VBrick EtherneTV Portal Server EtherneTV v4.
Copyright © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 Beaumont Road Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, USA www.VBrick.com This publication contains confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information. No part of this document may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable or electronic format without prior written permission from VBrick.
Contents Portal Server v4.4 Admin Guide Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x Font Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VBricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 VBrick Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Multimedia VBrick Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 User Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Resource Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Authentication by PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Authentication by Host Name or IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 5. Configuring for SSL Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 SSL Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ETV Backup Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Configuring ETV Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 1. Enter License Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 2. Set Profile IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 3.
Using the Migration Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Increasing the Ingestion Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Running the Migration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Recovering from Migration Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Portal Server v4.4 Admin Guide This Portal Server Admin Guide is written for anyone who will be using or evaluating the VBrick EtherneTV Portal Server. This includes system administrators, software developers, network technicians, and others. The ETV Portal Server is a web-based portal for accessing and managing video assets including both live or stored audio and video files. The ETV Portal Server is a key component in VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System.
VBPresenter explains how to configure and launch rich media presentation from the Portal Server including those created with VBPresenter. Auto Content Ingestion explains auto content ingestion. This is the process whereby video content is automatically populated on the portal server. EtherneTV Backup explains how to automatically backup the MySQL database and other key directories if you purchased EtherneTV Backup.
products, all of our product documentation is available on the web. Go to www.vbrick.com/ documentation to search or download VBrick product documentation. Font Conventions Arial bold is used to Programs > VBrick describe dialog boxes and menu choices, for example: Start > All Courier fixed-width font is used for scripts, code examples, or keyboard commands. Courier bold fixed-width font is used for user input in scripts, code examples, or keyboard commands.
xii Preface
Chapter 1 Introduction Topics in this section Portal Server Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Portal Server Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Portal Server Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Portal Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
navigate or search for specific videos, select the video, and immediately begin viewing DVD quality video. For on-demand videos, users can Fast Forward/Rewind and Seek to specific points in the video. Standard access control functionality provides restriction of certain content to particular users, user groups, or IP receivers. An optional scheduling module allows users to schedule devices to send video, receive video, record video, or to initiate a two-way conference.
Introduction Copyright Protection The Portal Server uses copyright restrictions and content expiration to protect the rights of content owners and to enforce rules against unauthorized usage or distribution. Copyright restrictions are specifically used to enforce license requirements. Content is often restricted to a limited number of viewers and you may need a license, for example, to view MPEG-2 content. In the Portal Server, Max.
MySQL EtherneTV Portal Server is shipped with MySQL as the database. The MySQL database is installed as part of the Portal Server installation package. If the hardware/software combination was purchased from VBrick, MySQL will already be installed on your machine; the default user name is root. To protect the integrity of the database, you should change the default password (vbrick_18) after initial installation and periodically thereafter as explained below.
Introduction • • • • • • • IP Receiver users can use familiar Channel Up/Down keys and other hot keys on the IR remote control to navigate through video listings. Users can search through the list of Live or On-Demand videos by Title, Keyword , Description , or other custom fields defined by an ETV Portal Server administrator. Users can record and store videos on the EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand server via ETV Portal Server.
• • • • • • • • • • Customer defined URLs – can be entered into the system and displayed in the ETV Portal Server interface. The URLs can point to video assets or other assets such as PDFs or PowerPoint documents. Autoingestion to the EtherneTV-VOD server – content placed in autoingestion folders on the ETV Portal Server will be automatically transferred and ingested into the EtherneTV-VOD server. Customized global messages can display on the ETV Portal Server interface.
Introduction the VOD servers shown in Table 2. The configuration for each server is essentially the same (see Servers on page 30 for details) and there is little difference in functionality for end users. ETV servers can be LAN-based or Internet-based depending on how the range of Internet addresses is defined (see "Assign LAN/Internet Address Range" in Global Assignments on page 21).
on all servers both inside and outside the firewall. To summarize, Internet-based servers and users are subject to the following limitations: • • • • • Internet servers support MPEG-4 and Windows Media content only. Internet servers support unicast only (they do not support multicast). Internet ETV users can add video only to VOD servers in the Internet zone. Internet users can only see MPEG-4 and Windows Media content stored on Internetbased servers.
Introduction Figure 3. Live Portal Server User Interface VB-PC Remote Controller The VB-PC Remote is a handheld infrared device you can use to control (stop/start/pause, etc.) any stream running on the Portal Server. The VB-PC Remote is compatible with Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher; it is not compatible with Firefox. The VB-PC Remote can be used for all Portal Server streams (MPEG, WM, and H.264) and has a line-of-sight range of approximately 40 feet.
Amino Set Top Box The AmiNet110 is a compact set top box for the Portal Server manufactured by Amino Systems. It connects to a standard TV and only plays MPEG-2 streams; no other streams are selectable for viewing on the Portal Server interface. There is no software installation required. Simply connect and configure the device as explained in Amino Set Top Box on page 155. The Portal Server User Guide explains how to use the Amino infrared remote control unit that comes with the device.
Introduction Note The component download setting will not affect previously-installed components. For example if you have StreamPlayer installed, you will be able to play MPEG-2 streams regardless of what components you specify for download. With Firefox, users will also be prompted to install additional components the first time they launch a stream—if they are configured to receive these download components. Links for the appropriate stream types (MPEG, WM, or H.
download components that are appropriate for your computer. If you agree, these components are automatically installed and no additional download is necessary for subsequent access. On Macintosh PCs, Portal Server functionality is the same as in Windows except that the Add Video feature is not available. Table 4 shows the stream types supported for each environment; Table 5 shows the operating systems that are tested and supported.
Introduction Table 5. Supported Operating Systems and Browsers – Macintosh and Linux Operating System Browser † Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) Safari 3.1.1, Firefox 2.0 Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Safari 3.1.1, Firefox 2.0 Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Safari 3.1.1, Firefox 2.0 Linux Red Hat 9.0 Firefox 2.0 Linux Fedora Core 9.1 Firefox 2.0 † Use version shown or higher. Decoder Closed Captioning Support The Portal Server supports live streams with closed captioning.
Table 7. Port Requirements † Zone Port(s) Protocol Description Internet > DMZ 80 TCP Web request from client to MCS. Internet > DMZ 9876/9878 UDP Management/RTSP SAP announce from VBrick to MCS. DMZ > Internet 21 TCP FTP from MCS to VOD Server (Darwin/Windows Media/ FTP). LAN > DMZ 80 TCP Web request from client to MCS. LAN > DMZ 9875/9876/ UDP 9878 Multicast/Management/RTSP SAP announce from VBrick to MCS. LAN > DMZ 21 TCP FTP from VBStar to MCS (auto-FTP to MCS autoingest directory).
Introduction Zone Port(s) Protocol Description DMZ > LAN 80 TCP Web service request from Network Video Recorder to MCS. DMZ > LAN 389 TCP LDAP lookup from MCS to LDAP Server (e.g. Active Directory). † All ports are TCP except as noted. Installing Serial Numbers and License Files You are prompted to install serial numbers and license files(.lic) as part of the Portal Server installation process.
4. 5. When prompted, navigate to the folder with your license (.lic ) file. License files are obtained by using the "License Activation Keys & Serial Numbers" card included with the Product CD. The "Software License Activation" document, also included, explains how to activate your licenses using these keys. Note that multiple license files may be shown if you purchased optional EtherneTV components. Select the appropriate license file.
Introduction License File Description License Errors Player/Content • Player License: The embedded Windows Media Player has restrictions on the number of licensed users. Use this option to select a license file that modifies the number of allowed users for various MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 streams. • Content License: Used to install third-party content purchased from VBrick. If player license not installed, popup message displayed when you try to launch a stream.
Note As a standard best practice, VBrick recommends changing the default administrator User Name and Password. Go to Global Settings > Global Assignments on the Admin Console. Admin Console Options Login to the ETV Portal Server Admin pages with a valid user name and password to display the following window. This window provides access to all admin configuration options. 18 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Introduction Table 9. Admin Options Option Description Getting Started The ETV Portal Server splash page shown above. Global Settings Provides system-wide configuration parameters to connect to VBrick encoders and VOD servers as well as to customize the look of the ETV Portal Server pages. Channels Lets you define TV stations and custom stations that obtain programming data from a third-party provider.
