Verify before you leave the screens unattended

Work through this list once the first display shows content. Each item links to the page that explains how to do it. The point is to find a problem while you’re standing next to the screen, not after a power cut.

The server

• The server starts after a reboot. Restart the host, then wait. Open Studio without running any command. Docker must start at boot, and the containers use restart: unless-stopped. See Choose where to run Tilecast Server.
• TILECAST_PUBLIC_URL is correct. It must be the address people and Players really use. See Networking and remote access.
• HTTPS is on where it’s needed. Any address reachable from the Internet needs HTTPS, with TILECAST_COOKIE_SECURE=true. A local HTTP address is acceptable only on a network you trust. See Installation.
• PostgreSQL isn’t exposed. Compose doesn’t publish its port. Don’t add one.
• Credentials are secure. POSTGRES_PASSWORD is long and random, deploy/docker/.env isn’t in version control, and the Owner account has a strong password. Turn on two-step verification. See Sign-in security.
• Storage is persistent and backed up. Both Docker volumes are kept. A scheduled backup runs, and you downloaded a copy to another location. See Back up and restore Tilecast.

The displays

• The Player is paired and shows content. Assign a playlist or Layout and watch it play. See Pair a display and Tilecast Studio.
• The Player reconnects. Unplug the display’s network for a minute, then reconnect it. Screens > Fleet should return to Online. See Understand a screen’s status.
• A server restart is tolerated. Restart the server containers while the display plays. Content should keep playing, and the screen should come back online.
• The display recovers from a power cut. Switch the display off and on. Confirm that Tilecast Player starts without anyone touching it. This depends on the exact device, so test the model you will install. See Reliability and kiosk and Active hours and power.

Outages

• You know what an Internet outage does. Players keep playing downloaded content. They can’t receive changes while the connection to the server is down. If Players reach the server through a tunnel, the site’s Internet connection decides that.
• You know what a Player or network outage does. A screen that stops contacting the server shows as stale and then offline. Decide who looks at it. See Activity and the notifications you can set up.

Staying current

• You understand updates. Server and Player updates are separate. Decide how you will apply each, and take a backup before a server update. See Update Tilecast Server and Update a Player.
• You know where to monitor and respond. Manage Tilecast links to monitoring, temporary presentations, and device actions.

If something doesn’t pass

Use Troubleshooting to find the page for the symptom. Pairing and connection problems are in Pairing and connectivity.