working and the iMac freezes up. Low odds. I also plan to put my new (shipping today) Mac Mini that will be my permanent Indigo install on a Wi-Fi plug so I can reboot it remotely. I am trying to cover as many contingencies as possible so I am not bothering friends to go to my house and restart things for me.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Buy a ubiquiti router and your days of restarting your router will be over!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk