Rangecast FAQ
[FAQ-1034] Automatic PC reboots to resolve technical problems (why, and how to enable/disable)


Page Type: REFERENCE


OVERVIEW

Sometimes there is a technical problem affecting Rangecast feed site performance that can be resolved by rebooting the PC. The Rangecast software package includes a watchdog application that runs alongside the senders monitoring performance, and if such a problem is detected, a reboot is automatically triggered to attempt to resolve the issue. For situations where a PC cannot successfully reboot and relaunch Rangecast without manual assistance, there is an option in Rangecast Configuration to suppress automatic reboots - but this places the feed site in a vulnerable state where Rangecast software cannot repair certain problems autonomously, usually causing degraded performance for the customer. Therefore it is strongly recommended that automatic reboots be suppressed only where absolutely necessary.


METHOD

The automatic reboot feature can be enabled/disabled via the Rangecast Configuration interface. The feature is normally enabled. If the command "boot=0" is placed in the Special Settings field, the feature will be disabled.


[FAQ-1091] Special Settings parameter on PC feed site configuration screen

Special Settings is a field on the PC feed site configuration screen for customizing various aspects of software features and performance. Commands entered here may affect all audio sources on the PC, or be directed to a specific scanner or audio source.




To see if the feature is enabled or disabled on a PC, go to the Configuration screen (as described in that link) and see if the Special Settings field includes the "boot=0" command that disables the feature.


EXPECTED PROBLEMS

When an automatic reboot will be triggered, a notice is placed on the PC display for several minutes, and a user at the PC has the option of stopping the process before a reboot occurs. To prevent the reboot, simply stop the Rangecast software


[FAQ-1088] How to stop Rangecast software on a feed site PC (temporary stop, not decommission)

Rangecast software on a feed site PC includes a "watchdog" process that monitors for software faults, and may automatically relaunch the software if it is not closed correctly. The correct way to stop Rangecast is to click the Rangecast icon, and then press the Stop button.



REFERENCE

If a PC is unable to launch Rangecast software automatically on a reboot, and this issue is fixed -- it is very important to check if the automatic reboot feature has been disabled on the PC, and if so, to enable the feature. If this is not done, then much of the value of making the PC able to automatically launch Rangecast will be wasted.


CITATIONS

SYMPTOM

INDEX


Images shown - [block]