Option Description Access Control Provides the ability to limit access to the ETV Portal Server system to different users or groups of users. Live Presentations Provides the ability to view and remove current live presentations from the Live Broadcasts page. Users† Used in conjunction with Access Control to limit access to the ETV Portal Server system to different users.
Chapter 2 Global Settings Global Settings include configuration settings and parameters that apply to the entire system. Global Settings include all of the following. Topics in this section Global Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Custom Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Stream Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 10. Global Assignments Item Description Assign a Global Message The global message will be displayed in the message area of the Portal Server user interface when there is no program information available. Enter the message text and click Submit. Example: There will be an all hands meeting today at 4:00 PM in the boardroom. Note that if you are running the Portal Server on a IP Receiver, the message area will not display more than 4 lines of text.
Global Settings Item Description Define FTP User Name ETV Portal Server is defaulted for "anonymous" FTP access which is configured in Windows IIS Default FTP Site. If a more secure FTP access is desired, the User Name can be changed in IIS (see the Windows Server documentation for details). The same User Name should be entered here. Use any combination of alphanumeric and special characters except slashes, quotes, or commas.
Item Description Assign LAN/Internet Address Range(s) Define the range(s) of IP addresses that define the LAN or the Internet domain. Any IP addresses outside the range are assumed to be from the domain you did not select. Check one option and, if necessary, use the text box to enter the range(s) separated by a comma, a semicolon, or a new line. For details, see ETV Internet-Based Servers on page 7. • All Users, Servers, and VBricks are in the LAN Domain (default).
Global Settings Item Description Assign VoD Content Ingestion Maximum Defines the maximum number of simultaneous video files that can be ingested to the VOD Video-on-Demand server. The default is set to 2. Increasing the default may increase the speed at which files will be transferred to the VOD server, but may result in playback issues from the Video-on-Demand server. VBrick recommends keeping the default of 2 for all supported VOD servers. Assign Default Max.
Item Description Assign Presentations VBPresenter is used to create multimedia presentations that can be launched from the Portal Server. The Current Presentations Directory defines the virtual directory on the Portal Server where the live presentations are stored—the default is Presentations. During a new Portal Server installation, the required virtual and physical directories are automatically created.
Global Settings Item Description Specify Components to Download to Clients This setting defines whether the Portal Server will download additional components to client machines when the client first makes contact with the Portal Server—before any streams or assets are selected for playback (see Downloading Components on page 10 for more information.) Any changes to these settings apply to new client machines only and will not affect previously configured machines.
Item Description Set Cisco ACNS Manifest Options Check the box to enable generation of a Cisco ACNS Manifest File. (The Cisco ACNS server must be configured to point to this file.) Select the files (MPEG-4 and/or WM) to include in the file, and specify a Manifest Generation Interval (default = 10 minutes) that defines how often the file will be regenerated. Click Generate Now to create an "on demand" file.
Global Settings 2. 3. Enter a Field Name and a Field Type. If you select Dropdown , you can add items one at a time followed by Add Item . These items will populate a dropdown list box on the Customize Streams page. When done, click Add Custom Field . The field will be added to the panel at the top of the window; it will also be available as an option when you are customizing a stream. Add/Modify Custom Field This panel shows the existing custom fields that have previously been defined.
Live Stream Click on any live stream shown in the list to populate this field. Max. Concurrent Viewers Set the maximum number of concurrent viewers for this stream to unlimited or any number greater than zero. Viewing Period of Stream Recordings Set the length of the viewing period for a file recorded with this stream in hours, days, weeks, months, or years.
Global Settings Adding VOD Servers Use this window to add Video-On-Demand Server(s) to the ETV Portal Server. If the network supports Windows 98 users, you must use the IP address of the VOD server—not the host name. After selecting a Server Type VBrick recommends you keep the default settings for FTP Password, Publishing Local Path, Publishing Directory, etc. unless there is a compelling reason to change them. Nor is it necessary to create a Streaming Alias.
Server Type • NXG – Linux-based Kasenna VOD server. • VOD-W – Windows-based InfoValue VOD server. • VOD-D – Darwin Open Source server for Linux, Windows, Mac, etc. Ingests and plays MPEG4 content only. Requires an FTP server. See Creating a VOD-D FTP Server on page 37. • VOD-WM-Standard – Microsoft Windows Media Server (unicast only). Requires an FTP server. See Creating a VODWM FTP Server on page 36. • VOD-WM-Enterprise – Microsoft Windows Media Server (unicast or multicast). Requires an FTP server.
Global Settings Supports HTTP Tunneling? VOD-W only. Determines whether or not the server supports HTTP tunneling. Default = checked. Go to Global Assignments to actually enable HTTP tunneling. See "Assign LAN/Internet Address Range > Always use TCP protocol for MPEG-4 content" in Global Assignments on page 21. Uncheck if you are using a VOD-W server installed before Portal Server v4.2.
Domain or When the ETV Portal Server and the VOD-WM server reside in the same Machine Name domain, this is the name of that domain. When workgroups are being used, this is the machine name of the VOD-WM server. Note: the machine name is not the IP address of the server. User Name The name of a valid user that has administration privileges on the VOD-WM server or the network domain. If the VOD-WM Server is within a domain, the name entered here will be a domain user.
Global Settings T To add a publishing point 1. Create an FTP server on the WM server. See Creating a VOD-WM FTP Server on page 36. Create a publishing point on the WM Server. a. Go to Start > Administrative Tools > Windows Media Services. b. Right-click on the server_name and select Add Publishing Point (Wizard) . c. Add a meaningful publishing point name and click Next. d. Select Files (digital media or playlists) in a directory and click Next. e. Select On-demand publishing point and click Next. f.
Adding FTP Servers Figure 6. Add FTP Server Using Secure FTP In Portal Server v4.2 or higher, VBrick's FTP client supports secure FTP connections from the end user (client), Portal Server and NVR to the VOD servers. This is accomplished using FTP over SSL (FTPS protocol). Having a client that supports FTPS however, is not enough to have secure FTP connections throughout the system. The FTP servers on all VOD servers also need to support FTPS for a secure connection to exist.
Global Settings T To create a Microsoft Windows Media FTP server On the Microsoft Windows Media Server : 1. 2. 3. 4. Install the FTP server. Set the default FTP directory to the Microsoft Windows Media Server's default Publishing Point directory. Create and configure an FTP user account with full permissions (read/write, rename/ delete etc.) on the directory specified above. If using the VBrick default, this account's user name is vbrickuser and the password is vbrickuser.
VBrick Configuration on page 43.) Note that the Free Space option (see below) is only available if you run the EnableQueryDiskSpace.reg utility. Figure 7. Add File Server 38 Playback Protocol • HTTP – Use HTTP if there is a web server running on the file server. For details, see Using HTTP Playback below. • FTP – Use FTP if there is no web server running on the file server. For details, see Using FTP Playback below. • Secure Playback – Use Secure Playback if the file server is configured for SSL.
Global Settings User Name Displayed when Free Space option is enabled. The name of a valid user that has administration privileges on the file server or the network domain. If the file server is within a domain, the name entered here will be a domain user. That domain user must have administration privileges on the file server. If the file server is part of a workgroup, the name entered here will be a local user with administration privileges on the file server.
Figure 8. Content Location for HTTP Playback Using FTP Playback If you select FTP for Playback Protocol , Figure 9 shows sample content location. In the example there are three folders: c:\Pub1 , c:\Pub2 and d:\Pub3 . The FTP server has three publishing directories that map to those three folders. (Note that only one publishing point is actually required.) The Portal Server constructs an FTP URL for each file and the Portal Server client downloads the file from the FTP server inside the file server.
