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Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.

3 Administrators Guide

January 15, 2008 3:56 pm


Document Number MB-ADMIN-83-A

2007 Kasenna, Inc. All Rights Reserved


This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying, distribution, and decompilation. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization by Kasenna, Inc., and its licensors, if any. Kasenna and other trademarks are the property of Kasenna, Inc. Kasenna, Inc., has patents and patents pending on proprietary technology. Kasenna MediaBase is protected by the following patents: 5,973,679 5,226,163 5,802,284 5,838,921 5,835,717 5,784,567 5,819,019 5,751,280 6,498,897 6,067,634 6,594,699 6,601,136

LIMITED AND RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in the Rights in Data clause at FAR 52.227-14 and/or in similar or successor clauses in the FAR, or in the DOD, DOE or NASA FAR Supplements. Unpublished rights reserved under the Copyright Laws of the United States. Contractor/manufacturer is Kasenna, Inc.,1196 Borregas Avenue., Suite 100, Sunnyvale CA 94089. AMASS is a registered trademark of EMASS, Inc. Archimedia is a trademark of K-par Systems, Ltd. FORE Systems is a registered trademark of FORE Systems, Inc. Java, JavaScript, and Solaris are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Luminex and Fire Series are trademarks of Luminex Software, Inc. Netscape Navigator is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation. Microsoft, Internet Explorer, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Live System and OptiVideo are trademarks of Optivision, Inc. Sony is a trademark of Sony Corporation. Tracer and HyperROM are trademarks of Tracer Technologies, Inc. VBrick is a registered trademark of VBrick Systems, Inc. OpenStream Digital Services Platform is a registered trademark of TANDBERG, Inc. This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors, 1996 Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

NOTIFICATION OF ERRORS
Please send notification of any errors found in this document to: Technical Documentation Kasenna, Inc. Suite 100 1196 Borregas Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Document Number MB-ADMIN-83-A

Contents

Chapter 1

Overview of Kasenna MediaBase XMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Supported Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Content acquisition workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Content distribution workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Content delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 MediaBase Server Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Content Management Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Resource Management Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Streaming Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 HPN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 HPIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Content Distribution Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Clustering Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 API Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Logging and Monitoring Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Channel Recording Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Deployment Architectures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Single Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Two-Tier Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Three-Tier Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 MediaBase v8.3 Feature Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Whats New in MediaBase XMP 8.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

About this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Chapter 2 About MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39


Types of MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Simple Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Derivative Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Personal Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Storage of MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Audio and Video Compression Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 MediaBase Asset Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 About the Cache Asset Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Process to Achieve Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Example with Convenient Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Chapter 3
MB-ADMIN-83-A

MediaBase Service Administration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45


Starting and Stopping Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 3

Table of Contents Starting/Stopping the Apache Web Server from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting/Stopping MYSQL from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing the MediaBase XMP Service Administration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting/Stopping MediaBase XMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Service Administration Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Command Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MediaBase Services Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting/Stopping Specific MediaBase Services from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Service Termination Email Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Service Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking Service Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the MediaBase Administration Password or User Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 46 47 48 48 49 49 49 50 50 51 52

Chapter 4

Monitoring MediaBase Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53


Checking Server Resources and Activity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Network Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring HPN Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Server Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Physical Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Processor Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Swap Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring MediaBase XMP Change Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring the Client Asset List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Remote Monitoring and Management using SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Monitoring Using SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The MediaBase SNMP MIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interface Status Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capture Status Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multicast Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playlog Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Services Status Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Node Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Disk Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . System Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asset Popularity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trap Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trap MIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trap Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring MediaBase Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MediaBase Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jukebox Transfer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MediaBase Proxy Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MBone Session Directory Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Server Storage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Universal Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cluster Enabling Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reliable Multicast Delivery Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cluster Video Transfer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installation Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local Log Daemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resource Audit Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IP Multicast Routing Daemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 54 56 56 58 59 59 60 62 62 63 63 63 64 64 65 65 65 66 67 67 67 68 68 70 73 73 73 74 74 74 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 76
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Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3

Table of Contents 76 76 76 78 78 80 80 80 81 82 82 83 83 83 85 86 87 88 90

ODL Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Streamer-Proxy Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining the Status of MediaBase Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing the MediaBase Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing the Message Logs in the GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Message Log Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Backing Up the MediaBase Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Number of Backups Retained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manually Backing up the Message Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking the Service Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing the Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Logging Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring a Cluster Master for Master Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logging Playout Operations and Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logging Transfer Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logging Asset Installations and Deletions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logging Resource Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logging Operational Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locating Core Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 5

Managing MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91


Before Installing an Asset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Encode Assets Before Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Determine Required Auxiliary Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Determine Storage Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Specify Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Assigning Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Using Group Assets with Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Determining Asset Metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Using the Video Management Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Accessing the Video Management tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Browsing for Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Creating Clips and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Creating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Creating Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Using Folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Creating Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Accessing Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Deleting Folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Renaming Folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Moving Folders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Changing or Deleting Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Viewing Detailed Information About Videos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Transferring Assets Between Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Exporting Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Export on Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Scheduling an Export Job. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Importing Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Import on Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Scheduling an Import Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Managing Transfer Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Viewing Scheduled Transfer Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Changing Scheduled Transfer Jobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Deleting or Disabling Scheduled Transfer Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

MB-ADMIN-83-A

Table of Contents Troubleshooting Transfer Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FTP Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Username and Password Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Assets on a Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Assets On-demand (Immediately) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scheduling Assets for Deletion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About Time Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 113 114 114 114 116 116 116 118

Chapter 6

Authoring With MediaBase Videos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119


Format of a MediaBase Video URL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Authoring examples: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enabling User Controls Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Authoring Personal Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Authoring Personal Sequences in a Hyperlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Authoring Personal Sequences in a List Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 120 121 123 123 124

Chapter 7

Managing Multicast Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127


Defining Time in MediaBase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing, Copying, and Deleting Showings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Searching for a Showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aborting a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Scheduled Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scheduling NVOD Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Display the Program List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 129 131 131 131 132 133 134 135 136 136 137 138 138

Chapter 8

Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139


Additional Resources: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Capture Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capture Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capture Session Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preparing for a Capture Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Starting Capture Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Capturing Streams in Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Time- or Duration-Based Capture Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When to Use Each Type of Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Ending Capture Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Optimizing Network Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Allocating Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Designating Bitrates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tips for Monitoring Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding Video Capture Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing, Stopping, or Aborting a Scheduled Capture Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Scheduled Capture Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 140 140 141 141 141 141 142 142 142 143 143 144 144 145 147 148

Chapter 9

Command-line Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149


About Specifying Keywords and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

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Specifying Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Specifying Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Command-Line Utilities Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Adding and Deleting Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Adding or Deleting Assets in Batch Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 mbinst Auxiliary Files Name-Value Pairs Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 mbinst Batch File Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Bypassing the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Content Processors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Configuring Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Adding Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Modifying Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Viewing Information About Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Removing Asset Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Setting Cache Asset Group Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Displaying Cache Asset Group Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Listing Assets and Folders on a MediaBase Filesystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Validating Personal Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Adding and Managing Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Adding Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Modifying Showings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Deleting Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Aborting Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 Displaying Information About Showings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Displaying the Number of Showings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 Using a Batch File to Display Showing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 Adding and Managing Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Adding Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Deleting Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Enabling Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Disabling Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Modifying Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Getting Channel Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Managing Capture and Live-feed Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Monitoring Real Time Captures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Monitoring Capture Task States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Monitoring and Controlling Playout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Destination IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Exit Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Adding and Deleting PVC Virtual Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Adding an ATM PVC Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Querying an ATM Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Deleting an ATM Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Backing Up and Restoring MediaBase Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Backing Up MediaBase Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Restoring MediaBase Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Point-to-Point Content Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Adding a Schedule: scheduleAdd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Changing a Schedule: scheduleModify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
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Table of Contents Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring a Schedule: scheduleMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Schedule: scheduleDelete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding Transfer Jobs: transferjobAdd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multicast Transfer Content Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distributing Assets to Edge Servers: Multicast Group Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a Multicast Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying a Multicast Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Listing All Multicast Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Multicast Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scheduling a Multicast Group Transfer Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......................................................... Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing a Multicast Group Transfer Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Multicast Group Transfer Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aborting a Multicast Group Transfer Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting Multicast Group Distribution Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using vScript Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Important Note for ClusterCP Command Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Java Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 196 197 197 198 198 198 198 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 200 200 201 201 201 201 201 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 203 203 203 203 203 203 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 205 205 205 205 205 207 207 207
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Version Mismatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 General Command Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Displaying Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Specifying Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Running Commands in Shell Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 vScript Commands by Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Alphabetical List of vScript Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 abortMulticast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 abortPlayout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 abortRecording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 abortTask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 abortTransfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 addAsset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 addAssetGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 addClip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 addEncoder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 addSequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 checkVersionCompatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 createChannel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 deleteAsset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 deleteAssetGroup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 deleteAssetInServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 deleteAssetsInAssetGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 deleteChannel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 deleteEncoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 deleteMulticast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 deleteProgram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 deleteProgramGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 deleteTask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 deleteTransfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 disableChannel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 enableChannel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 findAssets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 findMulticasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 findRecordings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 getAssetGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 getAssetLocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 getAssetProperties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 getChannel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 getClusterMode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 getDefaultSortPolicy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 getEncoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 getEncoderModel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 getMulticast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 getNetworkInterfaceStatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 getNetworkInterfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 getOperationStatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 getProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 getRecording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 getServerConfig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 getServerProfile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 getStreamCount. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 getTaskInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
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Table of Contents getTransferInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . getTriggerLevels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . isChannelMulticasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listAssetGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listAssets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listAssetsInAssetGroup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listAssetsInFolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listAssetsInServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listCacheAssetAttributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listChannels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listDiskStatus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listEncoderModels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listEncoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listInterfaceStatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listMulticasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listPlayouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listPlayoutsByAsset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listProgramGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listPrograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listProgramsByProgramGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listProgramsByTime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listRecordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listServers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listServersToIngest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listServersToPlayAsset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listServicesStatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listStorages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listSummaryCacheInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listTasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listTransfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . listTransfersInServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . modifyChannel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . modifyEncoder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . modifyProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . renameAsset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . renameAssetInServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resumeTask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . scheduleMulticast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . scheduleProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . scheduleProgramGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . scheduleRecording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . scheduleTransferAsset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . setCacheAssetAttributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . setClusterMode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . setServerConfig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . setTriggerLevels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . stopRecording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . transferAsset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscellaneous Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capturing Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying the Server Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Server Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 230 230 231 231 232 232 232 233 233 233 234 234 235 235 235 236 236 236 236 237 237 237 238 238 238 239 239 239 240 240 240 240 241 241 241 242 242 243 243 244 244 245 245 246 246 247 249 249 250 251 251 251 251
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Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3

Table of Contents

Chapter 10

Playing MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253


Accessing the Asset Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Viewing Videos and Showings: The Showings Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 View a List of Available Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Viewing the Showings Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Viewing a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 Searching for a Showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257 Using Wildcard Characters to Search (Pattern-Matching) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Installing a Player (MediaBase Client) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Customizing Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Selecting a Preferred Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 Changing Flow Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 Configuring Firewall Settings for the Preferred Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 Changing Bandwidth Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 Configuring a QuickTime 6.0 Player for MediaBase Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

Chapter 11

Tuning MediaBase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265


Tuning MediaBase: Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning MediaBase Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning MediaBase Managed Network Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning MediaBase XMP for Optimal Asset Ingestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning MediaBase XMP VCD Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring the Number of Streams in MediaBase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MediaBase Performance Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 269 271 273 275 276 277

Chapter 12

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Assessing Synchronization Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Troubleshooting MediaBase Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Verifying Accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Determining If a Client Is Accessible on the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282 Checking Accessibility of Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283 Troubleshooting Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 General Network Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 A New Network Interface is not Accessible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 Client cannot Play Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 Multicast Showings Are Not Reaching the Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 Capturing Connection Manager Debug-Level Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 Troubleshooting Problems With Encoding Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 Troubleshooting Generic Encoders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286 Verifying Your License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Appendix A

MediaBase MPEG-2 Stream Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289


Asset Installation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 Synchronize Mark Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 The MPEG-2 Stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Null Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 PAT Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 Ver Packets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 PMT Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 NPT Descriptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 Video Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 Transition Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 Fast-forward/Rewind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Fast-forward Rewind Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295 Fast-forward Rewind Program Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295

