Moving from idimager 5 SQL - have several questions

[bcrejesse]

Hi everyone. I'm so glad I found this product (mentioned in the idimager forums). It actually appears better overall for our DAM needs than idimager due to it's simplicity. I installed the desktop version, imported some files and played around a bit. It seems straight forward enough, but I so have some questions.

 

Please bear in mind I'm an IT Manger looking to deploy this as a basic DAM solution, and not a photographer who uses this type of app myself. In other words, please don't expect me to know or understand the standard procedures and methods for using this type of product when replying. Think of me as a 5 year old, a very simple minded 5 year old. :smile:

 

1) Is a trial available for the server version?

 

2) The creation date appears to be reading the file system "created" date, not the "media creation date" or "date taken" stored in the files metadata. Is there any way to show media creation date? Some of the files I have from 2002 are showing up as 2009 due to this, but the file properties in windows explorer shows the correct date of 2002 in metadata. I wasn't able to find any option for showing this date in daminion.

 

3) Importing from idimager 5:

 

We only use category labels (i believe that's what they're called in idimager), and many photos have multiple labels. Would these labels be converted to category tags during import? Can anyone who has successfully accomplished this basic level of exporting & importing share their method?

 

 

Questions regarding the server version

 

4) Is it possible to use server version where users only have read only access to the share? I currently do this with idimager and it works fine as all changes are made to the db, not the actual files.

 

Is there a way to disable checkout from the client as users? Users won't be able to check-in anyway. The reason I ask is that the ~versions folder is stored in the original files location. This wouldn't work as users won't have permissions to create this folder or files in the directory. Could this crash/hang the app or server?

 

5) Sync Metadata - Couldn't find any info on what this does in the wiki.

 

Is this updating metadata of the actual files based on the catalog tags, image properties data, etc.? As the users won't have write permissions to the files, can i remove this feature from the client side of the server version? This is another cause of concern around the app or server crashing due to insufficient permissions to perform a task.

 

6) Can the media files be on a different server and accessed via UNC paths? The files currently reside on one of the file servers, but it may be possible to relocate to the daminion server, it just wouldn't be ideal.

 

7) The server would be running in windows server vm (on vsphere) which gets backed up daily. I read the authors theory on backups article on the site, but is there a built in backup tool for the postgre database? I'm a bit anal about having raw/native database backups.

 

Thanks for any and all help with the above questions.

[rsmith1]

Jesse:

 

I have converted from IDImager 5 SQL to Daminion Server, so I will try to answer some of your questions. We also find Daminion simpler to use as well as much better performing.

 

1) Is a trial available for the server version?

 

I was able to just install the download and run it for an evaluation. If you tried that and it did not work, perhaps Murat can help out.

 

2) The creation date appears to be reading the file system "created" date, not the "media creation date" or "date taken" stored in the files metadata. Is there any way to show media creation date? Some of the files I have from 2002 are showing up as 2009 due to this, but the file properties in windows explorer shows the correct date of 2002 in metadata. I wasn't able to find any option for showing this date in daminion.

 

This has not been my experience. All my DNG files seem to be showing up in the correct place in the Creation Datetime node. What format files are showing this problem?

 

3) Importing from idimager 5:

 

We only use category labels (i believe that's what they're called in idimager), and many photos have multiple labels. Would these labels be converted to category tags during import? Can anyone who has successfully accomplished this basic level of exporting & importing share their method?

 

Based on the way each program works, I moved my IDImager "catalog labels" to Daminion hierarchical keywords. I did this by ensuring that all "Catalog Labels" in IDImager were exported to the image files themselves (Shift + Ctrl + F12). In the Daminion Server Administration program, in the Reading Metadata panel of Preferences, I checked the option to treat "dot" as a hierarchy delimiter since that is IDImager's way of writing hierarchical catalog labels. When I imported the image files into Daminion, all my Catalog Labels from IDImager showed up under the Keywords node in Daminion, with the hierarchy preserved.

 

4) Is it possible to use server version where users only have read only access to the share? I currently do this with idimager and it works fine as all changes are made to the db, not the actual files.

 

Is there a way to disable checkout from the client as users? Users won't be able to check-in anyway. The reason I ask is that the ~versions folder is stored in the original files location. This wouldn't work as users won't have permissions to create this folder or files in the directory. Could this crash/hang the app or server?

 

5) Sync Metadata - Couldn't find any info on what this does in the wiki.

 

Is this updating metadata of the actual files based on the catalog tags, image properties data, etc.? As the users won't have write permissions to the files, can i remove this feature from the client side of the server version? This is another cause of concern around the app or server crashing due to insufficient permissions to perform a task.

 

I am going to have to let Murat answer these. I know that the cataloging data is stored in the database (I can see it in there with the Postgres tools), but I am not 100% sure when Daminion writes the metadata to the image files as well.