Global Settings Figure 9. Content Location for FTP Playback Using Secure Playback If you select Secure Playback for Playback Protocol , the file is progressively downloaded and encrypted. In order to use secure playback, the file server must be configured for SSL with a digital X.509 certificate from a trusted certificate authority. Secure download is only valid for HTTPS. By default, HTTPS is played back over Port 443.
This function is useful for VBrick VBStar appliances to easily transfer content from their hard drives to the VOD server. (It can also be helpful for users who acquire content outside of the ETV Portal Server, for example from StreamPlayer Plus.) When a folder is created, you must check a box in Add/Modify Folders on Selected Servers to associate the folder with a server for autoingestion. ETV Portal Server checks these folders every 5 minutes and ingests new content if present.
Global Settings 2. Type the new subfolder name in the text field, preceded by a forward slash, for example and click Submit when done. /Bill/temp, VBricks All VBricks must be configured in ETV Portal Server before they can be managed and used for scheduled events. (VBrick configuration is only required if you are using the Scheduling feature. Once configured, all VBricks in the system are shown on the following window.
3. 4. 5. In Select VBrick , select one or more existing VBricks for which a SAP has been received. If you select one VBrick, this populates the VBrick Configuration panel. (If you select multiple VBricks, it does not populate the panel; if you need to configure the VBricks, you must add them one at a time.) Complete or modify the fields in VBrick Configuration as necessary. Note that you must enter a User Name and Password and confirm that Password or the configuration will fail. Click Submit when done.
Global Settings Progressive Download Server Check this box to enable a WM encoder (with v4.2.1 or higher software) with a hard drive (a VBStar) as a progressive download server. All .wmv files stored in the D:\public folder of the VBStar will be available in the Asset Library for progressive download. (You can also use a file server for progressive download. See Adding File Servers on page 37.
Multimedia VBrick Configuration These settings are only enabled when you add or modify a VBrick that has a WM encoder in at least one slot. By completing these fields you are defining the encoder as a Multimedia VBrick that can be used in specialized end-user environments. For example, in some environments, the Portal Server can be configured to use a multimedia VBrick for rich media presentations.
Global Settings Add Viewing URL To see this field, you must first "Add" the VBrick and then go back in and select "Modify". Enter a fully qualified path to the Windows Media Server and Publishing Point that will be hosting the video. For example: http://www.WM_Server_IP_Address/Publishing_Point Add Publishing Point Do not use. This field is reserved for future use.
Figure 11. Control Panel for Direct-Connect Devices (left) and VBIR Devices (right) Note The Amino set top box does not recognize "control devices." Any video source devices configured as Control Devices in the Portal Server will not display a "virtual" remote control panel on the Amino set top box. Adding Control Devices Use the following windows to define or modify control devices.
Global Settings Name Enter a unique, descriptive name that will be displayed on the virtual remote. For example in Figure 10, "Sony DVD" is the configured name shown on the controller. No embedded spaces or special characters are allowed. Device Select a device from the dropdown list. The list shows serial port direct-connect devices and VBIR (SpitFire) commanded devices that are tested and supported by VBrick. It also shows any custom VBIR devices you have added.
Adding User-Defined VBIRs The VBrick VBIR is an external hardware device that uses the passthough port on a VBrick to send control commands via an infrared link to third-party devices like VCRs, DVDs, etc. (see Figure 13 for a visual schematic). You must use a VBIR if the target third-party device does not have a serial port that can directly connect to a VBrick encoder. The VBIR can be programmed with codes representing IR command sets that are compatible with devices from many manufacturers.
Global Settings Figure 12. Modifying the SpitFire III Control Panel In the default configuration there are three "auxiliary" buttons for toggling between DVD mode and VCR mode plus a Power button. The auxiliary buttons are configurable in that you can modify the button label and the associated instruction that will be sent to the VBIR. For example, suppose you want to support the Framitz device, and instead of buttons for DVD, VCR and Power, you want Vol Up, Vol Down and the special Gazinta function.
Figure 13. Connecting Control Devices Table 11. Device Connectors Device Connector VCR DB-9 † DVD DB-15 † MPEG-1 Encoder DB-9 MPEG-2/4/WM Encoders RJ-45 † Typical device connector. Configuring Control Devices You also need to configure the baud rate and passthrough state of the VBrick associated with a control device. In VBAdmin, go to the System Configuration > Advanced Configurations > Passthrough page and set these values as follows: Table 12.
Global Settings Updating the VBIR Command Set EtherneTV Portal Server Control Devices use SpitFire model VBIRs to manipulate DVDs, VCRs or other devices controlled by IR commands. The VBIR contains an internal library of several hundred IR command sets stored in flash memory. The internal library is accessed by a three digit code. The VBIR internal library supports a wide range of devices from many, but not all, device manufacturers.
following window. The Select IPR panel in the next screen shows IPRs that have announced their presence on the network but have not been configured for use in the Portal Server. 54 T To add an IPR configuration 1. Go to Global Settings > IP Receivers. 2. Select Add IPRs and click Submit . 3. In Select IPR , select one or more existing IPR for which a SAP has been received. This populates the IPR Configuration panel.
Global Settings 4. Complete or modify the fields in IPR Configuration as necessary and click Submit . This adds the new configuration to the list of configured IPRs shown on the previous page. Note The only time you will manually complete the IPR Configuration fields is when you are defining the configuration for an IPR that will be added to the network at a later time. In this case, you will need to know the configuration data in advance. Host Name Required. Host name of IPR. IP Address Required.
2. Select Add Recorders and click Submit . 3. Complete the fields in Recorder Configuration window and click Submit . This adds the newly configured recorder to the previous window. If necessary see Synchronizing the Portal Server and the NVR below. Recorder Server 56 IP address or host name of recorder server. Defaults to localhost if recorder server is on the same machine as ETV Portal Server. © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Global Settings Record Path Path and folder where all recording are stored. By default, recordings are stored on the D: drive. If you install ETV Portal Server on a system without a D: drive, you must change the path. Also, in order to record multiple streams, the Record Path must be under FTP root. For example, if root is C:\Inetpub\ftproot the Record Path must be C:\Inetpub\ftproot\ Max. Recording The default number of concurrent recording sessions allowed is 2.
58 T To add a Script Device configuration 1. Go to Global Settings > Script Devices. 2. Select Add Script Devices and click Submit . 3. In Script Device Configuration , complete the following fields and click Submit . This adds the newly configured script device to the list of devices shown in the previous window. To modify a Script Device, first delete the device and then repeat these steps. Device Name Any user-defined name. Address Hard-coded device IP address.
Global Settings Port TCP/IP port number range = 1040 –65534 . If using serial port passthrough, use the VBrick's passthrough port number: 4439 for COM1, 4414 for COM2 Scripts Scripts work with previously defined script devices such as VBricks, IP Receivers, or other devices attached to a VBrick. Scripts can be used to control any type of VBrick or to control other devices like cameras and VCRs that are attached to a VBrick.
2. Select Add Scripts and click Submit . 3. In Script Configuration , enter a Script Name and select a Device Type (MPEG1, MPEG2/ MPEG4/WM, or Other) from the dropdown list—and wait a few seconds for ETV Portal Server to populate the panel with a list of devices. In Select Device, highlight one or more devices and use the arrow buttons to populate the right panel. Create the Script Content . a. For VBrick devices, select a Parameter Name from the dropdown list, enter a Parameter Value , and click Add .
Global Settings b. order in which the commands will be executed at runtime. (See Finding VBrick Parameters and Values for more information. For non-VBrick (Other ) devices, write the script in a native language compatible with the device (or copy and paste binary input) and click Submit when done. To run a previously created script, login to ETV Portal Server and click Scheduled Programs. Then create a schedule by selecting a date, time, and (optionally) a recurrence pattern.
T To locate a parameter name by viewing the source code: 1. 2. Find the Parameter Name in the VBAdmin page. Then locate the parameter name by viewing the source code of the page. T To find the parameter value: 1. 2. Locate the parameter name as described above. Find the Parameter Value by examining the MIB file with either a standard MIB browser or a text editor.
