Setup windows pc as a slave (in another room)+ MAC as a master

[Bensmir]

Hello, I never setup a slave computer before. I would like to use my current windows machine as a slave computer, in another room (too much noisy) + use a mac mini a master computer.

Any advices on how to setup ?

• What cable do I need for my slave computer ? only power and ethernet to the internet router ?
• How to use my keyboard and mouse to control my slave remotely, since I will be on mac in my the master ?
• Can all my librairies be stored in an external enclosure SSD on the slave so that I can move my mac mini to my other place, and use it with another slave machine that's always plugged in (as long as I plug the external SSD to the new slave)

Thanks

[Andreas8420]

Hi! VE Pro 7 requires a gigabit ethernet cable connection between the two computers. If you wish to remote control, we recommend software like AnyDesk. Microsoft Remote Desktop is not recommended. And yes, you can store your instruments on an external SSD. Please use the "Add existing libraries" option in the Vienna Assistant menu. This will allow all your players to locate the VSL products correctly.

[Bensmir]

@Andreas8420 said:
VE Pro 7 requires a gigabit ethernet cable connection between the two computers

Is a wired ethernet cable between each computer and the internet router enough ? Or do we specifically need to have an ethernet cable between the 2 computers ?

[Andreas8420]

A Router or switch in between is fine, but the most straightforward setup is a direct ethernet cable between the two computers.

[Bensmir]

But since computers usually have one ethernet cable, how do you connect the computer both to the router AND to the slaver computer ?

[Andreas8420]

Hi!

That would look like this:

Internet > Router > Both computer

Please keep in mind that VE Pro simply needs an ethernet connection, and how to set it up is described in the manual here:

https://www.vsl.co.at/manuals/vep7/setup
https://www.vsl.co.at/manuals/vep7/network

However, I am afraid that support on how to set up your personal home network solution is a bit out of scope. If you have a router, all computers in the network need to be part of the same subnetwork. e.g.: 10.0.0.X

Router/Switch: 10.0.0.1

Computer 1: 10.0.0.15
Computer 2: 10.0.0.25

Subnetmask: 255.255.255.0

[HorNet505]

I give you my setup whioch works really good. I am a part-time IT Admin so I did further considerations 😉

• I use a 2GB Switch but if your router has a LAN port left, you could use it as well.
• I gave all my Windows slaves a fixed IP
• In the slaves network adapter I removed the GATEWAY so they are NOT connecting to the internet. Also I made shure the network is running as "private" and not "public" or "unknown"
  

  

• I use an own tool to add and remove the GATEWAY to my network adapters. This comes handy when doing a Windows Updates session. (before I update I backup the slaves to my NAS. I use two drives on my slaves: #1 the OS, #2 library data so I need only to backup the small OS disk)
• (For security reasons, you could make a separate IP-range so other devices do not interefer)
• I use th efree DEMOTE DESKTOP CONNECTION MANAGER by SYSINTERNALS (a Microsoft tech site) and made a separate group for the slaves. You could also use other solutions but this has low overhead, is free, stable and, most importantly, can be run by command line - I explain below why that's important to me.
• When RDPMan opens, I have all my 4 slaves in sight and can open them seperately if needed.

  

• Additionally I set the NETWORK ADAPTERS and BIOS to accept WAKE ON LAN (WOL) so I can remotely start them.
• In the BIOS I set them to STAY OFF AFTER POWER FAILURE, since I have a switchable powerline and save power when not needed.
• I made sure the HIBERNATE MODE is available on all PCs
• I used AUTORUN by SYSINTERNALS to make the windows logging in without manually typing credentials in
• On the slaves I ran the command [Win+R] "shell:startup" to open the folder for autostarting programs and put my saved .vesp64 file as a shortcut in it.
  

  

  
  

  

• Now, the slaves and master-PC are connected to the same switch and the switch is connected to my router. You do not even need a router if you set all PCs network adapter to the same network manually, using the same IP range. f.e.
  • 192.168.178.10 = master
  • 192.168.178.11 = slave 1
  • 192.168.178.12 = slave 2
  • .....
  • Now comes the fun part of automating everything, because I am lazy to click 5 PCs to startup and to shutdown:
    • There are two scripts on my master PCs desktop "run music ssystem" and "master shutdown"
    • I boot my master PC and run the "run music system" - which...
      • runs the tool WOL2.exe to boot all slaves by using their unique IP. Slaves startup, log ionto windows and load the VePro Template - hell yeah - fly my freaking little slave monkeys
      • also starts a local VePro on my master machine (I use 5 VePro instances all in all)
      • it waits by pinging the slaves - when all are responding, it starts my CUBASE. One could measure how long it takes for all slaves to load the VePro Setup and use this as a base for a timeout before loading CUBASE.
      • one could put additional tools in the script like: DIVISIMATE, BOOM MIDI TRANSLATOR, TOUCH OSC, but I did already put the in my AutoStart folder (as mentioned above)
        Voila the setup is ready to load my CUBASE PROJECT and all slaves are ready.
        
        
    • The "master shutdown" script uses PSSHUTDOWN by SYSINTERNALS to trigger a hibernation command to the slaves.
      f.e. start "" /B /MIN psshutdown -h -t 0 -nobanner \\192.168.178.29
      
    • when all slaves do not respond to a ping anymore, the scripts closes CUBASE and other not needed apps and does a shutdown on the master PC.
      
      Baddabingbaddabumm - no hazzle - all automated - enough time to make a tea, go to toilet etc. and when I come back I just turn off my power-line