How to: Export / Import all settings to create a complete new library

[letterman 40]

Version: 4.8.0.80

I searched a lot, but I do not find a threat with a bundle of instructions of how to export all settings to setup a complete new database. My mission is not to only restore a backup.

Background: I use emby for ages and I am very happy with it. Except the speed. I have had lots of database updates the last years and Emby becomes slow and slower. I hope I will find a (working) solution to speed up emby, but until now all approaches did not work unfortunately. My database seems to be fine (2,5 GB size), but some requests and responses are very very slow - and I don't now why.

What are the steps?
The library is generated new from emby. That's easy.
As a basis I assume not to change anything at the files/filestructure of the content during this conversation process.

How do you deal with:
a) metadata/musicalbums
b) metadata/musicartists
c) metadata/people
Is it possible to restore these files from the Backup & Restore-Plugin? Or is it not possible, because of unique IDs that are different in the new database?

d) Users? They are stored in the users.db. Import-/Export possible somehow? Or just replace file? Are there unique IDs, which will not match afterwards?
e) Playlists? They are stored ../Emby-Server\programdata\data\playlists  That should be easy.
f) Collections? The are stored in the library.db.  Import-/Export possible somehow?
g) What about the .nfo-Files? I do save artwork into media folders in all my libraries. Do I have to trigger a refresh (emby database to .nfo) before generating the new database?

Did I forget something important?

Edited February 8, 2024 by letterman

[pwhodges 2012]

17 minutes ago, letterman said:

My database seems to be fine (2,5 GB size), but some requests and responses are very very slow

What's your database cache size set to?

Paul

[nospotify 184]

I have same question, for slightly different reasons

 

[Luke 42080]

Configuration Backup

[letterman 40]

@wordloverYes, somehow we are sitting in the same boat. The database really seems to be filled with wrong information from lots of updates in the past.

@LukeYes, I know this plugin. Is it really working fine? Does it really export/import collections, too?
And what about my question to refresh .nfo files. Must I run "Refresh Metadata" before export? or is it not neccesary?

@pwhodgesMy cache is 4096, I had 8192 in the past. No changes. I have another threat running and sent my .librarydb to Luke. Hope he finds a solution. 

I really try to avoid starting over with a new database, though it take 2-4 weeks to make a complete new scan of my library contents.

[letterman 40]

@LukeI tried the Backup & Restore Plugin. Unfortunately, this is exactly not what I am looking for in this threat. This plugin just copies the backup files back to the new installation and makes some configurations. But it does not rebuild a complete new library.db database and imports the old backup configuration. And this is what I - and wordlover - need. We need a possibility to import the settings in the new library. Or we need a solution to somehow rebuild a brand new database and import all the information from the old database, which is full of old stuff. As you now, there have been problems in the past during updates.

[letterman 40]

Because there is not much help with this topic, I started to set up a complete new installation on a second server now.
To solve the (to be honest NOT existing) import/export-problems for the future, I keep you updated what happend

What is fine so far:
- Library scan works without any problems
- Collections from Movie-library have been automatically generated (information from .nfo-file in movie folders)
- Movie and Series images have been used from fanart.jpg/poster.jpg from movie folders
- Movie and Series metadata have been filled from .nfo-file in movie folders
- The database is much faster than before, even though the database size is nearly the same (2,5 GB now, 2,4 GB before)
- playlists transfer easy: programdata\data\playlists to programdata\data\playlists. Don't use programdata\data\userplaylists. Playlists copyied in this folder are not recognised by emby. Only new generated playlists appear hear. 