Global Settings URL Enter a valid URL or IP address. See examples above. Type Choose MPEG, WM, H.264, or Other. Select Other for most non-MPEG streams; select WM for .swf Flash streams. Title Title is what will display to clients in the ETV Portal Server viewing pages. Valid URL Examples The following examples show valid URL syntax for live video streams. All URLs are case sensitive and the syntax must be accurate because there is no internal validation of user input.
Stream Type URL Syntax H.264 rtsp://172.1.1.1/vbStream1S1 vbrtsp://172.1.1.1/vbStream1S1 Where 172.1.1.1 is the source IP address and vbStream1S1 is the resource name. vbhttp://172.1.1.1/vbStream1T1.sdp Where 172.1.1.1 is the source IP address and vbStream1T1.sdp is the SDP file name. Other ASX Files http://172.1.1.1/file.asx http://myHost/file.asx http://www.myCompany.com/files/file.asx MP3 and WMA Files http://172.1.1.1/file.mp3 http://myHost/file.mp3 http://172.1.1.1/file.wma http://myHost/file.
Global Settings URL Enter a valid URL or IP address. For example: rtsp://ipaddress/programname mms://ipaddress/videoname.wmv Type Choose MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 NXG, Document, WM, H.264, or Other. If you are creating a URL for stored video that points to www.yahoo.com , for example, select Document in this field—not Other. Select WM for .swf Flash streams.
The URL must point to a web server or a local drive. The Portal Server server can act as the web server for this content, if the content is placed in the c:\program files\vbrick\mcs directory on the ETV Portal Server (or in any subdirectory you create, e.g. ... mcs\test_files\test.doc). A local path or network shared path also can be entered.
Global Settings 2. Select Add Template and click Submit to display the following window. 3. Enter a Template Name, select a Schedule Type, and click Next . (Duplicate template names are allowed but not recommended.
Note Advanced Settings are available to configure VBricks and IPRs with exceptional configuration parameters. It is unlikely you will ever need to change these settings. In all cases you can safely ignore the Advanced Settings and use the defaults provided by ETV Portal Server. Template name Alphanumeric characters or spaces. No special characters. Schedule Type Live Broadcast • VBrick – Select a live stream by VBrick Name. Then select the destination VBricks or IPRs.
Global Settings Schedule Start Options Enter values that describe the device state at schedule start. • Program Name – Program name selected above. • Template – MPEG only. Screen varies for MPEG-1, 2, or 4. • Destination – Destination 1, Destination 2, RTSP Server. • Destination Address – Enter value. • Video Port – Enter value. • Audio Port – Enter value. • Closed Captioning Port – Enter value. • Video – Enabled, Disabled, As Configured. • Audio – Enabled, Disabled, As Configured.
Alert Templates available to ETV Portal Server users from the Portal Server application. See the ETV Portal Server User Guide for more information. Program Names Program Names are used with live presentations. A Program Name is the title that will be displayed on the Live Broadcasts page during a live, rich media presentation—if users have Live Channel privileges.
Global Settings Manage Playlists Use this window to change playlist attributes including Folder, Title, and Owner. If Access Control is not enabled, the owner for all playlists defaults to MCSClient . Note that if Access Control is subsequently enabled, any previously created playlists will not be available unless they are re-assigned from MCSClient to other valid users.
Folders Select a folder location for the playlist. The default folder is the private MyMedia folder of the playlist owner. Title Use any alphanumeric characters except ' ^ : * ? | [ ] ( ) < > % # Owner The owner is the logged-in user who created the playlist. Access Logging Access logging tracks Portal Server usage. It creates logs that let you review who has watched what content, when, and for how long. Specifically, it logs access to live or VOD content, and to user-initiated recordings.
Global Settings Enable Access Logging Sets access logging on or off. Default = off. The log files are saved in Program Files\VBrick\MCS\Logs. Log Cycle Time New log files can be created daily, weekly, or when the file reaches a certain size. Old files are never deleted or written over. Log File Directory Specifies where the log files are saved. This can be on the same machine as the Portal Server or on a different machine in the same network.
Using EthernetTV Reporter If you purchased a separate license, you can use VBrick's powerful "EtherneTV Reporter" log analysis tool to examine the access logs. EtherneTV Reporter is a dedicated log file analysis tool. It reads individual log files generated by the Portal Server and generates a graphical statistical report based on the contents of the log data. Each log entry contains multiple fields, and EtherneTV Reporter extracts those field values from the log data and populates the report.
Global Settings 5. 6. Once the window is populated with log data (Figure 15) you can view or sort any of the columns as necessary. Click Pivot Table Wizard and follow the prompts to build a Pivot Table. Figure 15. Imported Access Log Zones In a standard Portal Server configuration, a client selecting a video is algorithmically directed to a load-balanced (Internet or LAN) server. This is normal Portal Server behavior and the Zones page is not used.
Zone Name User-defined string that identifies the zone. Client Address(es) Enter individual, comma-separated client IP addresses and/or a range of client IP addresses. For example: 172.15.2.1 , 172.16.2.1-172.22.2.255 Server Address(es) Enter individual, comma-separated server IP addresses and/or a range of server IP addresses to which the specified client(s) will be directed. Save Zone Saves the zone information in the upper panel.
Chapter 3 Server Administration Topics in this section Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Modify VOD Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
should be reconfigured to match your own time zone. Use the following steps to set the time zone and verify that it was successfully changed. T To change the time zone 1. For reference purposes, note the currently scheduled time for any program in the Channel Guide. Go to Start > Control Panel > Date and Time and select the Time Zone where the Portal Server is located. When done reboot the Portal Server and open the Admin Console.
Server Administration Channel Guide Update Select the time and day when the Portal Server will connect to the Time and Day specified Channel Guide Server for program updates. This updates the Channel Guide on the user interface. When TV Station program data is updated, all expired Custom Station program data (more than 14 days old) is purged. Channel Guide Update Click Update Now to immediately retrieve programming from the Channel Guide Server and/or update the Channel Guide on the user interface.
Note For best viewing results after adding stations, click the Live Broadcasts button on the user interface to refresh the page and verify your changes. To avoid caching conflicts, do not use the browser refresh (F5) button. Add Custom Stations T To add a custom station 1. 2. Go to Channels > Stations and click Add Custom Stations. Click on any available live stream to populate the window shown below. Note that only those streams not currently assigned to stations are displayed and available for use.
Server Administration Available VBrick SAP Live Streams Select an available live stream on your network. These were previously created and include VBrick SAPs (Session Announcements), multicasts from VOD servers, and URLs that were manually entered. See URLs on page 62 for more information about manually-entered URLs. Note that only those streams not currently assigned to stations are displayed in this list. Icon Image Navigate to any valid image file (.jpg, .gif, or .png, only).
Add New Links This feature lets you add a hyperlink to the page you get by clicking the View Info link that is associated with each live stream. T To add a new link 1. 2. Click Add New Link and enter a Link Title and Link Type. Enter a Web Page URL or navigate to an upload file (an image, a Microsoft Word document, etc.). Click Add Link when done and repeat as many times as necessary. 3. Link Title 82 The title actually displayed on the View Info page, for example "Additional Information.
Server Administration Link Type • Web page URL – Enter a valid URL or copy and paste one from your web browser. • Uploaded File – Browse to select an upload file. This can be a PowerPoint, an image, or any file you want to make available to end users. The file is automatically uploaded to the Portal Server and the Portal Server creates a URL for end users to access it. Custom Programs This page is used to add programming information to an existing station.
Custom Station From the dropdown list, select a defined Custom Station for which you want to define a program. Delete Programs This Station Delete all programming data for the selected station. Delete Programs For All Stations Delete all programing data for all stations. Add New Custom Program Add a new line at the bottom of the "Current Programming" list for a new custom programming item. ID Program ID. Read only. Station Name Station Name. Read only.