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Table of Contents End of Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Video Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . StreamEnd Descriptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ver Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PMT Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DUPL PMT Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 296 296 296 297 297

Appendix B

MediaBase MPEG-2 Support Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299


Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dolby AC-3 Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 301 302 302 303 304 305

Appendix C

MPEG-4 Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307


MPEG-4 Trick Speed Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 Asset Streaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

Appendix D Appendix E

The Default Services Property File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311 Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . License Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Group Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schedule Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 316 316 317 318 319 320 321

Appendix F

Setting Up for Automatic Replication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring MediaBase for Multicast or Point-to-Point Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 324 325 325 326 326 326

Appendix G Appendix H

Content Distribution Using a Point-to-Point Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Content Playback Control Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTSP DESCRIBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTSP SETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTSP PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RTSP Debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 333 334 335 336

Appendix I Appendix J

Ingest Control Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

NDVR Recordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

12

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Table of Contents

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
a........ b........ c........ d........ e........ h........ i ........ l ........ m. . . . . . . . n........ o........ p........ q........ r ........ s ........ t ........ u........ w. . . . . . . . x........ ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ................ ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... 343 343 343 343 343 344 344 344 344 345 345 345 345 345 346 346 346 347 347

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

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Table of Contents

14

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List of Procedures

How to start the Apache Web server: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to stop the Apache Web server: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to start the database on the MediaBase Server:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to stop the database on the MediaBase Server: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to access the Service Administration page:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to start MediaBase XMP from the Administration site:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to stop MediaBase XMP from the Administration site: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to start MediaBase from the command line: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to stop MediaBase from the command line: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to start, stop, or restart a specific MediaBase services: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to specify email addresses for termination messages:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to specify service dependencies: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to check service status: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change the MediaBase XMP user name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change the MediaBase XMP password: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor network interfaces from the command line: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor network interfaces from the Web interface: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor asset storage from the Service Administration tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor asset storage from the command line: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to check physical memory use:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to check server processor utilization: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to check server swap activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view MediaBase XMP change tasks: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor the client asset list from the Service Administration tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to monitor the client asset list from the command line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to determine the status of MediaBase services from the command line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to determine the status of MediaBase services from the Web interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view the message log from the Service Administration tool GUI: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view the MediaBase message log from the command line: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to select messages to display in the message log: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change the number of backup logs retained:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to run the backup log utility: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view the logs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change logging parameters: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to access the Video Management tool:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to browse for videos: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to create a clip: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to create a sequence:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to create a folder: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to delete a folder: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to rename a folder: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to move a folder: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change or delete an installed and playable video: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view information about MediaBase assets: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to export assets: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to schedule an export job: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to import assets on demand: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to schedule an import job: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view scheduled transfer jobs:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change scheduled transfer jobs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to delete or disable an individual transfer job: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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List of Procedures

Administrators Guide 113 114 116 116 121 129 131 132 132 134 134 135 136 137 138 138 145 147 148 193 193 254 255 255 256 257 259 260 261 261 263 267 269 271 273 275 277 281 282 283 285 285 336

How to test that the Kasenna FTP daemon is running: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to resolve access issues: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to delete or disable an individual transfer job: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to delete or disable an individual transfer job: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to check the dimensions of a video: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to add a multicast showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to search for a showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to modify a multicast showing:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to make copies of a multicast showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to delete a multicast showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to abort a multicast showing:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view the Multicast Showings Guide: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to add a program: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change programs:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to display the program list: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change programs:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to add a capture session to MediaBase: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change, stop, or abort a scheduled video capture session: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view a list of scheduled capture sessions: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to backup MediaBase metadata: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to restore MediaBase metadata: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to access the Asset Catalog: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view a list of showings: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view the Showings Calendar: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to view a showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to search for a showing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change a players configuration: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change flow parameters: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to configure the player to play behind the firewall: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change bandwidth parameters:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to configure a QuickTime Player for MediaBase assets: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to tune MediaBase: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to assess available bandwidth on MediaBase filesystems: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to tune managed network devices: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to tune asset ingestation in MediaBase: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to tune asset transfers in MediaBase: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to change logging parameters to benchmarking mode: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to troubleshoot problems starting MediaBase servers:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to determine if a client is accessible: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to verify that a video can be opened: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to capture Connection Manager debugging information in the event log: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to turn off debugging mode: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to debug an RTSP session: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Overview of Kasenna MediaBase XMP

This chapter provides an overview of the workflows, architecture, and components of the Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 server.

See these topics: Overview on page 18 Supported Workflows on page 19 Architecture on page 22 MediaBase Server Components on page 24 Deployment Architectures on page 29 MediaBase v8.3 Feature Matrix on page 32 Whats New in MediaBase XMP 8.3 on page 33

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Overview
MediaBase XMP 8.3 is a scalable and extensible platform for delivering video services. MediaBase XMP 8.3 is a software solution that enables service providers to cost-effectively build and deliver IPTV services over video-enabled networks. The latest in an award-winning line of time and field-tested products from Kasenna, MediaBase XMP 8.3 significantly reduces the time, cost and risk of building and deploying IPTV services. MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports a variety of networks such as IP, ATM and HFC networks. Moreover, MediaBase XMP 8.3 has built-in support for common IPTV workflows such as content ingestion, network digital video recording (NDVR), and content streaming including support for Fast-Forward (FF) and Fast-Rewind (REW). In addition, MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports a variety of formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and MPEG-1 as well as a variety of common requirements such as pre-encrypted content, variable bit rate (VBR) content and high-definition (HD) content. MediaBase XMP 8.3 is integrated with all leading encoders, set-top boxes, middleware and digital rights management (DRM) systems. MediaBase XMP 8.3 includes a rich set of APIs which allow external systems to interface with MediaBase using a choice of protocols such as Java, SOAP, and Net. MediaBase XMP 8.3 runs on the Linux operating system on standard off the shelf Intel hardware. MediaBase XMP 8.3 incorporates several enhancements to the disk, network, and scheduling subsystems of the Linux kernel which enable extreme performance from a single server. In addition, MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports streaming from memory, disk, or both (hybrid). When combined with its server clustering capabilities, MediaBase XMP 8.3 can easily scale to millions of subscribers. MediaBase XMP 8.3 is well suited for deployment in distributed network architectures. The content distribution features provided by MediaBase allow content to be ingested in a central location and distributed to edge clusters closer to users. MediaBase supports unicast as well as multicast modes of content distribution. This chapter provides an overview of the architecture of MediaBase XMP 8.3 as well as the components and services that comprise MediaBase XMP 8.3. The rest of the book describes how to use the different features provided by MediaBase XMP 8.3.

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Supported Workflows
MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports common IPTV workflows out-of-the-box. This section describes the workflows that MediaBase is designed to support.

Content acquisition workflow


MediaBase XMP 8.3 provides mechanisms for acquiring content from various sources such as catchers, FTP servers, and live encoders. The content can be in one of several formats: MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and MPEG-1. The content being acquired can be pre-encrypted or in the clear. In addition, the content can be constant bit rate (CBR) or variable bit rate (VBR), Standard Definition (SD) or High Definition (HD), PAL or NTSC. During the content ingest process MediaBase XMP 8.3 generates trick files to enable features such as Fast-Forward (FF) and Fast-Rewind (REW). The trick file generation takes place in real-time. As a result, MediaBase XMP 8.3 can support workflows such as network digital video recording (NDVR) network personal video recording (NPVR), time-shifted television (TSTV) and Start-over TV. Figure 1-1 shows the content ingest workflow using Kasenna LivingRoom and Kasenna MediaBase XMP 8.3

Figure 1-1

MediaBase Ingest Workflow

In a Video-On-Demand (VOD) system, the source of content is usually a catcher. When the catcher receives new content, it notifies the middleware, such as Kasenna LivingRoom, to ingest the content into MediaBase. Kasenna LivingRoom then interacts with MediaBase to ingest the content. In a Network PVR system, the source of content is usually an encoder bank. Kasenna LivingRoom schedules programs to be recorded on a MediaBase server based either on user requests or on administrative configuration. MediaBase XMP 8.3 can scale to manage terabytes of data very cost-effectively. This is accomplished using the clustering technologies built into MediaBase XMP 8.3. In a clustered environment, LivingRoom interacts with a single MediaBase server. Thus all ingest requests are directed to a single node in the cluster. However, MediaBase XMP 8.3 automatically redirects each ingest request to the most appropriate node in the cluster. The choice of node depends on several factors such as the free space on the server and the streaming capacity of the server. For more details on the algorithm that MediaBase XMP 8.3 uses to select the appropriate server, see the Kasenna Cluster Server Administrators Guide. During content ingest, MediaBase preprocesses the content and automatically generates the index files (trick files) necessary to implement Fast-Forward and Fast-Rewind features (trick mode features).
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Pregeneration of trick files ensures that the runtime hit on performance is minimal and the performance of the server is predictable regardless of the operating scenario. The trade-off with pre-generating trick files is the increased disk space which is necessary to store the trick files on disk. In an NPVR workflow, the trick files (including the rewind file) are generated in real-time. MediaBase supports up to five trick mode scales for each asset. The scales are specified during ingest. Thus different assets in the system can have different trick mode scales. MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports a variety of streaming formats such as MPEG-2 transport streams, MPEG-2 program streams, MPEG-4 (ISMA streams) and MPEG-1 (system streams). MediaBase XMP 8.3 also has support for ingesting pre-encrypted assets. MediaBase ensures that the Digital Rights Management (DRM) scheme for Fast-Forward and Fast-Rewind files is consistent with the DRM scheme used by the main content. Specifically, the keys used in the Fast-Forward and Fast-Rewind assets are consistent with the keys used in the main content. MediaBase XMP 8.3 also has support for variable bit rate (VBR, MPEG-2 transport streams with MPEG-2 video only) and high-definition content. In addition to these features, MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports derived assets known as clips and sequences. Derived assets are metadata-only assets which do not consume any disk space and are defined over an underlying asset (known as a simple asset in MediaBase terms). For example, it is possible to define a new asset as a segment of a simple asset. Such an asset is called a clip in MediaBase. Similarly, it is possible to define a new asset as a concatenation of many simple assets or clips. Such an asset is called a sequence in MediaBase. Clips and sequences can be constructed using any of the MediaBase administration tools, Kasennas vFusion video management system, or the APIs supported by MediaBase.

Content distribution workflow


In large scale video networks, the content is typically ingested at a single location in the network known as the Super Head-End (SHE) and distributed to edge clusters where it is available for playback. Users requesting a particular content are redirected to the edge cluster that is closest to them. This architecture conserves bandwidth in the core network while allowing service providers to scale their service to a large number of subscribers. MediaBase XMP 8.3 provides the following mechanisms for distributing content from one location to another: a point-to-point model a point-to-multipoint model The point-to-point distribution model uses a variation of the FTP protocol to transfer the content.MediaBase supports two variations of the unicast distribution model: push and pull distribution models. In a push distribution model, the schedule is created at the source and the delivery originates from the source. In a pull distribution model, the schedule is created at the destination and the transfer originates at the destination. MediaBase XMP 8.3 uses the Reliable Multicast Protocol to distribute content to different edge clusters. When the number of edge sites is high, point-to-multipoint transfers can very efficiently distribute content to several edge clusters in the network at the same time. The content distribution schedule is created at a central site, typically the Super Head End, and distributed to the edge clusters on a well known multicast address and port. The schedule contains enough information such that each edge cluster can independently determine if it needs to receive the content associated with that schedule. The transfer itself is accomplished using the Reliable Multicast Protocol (RMP). RMP includes negative acknowledgements that inform the server about lost packets. The server responds to negative acknowledgements by retransmitting the lost packets. The unique advantage of this scheme is that the content can be distributed to many edge clusters simultaneously while also conserving network bandwidth. However for this scheme to work the network should be enabled for multicast, and for this scheme to work well, the network should not drop many packets. The disadvantage of this scheme is that the slowest receiver can slow down all receivers. MediaBase uses the NORM package for reliable multicast.