 

6) Can the media files be on a different server and accessed via UNC paths? The files currently reside on one of the file servers, but it may be possible to relocate to the daminion server, it just wouldn't be ideal.

 

My media files live on a NAS (Linux based appliance), and Daminion Server runs on my Windows 7 x64 system. UNC paths work fine.

 

7) The server would be running in windows server vm (on vsphere) which gets backed up daily. I read the authors theory on backups article on the site, but is there a built in backup tool for the postgre database? I'm a bit anal about having raw/native database backups.

 

I feel the same way, though I have not yet implemented a native backup. I intend to start from the instructions here: http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Automated_Backup_on_Windows

 

Our needs appear to be a bit less professional than yours, but I will be happy to try to answer any other questions you may have since we have been very happy with our migration so far.

 

Randy

[Murat]

Jesse, welcome to the Daminion community! Randall has been answered to part of your questions. Below is my answers to other questions:

 

1) Is a trial available for the server version?

 

Of course, you can download and install Daminion Server from our server for evaluation purposes. Installing Daminion Server is simple. However, if you should need any assistance, we can do the installation for you, remotely - and for free.

 

Unofficial Daminion versions are always available on our forum.

 

2) The creation date appears to be reading the file system "created" date, not the "media creation date" or "date taken" stored in the files metadata. Is there any way to show media creation date? Some of the files I have from 2002 are showing up as 2009 due to this, but the file properties in windows explorer shows the correct date of 2002 in metadata. I wasn't able to find any option for showing this date in daminion.

 

Please send me a few files so we can reproduce this issue.

 

 

4) Is it possible to use server version where users only have read only access to the share? I currently do this with idimager and it works fine as all changes are made to the db, not the actual files.

 

This is our core feature that will be available very soon in the 1.0 RC2 version (90% completed). Test 1.0 RC1 version is available now to download on our forum.

 

Is there a way to disable checkout from the client as users? Users won't be able to check-in anyway. The reason I ask is that the ~versions folder is stored in the original files location. This wouldn't work as users won't have permissions to create this folder or files in the directory. Could this crash/hang the app or server?

 

Standalone and Server based version control act differently. With shared catalog the Daminion Server (that is located on a server pc) is responsible for checking in/out files, while Daminion Clients just send special commands to Daminion Server. So remote client computers usually don't have an access to a version repository folder, but Daminion Server has.

 

Only users with Editor role can be able to check in/out files in shared catalogs in the Daminion 1.0 RC2 version.

 

 

5) Sync Metadata - Couldn't find any info on what this does in the wiki.

 

Is this updating metadata of the actual files based on the catalog tags, image properties data, etc.? As the users won't have write permissions to the files, can i remove this feature from the client side of the server version? This is another cause of concern around the app or server crashing due to insufficient permissions to perform a task.

 

All file operations (except some File Importing tasks) are performed on the server PC side by Daminion Server that (must) has an access to all files in your shared media archive library.

 

6) Can the media files be on a different server and accessed via UNC paths? The files currently reside on one of the file servers, but it may be possible to relocate to the daminion server, it just wouldn't be ideal.

 

Yes. But for better performance I recommend you to store all your files and Daminion Server on the same computer. I'll publish a tutorial named "Selecting the right file storage scheme for Daminion Server" on this week.

 

7) The server would be running in windows server vm (on vsphere) which gets backed up daily. I read the authors theory on backups article on the site, but is there a built in backup tool for the postgre database? I'm a bit anal about having raw/native database backups.

 

The article you mentioned is related to the standalone catalog backups.

If you launch Daminion Server Administration panel you can backup PostgreSQL database manually via menu: File > Backup.

 

Here is the detailed instructions of how to automate your shared catalog backups.

[bcrejesse]

Randall and Murat, thank you for the very thorough answers. v1.0 sounds as if it should have everything we'll need. I'll download the RC and do some testing with it.

 

I must have been pretty tired last night to have missed the server download right below the client.

 

Randall, do you have a time frame for the release of 1.0 final?

 

I just double checked the creation date issue, and it appears to only being happening with avi files. The movies were taken using a Canon PowerShot G2 over a decade ago, so it could just be an issue with the way they stored metadata back then. The date on those does not appear as "date taken", but as "media created" if that helps.. The jpeg "date taken" metadata appears correctly in Daminion.

 

 

 

[Murat]

RC1 version that we published yesterday in our forum doesn't allow to save tags via Properties panel, so please wait till we'll release a new minor update today.

 

If you'll send me a sample AVI file we can check whether we can taken into account "media created" date?

[bcrejesse]

RC1 version that we published yesterday in our forum doesn't allow to save tags via Properties panel, so please wait till we'll release a new minor update today.

OK, I'll keep an eye out for that.

 

If you'll send me a sample AVI file we can check whether we can taken into account "media created" date?

I sent you a message with a link to the file.