Server Administration Figure 16. Custom Program Data Note The message "Program Unavailable" in the Channel Guide means there is no programming data associated with the stream. It does not mean the stream itself is unavailable. You can still click on the stream to launch it in the preview window. Edit Custom Programs T To edit a Custom Program 1. 2. Navigate to the program you want to change and click Edit . Manually edit any of the fields as necessary and click Update when done.
viewed by a Portal Server user. When new content is added (for example using Add Video or autoingest), administrators can optionally enter an Expiration Date or Viewing Period and can limit the number of concurrent viewers. This data can be modified at anytime. The Expired Content Log shows all expired content on your system in chronological order with the oldest expiration date first. See Copyright Protection on page 3 for more information.
Server Administration Expiration Expiration date if any. Folders Use to navigate to a specific folder. Filename Click once on any named content in the list to populate this field. Expiration • Expiration Date – set date in mm/dd/yyyy 12:00 AM format. • Viewing Period – set a value for viewing period in hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Max. Concurrent Users Defines the maximum number of users who can view this stream at the same time. Select Unlimited or enter a value greater than zero.
Status This window shows the status of videos being added or recorded. Use Refresh and Purge as necessary. Use the tree controls on the left to expand (or contract) individual entries. Click the Cancel icon to the left of each to cancel a recording or ingestion in progress. This also cancels the recording on the Live Broadcasts page. 88 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Server Administration Expired Content Log This window shows all expired content in chronological order with the oldest expiration date first. Click Purge All to delete all records in the log. See Modify VOD Content on page 85 and Stream Restrictions on page 29 for more information. Access Control Under the Access Control section, administrators have the ability to enable Authentication and Authorization which requires users to login and be authenticated.
Enable Authentication Enable authentication and authorization which requires users to and Authorization login and be authenticated. If not checked, all users have access to all functionality and content. Use VBrick database Use the VBrick (non LDAP) database provided with ETV Portal Server. Use LDAP database Use an LDAP database. VBrick supports major LDAP vendors but only Microsoft Active Directory and Novell eDirectory are fully tested and supported.
Server Administration If authenticating against Microsoft's Active Directory, check the LDAP Server is Microsoft check box and enter the path to the LDAP server in the LDAP Path box. If authenticating against a directory other than Microsoft Active Directory, do not check LDAP Server is Microsoft Active Directory. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a standardized method to access directories from multiple vendors. A complete discussion of LDAP is beyond the scope of this document.
Use Integrated Windows Authentication Use "single sign-on." This means that once you login to your local network, you can open ETV Portal Server without reentering your login credentials. See below Using LDAP with Single Sign-On. Use Independent Group Entries If unchecked (the default), the user's group memberships are stored as attributes of the user's directory entry identified by the Attribute for Groups field.
Server Administration Note The Softerra LDAP Browser 2.6 provides an Explorer-like LDAP client you can use to browse the LDAP tree. It is available for Windows only and can be downloaded free of charge from Softerra at http://www.ldapbrowser.com Using LDAP with Single Sign-On To use single sign-on, go to Access Control and then check Enable Authentication and Authorization and Use LDAP Database.
4. Go to Directory Security > Authentication and access control and make sure that is checked on the following window. Integrated Windows authentication Using Single Sign-On T To use single-sign-on (and avoid username/password prompts), you must do one of the following • • Access the Portal Server by the alphabetical name (for example http://yourserver).
Server Administration Note Internet Explorer 6 only. All three items in the Security Alert window below must be in compliance. The first item can easily be installed using these instructions; for the middle item, the local CA will need to create a new certificate if it is out of date; for the last item, the name of the certificate will need to match the address entered in the address bar of your browser. 5.
10. 11. 12. 13. Check Show physical stores check box. Click the plus sign (+) next to Trusted Root Certificate Authorities. Select Local Computer and click OK . Click Next and Finish when done. Resolving Other Security Alerts If you are receiving any other Security Alerts you will need to identify the problem as either "out of date" or The name on the security certificate is invalid. If the certificate has an invalid name, follow the steps below to determine the valid name.
Server Administration T To configure the Portal Server for RSA Authentication 1. Launch the Portal Server Admin Console and click on Access Control in the left navigation panel. (Note that the following screen shows sample data.) 2. 3. Check the Use RSA authentication option to enable RSA authentication. Populate the User ID, E-Mail, and Group fields as explained below:. User ID Field Name Name of the HTTP header field that will store the unique User ID.
"Default" Group This is the default group used to define base permissions for all users. User Group Name A unique name for the group. User Group ID The User Group ID is a unique identifier for the group. Live Presentations Use this window to manually remove a live presentation listing from the Live Broadcasts page. If the presentation is terminated abnormally for any reason (for example if the presenter exits PowerPoint without going OFFLINE ), you may need to manually remove the presentation links.
Server Administration Users See Configuring Users on page 107. User Groups See Configuring User Groups on page 113. Resource Groups See Resource Groups on page 114. Help This command launches the ETV Portal Server online help system in a new window. This online help system provide fast full-text search and makes it easy to find the information you need. To navigate in the help window, use the tree controls on the left to expand a topic and the navigation buttons at the top to move to a different page.
About This page displays the Portal Server (MCS) version number (for example 4.4.0.0) as well as license and serial number data for each installed module. The serial numbers provide warranty and tracking information. You may be asked for the module serial number when requesting help from VBrick Support Services. 100 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Server Administration Logout This command logs you out of the application and lets you log back in as a different user. This may be necessary to gain access to certain functionality. For example, some users may not be allowed to create thumbnails and you may want to login as a user who has the permissions to do this.
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Chapter 4 Users and User Groups Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Configuring Users and User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Configuring Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Configuring User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Authentication – Authentication is the process of identifying an individual, usually based on a username and password. In security systems, authentication is distinct from authorization (see below), which is the process of providing individuals access to resources based on their identity. Authentication merely ensures that the individual is who he or she claims to be, but says nothing about the access rights of the individual.
Users and User Groups ETV Portal Server – The ETV Portal Server needs to be properly setup and configured on the network. The following items should be configured in the Portal Server interface: • If there is a VOD server(s) in the system, the proper addresses for these servers need to be entered into the Portal Server Administrative pages and connectivity to those servers should be ensured.
VBrick Database If authentication is enabled, you must select a database (either VBrick or LDAP). The VBrick (ETV Portal Server) user database contains user, group, and resource information that provides the Portal Server with information to allow it to provide the appropriate privileges to users and IP Receivers that are accessing the system.
Users and User Groups A unique feature of the Portal Server software is the ability to group Resources into Resource Groups. This allows the administrator to quickly and easily assign several resources at once to more than one User or User Groups. This also makes the ongoing management of this content for these Users or User Groups much easier. For example, if the organization has three User Groups—Marketing, Engineering, and Sales—they might create four resource groups.
needed (see IPR Authentication section below). Note that IPR PIN access is dependent on the VBrick Database being enabled. See Access Control on page 89 for details. Submit Save changes and/or navigate to the next window. Add New Takes the administrator to the Add New User, User Group, or Resource Group screen (depending on which section you are in) Clear All Clears any entries that have been entered in the individual sections.
Users and User Groups Allow Content Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Allow Content Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Default Content Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Allow VBrick Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Individually assign resources to the User. These methods all can be combined. For example, to provide a User with access to the resources provided to a User Group but also provide them access to additional resources, the administrator can a) Assign the User to that Resource Group and b) Individually assign the additional resources to that user. Each of these methods is discussed below.
Users and User Groups Allow Access to Specific VOD Servers Choose from a list of available VOD server(s) to which a user has access. A user can have access to multiple servers. This feature is particularly useful when VOD servers are located in different physical locations that are separated by low bandwidth links.
Note If users are provided access to more than one VOD server, when they publish content, it will be published to each of the servers to which they have access. This is important for clustering purposes. Allow Content Recording Used for scheduled recording. Administrators can allow a user the ability to schedule the recording of live content to a specific folder(s) on a VOD Video-On-Demand Server. They cannot record content to any other folder(s).
