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How can I get HomeSeer-A to Talk with HomeSeer-B?

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    How can I get HomeSeer-A to Talk with HomeSeer-B?

    I have a HTPC (HomeTheater PC) in the Media room and I have a HomeSeer server in the utility room where all the house wiring terminates.

    I would like to set up the HTPC with HomeSeer-B running plugins DenonAVR, DirecTV, MitsubishTV, CX777ES, all entertainment center plugins, so the plugins and serial connections would be local to the devices I am controlling.

    Today I have HomeSeer-A--->USB--->Cat5e--->USB--->Edgeport8 type setup which works but not reliably. When I run HomeSeer on the HTPC box locally, everything works very reliably.

    My wish though, is to control it from the Main HomeSeer-A server which is where all automation is centered and have it communicate to HomeSeer-B.

    How can this be accomplished?
    -Larry

    A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

    Plugins:
    VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

    Hardware:
    Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

    #2
    HomeSeer isn't a client server type of architecture so it's not going to be easy. Wouldn't it be better to fix the issue and use something like the new BitWise controller. This is one of the nicest pieces of hardware I've seen in a while and it comes preloaded with thousands of IR codes. It can be co-located in your entertainment area and connected directly to the network.
    http://store.homeseer.com/store/BC4-...s-P605C48.aspx
    💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

    Comment


      #3
      Hi

      I know this is a bit naff, but if its just the status of some devices you want replicated between HS systems, why not just have a script that reads a common INI file?

      They can both have their own INI file (assuming you want this to work both ways - ie share devices both ways), and set a script to update it, then on the other HS, set a script to read it, and set local device status...

      Worth a try on a dark wet evening....

      David
      ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

      Comment


        #4
        I too would like to find a way to have 2 instances of HS with a common portal, my system is large and busy, to be able to divide the tasks/responsibilities, not necessarily every device mirrored but sort of like how hs/mainlobby can co-exist with the bulk of the processing done on one instance and communicating the result to the other instance.

        The way I have my system setup now, mainlobby is the graphical interface to HS, but then mainlobby handles all of my AV processing sending results to HS.

        The idea of a distributed model would mean greater reliabilty
        Over The Hill
        What Hill?
        Where?
        When?
        I Don't Remember Any Hill

        Virtualized Server 2k3 Ent X86 Guest on VMWare ESXi 4.1 with 3 SunRay thin clients as access points - HSPro 2.4.0.48 - ZTroller - ACRF2 (3 WGL 800's) - iAutomate RFID - Ledam - MLHSPlugin - Ultra1wire - RainRelay8 - TI103 - Ultramon - WAF-AB8SS - jvESS (11 zones) - Bitwise Controls BC4 - with 745 Total Devices - 550 Events - 104 scripts - 78 ZWave devices - 42 X10 devices - 76 DS10a's 3 RFXSenors and 32 Motion Sensors

        Comment


          #5
          Wow that would be $300 per device Rupp. IR does not work for me, because I need positive feed back and the ability to send commands to devices to go directly to a specified input for example, which typically is not available using IR commands. And what about all those cool plugins that I have that communicate directly with the hardware, except for the conversion errors converting from USB to ethernet to USB to Edgeport over a distance. Which by the way, errors are random and not all the time.
          -Larry

          A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

          Plugins:
          VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

          Hardware:
          Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by lpitman View Post
            Wow that would be $300 per device Rupp. IR does not work for me, because I need positive feed back and the ability to send commands to devices to go directly to a specified input for example, which typically is not available using IR commands. And what about all those cool plugins that I have that communicate directly with the hardware, except for the conversion errors converting from USB to Ethernet to USB to Edgeport over a distance. Which by the way, errors are random and not all the time.
            Huh? $300 per device? How many devices are you directly communicating with? If it is multiple devices then yes this will not work. This device has a built in com port to communicate with a serial based device, it has built in IR codes for many devices it needed and it communicates via a home network (Ethernet ) not USB.

            If you need multiple units you should check out the Global Cache products. They offer a 2 serial port model that I know of as well.
            💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks Rupp.

              Serial Devices I communicate with at the entertainment center:
              1. Mitsubishi TV.
              2. Denon AVR.
              3. Sony DVD Changer.
              4. DirecTV-HD Receiver.