What does not work at all. Big problems:
- Collections from Audiobooks and Music-library (Songs, Albums, Artists) are not imported, because there are no .nfo-files existing.
  I have no clue, how to solve that, but to generate them new manually. Tons of work from the last years.
@Luke@Happy2Play: I need help. There must be a solution to transfer collections from old library to a new one.
- People Images. The folder structures change from \people with all people within this folder to \people\a...z
  With a Powershell skript I copied the old people-folders to the new a...z structure.
  But emby does not refresh/show the new images.
  library "Refresh Metadata"-"Replace all metadata" does not help.
  You need to refresh each people entry on it's own. 
  @Luke@Happy2PlayA bulk refresh of people is needed urgently. 
  This problem is well known https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/107824-need-to-refresh-a-lot-of-actor-metadata-at-once/

  I tried to bulk update with this plugin, but it seems not to work with 4.8.1.0
  Same problem here: https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/110994-how-to-refresh-the-castperformers/
  I am frustrated. Why do you ignore these problems?
- Musicartists Images. I copied metadata\musicartists. BUT emby does not recognise the new folders on its own.
  Same same, bulk refresh is needed.

Edited February 15, 2024 by letterman

[Luke 42080]

Quote

Collections from Audiobooks and Music-library (Songs, Albums, Artists) are not imported, because there are no .nfo-files existing.
  I have no clue, how to solve that, but to generate them new manually. Tons of work from the last years.

Hi, yes, this is something we can look at improving on. Thanks.

[Luke 42080]

Quote

Musicartists Images. I copied metadata\musicartists. BUT emby does not recognise the new folders on its own.
  Same same, bulk refresh is needed.

Whenever you tamper with the contents of the server metadata folder, you should run the scan metadata folder scheduled task afterwards so that the server will become aware of the changes.

[letterman 40]

Update: Bulk Refresh of People and Musicartits pictures worked using "Scan Metadata Folder"  within Scheduled Tasks. Thx, Luke. Refresh Metadata from Library 3-Dot menu was not enough.

Edited February 16, 2024 by letterman

[MarauderEMBY 17]

I ran into the problem with Playlists a few days ago.. The playlist are actually modified and emptied after importing them into emby and it seems to have an extremely hard time dealing with them. They used to be able to be able to be copy and pasted/imported I did it awhile back to test it.. but now it seems something has changed.

[Tremas 199]

 

21 hours ago, letterman said:

- Collections from Audiobooks and Music-library (Songs, Albums, Artists) are not imported, because there are no .nfo-files existing.
  I have no clue, how to solve that, but to generate them new manually. Tons of work from the last years.

21 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi, yes, this is something we can look at improving on. Thanks.

@LukeDoes this mean that collections made from Audiobook libraries will not carry forward from 4.7 to 4.8? I have not yet updated and would like to know if this is a problem and if it will be addressed before I do so. I can start a separate topic if this is the case.

[Luke 42080]

1 hour ago, Tremas said:

 

@LukeDoes this mean that collections made from Audiobook libraries will not carry forward from 4.7 to 4.8? I have not yet updated and would like to know if this is a problem and if it will be addressed before I do so. I can start a separate topic if this is the case.

They will carry forward.

[Tremas 199]

23 minutes ago, Luke said:

They will carry forward.

Thanks @Luke. Is that a fix that is arriving in future revision? I only ask as you mention it's something that could be improved. Not sure I understand. Is it just that in this case a metadata scan was needed?

As you can guess I am nervous about updating since I lost a great deal of audiobook and radio series customization not to mention "media added dates" when I moved servers awhile back and NFOs for albums were not read.

 

[Luke 42080]

29 minutes ago, Tremas said:

Thanks @Luke. Is that a fix that is arriving in future revision? I only ask as you mention it's something that could be improved. Not sure I understand. Is it just that in this case a metadata scan was needed?

As you can guess I am nervous about updating since I lost a great deal of audiobook and radio series customization not to mention "media added dates" when I moved servers awhile back and NFOs for albums were not read.

 

Yes but you can still upgrade in the meantime.

[FredrikT 24]

On 16/02/2024 at 09:54, letterman said:

Update: Bulk Refresh of People and Musicartits pictures worked using "Scan Metadata Folder"  within Scheduled Tasks. Thx, Luke. Refresh Metadata from Library 3-Dot menu was not enough.

Ohh! Just tried this and it works! Thanks! I had the same issue on my new 4.8 server that I manually had to refresh each actor, but this solved it!

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