2018-12-30, 11:47
In general, a MySQL server is hardly ever the biggest obstacle. Most queries on an sql server will be executed in milliseconds, rather than multiple seconds. Also the result sets of those queries are not the issue. Text data is so much smaller and quicker than for example the file size of a single good-sized movie poster. So a Raspberry Pi doesn't necessarily have to be a slow server. Its slower network port doesn't help though.
The problem area is in processing that data inside Kodi when database output has arrived. Kodi also has one or more internal sorting routines of its own, which doesn't help the overall response time. After that, the subsequent background processing of any art (thumbnails, posters, backgrounds, actor thumbs) kicks in and can hinder things as well.
About waiting periods... When all art is already cached locally, and you still have waiting periods of 20 seconds or more, you may want to check for other unused video/music/photo network or USB sources that are currently unavailable. Each of those will have a time out of some sort, holding up other processes. Also, a NAS having to first wake up is always a problem. My 'NAS' runs 24/7. A spring cleaning of your database may also help: fully export your media collection(s), delete/rename your current database(s), restart Kodi and import/rebuild your database(s). There is also a database scrubbing add-on.
Fire stick and Fire TV are both devices in the low-powered category. As previously said, I have no idea what their performance is, but compared to a RPi, SD cards in general have pretty lousy write speeds (while read speeds are okayish). So building a cache on each of those devices can take up quite some time. Whenever I set up a new Kodi device, I not only set up the links for the MySQL database, I also copy the local cache database (Textures13.db) as well as the whole thumbnail cache folder from another fully cached Kodi device onto the storage of the new Kodi device. It will save the new device so much effort on building up the cache by itself. So when starting the new Kodi device, no background processing for searching/downloading new thumbnails is necessary.
FWIW, I still run the default MySQL 5.5.62 on Ubuntu 14.04... I'm surprised that WD has closed off its software that much, and that it hasn't been updated in like forever. In comparison, Synology does a much better job in keeping their firmware up-to-date. A crippled(?) 5.1 MySQL server on your WD will not help.
But if you simply want more database speed than what the WD NAS currently delivers, any simple/old PC with Ubuntu (Server) and an SSD, along with gigabit network speed, will do IMHO. Then you can also tweak things to your heart's desire. The RPi3B+ may have a faster ethernet port than its predecessors, but it doesn't go beyond approx 220 mbps continuously because of its design and lack of CPU 'umpf'. It's certainly not giving you full gigabit speed.
The problem area is in processing that data inside Kodi when database output has arrived. Kodi also has one or more internal sorting routines of its own, which doesn't help the overall response time. After that, the subsequent background processing of any art (thumbnails, posters, backgrounds, actor thumbs) kicks in and can hinder things as well.
About waiting periods... When all art is already cached locally, and you still have waiting periods of 20 seconds or more, you may want to check for other unused video/music/photo network or USB sources that are currently unavailable. Each of those will have a time out of some sort, holding up other processes. Also, a NAS having to first wake up is always a problem. My 'NAS' runs 24/7. A spring cleaning of your database may also help: fully export your media collection(s), delete/rename your current database(s), restart Kodi and import/rebuild your database(s). There is also a database scrubbing add-on.
Fire stick and Fire TV are both devices in the low-powered category. As previously said, I have no idea what their performance is, but compared to a RPi, SD cards in general have pretty lousy write speeds (while read speeds are okayish). So building a cache on each of those devices can take up quite some time. Whenever I set up a new Kodi device, I not only set up the links for the MySQL database, I also copy the local cache database (Textures13.db) as well as the whole thumbnail cache folder from another fully cached Kodi device onto the storage of the new Kodi device. It will save the new device so much effort on building up the cache by itself. So when starting the new Kodi device, no background processing for searching/downloading new thumbnails is necessary.
FWIW, I still run the default MySQL 5.5.62 on Ubuntu 14.04... I'm surprised that WD has closed off its software that much, and that it hasn't been updated in like forever. In comparison, Synology does a much better job in keeping their firmware up-to-date. A crippled(?) 5.1 MySQL server on your WD will not help.
But if you simply want more database speed than what the WD NAS currently delivers, any simple/old PC with Ubuntu (Server) and an SSD, along with gigabit network speed, will do IMHO. Then you can also tweak things to your heart's desire. The RPi3B+ may have a faster ethernet port than its predecessors, but it doesn't go beyond approx 220 mbps continuously because of its design and lack of CPU 'umpf'. It's certainly not giving you full gigabit speed.