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Figure 1-2 shows the difference between the point-to-point and point-to-multipoint distribution models supported by MediaBase.

Figure 1-2

MediaBase Distribution Workflow

Content delivery
MediaBase XMP 8.3 provides the ability to stream content to end user devices such as set-top boxes (STBs), PCs, and other devices. The streaming can be either on-demand (specific to a given subscriber) or scheduled such as Near Video-On-Demand (NVOD). MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports streaming of the following formats MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. MediaBase XMP 8.3 contains a number of significant enhancements to the Linux kernel such as the High-Performance Networking (HPN) module, the High-Performance I/O (HPIO) module, enhancements to the disk scheduler and enhancements to the process scheduler. These enhancements ensure that MediaBase can achieve the maximum possible performance on any platform. Complementing the performance of a single server, MediaBase XMP 8.3 includes clustering technologies which allow MediaBase to scale to millions of subscribers. MediaBase XMP 8.3 uses a peer-to-peer clustering architecture that is based on the model of caching frequently requested titles. Popular titles are cached on other servers in the network either on disk or in memory. This caching hierarchy ensures the most effective utilization of system resources. For example, highly popular titles are automatically cached and streamed from memory while moderately popular titles are cached and streamed from storage. Titles that are no longer popular are automatically reclaimed from cache and replaced by more popular titles. For more details on the MediaBase clustering architecture, please see the Kasenna Cluster Server Administrators Guide.

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Architecture
MediaBase uses a service-oriented architecture to build and deliver the functionality described above. MediaBase services are built using a technology called Object Communication Services (OCS). OCS is a lightweight precursor to CORBA. OCS provides an Interface Definition Language (IDL) that is used to describe the functions offered by any service. Clients access the different services only through their respective interfaces. Each service is typically restricted to its own process and thus its own address space. This architecture isolates failures and enhances the reliability of the solution. The MediaBase XMP 8.3 service architecture consists of foundation services and application services. Foundation services include services such as the SQL database, the naming service, the logging service, the resource audit service and the service controller. These services provide core functions that the application services rely on. For example, the naming service provides the ability to resolve services using names. When the MediaBase RTSP service needs to interact with the delivery service as part of session setup, it resolves a reference to the delivery service using the naming service. Similarly, the logging service provides a common logging infrastructure (similar to syslog) for all MediaBase services. The service controller serves as a watchdog for the different services and restarts services when they crash or become unresponsive. Beyond the foundation services, MediaBase consists of application services that are essential for delivering the application level features. For example, the RTSP service acts as the RTSP gateway that set-top boxes interact with to set up sessions, accomplish trick plays, etc. Similarly, the Universal Delivery Service (UDS) provides the streaming functionality requested by clients. Application services also include infrastructure services such as cluster service, storage manager and connection manager. The cluster service provides the ability to cluster a number of MediaBase servers into a single virtual server. The storage manager service is responsible for managing the space as well as bandwidth available on different content file systems. The connection manager service is responsible for managing the resources on the different network interfaces on the server. Application services also include ingest and NVOD scheduling service. These services are responsible for ingesting content and scheduling NVOD programs respectively. Figure 1-3 shows a block level view of the MediaBase service architecture.

Figure 1-3

MediaBase Service Architecture

Table 1-1 shows the list of services and their high-level functions. A detailed list of services is defined in Command-Line Utilities Overview on page 151 in Chapter 9 Command-Line Utilities.

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Table 1-1

MediaBase Services

Service

Function

Storage Manager Connection Manager Cluster Manager Delivery Service HPN and HPIO NVOD Scheduler Ingest Services Distribution Services RTSP Gateway

Storage manager manages the storage and bandwidth on the different file systems assigned to MediaBase. Connection manager manages the network resources available on the different network interfaces on the server. Cluster manager is responsible for cluster membership, load-balancing, redirection and other cluster services. The delivery service is responsible for streaming content including normal and trick play. HPN and HPIO are kernel modules designed to enhance the performance of the network and storage subsystem respectively. Implements the scheduling of Near Video-On-Demand programs. Responsible for ingesting content from the catcher, encoder, etc. Responsible for distribution of content from one server to another. The distribution can be either using unicast or using reliable multicast. Provides the RTSP functions necessary for clients to setup and teardown sessions, and perform trick play operations.

OpenStream Integration These services serve as the integration layer between MediaBase and the Services OpenStream middleware subsystem. These services conform to the ISA specification. API Service This service provides the Java, SOAP and Net APIs that external systems use to integrate with MediaBase.

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MediaBase Server Components


MediaBase XMP 8.3 consists of the following components. Content Management Components Resource Management Components Streaming Components Content Distribution Components Clustering Components API Components Logging and Monitoring Components These components are described in detail below.

Content Management Components


The content management components in MediaBase include the database, storage management services and content ingest services. The database contains the meta information for all MediaBase assets. This meta information includes such things as the name of the asset, bit rate of the asset, the format of the asset, the duration of the asset, as well as the set of files in MediaBase that constitute the asset. The files that correspond to the asset are stored in one or more file systems that are managed by the MediaBase storage manager service. The storage manager service is responsible for allocating and managing the space for all assets. The storage manager service abstracts the differences between different file systems and presents a canonical interface to the rest of MediaBase. For example, when the file system allows pre-allocation (such as XFS) the storage manager service will pre-allocate content files increasing performance and decreasing fragmentation. In addition to space management, the storage manager service includes a resource management component that manages the bandwidth used on all content file systems and ensures that no file system is overcommitted during playback. MediaBase supports multiple file systems per server. When a MediaBase server contains multiple file systems, the storage manager service uses a weighted algorithm to balance content between the file systems. Both free space and configured bandwidth are taken into consideration as part of selecting a file system for storing a given content. The intuition behind the selection process is as follows. A file system that has more free space and more bandwidth is a better choice for storing a given content. MediaBase always stores all files for a given content in a single file system. The content management component also includes content ingest services. Content ingest services include content processing components that understand media as well as installation services that schedule VOD and NDVR ingests and deletions. The content processing components are responsible for generating trick files that are used to implement Fast-Forward and Fast-Rewind. The content processing component is abstracted out from the rest of MediaBase. As a result, supporting new content formats in MediaBase is an incremental effort.

Resource Management Components


The resource management components in MediaBase XMP 8.3 include the storage manager and the connection manager. The storage manager is responsible for keeping track of the amount of bandwidth allocated on each MediaBase file system. As part of session setup, the RTSP gateway interacts with storage manager to reserve storage bandwidth. The bandwidth allocated is reclaimed at the end of the session. Using this process, the storage manager ensures that none of the file systems in MediaBase are

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overcommitted. The storage manager is also responsible for making choices that optimize the amount of disk bandwidth being used at any given time such as caching popular titles in RAM. The connection manager is responsible for tracking the bandwidth allocated on each of the network interfaces configured for MediaBase. Each session setup request or content distribution request reserves network interface resources through the connection manager. The connection manager chooses the network interface to allocate resources on based on the following multiple factors: Is the server connected to a multi-homed network? Does the MediaBase server have any HPN interfaces configured? Are the requested protocol and modality (unicast vs. multicast) supported by HPN? Does the selected network interface have the most available bandwidth? As the first step, the connection manager determines the network that should be used to reach the destination. This is determined using the routing information available in Linux and is very essential in multi-homed networks. In simple networks, this is usually the default interface of the server. Once the interface is determined, the next step depends on whether the selected network has any HPN interfaces configured for it since HPN only supports UDP traffic. HPN is only selected if the request is a session setup request. Content distribution requests do not use HPN because of their need to use TCP. If HPN interfaces are available, then the HPN interface with the most available free bandwidth is selected. All successful storage and connection resource allocation requests create a unique object that is associated with that request. MediaBase uses this object to track the specific resource usage. The service that requests the resource owns the object and releases the resource when it has completed using it. MediaBase uses a keep-alive mechanism between services to reclaim resources that are no longer being used.

Streaming Components
The universal delivery service (UDS) is responsible for streaming content to end user devices (see Figure 1-4). The UDS supports on-demand streams, such as Video-On-Demand and Network PVR, as well as multicast streams such as Near Video-On-Demand (NVOD). In the case of on-demand streams, the set-top box interacts with the RTSP gateway to setup a session. The RTSP gateway in turn reserves resources from storage manager and connection manager before creating a session with UDS. Any trick play requests are received by the RTSP gateway and passed on to UDS. In the case of NVOD, the NVOD scheduler is responsible for creating and maintaining sessions with UDS. Each active NVOD channel corresponds to a different session in UDS. As programs are added to a channel, the NVOD scheduler interacts with UDS to play the programs. Since NVOD does not include any trick play, this is a simpler workflow than on-demand streaming.

Figure 1-4

UDS Architecture

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The UDS architecture consists of stream readers, stream processors, and feeders. Stream readers are responsible for reading content from the source device. The source device is either a file system or a memory cache. The stream processor component is specific to a format and understands the details related to that format. For example, the MPEG-2 stream processor understands the requirements of MPEG-2 transport streams such as trick mode streams should begin with a PAT and PMT definition. Similarly, the MPEG-4 stream processor understands the ISMA format and the procedure to translate content in the ISMA format to RTP. The stream processor and feeder exchange data using the Packet Queue data structure. Essentially, the stream processor is a producer of packets and the feeder is a consumer of packets. The feeder is responsible for multiplexing the different streams and delivering them over a network interface in a timely manner. UDS supports two different kinds of feeders, VBR and HPN. The VBR feeder uses a regular Linux stack for streaming data, whereas the HPN feeder is designed to support the High-Performance Network (HPN) module. The VBR feeder is more flexible in that, it can stream any format supported by MediaBase. The HPN feeder, on the other hand, has significantly higher performance, but supports only MPEG-2 content. HPN HPN is a software based real-time delivery accelerator that is optimized for transferring media data from a storage or memory subsystem to a network interface. HPN eliminates common bottlenecks found in traditional network stack implementations. MediaBase can support up to 12 HPN interfaces per server. HPN applies a unique combination of very low CPU overhead streaming algorithms, including zero-data copy, provisioned buffer management, and video packet scheduling. MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports HPN for Intel and Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet NICs. HPIO HPIO is a set of enhancements to the kernel that address the performance issues associated with reading data from storage. HPIO consists of an IO priority module and a software RAID-5 module. The IO priority module enforces priority between the different IO requests reaching a storage subsystem. Streaming IOs are marked high-priority by UDS and are prioritized ahead of all other IOs by the IO scheduler. This ensures that regular system activity such as VOD ingests and content distribution does not impact streaming. HPIO also includes a software RAID-5 module that is designed for streaming video applications. Traditional RAID-5 designs are optimized for data storage applications. Consequently, the stripe sizes supported by these devices are small (generally 128K or less). This creates inefficiencies while reading data from the drives and reduces the bandwidth available from storage. In addition, when drives fail, conventional RAID-5 implementations retry without much regard for latency. The retry delay creates significant issues for streaming video applications since the data is not available in a timely manner. Moreover, when drives fail, the performance of conventional RAID-5 devices degrades significantly. The software RAID-5 module that is part of HPIO is designed to overcome all of these issues. Performance issues are addressed by always reading a full stripe. If any failures are detected during the read process, the data is transparently reconstructed using parity information. The retry delay is configured to be within a few hundred milliseconds. Thus drive failures dont impact performance. Moreover, since data is always read at the full stripe, the penalty to reconstruct missing data is minimal (No re-reads are required to reconstruct the data). In addition, the MediaBase software RAID-5 module supports stripe sizes of up to 512KB per drive including non-power of two stripes. The large stripe sizes make it extremely efficient to read data from the drive thereby increasing the storage bandwidth.

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Content Distribution Components


The MediaBase content distribution components include unicast and multicast distribution components as well as scheduling components. The distribution components are responsible for transferring content from one server to another using the requested protocol. The scheduling components take care of managing the transfer schedule and retrying failed transfers. The content distribution components interact with the resource management components to allocate resources that are required for the transfer. MediaBase allows the rate of content transfer to be adjusted. MediaBase uses a modified FTP protocol for unicast distributions and a NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM) protocol for multicast distributions. The commands for content distribution are described in Chapter 5 Chapter 5, Managing MediaBase Assets. The procedures for tuning content distribution are described in Chapter 11, Tuning MediaBase.
Note: The rest of this document uses the term Video Content Distribution (VCD) to refer to content distribution.