              A multi serial Global Cache might be the ticket I am thinking.
              -Larry

              A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

              Plugins:
              VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

              Hardware:
              Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

              Comment


                #8
                check the prices on the GC products. I don't remember the exact model numbers but they basically double in price as they double in ports. How much distance do you need to travel? with a good quality cable serial can travel quite a distance. Many years ago (20+) when I was working as a lv tech, we used to run serial a couple hundred feet in bank installations, we used like 20 & 18 gauge shielded 25 conductor cable
                Over The Hill
                What Hill?
                Where?
                When?
                I Don't Remember Any Hill

                Virtualized Server 2k3 Ent X86 Guest on VMWare ESXi 4.1 with 3 SunRay thin clients as access points - HSPro 2.4.0.48 - ZTroller - ACRF2 (3 WGL 800's) - iAutomate RFID - Ledam - MLHSPlugin - Ultra1wire - RainRelay8 - TI103 - Ultramon - WAF-AB8SS - jvESS (11 zones) - Bitwise Controls BC4 - with 745 Total Devices - 550 Events - 104 scripts - 78 ZWave devices - 42 X10 devices - 76 DS10a's 3 RFXSenors and 32 Motion Sensors

                Comment


                  #9
                  I was reading the other day on Ten's webside about his UDP event broadcasting code. It sounds like using this back to back between 2 HS box's could be the base to do what you are talking about. Another thought is XAP on both servers

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I suppose how far you want to go with the interconnection of both...

                    A simple serial cable (null modem) between them both and some simple script work could see it working too..

                    You could even add a resilience feature if the "primary" HS box failed to act on an event the "secondary" could do it..

                    I am sure HS would have something in mind as this must have been discussed before.

                    David
                    Last edited by Bestgear; February 18, 2009, 05:30 PM.
                    ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Thanks for the posts.

                      The distance is only about 50 feet or so, but the only wire that is present is a couple of Cat5e drops behind the entertainment center that go back the utility room where the Main server lives.

                      The UDP or xAP solution sounds interesting. I did look at xAP earlier and was frustrated, because lack of Dot-Net and I could not download source in VB to look at.

                      I will try again, maybe the download site had some issues.
                      -Larry

                      A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

                      Plugins:
                      VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

                      Hardware:
                      Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Would'nt the XAP solution would work without you writting any external code? 2 HS servers both running MSCXAP. I beleive( though I am just starting to investigate running XAP) MCSXAP can both recieve and send messages.

                        I also have not been able to get the VB download link to work for the source.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Don't know about HTPC but I have two computers running HS and they talk very happily to each other simply using X10 signals.
                          sigpic
                          A founder member of "The HA Pioneer Group" otherwise known as the "Old farts club!"

                          Comment


                            #14
                            xAP nicely supports a distributed computing paradymn. Two copies of mcsXap can provide the glue without any programming. One still needs to have a basic understanding of how they want the two to communicate using xAp schema. Since mcsXap is oriented to xAPBSC schema (which closely matches the HS Device model) then this would be the easiest path to success. If one starts to use specialized schema then it tend to require extra effort.

                            My initial effort in this realm was posted on this board as a document "Homeseer Over There". I believe in the context you are trying to do distributed computing this should work.

                            Where it becomes difficult is where you try to bridge two centralized platforms. For a simple example, take the case of where both Homeseer's provide an X10 interface. How do you deal with arbitration so only one really puts commands on the powerline so they do not interfere with each other. In essence you want a master/slave relationship and not a master/master one. There are obvious solutions to this particular example, but just using it to illustrate a point.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Guys

                              Did anyone take this further?

                              I am intereested in hearing what folks actually want to acheive with the "briidge"?

                              My ownthoughts would be simply the ability to have "virtual" devices that are updated from "real" devices that are on the othger machine.

                              I suppose it could go further and have HS-A running events on HS-B, but that would be safer via the devices... I think.

                              I dont want to use xAP for this, so a simple script will be the order of the day.

                              One decision to be made is whether to use a serial cable or a file in a share... I like the serial cable option as it prevents HS being in and out of a disk all the time. I suppose a ram disk could work...

                              David
                              ---------------------------------------------------http://weather.penicuik.org

                              Comment

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