Media Folder Aggregator (MEFA)
This software allows you to manage large media libraries that span several sources, such as external hard drives, by merging these sources into a common "MEFA Root". It does so by utilizing NTFS symbolic links. This software works exceptionally well with Media Browser, but it should also work with other similar media players.
Target Audience
I created this software to solve a problem that I imagine many Media Browser users must have... Running out of space on my central file system. I originally had a RAID with around 6TB. On that RAID I had a root folder named "Multimedia", and within that folder I had sub-folders "Movies", "BluRay", "Kids", "Russian", "Concerts, etc", "Documentaries", "TV", and "Miscellaneous". Each of these sub-folders was added to Media Browser. Eventually, I ran out of space.
I then investigated solutions like Drobo, or other external NAS solutions, but they can be expensive. Further, they too will eventually run out of space. And, while they may have RAID, there still is a chance that they may fail, or be stolen, etc.
A friend of mine never went the RAID route, but instead has been buying as many hard drives as will fit in his system, and each time he buys a new hard drive, or upgrades one, he rearranges his files to try and keep them in logical groupings (ex: one hard drive for BluRay, one hard drive for DVD, etc), each of which which he adds to Media Browser. Nevertheless, he inevitably ended up having multiple root folders in Media Browser such as "BluRay1", "BluRay2", etc.
The solution I came up with is to write my files to external hard drives (actually, internal hard drives connected to external docking bays). See details on the web site.
In any case, for all the above approaches, unless you get an enterprise level NAS, you eventually will have your folders spread out on multiple sources. MEFA can help by bringing all your various root directories into a common "MEFA Root", which due to symbolic links, takes just a small amount of disk space!
Please read more on the web site:
http://sites.google.com/site/mefaroot
I have been using this software on my own library for several weeks now, and find it extremely useful. I hope some of you find this software useful as well!
MEFA is freeware, and can be downloaded from the web site.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask here, or on this Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/mefaroot
This software allows you to manage large media libraries that span several sources, such as external hard drives, by merging these sources into a common "MEFA Root". It does so by utilizing NTFS symbolic links. This software works exceptionally well with Media Browser, but it should also work with other similar media players.
Target Audience
I created this software to solve a problem that I imagine many Media Browser users must have... Running out of space on my central file system. I originally had a RAID with around 6TB. On that RAID I had a root folder named "Multimedia", and within that folder I had sub-folders "Movies", "BluRay", "Kids", "Russian", "Concerts, etc", "Documentaries", "TV", and "Miscellaneous". Each of these sub-folders was added to Media Browser. Eventually, I ran out of space.
I then investigated solutions like Drobo, or other external NAS solutions, but they can be expensive. Further, they too will eventually run out of space. And, while they may have RAID, there still is a chance that they may fail, or be stolen, etc.
A friend of mine never went the RAID route, but instead has been buying as many hard drives as will fit in his system, and each time he buys a new hard drive, or upgrades one, he rearranges his files to try and keep them in logical groupings (ex: one hard drive for BluRay, one hard drive for DVD, etc), each of which which he adds to Media Browser. Nevertheless, he inevitably ended up having multiple root folders in Media Browser such as "BluRay1", "BluRay2", etc.
The solution I came up with is to write my files to external hard drives (actually, internal hard drives connected to external docking bays). See details on the web site.
In any case, for all the above approaches, unless you get an enterprise level NAS, you eventually will have your folders spread out on multiple sources. MEFA can help by bringing all your various root directories into a common "MEFA Root", which due to symbolic links, takes just a small amount of disk space!
Please read more on the web site:
http://sites.google.com/site/mefaroot
I have been using this software on my own library for several weeks now, and find it extremely useful. I hope some of you find this software useful as well!
MEFA is freeware, and can be downloaded from the web site.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask here, or on this Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/mefaroot