[mythtv-users] Backend Non-responsive

[Derek Battams]

Quoting Derek Battams <derek at battams.ca>:

> For the second time in a week, my backend has become non-responsive.
> There are no errors in the backend log and it's only the backend
> process that becomes non-responsive.  I noticed the issue when trying
> to list my recordings from the frontend (same physical machine).  When
> I selected 'Watch Recordings' the frontend just hung.  I login to the
> machine and restart the backend and everything is fine (the frontend
> then responds).  When this happens I've noticed the following:
>
> * Whatever was recording stopped recording (partial recording available
> to watch)
> * Commflag jobs ceased
> * Future recordings did not start
> * The frontend would hang on any menu selection requiring communication
> with the backend
> * Running 'mythbackend --printsched' also hung (DB connection appeared
> to happen then nothing)
> * Restarting the backend process cured everything (except for the
> evening's recordings that were missed)
>
> I'm running KnoppMyth R5A30 (0.18.1.20050523-1) and the BE/FE are on
> the same machine.

The problem continues, but now I'm seeing different symptoms.  Now, at 
least once a day, recordings are stopping early, but the mythbackend 
process doesn't hang.  There's no rhyme or reason as to what stops 
recording (different programs, different tuners, etc.).  And even when 
a recording stops early, the next one starts - and seems to run 
properly, but it has happened at least once a day over the last three 
days - most recently being Jimmy Kimmel Live stopping after just 38 
minutes earlier this morning.  I increased some of the logging, but 
there's nothing obvious to me in the logs that would explain why the 
recording would just stop.  Maybe these VBI messages?  But I don't know 
what they refer to.  Here's a portion of my backend log from when the 
recording started:

2006-01-25 00:06:02.765 Started recording "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on 
channel: 2007 o
n cardid: 2, sourceid 2
2006-01-25 00:06:02.836 45      BACKEND_MESSAGE[]:[]SCHEDULE_CHANGE[]:[]empty
2006-01-25 00:06:03.428 Changing from None to RecordingOnly
2006-01-25 00:06:03.429 51      BACKEND_MESSAGE[]:[]RECORDING_LIST_CHANGE[...
2006-01-25 00:06:03.447 Using profile 'Default' to record
2006-01-25 00:06:03.490 Can't enable VBI recording
vbi: Invalid argument
2006-01-25 00:06:03.513 VBI service:4, packet size:0, io size:0

The file is only 38m43s long, but there are no log entries from 
12:44am.  The only other message that looks questionable are 'unknown 
socket' messages from 5:57am and 5:58am (generated, apparently, by 
mythfilldatabase though it seems to have run successfully).

Help appreciated,

Derek