Clustering Components
MediaBase XMP 8.3 includes built-in clustering technology that allows MediaBase to scale to large numbers of streams. MediaBase uses a peer-to-peer clustering architecture. That is, every node is aware of the others nodes in the cluster and interacts with other nodes in the cluster to exchange information. For example, every node knows about the contents available in the other nodes in the cluster. Moreover, the content list is automatically updated as contents are added and deleted. When, a node in the cluster receives a request to play a content that it does not have, it automatically redirects the request to an appropriate node in the cluster that has the title. A MediaBase cluster also caches frequently used titles in other nodes either on disk or in memory. The load-balancing algorithms complement the caching strategies of a MediaBase cluster by redirecting requests to cache copies appropriately. For example, when a node caches a popular title in RAM other nodes in the cluster react by redirecting requests for that title to the node that has the content in RAM. MediaBase uses the mechanisms provided by the content distribution component to replicate frequently used assets on other nodes in the cluster. For detailed information about the clustering technology available in MediaBase, refer to the MediaBase 8.3 Kasenna Cluster Server Administrators Guide.

API Components
MediaBase XMP 8.3 includes a set of Java APIs called the Media Services API (MSAPI). The Media Services API is packaged as a jar file and is distributed along with MediaBase. The client application loads the jar into its address space to access services provided by the MediaBase server. The Media Services API interacts with the MediaBase server using CORBA. MediaBase also provides a SOAP API interface. The SOAP API is identical to the Media Services API. The details of the APIs are described in Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Media Services API. Figure 1-5 shows the architecture of the Media Services and SOAP APIs.

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Figure 1-5

MediaBase API Interaction Architecture

Logging and Monitoring Components


MediaBase XMP 8.3 includes comprehensive logging and monitoring. The logging architecture consists of structured logs as well as debug logs. Structured logs log all server activity such as content ingest, content deletion, session setup, session teardown, and session trick play requests in a structured format that is easy to analyze. Debug logs are unstructured logs that provide detailed information about the source of the problem when errors occur. In addition to logging, MediaBase includes monitoring based on the SNMP. MediaBase includes a comprehensive set of traps that are raised in the case of failures. The traps raised by MediaBase are documented in detail in Chapter 4, Monitoring MediaBase Resources.

Channel Recording Components


A recording channel maintains the continuous recording of the channel stream data. The operations on a recording channel are create, start, stop, delete, and the deleting of old recorded data. All these operations are controlled through the MediaBase API. Please refer to the MediaBase API Guide for the specification. Extended TV Service (ETS) is the component to manage channel recording.

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Deployment Architectures
MediaBase XMP 8.3 can support multiple deployment architectures. In its simplest form, a MediaBase XMP 8.3 deployment consists of a cluster of servers. For larger networks, MediaBase XMP 8.3 supports two-tier and three-tier deployment architectures. These architectures are described below.

Single Cluster
In this network architecture, all ingest and streaming happens at a single location. The Kasenna LivingRoom servers, the broadcast encoders and the encryption servers are all co-located with the MediaBase cluster. The advantage of this architecture is that it is simple to provision and manage. This architecture works very well for small deployments. Figure 1-6 illustrates a single cluster deployment

Figure 1-6

MediaBase Cluster Deployment

Two-Tier Architecture
In a two-tier network, the VOD content ingest occurs at a central location called the head-end. The head-end also hosts the broadcast encoders, the Kasenna LivingRoom servers as well as any encryption servers. The MediaBase clusters, however, are distributed across the edge of the network. The edge clusters are used for streaming content to the end users. The content that is ingested at the head-end is distributed to the different edges using unicast or multicast distribution techniques. The edge locations typically host 100% of the content. Thus streaming doesnt consume any bandwidth on the core network. The core network is only used for signaling traffic such as session setup, EPG and content distribution. In such a network, NDVR can be deployed at the different edges or at the head-end. Deploying NDVR at just the head-end requires that the core network be provisioned for carrying streaming traffic. Deploying NDVR at just the edge locations, implies that the storage required to store all the NDVR titles be duplicated in each edge cluster. The choice between the two architectures is an economical one and can
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vary from one service provider to another. Kasenna MediaBase XMP 8.3 in conjunction with Kasenna LivingRoom can support a two-tier network architecture with any of the variations described here. Figure 1-7 illustrates a two-tier network architecture.

Figure 1-7

MediaBase Two-Tier Network Architecture

Three-Tier Architecture
A three-tier network resembles a two-tier network in that all ingests take place at a central location called the Super Head-End (SHE). The streaming however is split between the middle tier (a.k.a. the Head-End HE) and the edge locations. The broadcast encoders, the Kasenna LivingRoom servers, and the encryption servers are hosted at the SHE. The content that is ingested at the SHE is distributed to the different head-end and edge clusters using multicast distribution. Since, three-tier networks are big unicast distribution is generally not used. The content is fully replicated at each of the head-ends (the middle tier). However, the edge locations only include a percentage of the content. The amount of content at the edges is designed such that a high percentage (typically 70% to 80%) of the streams is serviced from the edge clusters. The core network, as a result, only needs to be provisioned to carry a small percentage (typically 20% to 30%) of the traffic. The content distributed to the edge locations is based on rules. For example, all new content or all content from a specific producer are automatically distributed to the edge locations. Figure 1-8 illustrates a three-tier network architecture

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Figure 1-8

Three-Tier Architecture

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MediaBase v8.3 Feature Matrix


Table 1-2 Media Formats

Feature
Protocols UDP/IP TCP/IP

MPEG-11
UDP/IP TCP/IP

MPEG-22

MPEG-4
RTP/UDP/IP RTP/TCP/IP HTTP tunneling RTP over RTSP X X NA X NA X X X X X X X X NA NA X

VoD Multicast NVoD Live Capture NPVR VBR FF/RW Single Speed FF/RW Multiple Speed Nearline storage Clips Sequences Placement_Auto Placement_Forced Placement_Shared KB Player Support Quicktime Player Support

X X X X NA NA X NA X X X X X X X NA
1 2 3

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X3 NA

MPEG-1 includes MPEG-1_Layer1 audio, MPEG-1_Layer 2 audio as well as MPEG-1 _Layer 3 audio. MPEG-2 includes MPEG-2 video as well as H.264 video in the MPEG-2 Transport Stream. The Elecard decoder must be installed to play MPEG-2 video and H.264 assets.

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Whats New in MediaBase XMP 8.3


This section details the latest enhancements to the functionality of the MediaBase XMP server. Support for H.264 video in MPEG-2 transport streams. Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 now has full support for H.264 video in an MPEG-2 transport stream. This includes support for generating FF and REW streams for H.264 video, encryption (qualified integrations only), content distribution and clustering. Improved support for VBR with HPN for MPEG-2 video. The High Performance Networking module has been enhanced for the delivery of MPEG-2 VBR streams. Changes to the PACKET_SIZE parameter are not required for delivering VBR streams through HPN.
Note: VBR of H.264 is not supported.

Support for HPN for Intel NICs. The High Performance Networking module has been enhanced to support Intel NICs.
Note: Support for NIC failover with HPN. The High Performance Networking module has been enhanced to support NIC failover. When the link of a HPN NIC fails, HPN automatically activates standby NICs to carry the traffic destined for the failed NIC. Standby NICs are only supported among similar devices. For example, an Intel NIC can only failover to an Intel NIC. Similarly a Broadcom NIC can only failover to a Broadcom NIC. Failover is not supported when HPN is serving multiple independent networks.

Support for multiple file systems per node in a clustered environment. Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 supports multiple file systems per node in a clustered environment. The clustering software understands bandwidth limitations of each file system independently and makes the appropriate choices with regard to ingesting assets and load-balancing streams. Support for RAM caching for NDVR. Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 now supports caching popular NDVR titles in RAM while the NDVR is in progress. Support backward compatibility with future versions of MediaBase XMP. Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 has enhancements to support backward compatibility with future versions of MediaBase. For example, future releases of MediaBase can be backward compatible with Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3. NDVR performance improvements. Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 includes a number of performance improvements to NDVR. Improved SNMP traps. Kasenna MediaBase XMP 8.3 adds support for many new traps. Extended TV Service (ETS). Kasenna MediaBase XMP 8.3 adds support for ETS which is the component to manage channel recording.

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About this Guide

The Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Administrators Guide shows you how to install, operate, and use the MediaBase XMP Server.

Prerequisites
It is assumed that before using this document to perform the administrative tasks detailed herein you have appropriately completed the installation and configuration tasks detailed in The Kasenna MediaBase XMP v.8.3 Installation and Configuration Guide and optionally the Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Cluster Server Administrators Guide.

What this Guide Contains


The following material is covered in this guide:
Chapter
Chapter 1: Overview of Kasenna MediaBase XMP Chapter 2: About MediaBase Assets

Description
Provides a brief overview of the product and how it works. Describes the types of video assets supported, and how the MediaBase filesystem bandwidth is allocated and used to play video assets. Describes the MediaBase Service Administration tool, how to access it, and use it. Explains how to track MediaBase resources and services. Explains how to add and manage video assets. Explains how to build Web pages that reference MediaBase assets. Explains how to schedule and manage multicast videos. Explains how to manage capture and live-feed video sessions. Describes the command-line utilities that are used to manage videos, encoding sessions, and showings. Explains how to install players, list videos, and display showing guides. Explains how to tune MediaBase for optimal performance. Explains how to troubleshoot MediaBase problems. Describes the MPEG-2 stream as it is implemented in MediaBase.

Chapter 3: MediaBase Service Administration Tool Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources Chapter 5: Managing MediaBase Assets Chapter 6: Authoring With MediaBase Videos Chapter 7: Managing Multicast Showings Chapter 8: Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions Chapter 9: Command-line Utilities

Chapter 10: Playing MediaBase Assets Chapter 11: Tuning MediaBase Chapter 12: Troubleshooting Appendix A: MediaBase MPEG-2 Stream Information

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About this Guide Chapter


Appendix B: MediaBase MPEG-2 Support Specifications Appendix C: MPEG-4 Support Appendix D: Default Services Property File Appendix E: Setting Up for Automatic Replication Appendix F: Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services Glossary

Administrators Guide Description


Describes the MPEG-2 specification as it is implemented in MediaBase. Describes new MPEG-4 fast-forward/rewind support. Sample of the Services Property file. Provides procedures for supporting automatic asset replication. Provides procedures for reliable multicast group transfers. Important terms and their definitions.

Who Needs to Read This Guide


This guide is intended for: Network administrators who install, operate, monitor, and troubleshoot problems with MediaBase servers Media administrators who upload and maintain videos Multicast administrators who schedule showings Managers and other individuals who want a high-level understanding of the product Web administrators who maintain user Web sites Web authors who use MediaBase videos in Web documents

What You Need to Know Before Reading This Guide


This book assumes that you understand: How to configure and administer Linux systems How to administer networks Internet and network concepts
Note: Web administrators and authors also need to know HTML and CGI.

Related Documentation
For additional information, see the following Kasenna documents in the /docs directory of your MediaBase installation CD:
All Audiences
Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Administrators Guide Describes MediaBase the features and benefits of the workflows, architecture, and components, including VDC (Video Content Distribution).

System Administrators and Content Authors


README.txt Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Installation and Configuration Guide Contains information that is specific to your version of MediaBase along with late-breaking information. Shows you how to install and configure MediaBase.

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Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Cluster Server Administrators Guide

About this Guide


Shows you how to set up and manage a cluster of MediaBase servers.

Programmers
Kasenna MediaBase XMP RTSP Programmers Guide Kasenna MediaBase XMP Broadband Player Programmers Guide Kasenna MediaBase XMP Media Services API Describes the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) as it is implemented in MediaBase XMP. Describes the programming interface (properties, events, and methods) for playback over the network from MediaBase XMP servers. Previously entitled the Integration Framework, this book describes how to use a SOAP or Java interface to integrate MediaBase with third-party applications.