Users and User Groups Copyright Restrictions & Expiration Privileges Administrators can allow users to set Copyright Restrictions and Expiration Privileges when adding stored content or scheduling a recording. Note that copyright restrictions apply only to Portal Server-initiated playback sessions (and not, for example to direct RTSP requests to a VOD server).
all available groups. In Windows 2000 , go to My Network Places > Entire Network > Directory, the domain, and Users. Note Windows XP needs to be configured to Show Common Tasks in Folders. To configure this, in My Network Places, go to Tools > Folder Options. In the General > Tasks section, select the radio button called Show common tasks in folders. Add/Modify Group 's User Assignments Users can be assigned to specific User Groups, and they will inherit the privileges of that group.
Users and User Groups For example, if the organization has three User Groups—Marketing, Engineering, and Sales—they might create four resource groups. These Resource Groups would be Full Access, which are resources that everyone can see, and one Resource Group for each of the user groups.
IPR Authentication There are two ways (IPR IP address or user PIN) to authenticate and authorize IP Receivers in the ETV Portal Server. IPR access control is slightly different from PC and Macintoshbased authentication (which uses the commonly employed User Name and Password mechanism). The two methods are outlined in the table below. Table 13.
Users and User Groups If Authentication and Authorization is enabled, but the IPR is not defined in the system, then Access Management works based on a User PIN. This PIN is defined on a per user (not per IPR) basis, so Users need to be setup in the system for this to work. When the user accesses the ETV Portal Server through the IPR, they will be prompted for their PIN.
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Chapter 5 Configuring for SSL Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 1. Generate a Certificate Request. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 2. Submit a Certificate Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 3. Install the Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SSL Prerequisites • • • • In order to use the Portal Server in secure (HTTPS) mode, you must have a signed and valid SSL certificate purchased from Verisign or another vendor. If the certificate is not signed, or if it is expired or otherwise invalid, video playback issues will occur.
Configuring for SSL 13. Enter a file name for the certificate request. The file contains information similar to the following: ------BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST -----MIIDZjCCAs……… ------END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST --------- This is a Base 64 encoded representation of the certificate request. The request contains the information entered into the wizard and also your public key and information signed with your private key. 14. Select Next .
Configuring Hardened SSL In hardened SSL mode, the Portal Server encrypts all pages in the Portal Server Admin application and all pages in the Portal Server client application. Note Be aware that hardened SSL encryption requires significant resources and can substantially impact performance. Use hardened SSL only when absolutely necessary in environments that require all pages to be encrypted. T To configure the Portal Server in Hardened SSL Mode 1.
Configuring for SSL 7. 8. Go to Secure communications and click Edit . Check the box marked Require secure channel (SSL) and click OK . 9. Click OK to close the Default Web Site Properties page. 10. Click the plus sign (+) in the tree next to Default Web Site to expand the node.
11. Right-click on AMProxy and select Properties. 12. Select the Directory Security tab, then go to Secure communications and click Edit . 13. Uncheck the box marked Require secure channel (SSL) and click OK . 14. Restart the Windows Server. After restarting the server, your users will be able to access the ETV Portal Server application. From this point forward, users must use an HTTPS URL to access the application, for example: https:// .
Configuring for SSL for the user pages. Users will notice a padlock icon at the bottom of their screen while logging into the Portal Server, however the padlock will disappear once they login. When an administrator attempts to access the Administration pages it will also force them to use https:///admin. The padlock icon will be visible at the throughout the entire Admin site.
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Chapter 6 Network Video Recording Topics in this section NVR Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 NVR Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 NVR Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 NVR Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
performance. The Portal Server and/or the NVRs are delivered with all software installed or as a software-only option. The NVR comes in standard and standalone versions as explained below. The only difference is in functionality. Both record either 10 or 40 concurrent streams depending on the license you purchase. Both versions can be expanded to include multiple, additional NVRs so that your recording capacity is virtually unlimited. Figure 17.
Network Video Recording NVR Performance Considerations The NVR 40 lets you record any combination of up to 40 MPEG, WM, and H.264 streams at a time. There are however performance considerations when recording multiple, simultaneous, high-rate MPEG-2, WM, or H.264 streams. At MPEG-2 rates up to 5.5Mbps or WM rates up to 1.2Mbps 40 simultaneous recordings are supported. At higher rates however the full licensing capacity cannot be used. For example, when using the Best Quality WM template at 4.
• has an API interface that lets you write custom applications to control the NVR. Note When purchasing additional NVRs, VBrick provides a single combined license that includes recording capacity for all NVRs onsite (Standard and/or Standalone). NVR Installation See the NVR Release Notes for complete installation instructions. Synchronizing the Portal Server and the NVR The internal clocks on the Portal Server and the NVR must be synchronized for recording functionality to work properly.
Network Video Recording f. Schedule Privileges Configuring a Standalone NVR T To configure a standard NVR in a Standalone NVR Installation 1. Login to the Standalone NVR Admin Console using the host name or IP address of the Standalone NVR machine. For example: http://myserveraddress/admin Define a Record server. a. Set record Path if necessary. Set to local hard drive on NVR or to a network drive. b. Set Max. Recording. Define VOD and FTP Servers (go to Global Settings > Servers ). a.
Note To use a standard NVR, the Portal Server and the NVR must be installed and running. To use a standalone NVR, only the NVR application must be running. Figure 18. Portal Server "Schedule Record" Page 132 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Chapter 7 VBPresenter Note VBPresenter v2.x works with VBrick's WM or MPEG-4 appliances and uses the Windows Media Player interface. VBPresenter v3.x supports VBrick WM video only. It delivers an advanced interactive viewer interface using Microsoft's Silverlight technology. VBPresenter v3.x requires VBDNA v4.2 or above for direct streaming from a WM appliance to viewers. Earlier versions of firmware are acceptable when streaming via a service or from a Windows Media Server.
Figure 19. VBPresenter v2.x Rich Media Presentation Working with Presentations If you will be working with VBPresenter presentations, be aware that they have the following unique characteristics and limitations. • • • • They launch in a new browser window in their native user interface—not in the Portal Server. They can only be uploaded from VBPresenter—they cannot be added directly or autoingested to the Portal Server.
VBPresenter directory is a virtual directory in IIS. This directory is the root folder for live presentations only.) There is an MCS directory at the FTP root directory. Note that the entries made in the Admin console are stored in the Portal Server and do not actually configure IIS. These values must reflect what IIS has been configured for. Presentations Note The MCS setup program creates an additional user name and password with an FTP Home directory in the Live Presentations folder on the MCS server.
Launching a Live Presentation The web server in VBPresenter can be configured with either a domain name or an IP address. If configured with an IP address, you must launch the MCS client using the IP address in order to view presentations successfully; if configured with a domain name, you must launch the MCS client using the domain name. You cannot mix-and-match domain names and IP addresses or Session Expired and Maximum Viewers Exceeded errors may be displayed by the Portal Server.
VBPresenter Launching a Stored Presentation T To launch a stored presentation 1. 2. Open the Portal Server user interface. On the Video Library page, navigate to the video name published from VBPresenter and click once to launch it in a browser. Mouse over the presentation name to display the Info button to the right. Use this popup window to enter Keyword and Description "metadata" that will make the presentation easy to find in a search. 3.
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Chapter 8 Auto Content Ingestion Topics in this section AutoIngest Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 AutoIngest Content via XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Removing MPEG-4 Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note The default FTP path may be on a different drive, refer to the IIS default FTP configuration to confirm. Content that is placed under the autoingest root folder on the ETV Portal Server will be ingested into the root video folder on the VOD server provided that it is configured using the ETV Portal Server Administrator interface.
Auto Content Ingestion AutoIngest Content via XML This feature lets you autoingest video files by placing an .xml file in the AutoIngestXML folder on the Portal Server. It also lets you associate metadata with the video such as maximum number of viewers for copyright protection, keywords for searching, etc. As explained below there are three ways (see Table 15) to use this feature depending on where the source files are located. The Portal Server monitors this folder for .
