Need to optimize Light Room to work with a server

OK, any tips and tricks for this? I have an HP EX495 running Window Home Server that I house my images on. I need to find out how to squeeze the most performance out of using this with Light Room.

First, I could upgrade to a different computer for a server if it will cure the issue, but I'm thinking it won't since retrieving images should mainly be using network resources and not CPU or memory. I have everything hooked to a Netgear router and it's taking several seconds for an image to load to full resolution. This is killer when editing 300-400 photos. Is there a way to make this faster other than loading the images to a local disk and editing it that way before transferring them back to the server? The problem with that is once they're off the local desk Light Room's catalogue doesn't see the images.

Where is your Lightroom library? Not the photos, but the library?

Heath wrote in post #15461317
Where is your Lightroom library? Not the photos, but the library?

I don't know.

Where is the default created at? And what do you mean by library? That's not the same as the catalogue?

Village_Idiot wrote in post #15461927
I don't know.

Where is the default created at? And what do you mean by library? That's not the same as the catalogue?

Yes, the catalog file is the library "container". You can see the location by going to Edit/Catalog Settings.

As to your question and issues about performance when the images are on a networked server, I don't have that setup and so have no answers. I do keep my long-term images on an external drive, though, but all my short-term work/processing happens with the images on an internal drive.

When you do move images, do it within Lightroom so the catalog "remembers" where you put them. Otherwise you have to direct Lightroom to "Find" the missing folders/images.

I use LR4 and keep my images on a Synology NAS that's quite fast and connected via Gigabit Ethernet. Performance is a bit slower than when I had the images on a local hard drive. I currently import my images to a local SSD, do all my work, then move then to the NAS within Lightroom.

Village_Idiot wrote in post #15461927
I don't know.

Where is the default created at? And what do you mean by library? That's not the same as the catalogue?

The default is C:/My Pictures/Lightroom. The catalog is a file with the title [Catalog Name].lrcat. Next to it is a folder with the name [Catalog Name] Previews.lrdata which contains all the Library module preview images.

The Catalog has to be kept on a local drive, it won't work over a network.

The images that it references however can be kept on a network drive, but how that effects performance depends on the performance of your server AND your network.

Total performance is also effect by your local machine hosting the catalog and Lightroom.

You need:
A CPU capable of handling the image sizes you're using. For instant response to adjustments and the best possible export and preview render times that means an Intel i7 (preferably a new 3770, or previous gen 2600).
8 GB of RAM.
7200rpm Hard drive for the operating system
A separate 7200rpm hard drive for the catalog and preview files (an SSD is nice)

Your server needs to have at least a single 7200rpm drive, but some kind of RAID is better.

Your network needs to be Gigabit Ethernet, from the server, through the switch to the host local machine.
Wireless networks are too slow, as is a 10/100 network.


If any of these parts are below spec, then they create a bottle neck and things will be slow.

The computer is the mac mini i5 with dedicated GPU. It's fast enough on it's own with local files. Maybe I'll build a server computer instead of letting WHS do it's own thing for me.