Conventions Used in this Guide


The following type and symbol conventions are used in this guide:
Convention
Fixed-width Italics

Description
Code examples, command syntax, and user input First use of new and important terms and for emphasis In text, the names of commands, menus, fields, name-value pairs and their options, time formats, and programs (applications). Commands and their options and states in text, file and directory names and locations, name-value pairs in tables and their options and fields, time formats, and program or utility names. Variables Optional arguments The shell prompt for superuser (root) The shell prompt for users other than superuser Highlights the beginning of a procedure

bold
Delete

<variable> Square brackets ([ ]) # %

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About this Guide

Administrators Guide

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Chapter 2

About MediaBase Assets

This chapter describes the types of assets supported by MediaBase and the basic concepts involved in managing assets.
See these topics: Types of MediaBase Assets on page 40 Storage of MediaBase Assets on page 41 Audio and Video Compression Techniques on page 41 MediaBase Asset Groups on page 42

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Types of MediaBase Assets


This section describes the types of assets that you can install on a MediaBase server: simple assets and derivative assets.

Simple Assets
Simple assets contain one or more types of assets. These may be MPEG-1 video and MPEG-1 audio whose content is contained in a single byte stream, MPEG-2 transport stream video, or MPEG-4 files.

Derivative Assets
This type of asset is derived from a simple asset. Derivative assets may be clips, sequences, and personal sequences videos as described in the following sections. Clips A clip is a subset of a simple asset, such as the first 60 seconds of a movie whose audio and video content are combined. A clips content is defined by start and stop time offsets from the beginning of an asset as illustrated in Figure 2-1. Figure 2-1 Clips The MediaBase server starts streaming the video from the I-frame (Intra-frames containing the data necessary to describe a particular frame) nearest to the start time. Sequences Sequences are one or more simple assets or clips that are played in sequence, such as commercials that are interspersed within segments of a movie. The commercials and movie segments are then played sequentially. In the example in Figure 2-2, Sequence1 contains four movie segments with three commercials. Sequence2 consists of three clips.

Figure 2-2

Sequences

Assets in a sequence must conform to these rules: Assets must all have been installed (already have been added to the MediaBase filesystem) before being included in the sequence. They must be MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-1 Audio, and MEPG-4 assets. They must be installed with the same scales for trick files. Sequences must consist of assets of the same format. Sequences cannot contain other sequences MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 assets must have the same:
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Bitrate and frame size Horizontal and vertical size Aspect ratio Trick file scales MPEG pack, system, video, and audio headers

Personal Sequences A personal sequence is two or more simple assets or clips that are assembled by a user or Web page author and are then played in a sequence.

Storage of MediaBase Assets


The MediaBase server stores only simple assets in its filesystem and the metadata in the database. If a simple asset supports interactive controls (such as fast-forward and rewind) MediaBase also stores auxiliary files in its filesystem. If a system uses a nearline storage device (such as a CD jukebox storage device), MediaBase moves the simple assets from nearline to the MediaBase-managed filesystem when a user makes a request to play the asset. The assets remain in the MediaBase filesystem as long as there is sufficient space. When space becomes limited, the least recently used assets are removed from disk to make room for new assets. (MediaBase never removes these assets from nearline storage.) For derivative assets, MediaBase keeps only pointers to the assets underlying simple assets along with other metadata in the database. MediaBase only maintains the following types of information about derivative assets:
Table 2-1 Derivative Asset Types

Asset Type
Clip Sequence

Stored Information
A pointer to the underlying simple asset, and the start and stop time offsets that define beginning and end of the clip. A pointer to the underlying simple assets and clips.

Audio and Video Compression Techniques


Compression reduces the amount of data required to store and transmit videos and increases the speed with which videos are transmitted. The standard compression technique used with videos delivered over high-speed networks is MPEG. MediaBase manages videos encoded in the following MPEG formats: MPEG-1 system stream (integrated video and audio components of 64 Kb/s or greater) MPEG-1 video only MPEG-1 audio MPEG-2 transport stream (integrated video and audio components) MPEG-4 ISMA Profile 0 and 1
Note: Dolby AC-3 is supported inside the MPEG-2 transport packet. MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer 3) is supported as part of MPEG-1 audio. H.264 video is supported in an MPEG-2 transport stream

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MediaBase Asset Groups


Asset groups are logical groupings of assets that share system resources, such as disk space (called a quota). Each asset can belong to only one asset group. Assets within an asset group are not required to have the same bitrates.
Note: Derived assets do not belong to asset groups because they do not use any resources and have only metadata associated with them.

Each time you install an asset into MediaBase, you can assign that asset to an asset group. If you do not, MediaBase associates the asset into the default asset group called the System Asset Group. Use the MediaBase Service Administration tool to create new asset groups (for details, see Using the Video Management Tool on page 97). Assets in an asset group have the storage quota attribute. This attribute is the amount of filesystem resources (disk space and disk bandwidth) reserved for the asset group. The disk bandwidth quota is obtained by multiplying the typical bitrate by the maximum simultaneous users and takes into account the maximum bitrate, asset duration, available disk space, and available bandwidth. Assets within the asset group share disk bandwidth, but may not exceed the allocated filesystem space specified by this attribute.

About the Cache Asset Group


In addition to the asset groups you create, a typical Mediabase server uses two asset groups: the System Asset Group and the Cache Asset Group. There are two types of assets in the System Asset Group: assets that have been ingested into MediaBase assets which have been replicated throughout the system to maintain an assets high availability status. If you are using MediaBases cluster option, a Cache Asset Group is automatically created to manage assets that are dynamically replicated for load balancing purposes. These assets can automatically be deleted by the server to reclaim space. Before each asset is replicated, the remote server is queried for cache space. If cache space is not available, the replication operation fails. Assumptions Requests for V videos will be associated with 95 percent of the play requests All videos are encoded at 3.75 Mb/s (2 GB per hour with trick files) There are N copies of each of the V videos The streaming capacity for server J is represented by S[J] The aggregate streaming capacity for the cluster is denoted as ASC Ingest load balancing is enabled and videos are installed randomly across the cluster Goal We wish to make sure that the chance of playing the most popular contents from server J is equal to S[J] / ASC. Process to Achieve Goal By assumption N * V video copies will satisfy 95 percent of the play out requests. The goal is to place (S[J] / ASC) * N * V videos on server J which means that every server needs either:
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Enough storage to hold all the videos Enough storage to hold more than (S[J] / ASC) * N * V videos in the Cache Asset Group Example with Convenient Numbers Suppose a customer has 3000 videos with an average duration of 1 hour each encoded at 3.75 Mb/s and that the last 200 videos installed represent 95 percent of the play out requests i.e. V=200. Let us also suppose that the customer has a 3 server cluster with the following an attributes: Server A - Gig abase with 1 TB storage, each with a 1.2 Gb/s streaming license Server B - Gig abase with 2 TB storage, each with a 1.8 Gb/s streaming license Server C - Gig abase with 4 TB storage, each with a 1.8 Gb/s streaming license With ingest load balancing, we would predict that: 200 * (1/7) ~ 28 videos are installed on Server A 200 * (2/7) ~ 57 videos are installed on Server B 200 * (4/7) ~ 115 videos are installed on Server C We want the play out percentages to be: .2 / 4.8 = 25 percent for Server A 1.8 / 4.8 = 37.5 percent for Server B and Server C We will use the Cache Asset Group to make this happen by: Server A having 100 videos (28 System Asset Group and 72 Cache Asset Group) Server B having 150 videos (57 System Asset Group and 93 Cache Asset Group) Server C having 150 videos (115 System Asset Group and 35 Cache Asset Group) We also need a small amount of space for "hot asset replication". Therefore I would recommend the following Cache Asset Group sizes (percentages) keeping in mind my simplifying assumption that the average video duration is 1 hour: 5 GB + (72 hours * 2 GB/hour) = 149 Gb ==> 15 percent for Cache Asset Group for Server A 5 GB + (93 hours * 2 GB/hour) = 191 GB ==> 10 percent for Cache Asset Group for Server B 5 GB + (35 hours * 2 GB/hour) = 75 GB ==> 2 percent for Cache Asset Group for Server C
Note: Using the same percentage of storage for the Cache Asset Group across all three servers will not yield the desired result, and in fact, the server that needs the smallest amount of cache would have the largest cache with the fixed percentage approach.

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Chapter 3

MediaBase Service Administration Tool

This chapter shows you how to access the MediaBase Service Administration tool which you can use to manage the MediaBase XMP server.
Note: You cannot configure or create reliable multicast groups, or schedule multicast transfers from the Service Administration Tool. Instead, use the command-line procedures in Command-line Utilities on page 149.

See these topics: Starting and Stopping Services on page 46 Changing the MediaBase Administration Password or User Name on page 52

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Starting and Stopping Services


This section shows you how to start and stop MediaBase and related services. See these sections: Starting/Stopping the Apache Web Server from the Command Line on page 46 Starting/Stopping MYSQL from the Command Line on page 46 Accessing the MediaBase XMP Service Administration Tool on page 47 Starting/Stopping MediaBase XMP on page 48 Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Service Administration Page on page 48 Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Command Line on page 49 MediaBase Services Overview on page 49 Starting/Stopping Specific MediaBase Services from the Command Line on page 49 Setting Service Termination Email Notifications on page 50 Setting Service Dependencies on page 50 Checking Service Status on page 51

Starting/Stopping the Apache Web Server from the Command Line


How to start the Apache Web server:
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Start the Apache Web server:

# /etc/init.d/Kasenna_Apache start How to stop the Apache Web server:


1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Stop the Apache Web server:

# /etc/init.d/Kasenna_Apache stop

Starting/Stopping MYSQL from the Command Line


The bundled database is automatically started when MediaBase is started, and stopped when MediaBase is stopped.
Warning! Do not manually start the database unless you are restoring the database.

How to start the database on the MediaBase Server:


1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Start the database daemon:

# /etc/init.d/Kasenna_mysql start How to stop the database on the MediaBase Server:


1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Stop the database daemon:

# /etc/init.d/Kasenna_mysql stop

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Accessing the MediaBase XMP Service Administration Tool


The MediaBase XMP Service Administration site contains links to the important resources listed below:
Category
Content Pages

Features
Video Management Tool For installing and managing videos. Multicast Management Tool For adding and scheduling videos for multicast showings. NVOD Management Tools For capturing and managing programs (scheduled videos). Video Capture Tool For capturing and managing live-stream videos. Transfer Tool For exporting and importing videos. MediaBase XMP Server Configuration Tool For configuring network interfaces, storage devices, event logging, multicast sessions, ATM devices, encoding, and nearline storage devices; also for starting/stopping MediaBase services. MediaBase XMP Monitoring Tool For monitoring MediaBase performance. MediaBase XMP Test/Troubleshooting Tool For troubleshooting problems.

Server

How to access the Service Administration page:


1 2 Make sure that your Apache server is running and that Java and JavaScript are enabled in your Web browser. Enter the MediaBase XMP URL into your Web browser.

http://<hostname>/mbase/admin/service
hostname is the name of your Media Server. 3 Enter your MediaBase XMP administrator user name and password. Note: The initial user name is mbase and the password is mbase-admin. It is recommended that you change the password as soon as possible after installing MediaBase. (See Changing the MediaBase Administration Password or User Name on page 52 for more information.)

Figure 3-1

MediaBase XMP Service Administration Page

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Starting/Stopping MediaBase XMP


MediaBase XMP can be started and stopped from the Service Administration page or from the command line. The procedures for starting or stopping MediaBase are described below.
Note: When MediaBase is started, all MediaBase Services are automatically started. When MediaBase is stopped, all MediaBase Services are automatically stopped. On service stop and start, log messages are placed in the /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local file. If a service is killed or a core dump occurs in MediaBase XMP 8.3, the init service sends an email notification about the failure and tries to restart the service. For instructions on specifying these email addresses, see Setting Service Termination Email Notifications on page 50. To check service status, see Checking Service Status on page 51.

Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Service Administration Page

Figure 3-2

Start/Stop MediaBase XMP Page

Use the procedures below to start and stop MediaBase from the MediaBase administrative page.
How to start MediaBase XMP from the Administration site:
1 2 3 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Configure. Click Start/Stop. On the Service Administration page, click Start to start MediaBase XMP. When MediaBase is started, all MediaBase Services are automatically started.

Note:

How to stop MediaBase XMP from the Administration site:


1 2 3 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Configure. Click Start/Stop. On the Service Administration page, click Stop to stop MediaBase XMP. When MediaBase is stopped, all MediaBase Services are automatically stopped. MediaBase stops as soon as you confirm your stop request, regardless of current activity on the server. To verify that the requested action was performed, from the list at the left, under Server, click Monitor, then Services. For more information about server status, see Determining the Status of MediaBase Services in Chapter 4.

Note:

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Starting/Stopping MediaBase from the Command Line


Use the procedures below to start and stop MediaBase from the Command Line.
How to start MediaBase from the command line:
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter this command:

/etc/init.d/mediabase start
Note: When MediaBase is started, all MediaBase Services are automatically started.

How to stop MediaBase from the command line:


1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Stop the MediaBase daemons:

# /etc/init.d/mediabase stop
Note: When MediaBase is stopped, all MediaBase Services are automatically stopped. MediaBase stops as soon as you confirm your stop request, regardless of current activity on the server. To verify that the requested action was performed, from the list at the left, under Server, click Monitor, then Services. For more information about server status, see Determining the Status of MediaBase Services in Chapter 4.

MediaBase Services Overview


MediaBase Services are automatically started when MediaBase is started, and are automatically stopped when MediaBase is stopped. On service stop and start, log messages are placed in the /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local file. If a service is killed or a core dump occurs in MediaBase XMP 8.3, the init service sends an email notification about the failure and tries to restart the service. For instructions on specifying the email addresses to which notifications are sent when a service terminates abnormally or core dumps, see Setting Service Termination Email Notifications on page 50. To check service status, see Checking Service Status on page 51.

Starting/Stopping Specific MediaBase Services from the Command Line


Specific MediaBase services can be started or stopped from the command line. Use the procedures below to start or stop a specific MediaBase service from the command line.
How to start, stop, or restart a specific MediaBase services:
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter this command:

/etc/init.d/mediabase [start|stop|restart] service_list


For example:

/etc/init.d/mediabase stop uds64

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Option
service_list

Description
Specify one or more of these services (separate each service with a space): playlogd jbts uds64 or udsv64 ssm msds scm showtimed ins_svc rds vts rmds mb_proxy rt_proxy ccserver StreamService lscpserver streamer_proxy nodeagent nodemanager

Setting Service Termination Email Notifications


MediaBase sends email notifications when a service terminates abnormally or core dumps. The destination addresses for the notifications must be specified. Use the procedure below to specify the email addresses to which notifications are sent when a service terminates abnormally or core dumps.
How to specify email addresses for termination messages:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Use a text editor to open the /usr/mbase/config/services.properties file. To change the default core dump email notification, change the "isc.default.email_on_coredump = service_alert@kasenna.com" to "isc.default.email_on_coredump = <your_email_address>". To add additional email addresses to receive core dump messages, enter them in this format:

isc.default.email_on_coredump = <email_address1> <email_address2> ....


To specify email addresses for UDS service messages, add this entry to the UDS section:

isc.uds.email_on_coredump = <email_address>
To specify email addresses for nodeagent messages, add this entry to the nodeagent section:

isc.nodeagent.email_on_coredump = <email_address>
Save and close the file. Shutdown and then start MediaBase.

Setting Service Dependencies


Use the procedure below to specify dependencies between services.
How to specify service dependencies:
1 2 3 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Use a text editor to open the /usr/mbase/config/services.properties file. To set service dependencies, find theisc.<service>.service_dependency line and set it as follows:

isc.<service>.service_dependency = <service1> <service2> ...


For example:

isc.uds.service_dependency = mb_proxy scm ssm lscpserver 50


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If UDS is killed or dumps core, a restart also starts mb_proxy, scm, ssm, and lscpserver.

Save and close the file. Shutdown and then start MediaBase.

Checking Service Status


Use the following procedure to check the status of MediaBase services.
How to check service status:
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). Run this command:

/usr/mbase/sbin/cksvcs Sample output: [root@mblinux1001 ~]# /usr/mbase/sbin/cksvcs Defaulting to mblinux1001.kasenna.wan for name server resolve svc/streamer_proxy : svc/streamer_proxy: not found AAAA Service up Cluster Service up Cluster Video Transfer Service up Configuration Service up Content Store Service up External Streamer Proxy Service down Installation Service up Jukebox Transfer Service up Local Log Daemon up LSCP Server up MBone Session Directory Service up MediaBase Proxy Service up Multicast Daemon up Name Service up Node Manager up ODL Database Server up Play Log Service up Reliable Delivery Service up Reliable Multicast Directory Service up Resource Audit Service up Server Connection Manager up Server Storage Manager up SNMP Agent up SNMP Trap Daemon up Stream Service up Universal Delivery Service up Web Server up [root@mblinux1001 ~]#

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Changing the MediaBase Administration Password or User Name


When you access the MediaBase XMP Administration Web site, you are asked to provide a MediaBase XMP administration user name and password. The initial MediaBase XMP administration user name is mbase. The initial password is mbase-admin.
Note: Both of the following procedures require you to be logged in as root or superuser.

Be sure to change the administrator password after verifying MediaBase XMP installation. Changing the password for MediaBase XMP administration is a function of the Apache Web server's access security system and is controlled by the following information: the .htaccess file in the directory to which you want to restrict access (by default, /usr/kasenna/apache/htdocs/mbase/admin/) htpasswd in the /usr/mbase/etc/webserver-apache directory
Note: Neither Apache nor MediaBase XMP have to be restarted for these changes to take effect.

How to change the MediaBase XMP user name:


1 2 3 4 5 Access the .htaccess file in /usr/kasenna/apache/htdocs/mbase/admin/ directory. Open the file and locate the user name (here the default mbase) which is listed in the following line:

require user mbase


Edit it to accept your new user name (here newmbase):

require user newmbase


Save the file and exit. To verify, issue the command cat .htacess (see following figure).

How to change the MediaBase XMP password:


1 2 3 From the /usr/kasenna/apache/bin directory, run this command:

htpasswd /usr/mbase/etc/webserver-apache/.htpasswd <username>


When prompted, enter your new password and press Return. When prompted to confirm the new password, enter the new password again and press Return.

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Monitoring MediaBase Resources

This chapter explains how to monitor MediaBase XMP resources, such as network interfaces, services, bandwidth, and disk space.
See these topics: Checking Server Resources and Activity on page 54 (includes remote monitoring via SNMP) Monitoring MediaBase Services on page 73 Viewing the MediaBase Logs on page 78 Checking the Service Logs on page 82 Locating Core Files on page 90

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Checking Server Resources and Activity


The following sections show you how to monitor server resources and activity. See these topics: Monitoring Network Interfaces on page 54 Monitoring Server Storage on page 56 Monitoring Physical Memory on page 58 Monitoring Physical Memory on page 58 Monitoring Swap Activity on page 59 Monitoring MediaBase XMP Change Tasks on page 60 Monitoring the Client Asset List on page 62 Remote Monitoring and Management using SNMP on page 62

Monitoring Network Interfaces


The procedure in this section shows how to view information about active interfaces, and used and available bandwidth for MediaBase servers. The following table provides a description of the types of interfaces supported by MediaBase.
Table 4-1 Supported Network Interfaces

Interface Name(s)
eth eth eth lo hpn

Interface Type
100 Mb/s Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet Loopback High performance network

Description
Ethernet at 10 Mb/s Ethernet at 100 Mb/s Ethernet at 1 Gb/s Local loopback High performance network

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Note:

When the IP address for the network interface on the server is changed, the MediaBase server automatically picks up the new IP address at startup and updates the database accordingly. Manually updating the IP address of the network interface in MediaBase is not needed. View the new IP address information on MediaBases Network Interfaces page.

How to monitor network interfaces from the command line:


1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter the following:

/usr/mbase/sbin/nistat How to monitor network interfaces from the Web interface:


1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server click Monitor, then Network to view a list of interfaces that are active in the network. If a + sign appears before the interface name, only statistics related to MediaBase connections are provided network packet statistics are not available.

Figure 4-1 2

MediaBase XMP Network Bandwidth Page

To display an interfaces bandwidth, at Interface Name select the interface, then click Show Bandwidth.

Figure 4-2 3 4

MediaBase XMP Network Bandwidth Page: Client Connections

To view information about another interface, click Go Back to Select, then repeat Step 2. To see which interfaces are managed by MediaBase, at the bottom of the page click Kasenna MediaBase XMP Server Configuration: Configure Network Interfaces.

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If (MB) appears before the interface name, it is managed by MediaBase.

Figure 4-3

Configure Network Interfaces Page

Monitoring HPN Interfaces


For each HPN interface on a Linux machine, there are two files in the /proc/net/nicinfo/ directory that provide useful information: ethX.info and ethX.streams (where ethX denotes the NIC). The file /proc/net/nicinfo/ethX.info contains: HPN_num_writes: describes the number of network write calls that this device has performed. HPN_tx_packets: provides the number of packets transmitted to the network by this device. HPN_tx_bytes: indicates the number of bytes transmitted to the network by this device. The ethX.streams file shows streams that are currently known to each HPN interface. Each stream is described in one line in Table 3-5:
Table 4-2 Field Index Source IP Address Source UDP Port Destination IP Address Destination UDP Port Source MAC Address Destination MAC Address Number of Write Calls for this Stream Number of bytes written on behalf of this Stream ethx.streams Stream Parameters Description The streams index. The streams source IP address. The streams source UDP port. The streams destination IP address. The streams destination UDP port. The streams source MAC address. The streams destination MAC address. The number of write calls for this stream. The number of bytes written on behalf of this stream.

Mappings between HPN interfaces (such as hpn0, hpn1, etc.) and the actual NICs (such as eth2, eth3, etc.) are contained in /usr/mbase/config/hpn.conf.

Monitoring Server Storage


Storage on MediaBase servers is allocated based upon groupings of assets called asset groups. Asset groups are logical, not physical groupings of assets that share system resources such as disk space and bandwidth (called a quota). Each asset can belong to only one asset group.
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Access the Storage Usage page to monitor the amount of storage used on a device and the videos stored on that device. Here the server storage for each asset group and the physical devices assigned to the asset group are displayed. Each time you install an asset into MediaBase, youll assign the asset to an asset group. If you havent created your own asset groups, youll see storage information for the default System Asset Group and if you are using the cluster server option, you will also see a Cache Asset Group.

Figure 4-4

Resource allocation for a specified device

How to monitor asset storage from the Service Administration tool


1 2 3 4 5 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then Storage. At Asset Group Name, select the group whose storage you want to view. Select the device at Storage List, then click Show Usage. Detailed storage information for the device appears at the bottom of the page. (See example in Figure 4-4 on page 57.) To see the videos stored on the device, select the group, select the device at Storage List, then click List Videos.

After an asset group is selected, the devices associated with the group appear in the Storage List column.

Figure 4-5

Storage List Page

How to monitor asset storage from the command line:


1 2 MB-ADMIN-83-A Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter the following:

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Monitoring Physical Memory


Use the Real Memory Usage on Server page to view the amount of realtime real memory used for the operating system, drivers, filesystem pages, MediaBase, your Web Server, and all running processes. Each item on the report is color coded.
Item
OS/Drivers Filesystem Pages MediaBase XMP Web Server Database Running Procs Free

Description
Memory allocated to the operating system and drivers. Memory used by the filesystem, including that used to store filesystem metadata and pages. Memory consumed by MediaBase processes (excluding the Web Server and database processes). Memory used by the Web Server processes. Memory used by database processes. Memory used by user processes. Free memory.

Set MediaBase to update memory information according to the current update interval you set. MediaBase stops updating usage information for CPU, memory, and swap monitoring applets after 20 updates.