4. Then go to Global Settings > Global Assignments > Assign AutoIngest and set the user you just defined as the Current AutoIngest User. AutoIngestXML Modes There are three modes of operation as shown in Table 15. The mode you use depends on where the source files are located. Table 15. AutoIngest Modes Mode Description Direct The target source video file is FTPed to the AutoIngestXML folder. The video file and the .xml file must both be FTPed to this folder.
Auto Content Ingestion Table 16. AutoIngestXML Tags Tag Description Command Required. Must be set to ingest . MCSTitle Required. Cannot be blank. Must begin with "/" and contains fully qualified path to destination VOD folder/title on the Portal Server. The autoingest user name must have publishing rights for VOD target folder. Keywords Optional. Keywords associated with this video. Used for search.
Tag Description CustomFields Optional. 0–n custom fields to associate with this video. See Custom Fields on page 28 for more information. Each custom field must contain: • name – must be already defined in Portal Server or field will be ignored. • value – dropdown list boxes only; must be already defined in Portal Server or field will be ignored. Removing MPEG-4 Closed Captions MPEG-4 files with closed captions cannot be added to NXG servers until the closed caption track is removed.
Chapter 9 EtherneTV Backup This chapter explains how to use ETV Backup to create a warm backup Portal Server. ETV Backup is an optional software application. If you did not purchase ETV Backup, you can backup key Portal Servers files and directories manually. See Manual System Backup on page 183 for details. Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Configuring ETV Backup . . . . . . . .
Note ETV Backup is tightly integrated with the Portal Server and backs up key directories and files. VBrick does not support any user customization of this product or any non-ETV Portal Server uses of the software. ETV Backup Profiles The folders shown below are automatically backed up from the live server to the warm server. As shown in the window, each key Portal Server directory is preconfigured with a corresponding "profile.
EtherneTV Backup Configuring ETV Backup T To configure EtherneTV Backup, you must perform all of the following steps in the exact sequence shown 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Enter License Key. Set Profile IP Addresses. Configure the Scheduler. Reset Database Backup Versioning. Enable the Warm Backup Server. Test the Configuration. 1. Enter License Key The first time you launch ETV Backup, you will be prompted for a license key.
2. 3. 4. In the Live MCS Database field, replace the IP address shown with the IP address (or server machine name) of your live Portal Server. Do not change anything else in the path. The Database backup field is populated automatically. Do not change anything in this field. Click OK when done and repeat these steps for each of the other profiles. 3. Configure the Scheduler T To configure the Scheduler 1. 2. Right-click on MCS Warm Click Edit Schedule. 3. Backup Group and select Schedule.
EtherneTV Backup 4. Press OK and OK and minimize the application—do not exit. 4. Reset Database Backup Versioning This step is important. Do not omit this step. T To reset database backup versioning 1. 2. Right-click on MCS Database Backup and select Modify. Then go to Copy/Delete > Versioning and set maximum versions to 5 and maximum days to 7 . 3. Click OK and minimize the application—do not exit. 5.
3. On the following window, select Enable and click Next , then OK to exit. This will enable the machine as a warm backup. This will complete the configuration and there is no need to reboot the server. 4. When finished, launch ETV Backup using the desktop icon. 6. Test the Configuration When you are finished configuring the IP addresses, click the Run icon in the navigation footer.
EtherneTV Backup 4. If errors occur, right-click on the failed profile and select View Log > Newest . 5. 6. This will displayed detailed information (see below) that you can use to correct the error. When done, highlight the failed profile and run again until successful.
Turning a Warm Backup Server into a Live Server A Portal Server can experience a hardware failure for a variety of reasons. If the hardware fails, you may be unable to communicate with the server via a web browser, the Remote Desktop utility, or any other means. Since there will be no web access, end users may get a "404 page not found," server timeout, or similar message. If this happens, remove the server from service and turn the warm backup into the primary server as explained here.
EtherneTV Backup 3. If you want viewers to use the same host name for the Portal Server after turning a warm backup into a live server, a network administrator will have to change the IP address or DNS entry to match the new address. Bringing a Failed Machine Back Online Bringing a Failed Machine Back Online as a Warm Backup T To bring a failed machine back online as a warm backup server 1. Configure the fixed machine as a warm backup.
Software Installation EtherneTV Backup requires a license key. If your EtherneTV purchase included ETV Backup, the license key will be installed by VBrick prior to shipment. If you ever need to reinstall the software, the license key is attached to the "Software Activation Keys" card that is included with the server. If you purchase ETV Backup separately, VBrick will send a "Software Activation Keys" card with the new license key attached.
Chapter 10 Amino Set Top Box Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Connecting the Amino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Configuring the Amino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Configuring the Remote Control for a TV . . . . . . . . . .
2. 3. 4. Connect the Amino to your network using a standard Ethernet cable (not supplied) with an RJ-45 connector. Connect the Amino to the TV as follows. a. Connect one end of the Amino A/V lead to the composite connector on the Amino. b. Connect the other end to either the S-Video connector on the TV or to the red, white, and yellow audio and video connectors. Connect the power supply and install three AAA batteries in the remote control.
Amino Set Top Box Figure 20. Amino MCS Home Page 11. Click on Watch live broadcasts, for example, to display the Live Broadcasts page (Figure 21). You can use this page to select any available MPEG-2 stream. Figure 21. Live Broadcasts Page Changing the IP Address Once the Amino is initially configured as explained above, you can change the IP address as necessary using the wireless keyboard. T To change the IP address 1. 2. Go to the Amino MCS home page (Figure 20) and press Ctrl on the keyboard.
3. 4. Press Alt-m on the keyboard and use the steps listed above in Configuring the Amino to set a new IP address. Press Ctrl again to toggle off the Default Amino Keys and resume normal operation. Configuring a Direct Connection In some cases you may wish to connect the Amino directly to a VBrick MPEG-2 appliance without using the Portal Server. In this case the attached monitor will display the single stream from the appliance in full screen mode.
Amino Set Top Box Setting the TV Display Format As noted, you can change the TV Display Format from the Preferences menu. The following tables show the output from normal and widescreen TVs depending on how the TV Display Format is set. Be sure to power cycle the STB to implement any changes you make. Table 18. Video Output with a Normal (4:3) TV TV Display Format Video Output Standard (4:3) Mode Normal (4:3) video plays normally and 16:9 video has the left and right sides cropped off (center cutout).
160 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Chapter 11 ACNS Configuration Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 ACNS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Verify Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windows Media and Darwin servers require no additional configuration.) Use the following steps to configure a VOD-W server to work with ACNS. T To configure a VOD-W server to work with ACNS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Login the VOD-W server. Go to Start > Windows Explorer. Expand the tree in the left pane under the drive labeled (C:) . Expand Program Files under C: and then expand InfoValue under that. Click on QuickVideo OnDemand Server. Double-click on the file QvcsConfig.ini .
ACNS Configuration 3. 4. 5. Check Enable manifest generation , select the files (MPEG-4 and/or WM) to include, and specify an interval (default = 10 minutes) that defines how often the file will be regenerated. Click Submit when done. Click Generate Now to create an "on demand" manifest file. The Portal Server will create (and periodically overwrite) a manifest file called ACNSManifest.xml in the Program Files\VBrick\MCS\Cisco folder. The Cisco subdirectory is automatically created.
Verify Installation T Use the following steps to verify the MCS/ACNS integration is successful 1. 2. Be sure that the MCS Portal Server and ACNS are configured as explained above. Go into the ACNS management system and verify that the video content added via the ETV Portal Server has been pushed to the ACNS remote content engine's disk storage. Open a browser and launch a Portal Server client. Launch a stored MPEG-4 or WM video from the Portal Server user interface.
