Have issues with content paths in Native Access that I can't seem to resolve.

Gabrielsburg

I just installed NA2 so I could install Stacks and Kontakt Player 7. But I can't seem to change the content or download paths in the settings. I'm trying to point these paths to my network drive, but even if I run NA as an administrator, it just reverts to the default paths.

So, I let Stacks install to the default location and moved it to the network drive. I tried to use Repair to update the path for Stacks, but it tells me the path is invalid.

To make things more frustrating, I can update the plugin paths.

I have been using that path for years and it worked without issue in NA1.

Rich_NI

Hi @Gabrielsburg

Network drives are not supported by Native Access. The fact that you were able to install products to that location with NA1 is purely by chance. Generally, our installers simply cannot deal with NAS drives, which is why NA2 does not allow it as an option.

If you wish to use a NAS drive (which we strongly recommend against), you could try the following workaround:

Install your products on a system (or conventional external) drive -> move the libraries to NAS drive -> use the repair function in NA2 to relocate the moved entries via "Relocate All" or "Repair > Relocate"

Using the Repair / Relocate All Function in Native Access

Notes on Network Drives and Disk Formats

Regarding your plugin paths - are they on your local drive, or are you trying to set a network drive for these as well?

Rich_NI

Hi @Gabrielsburg

Network drives are not supported by Native Access. The fact that you were able to install products to that location with NA1 is purely by chance. Generally, our installers simply cannot deal with NAS drives, which is why NA2 does not allow it as an option.

If you wish to use a NAS drive (which we strongly recommend against), you could try the following workaround:

Install your products on a system (or conventional external) drive -> move the libraries to NAS drive -> use the repair function in NA2 to relocate the moved entries via "Relocate All" or "Repair > Relocate"

Using the Repair / Relocate All Function in Native Access

Notes on Network Drives and Disk Formats

Regarding your plugin paths - are they on your local drive, or are you trying to set a network drive for these as well?

Gabrielsburg

I actually found the article on network drives after I made my post here (which also clued me in to why the plugin path worked, since I install the plugins locally).

But...

If the path is a mapped drive, I don't see a reason why NA2 should care what that path is. How is it any different from using a mapped location that points to an external drive? If Windows treats them as essentially the same, why shouldn't NA2, especially since it wasn't an issue with NA1?

Whatever the thought is behind recommending against using a NAS, I have to say it has worked generally without issue for me for years.

At this point, I don't have much confidence that moving to an external drive won't break my old projects.

With regards to your repair recommendation, I touched on this in my original post -- in short, it doesn't work: "So, I let Stacks install to the default location and moved it to the network drive. I tried to use Repair to update the path for Stacks, but it tells me the path is invalid."

So my ultimate questions are:

1. What's the reasoning for why it's not supported?
2. Can you explain even at just a high level how it's any different from an external drive?
3. Is there any chance this may change in a future update?

Rich_NI

Hi @Gabrielsburg

As I stated previously, it's purely by chance that it worked for you previously in NA1. NA1 did not block NAS drives, as it had no mechanism to detect them, but users would usually run into the following error message: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000262537-Native-Access-Error-Message-XML-Processing-Error-

Due to this installation error, NA2 implemented a feature that would detect a NAS drive and mark is as an unsupported file location.

1. The reason is that our installers are not currently able to cope with running directly on to NAS drive
2. This article explains the differences better than I could:https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/digital-storage-basics-part-2-external-drive-vs-nas-server/
3. We are hoping to address this in future as we move towards "slim content installers". These would theoretically be able to be run directly to a NAS drive

Kubrak

Users often complain, that things load slowly and similar... NAS might be OK for Expansions and small Kontakt Libraries not used very often. But other than that?

I have everything on fast moderate quality (a bit below the top) NVMe PCIe SSDs and still wish loading was even faster.

Fast PCIe SSD has reading speed about 50 gigabit/s, no usual NAS may come even close to it....

Gabrielsburg

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66067#Comment_66067

Is it actually that a high volume of users ran in that XML error or is it that users that ran into issues ran into that error? Those aren't the same thing. The idea that it worked for me by chance doesn't make much sense to me. I've done it with 2 different NAS servers now, though both from the same brand. That suggests the problem lies elsewhere, possibly the NAS configuration.

Meanwhile the article on DAS vs NAS drives doesn't do much more than point out the obvious physical differences. The root of my question is that in both cases, a mapped NAS and an attached external drive, you have a non-permanent mapped path assigned. I don't see why you chose to actively block NAS drives as opposed to taking a stance of "we don't recommend it but if that's what you want and you can get it to work, great."

Thankfully, this is pretty low stakes for me. Because at this point I don't see much value in picking up any other Kontakt libraries in the near future if I can't install it where I want it.

Gabrielsburg

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66112#Comment_66112

I'm really not bothered by the load time, honestly. Kontakt itself doesn't load very quickly despite being on the local drive.

Kubrak

OK. Changing HDD to SATA SDD made Kontakt load times much faster on my notebook. Changing SATA SSD to PCIe NVMe SSD made loading time about three times faster, than using SATA SSD.

So, loading time of Kontakt heavily depends on data storage speed.

But, if you do not mind, no problem, Rich_NI has explained you how to go around LAN storage test performed by NA2.

Gabrielsburg

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66122#Comment_66122

Unfortunately, the workaround doesn't work. It simply gives you an invalid location error. Though I would point out that this error doesn't appear in the preferences. The preferences simply changes the path on you.