After some time, the MediaBase server stops displaying information. Click Reconnect to have the MediaBase start monitoring again. While MediaBase is monitoring memory, it displays Monitoring Physical Memory Usage Note: A warning message indicates if free memory is less than 15 percent of available memory. Figure 4-6 Real Memory Usage on the Server Page

How to check physical memory use:


1 2 3 4 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then Memory. To prevent this page from being updated, click Freeze. To resume updating this page after you freeze it or after MediaBase automatically stops monitoring memory, click Reconnect. To change the interval for updating this page, click Freeze, then at Update change the interval (in seconds). Click Reconnect to resume updating the page with the new interval.

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Monitoring Processor Utilization


Use the Service Administration tool to monitor CPU cycles in realtime and to view the distribution of memory for various processes and the percentage of time that the CPU is processing the following items:
User OS Interrupt Graphics Idle Resources used for user programs. Resources used for operating system processes. Resources used for I/O and kernel services. Activities related to graphics hardware context switches and emptying the graphics FIFO queue. Amount of time (in seconds) the CPU is idle. A warning message displays if idle cycles falls to less than 2 percent of the total CPU.

Note:

Figure 4-7

Processor Utilization Page

How to check server processor utilization:


1 2 3 4 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then CPU. To prevent this page from being updated, click Freeze. To resume updating this page after you freeze it or after MediaBase automatically stops monitoring memory, click Reconnect. To change the interval for updating this page, click Freeze, next Update and enter a new interval, and then click Reconnect.

Monitoring Swap Activity


Use the Swap Activity on Server page to track in realtime the amount of logical swap space, page swapping, and input/output activity to block devices (devices that hold filesystems). Use this information to measure filesystem throughput. While the MediaBase is monitoring swap space, the message Monitoring Swap Space and Paging Activity is displayed. After some time, the MediaBase server stops. To restart the MediaBase server, click Reconnect.
Note: A warning message displays if the free memory is less than 15 percent of the available memory.

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Figure 4-8

Swap Activity Page

How to check server swap activity:


1 2 3 4 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then Swap. To stop the MediaBase server from monitoring swap space, click Freeze. To change the update interval at Update enter a new update interval, then click Reconnect to resume updates with the new interval. The following swap information appears: Phy Mem (resrvd) Phy Mem (not resrvd) Phy Swap (unalloc, resrvd) Phy Swap (unalloc, not resrvd) Phy Swap (unalloc, resrvd) Pages Swapped Physical memory reserved and available for processes. Physical memory not has not been reserved for processes. Swap space reserved, but not allocated. Swap space reserved and allocated. Swap space reserved, but not allocated. The number of pages that were swapped in and out.

Monitoring MediaBase XMP Change Tasks


To monitor MediaBase change tasks (that is, long-term tasks that are current on the MediaBase server) use the MediaBase XMP Change Tasks page. For example, asset installation is a change task that consists of multiple phases: creating a handle for the asset, allocating MediaBase storage, and generating auxiliary files.

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Figure 4-9

MediaBase XMP Change Tasks Page with Failed Task

How to view MediaBase XMP change tasks:


1 2 3 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then Change Task. To see details about a task, select the task, then click Get Details. The following information appears:

Task Detail
Task Name Task Type

Description
The video name, for example, all_hands: capture, or demo_asset: installation. See one of these task types: installFromStaging liveCapture changeNumPlays deleteAsset loadBackingStoreAsset unloadBackingStoreAsset Install assets from a staging server. Run a live capture session. Change the number of times that an asset can play. Delete an asset. Load assets from nearline storage. Remove assets from the MediaBase filesystem that were installed from nearline storage.

Status

See one of the following: created waitingToRun running runComplete waitingToAbort aborting abortComplete failedWithTransientError The task has been created, but has not yet run. The task is scheduled to run. The task is running. The task has completed successfully. The task is scheduled to be aborted. The task is being aborted. The task is complete. The task failed due to a transient error. This type of error needs to normally resolve itself after a period of time, and then the task can be run again. The task failed due to an error. Check the message logs for the cause, resolve the problem, and then run the task again. See Viewing the Message Logs in the GUI on page 78

failedWithError

Percent Done

An estimate of the percentage of the job already completed.

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Runner Error

Administrators Guide Description


The name of the process that initiated the task. This is the error message that was stored by the last process that worked on this task. Tasks are left in the failedWithTransientError state when transient errors prevent progress. For example, a process cannot communicate with the database server (for example, when the database is down) or there are errors while communicating with other MediaBase services. MediaBase automatically tries to run these tasks again.

4 5

To stop a task, click Abort. If the process is currently running, this kills the task and creates another process to undo any work that has been done. To delete failed tasks, click Abort All, then click OK. Note: You cannot use Abort All to stop all types of tasks. For example, to abort live capture tasks, stop the task from the Modify Scheduled Capture page (for details, perform Step 3 of How to change, stop, or abort a scheduled video capture session: on page 147).

If a task is in the failedWithError state, and you want to resume it, click Resume. For example, an installation may fail with this state if there isnt enough disk space or bandwidth to complete the task. You may resume the installation task after you add more disks or delete videos.

Monitoring the Client Asset List


You can monitor asset playouts and view a list of assets that are being served from the MediaBase server including the asset name, running time, and location (IP address and port number).
How to monitor the client asset list from the Service Administration tool
1 2 3 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then Client List. To stop a playout currently running, select the asset from the list, then click Kill Selection. To change the information that displays about asset playout, click Options, select the information below that you want to appear, then click OK. Show User Show Asset Name Show Running Time Show Network Location Displays the name of the person viewing the asset. Displays the name of the asset playing. Displays the time elapsed since the asset began play. Displays playouts based upon the following network criteria: IP address IP port number Click this to sort assets by the clients IP address. Click this to sort assets by the clients port number.

How to monitor the client asset list from the command line
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter the following command:

/usr/mbase/sbin/mbmonitor -list

Remote Monitoring and Management using SNMP


The MediaBase server supports industry standard Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) monitoring so that it can be integrated with third-party SMNP-compliant enterprise management systems that use Management Information Bases (MIBs). This provides a unified view of hardware and software components in complex distributed networks. The MediaBase SNMP MIB module (/usr/kasenna/net-snmp/libmbsnmp.so) is implemented as a shared library which the Net-SNMP agent (/usr/kasenna/net-snmp/sbin/snmpd) loads using the dlmod configuration option. The KASENNA-SMI.txt and MEDIABASE-MONITOR-MIB.txt MIB files are in the /usr/mbase/mibs directory.
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Configuring Monitoring Using SNMP The configuration file for the Net-SNMP master agent is /usr/kasenna/net-snmp/snmp.conf. For detailed configuration options, see the Net-SNMP Project documentation at http://net-snmp.sourceforge.net/#Documentation. The configuration file for MediaBase SNMP MIB module can be found in the /usr/kasenna/net-snmp/mbsnmp.conf file. The following configuration directives specify the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with certain information.
Table 4-3 SNMP Configuration Directives

Item
multicastpoll playpoll intfpoll storagepoll recordingpoll assetpoppolltime

Description
Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with current showings information. Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with current playouts information. Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with MediaBase-managed interfaces. Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with MediaBase-managed filesystem information. Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with MediaBase-managed filesystem information. Specifies the frequency with which the SNMP agent updates its cache with current asset popularity information.

Traps When there is no disk space, the mbSNMPNoSPaceTrap is generated. The MediaBase SNMP MIB MIBs provide a hierarchal relationship between managed objects to form a MIB tree. The SNMP standard specifies that an object identifier (OID) be used to uniquely identify each managed object. An OID is the sequence of elements that form a hierarchal organization of identifiers. Each node in the path defined in the OID has a name and number associated with it. The Kasenna MIBs are registered at node 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.
Table 4-4 Kasenna MediaBase MIB Example

Element
1 3 6 1 4 1 6293

Name
ISO Object Org object DOD object Internet object Private object Enterprises object Kasenna object

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The MediaBase SNMP subagent monitors the following parameters: Interface Status Table on page 64 Capture Status Table on page 64 Multicast Table on page 65 Playlog Table on page 65 Services Status Table on page 65 Node Counter on page 66 Disk Status on page 67 System Utilization on page 67 Asset Popularity on page 67 Trap Registration on page 68 Trap MIB on page 68 Interface Status Table Shows the status of MediaBase-managed network interfaces.
Table 4-5 Interface Status Table

Variable Name
interface totalBandwidth streamUsedBandwidth streamAvailableBandwidth vcdUsedBandwidth vcdAvailableBandwidth intfIpAddress

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.4 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.5 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.1.1.1.7

Format
OCTET STRING INTEGER INTEGER INTEGER INTEGER INTEGER OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The interface identifier. The amount of bandwidth available on this interface. The amount of bandwidth used for streaming on this interface. The amount of bandwidth available for streaming on this interface. The amount of bandwidth used for VCD (content distribution). The amount of bandwidth available for VCD (content distribution). The interfaces IP address.

Capture Status Table Shows the encoder capture session status.


Table 4-6 Capture Status Table

Variable Name
capVideoName capFileFormat capSessionType capDeliveryType

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.4

Format
OCTET STRING OCTET STRING INTEGER INTEGER

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The captured videos name. The captured videos file format. The session type: Capture, Livefeed, or Capture and Livefeed. The manner in which data is delivered to the client (that is,Multicast). This is applicable only if capSessionType is Livefeed. The captures start time. The captures end time. The encoder used for this capture. MB-ADMIN-83-A

capStartTime capEndTime capEncoderName

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.5 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.7

Time Ticks Time Ticks OCTET STRING

Read-only Read-only Read-only

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Table 4-6 capIntfIpAddr capStatPortNo (Continued) Capture Status Table 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.8 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.2.1.1.9 IP Address Integer32 Read-only Read-only

Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources

The IP address of the interface that receives the captured data. The port number of the interface that receives the captured data.

Multicast Table Shows the status of a multicast playout session.


Table 4-7 Multicast Table

Variable Name
multicastVideoName multicastShowingName multicastDeliveryType multicastStartTime multicastEndTime multicastMulticastAddr multicastMulticastPortNo

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.4 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.5 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.3.1.1.7

Format
OCTET STRING OCTET STRING WebDeliveryType Time Ticks Time Ticks IP Address Integer32

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The multicast videos name. The showings name. The multicast delivery type. The multicasts start time. The multicasts end time. The multicasts address IP Address. The port number used for the multicast showing.

Playlog Table Shows video playouts for specific clients.


Table 4-8 Playlog Table

Variable Name
playLogTime playLogClientAddr playLogClientPort playLogClientServerURL

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.4.1.1.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.4.1.1.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.4.1.1.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.4.1.1.4

Format
Time Ticks OCTET STRING Integer32 OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The number of seconds this asset has played. The clients IP address. The port used for play back. The URL of the asset being played.

Services Status Table Shows the status (up or down) of MediaBase services. 1 indicates that a service is running, 0 indicates that the service is down.
Table 4-9 Services Status Table

Variable Name
aaaaServices ipMulticastRoutingDaemon installationService jukeBoxTransferService localLogDaemon mboneSessionDirectoryService mediabaseProxyServer

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.4 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.5 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.7

Format
Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The status of the A4 (authentication) service. The status of the IP multicast routing daemon. The status of the installation service. The status of the jukebox transfer service. The status of the local log daemon. The status of the MBone session directory service. The status of the MediaBase proxy server.

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Table 4-9 (Continued) Services Status Table

Administrators Guide

Variable Name
nameService webServer odlDataBaseServer playLog reliableDeliveryService resourceAuditService serverConnectionManagerService serverStorageManagerService universalDeliveryService multicastDaemon clusterService clusterVideoTransferService ConfigurationService ContentComponentService StreamService NodeManagerService

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.8 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.9 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.10 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.11 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.12 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.13 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.14 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.15 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.17 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.18 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.19 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.20 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.21 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.22 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.23 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.5.24

Format
Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down Up or Down

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
The status of the name service. The status of the Web server. The status of the ODL database server. The status of the play log. The status of the reliable delivery service (RDS). The status of the resource audit service. The status of the server connection manager service. The status of the server storage manager service. The status of the universal delivery service. The status of the multicast daemon. The status of the cluster service. The status of the cluster video transfer service. The status of the configuration service. The status of the content component service. The status of the stream service. The status of the node manager.