Chapter 12 Rebranding the User Interface Topics in this section Customizing the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Rebranding the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Rebranding Other ETV Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table 20. EtherneTV Replaceable Images Interface Image Portal Server Header image: C:\Program Files\VBrick\MCS\Images\ topBanner-1003x50_PS.jpg VBrick IPR Header image for MCS Portal Server: C:\sfwapp\Components\WebApp\MCS\images\STB\ EtherneTV-Top-STB_PS.jpg Header image for MCS Live Portal Server: C:\sfwapp\Components\WebApp\MCS\images\STB\ EtherneTV-Top-STB_LPS.jpg Amino STB Header image: C:\sfwapp\Components\WebApp\MCS\MCS_Amino\images\ EtherneTV_logo_STB_20.
Rebranding the User Interface Header Client Branding (Left hand text in header) Files to Change css/MCSv4.css Classes .header_ClientBranding Modify Any attributes for font and color. Page Margins and Borders Files to Change css/PC_HighRes.css, css/PC_LowRes.css Classes #workspace Modify Any attributes for margins, positioning, borders and master workspace background color/image. Header Search Bar Background Files to Change css/PC_HighRes.css, css/PC_LowRes.
Modify Font, color, etc. Channel Guide Search TextBox Files to Change css/ChanGuide_styles.css Classes .CHGuideSearchTextBox Modify Font, color, etc. Channel Guide Background Search Area Files to Change css/ChanGuide_styles.css Classes .timeHeadertableSearch Modify Background-color Channel Guide Time Navigation Files to Change css/ChanGuide_styles.css Classes .timeHeadertable, .timeHeaderCells, .CHGuidePrevBtn, .CHGuideNextBtn Modify Background-color, color, fonts, etc.
Rebranding the User Interface Modify Background-color, background-Image, fonts, color, dimensions, etc. Channel Guide Content List Files to Change css/ChanGuide_styles.css Classes .ChguideTable, .ChGuideStationCells, .ChguideCells, .ChguideCellsRecording Modify Border, color, background-color, recording image, padding, etc. Live Content List Files to Change css/PC_HighRes.css, css/PC_LowRes.css Classes .ContentList Modify Border, background-color, scroll-bar.
Modify Font size, color, background, padding, etc. HTML Any files in: layer/ directory ending with "–stb.inc" Amino Set Top Box STB List and Related HTML Files to Change MCS_Amino/css/A_classes.css, A_layout.css, MCSControls.css Classes All Modify Font size, color, background-color, dimensions, padding, etc. VBrick IP Receiver IPR List and Related HTML 170 Files to Change WMIPR/css//wmipr.css Classes All Modify Font size, color, background, padding, etc. © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Chapter 13 NXG-to-VOD-W Content Migration Topics in this section Creating an Asset List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Using the Migration Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Verifying the Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. Copy nxg_asset_list to the Portal Server machine or use an FTP URL in the Assets field of the Migration Tool. For example: ftp://vbrickuser:vbrickuser@/nxg_asset_list Sample Asset List This snippet shows sample assets included in the file nxg_asset_list . Each asset is described by name and location. /demo/TestAutoIngest4.mpg /vbrick/content_links/20071005113535_1 /1_MSNBC_05_16_07_16_12_41.
NXG-to-VOD-W Content Migration T 1. To increase the ingestion rate On the VOD-W server, go to Start > Control Panel > InfoValue QuickVideo > QVCS > Advanced . 2. 3. Set the Transfer Rate to 1000000 and click OK . Click OK again to exit. When the content migration is complete, reset the Transfer Rate to the default (10000 ). Running the Migration Tool T To migrate video files to the VOD-W 1. Launch the Migration Tool.
MCS Address IP address of VBrick Portal Server. User Name User name for Portal Server. User Password User password for Portal Server. Source VoD Server Address IP address of source NXG server. Ftp User Name FTP user name of NXG server. Default = vbrickuser Ftp User Password FTP password of NXG server.
NXG-to-VOD-W Content Migration Assets Filter Optional. Enter an alphabetic substring to search for matching files and click Apply. File Names Select the video files to be migrated from the complete list of files in the asset list. Use Check All , Uncheck All , or Delete Selected as appropriate. Note that Delete Selected works with selected (i.e. highlighted) files and not checked files. Schedule Start On Start date. Default = unchecked.
176 © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Chapter 14 Purchased Content Ingestion Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Configuring IIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Ingesting Purchased Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Backing Up the Database. . . . . . . . . . . .
2. 178 Open IIS Manager. a. Expand the Local server and then the FTP server. b. Add an FTP site called MassIngest . c. Map the FTP site to the directory on the LaCie USB drive that has the video to be ingested. © 2009 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Purchased Content Ingestion 3. 4. 5. d. Set permissions to allow for anonymous FTP and close IIS. Copy the Excel spreadsheet from the flash drive to your C:\ drive. Install the license file (for example content_34294950443.lic) using the Windows Add or Remove Programs utility. a. Go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > VBrick Media Control Server Suite. b. Click Change/Remove and select Install/Replace the EtherneTV Content license file. c.
3. Click on the Advanced button. 4. 5. Change Transfer Rate from 10,000 to 1,000,000, click OK and OK again. Reboot the VOD-W Server for the changes to take effect. Ingesting Purchased Content 180 T To ingest purchased content to your VOD servers 1. 2. 3. Run the C:\Program Files\VBrick\MCS\bin\MassIngestionUtils.exe program. When the window opens, go to Options > Initiate Mass Ingestion . When the Mass Ingestion utility starts: a. Set Local Video Content Path to the actual path. b.
Purchased Content Ingestion 4. 5. After mass ingestion is complete, review the total results displayed on the Mass Ingestion utility. (The total results cannot be saved.) On the Portal Server, open Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003, view the Excel spreadsheet from the MCS C:\ drive and check for failures on columns A, C and E. The columns should be populated with True and if False is shown, a failure has occurred. This means that the video file with the False failed to ingest.
2. 3. The MySQL Service will need to be stopped in order to have a clean copy of the database. Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. a. Right-click on MySQL in the right pane and select Stop. There will be a list of other services that will stop. Take note of these other services and select Yes. b. The Service Control window will show the progress of the Services being stopped. After the services have stopped minimize the Services window.
Chapter 15 Manual System Backup This chapter explains how to manually backup key system files and directories on the Portal Server. If you purchased EtherneTV Backup, this process is automatic. See EtherneTV Backup on page 145 for details. The EtherneTV Portal Server uses MySQL to manage the database of users and groups, and also the video information related to content on the VOD Servers. Note that this procedure backs up information in the MySQL database and key directories only.
C:\Program Files\VBrick\MCS\sdp C:\Program Files\VBrick\MCS\StationIcons C:\Program Files\VBrick\MCS\Images\Thumbnails 6. 7. To restart the Services, maximize the Services window. Right-click on the VBrick Object Starter and select Start . This will start the MySQL services. If the EtherneTV Scheduler Module or other services were stopped in Step 3 above they will need to be started as well.
Chapter 16 VBrick Internet Streaming Topics in this section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Portal Server Hosting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Overview The VBrick Internet Streaming is available for those users who wish to extend the ability to view live events to Internet clients.
b. c. d. e. f. Publishing Point Name Publishing Point User Name Publishing Point Password Publishing Point Viewing URL Hosted Page Viewing URL The information labelled a–c above is entered on the VBrick appliance Push configuration page. When the event is initiated (via the Scheduler), the Portal Server turns on the Push transmit and streams to the remote publishing point. Internal authenticated users are directed to view the multicast/unicast directly from the VBrick encoder appliance.
VBrick Internet Streaming Maximum Push Destinations One push destination is required for this application. Enable Use to enable HTTP Push. Normally this is left as Disabled for this application. The Scheduler will set this field to enabled when the schedule starts. Server:Port Enter the information from (a) Server Name/IP and Port from above. Publishing/Mount Point Enter the information from (b) Publishing Point Name Copy From Publishing Point Leave blank. Auto Remove Leave blank.
2. Click on Specify LAN Address Range(s) and enter the address range of your local LAN. Internal users are identified by this range. Note: the VBrick encoder IP Address must be in this range. Portal Server User Configuration If authentication is enabled on the Portal Server, users must be authenticated and given Live Channel Privileges. See the Portal Server Admin Guide for more information.
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