Run FFAStrans as Service

Questions and answers on how to get the most out of FFAStrans
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michael85
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:10 am
Location: Germany

Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by michael85 »

Hi,

I'am unable to run FFAStrans as service.
I have installed the web REST service from FFAStrans as administrator but i couldn't bring the service to run.
Every time I try to start the service, I get the following error:
"The FFAStrans REST-API Service service on Local Computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs."

I have also tried to restart the server and tried to start the service manually with closed FFAStrans application. I always get the same error and the service won't start.

I'am using FFAStrans (1.2.) as farm and it is installed on a NAS. Two older servers (Windows Server 2008 SP1) and a workstation (Windows 7 SP1) are used for transcoding with FFAStrans. I get the error on all machines. Any idea to fix this?
emcodem
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 am

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by emcodem »

Hey,

Typically this is related to the port 65445 being already in use, mostly because of it already runs as application, but you said you already took care of that part.

Anyway, let's start with the basics: when the application is not running, do you see any process listening on 65445?
netstat -ano |findstr 65445

Does it work to enable the "REST Service" when you run ffastrans as local application?
emcodem, wrapping since 2009 you got the rhyme?
michael85
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:10 am
Location: Germany

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by michael85 »

Hi emcodem,

this is what netstat says:
Capture.JPG
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FFAStrans localy installed on drive C:\ brings the service to run but now this server is'nt part of the farm anymore.
As far as I understood, I have to put FFAStrans on a shared drive in order to run it as a farm. In my case it is installed on the same NAS where my content comes from for transcoding.
emcodem
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 am

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by emcodem »

Yes, you seem to have the correct understanding about how it works in farm environment.
For this you have to take care not to use "mapped network drive letters" but full UNC paths instead. A service never has access to mapped network drives.
That could be your issue too.
So basically you have to start ffastrans GUI from the full UNC path when installing the service AND whenever you open the workflow GUI.
Also, you must configure your service to run under credentials that have access to the UNC path, there is something in the wiki about it in installation section.

Also, the service cannot start as long as you see some LISTENING line in the netstat command. In your case the PID 4756 was holding the needed port. You have to locate the process with this pid in task manager and kill it before starting the service.
emcodem, wrapping since 2009 you got the rhyme?
michael85
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:10 am
Location: Germany

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by michael85 »

You are right emcodem. I have used mapped network drive letters. I have changed that and run FFAStrans under the UNC path and have removed the REST service and reinstalled it. I have also looked for a free port and changed the port in FFAStrans GUI from. The service is configured to run under credentials that have access to this UNC path.

Now the services starts but my workflows wont run anymore. I had to change also all the paths for my monitor nodes (input and output) and now everything runs fine.
Since I run FFAStrans as service it seems that encoding is slower than before (about 20%). I will keep an eye on it. Maybe it is related to a lot of network traffic.
michael85
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:10 am
Location: Germany

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by michael85 »

Today it runs like hell. :D
Must have been the network last night.

Thank you (again) for your help emcodem.
emcodem
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 am

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by emcodem »

Yeah, concrats... you now have a scaleable processing farm :D
Unfortunately it is very important that you don't even once attemt to open ffastrans.exe from a mapped network drive. It's best if you make sure that you create links for starting it up that link to the full unc path.

Might i ask one question, this "mapped drive" vs UNC path is something that of course pops up from time to time. Most uses seem to have problems understanding that a mapped nw drive is available only for your currently logged in session but not for background services.
My proposal how we can support users on this was to always translate the mapped drive letters back to their full unc path when submitting jobs and at certain other operations like checking the path of installation.

If we do that, you would submit a file from Z:\ but ffastrans would show the full unc path \\server\share instead - so basically you could never search for Z:\ for example.

You think this would be something more disturbing or helping for you?
emcodem, wrapping since 2009 you got the rhyme?
emcodem
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 am

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by emcodem »

Yeah, congrats! You now have a scaleable processing farm :D
Unfortunately it is very important that you don't even once attemt to open ffastrans.exe from a mapped network drive. It's best if you make sure that you create links for starting it up that link to the full unc path. We shall add this to the wiki as important note.

Might i ask one question, this "mapped drive" vs UNC path is something that of course pops up from time to time. Most uses seem to have problems understanding that a mapped nw drive is available only for your currently logged in session but not for background services.
My proposal how we can support users on this was to always translate the mapped drive letters back to their full unc path when submitting jobs and at certain other operations like checking the path of installation.

If we do that, you would submit a file from Z:\ but ffastrans would show the full unc path \\server\share instead - so basically you could never search for Z:\ for example.

You think this would be something more disturbing or helping for you?
emcodem, wrapping since 2009 you got the rhyme?
michael85
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:10 am
Location: Germany

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by michael85 »

I have created a shortcut to FFAStrans on the desktop with the full UNC path to get sure that nobody will open it from the mapped network drive.

Regarding your question, I think this would be very helpful. I had to change all my paths in monitor nodes to bring the workflows back to run. In my opinion it would be more user friendly if FFAStrans translates the path from mapped network drives back to the UNC paths.
Manualy submiting files from the mapped network drive to a encoding node is no longer possible since I have changed all paths to UNC paths. If I do so, the job will abort with the error: "Unknown error ocurred". But it works when i submit files from the UNC path. Anyway, this all is no problem to me and I'am very happy with version 1.2. and can life with using UNC paths. I just didn't know it before ;)
emcodem
Posts: 1749
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:11 am

Re: Run FFAStrans as Service

Post by emcodem »

OK great, thats good to hear.

Thanks and much luck!
emcodem, wrapping since 2009 you got the rhyme?
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