Node Counter Shows the activities of the cluster service.


Table 4-10 Node Counter

Variable Name
mbAssetNotCached mbResourceUnavailable

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.2

Format
Integer32 Integer32

Access
Read-only Read-only

Description
The number of play requests received for assets that arent in the servers local cache. The number of play requests received for assets that are installed locally, but could not be played because the server lacks resources (available streams) to play the request. The number of assets that were played on the servers first attempt to find an alternate server. The number of assets that were played on the servers second attempt to find an alternate server. The number of assets that were played on the servers third or greater attempt to find an alternate server. The number of times the server received a request for an asset that it could not service nor transfer to another server for processing. The number of times that assets were installed on the server. The number of times that assets were deleted from the server. The number of times that assets were requested that did not exist on the server.

mbFirstTry mbSecondTry

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.4

Integer32 Integer32

Read-only Read-only

mbThreeOrMore

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.5

Integer32

Read-only

mbOutOfClusterResources

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.6

Integer32

Read-only

mbAssetInserts mbAssetDeletes mbFalseHits

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.7 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.8 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.9

Integer32 Integer32 Integer32

Read-only Read-only Read-only

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Table 4-10 (Continued) Node Counter

Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources

Variable Name
mbAssetNotInCluster

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.10

Format
Integer32

Access
Read-only

Description
The number of times that a play request was received from another server for an asset that did not exist in the cluster. The number of times that a play request was forwarded to another server.

mbNumAssetsForwarded

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.7.11

Integer32

Read-only

Disk Status Shows the status, space, bandwidth of MediaBase-managed filesystems.


Table 4-11 Disk Status Table

Variable Name
mbDiskStatClass

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.1

Format
OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only

Description
Describes disk storage: space: indicates space used on this device bandwidth: indicates bandwidth usage of this device The disk partition type. The amount of storage used. The amount of storage free. The amount of storage reserved. The amount of storage available. Information about the system. The asset group and the disk name are displayed in the following format: <System>:<Storage>

mbDiskStatPart mbDiskStatUsed mbDiskStatFree mbDiskStatReserved mbDiskStatAvailable mbDiskStatDescription

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.3 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.4 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.5 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.6.1.1.7

OCTET STRING OCTET STRING OCTET STRING OCTET STRING OCTET STRING OCTET STRING

Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

System Utilization Shows utilized CPU and memory for MediaBase systems.
Table 4-12 System Utilization Table

Variable Name
cpuUtilization memoryutilization

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.8.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.8.2

Format
OCTET STRING OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only Read-only

Description
The current CPU utilization. The current memory utilization.

Asset Popularity Shows asset name and popularity.


Table 4-13 Asset Popularity Table

Variable Name
mbAssetName memoryutilization

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.9.1.1.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.1.9.1.1.2

Format
OCTET STRING OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only Read-only

Description
The asset name. The assets popularity.

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Trap Registration A manager station that wants to receive traps can register or unregister their IP address by sending SNMP SET messages mbRegTrapAgents and (for unregistering) mbUnRegTrapAgents.
Note: Table 4-14 When a SET SNMP message is sent, the community name must be a public.

Trap Registration Table

Variable Name
mbTrapDesc mbRegTrapAgents mbUnRegTrapAgents

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.2.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.2.2 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.2.3

Format
OCTET STRING OCTET STRING OCTET STRING

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
Used to send error messages in the trap message. This is the object identifier (OID) sent as part of trap message. IP address of trap agents to which traps are sent. Removes the IP address from the list of registered trap agents.

Trap MIB MediaBase generates a number of traps whenever there is an error or warning on the system. For example, when content fails to install or when a session set up fails, MediaBase generates a trap with all relevant details (called variable bindings). The table below summarizes the traps generated by MediaBase and the variable bindings included with each trap. Where applicable, MediaBase also generates positive traps which can be used to cancel error traps. For example, when content installs succeed MediaBase generates the trap mbInstallationErrorTrap with a status value of success (that is, mbStatus equals Success). This positive trap can be used to cancel any error traps generated previously. The MediaBase MIB file contains information on all SNMP traps supported by MediaBase. The MIB file is located in the file /usr/mbase/mibs/MEDIABASE-MONITOR-MIB.txt on a MediaBase server. The enterprise ID 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1 is used for these traps. You must also specify the trap receiver address (usr/kasenna/net-snmp/trap_manager_list.dat).
Table 4-15 Trap MIB

Trap Name
mbErrorTrap mbWarnTrap mbDVBDSTrap mbSMNoSpaceTrap mbSMInfoTrap mbSMNoCPUTrap mbSMNoNetworkBandwidthTrap mbSMNoDiskBandwidthTrap mbDatabaseRestartedTrap

Trap ID
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Trap Description
Generated when errors occur in MediaBase. Generated when warnings occur in MediaBase. Generated when the DVBDS dies. Generated when MediaBase is low on storage space for content. The SNMP Information Trap. Generated when the MediaBase runs out of CPU resources. Generated when the MediaBase runs out of network bandwidth. Generated when the MediaBase runs out of disk bandwidth. Generated when the database restarted.

Variable Bindings
mbTrapDesc

mbPercentageUsed, mbPercentageTrigger

mbPercentageUsed, mbPercentageTrigger mbPercentageUsed, mbPercentageTrigger mbPercentageUsed, mbPercentageTrigger

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Table 4-15 Trap MIB

Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources

Trap Name
mbInstallationErrorTrap

Trap ID
10

Trap Description
Generated when a content ingest fails. Error trap mbStatus equals Failed Cancellation trap mbStatus equals Success Generated when a content transfer fails. Error trap mbStatus equals Failed Cancellation trap mbStatus equals Success Generated when a playout fails. Error trap mbStatus equals Failed Cancellation trap mbStatus equals Success

Variable Bindings
mbDate, mbTime, mbTimeVal, mbServerName, mbAssetHandle, mbOperation, mbStatus, mbReason, mbFormat, mbType, mbAvailability, mbAssetGroup, mbStartDate, mbStartTime, mbStartTimeVal, mbLastUseDate, mbLastUseTime, mbLastUseTimeVal, mbComment mbDate, mbTime, mbTimeVal, mbServerName, mbAssetHandle, mbOperation, mbStatus, mbReason, mbTransferType, mbTransferCategory, mbPeerServerName, mbDestAssetGroup, mbStartDate, mbStartTime, mbStartTimeVal, mbComment mbDate, mbTime, mbTimeVal, mbServerName, mbAssetHandle, mbOperation, mbStatus, mbReason, mbRedirectedServerName, mbStartDate, mbStartTime, mbStartTimeVal, mbSpeed, mbSessionName, mbSessionId, mbTrackId, mbDestinationAddress, mbAssetGroup, mbRequestedNPT, mbNPT, mbBWInuse, mbShowingName, mbChannelName, mbChannelId, mbComment

mbTransferErrorTrap

11

mbPlayoutErrorTrap

12

mbSessionSetupError mbSessionTeardownError mbContentProvisionError mbContentDeleteError mbRAIDError mbRAIDNotification mbServiceRestart mbFileSystemError mbDatabaseError mbServiceTrap mbIsaHATrap

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Generated when a session setup fails. Generated when a session teardown fails. Generated when a content provision fails. Generated when a content delete fails. Generated when a RAID array has an error. Generated for RAID notifications. Generated when a critical service restarts. Generated when a filesystem has failed. Generated when a database operation fails. Generated when a service status changes. Generated when an ISA HA state changes. Cancellation trap. On mbHACurrentState changes to Current Master of Secondary Master. Generated when a CLA agent HA state changes. Traps are generated for informational purposes only. Generated by bwtracker when the bandwidth in use approaches exhaustion. Generated by bwtracker when trnasfer fails. Generated by nodeagent when a monitored service status changes. mbTimeVal, mbServiceName, mbServiceStatus, mbServerName mbTimeVal, mbHARole, mbHAPreviousState, mbHACurrentState

mbClagentHATrap

31

mbTimeVal, mbHARole, mbHAPreviousState, mbHACurrentState

mbBWMaxoutTrap

32

mbTimeVal, mbWorkGroupName, mbBWAllocated, mbBWInuse mbTimeVal, mbWorkGroupName, mbServerName, mbReason mbTimeVal, mbServiceName, mbServiceStatus, mbServerName

mbBwTrkrTransferFailureTrap mbNodeAgentServiceStateChang eTrap

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Table 4-15 Trap MIB

Administrators Guide

Trap Name
mbNodeAgentNetworkIfStateCha ngeTrap mbHPNStateChangeTrap

Trap ID
35 36

Trap Description
Generated by nodeagnet when a monitored interface status changes. Generated by connection manager when the state of a HPN interface changes.

Variable Bindings
mbTimeVal, mbInterfaceType, mbInterfaceName, mbInterfaceStatus, mbServerName mbTimeVal, mbChangeEvent, mbInterfaceName, mbInterfaceAlias, mbServerName

Trap Variables

Table 4-16

Trap Variables

Variable Name
mbErrorMessage mbStorageSpaceMessage mbCPUUsageMessage mbNetworkBandwidthMessage mbStorageBandwidthMessage mbInstallationMessage mbTransferMessage mbPlayoutMessage mbDate mbTime mbTimeVal mbServerName mbAssetHandle mbOperation mbStatus mbReason mbTransferType mbTransferCategory mbPeerServerName mbDestAssetGroup

Object Identifier
1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.1 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.4 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.6 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.7 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.8 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.10 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.11 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.12 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.13 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.14 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.15 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.16 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.17 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.18 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.19 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.20 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.21 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.22 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.23 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.24

Format
Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String

Access
Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Description
A critical message logged by MediaBase. This message is raised when MediaBase is running low on storage space. This message is raised when MediaBase is running low on CPU idle time. This message is raised when MediaBase is running low on network bandwidth. This message is raised when MediaBase is running low on storage bandwidth. This message is raised when a MediaBase ingest fails. This message is raised when a MediaBase transfer fails This message is raised when a MediaBase playout fails. The date when this event was generated represented as a string. The time when this event was generated represented as a string. The time in seconds when this event was generated. The IP address of the server The name of the asset The operation The status of the operation The failure reason Read-only The transfer type The transfer category The name of the peer server The destination asset group MB-ADMIN-83-A

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Table 4-16 mbStartDate mbStartTime mbStartTimeVal mbComment mbFormat mbType mbAvailability mbAssetGroup mbLastUseDate mbLastUseTime mbLastUseTimeVal mbRedirectedServerName mbSpeed mbSessionName mbSessionId mbTrackId mbDestinationAddress mbPercentageUsed mbPercentageTrigger mbServiceName mbServiceStatus mbHARole mbHAPreviousState Trap Variables (Continued) Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Integer32 Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Integer32 Integer32 Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.25 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.26 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.27 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.28 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.29 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.30 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.31 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.32 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.33 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.34 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.35 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.36 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.37 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.38 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.39 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.40 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.41 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.42 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.43 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.44 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.45 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.46 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.47

The date (as a string) when this operation started. The time (as a string) when this operation started. The time in seconds this operation started. Comment field The format of an asset The type of an asset The availability of an asset The asset group The date (as a string) this asset was last used. The last time this asset was used. The time in seconds (since the epoch) this asset was last used. The node name to which a session was redirected. The speed of trick mode: 1 implies normal play, <-1 implies REW and >1 implies FF. The session name The session ID The track ID The destination of a stream This percentage of resource actually used This is the trigger percentage above which a trap is raised. The name of the MediaBase service The status of the MediaBase service The High Availability implementation role. Possible values: Primary or Secondary. The High Availability implementation previous state. Possible states: Initializing, DumpingDB, WaitingToPullDB, PullingDB, SyncingDB, BecomingMaster, GivingUpMaster, WaitingForPeerToGiveUp, WaitingForPeerToTakeOver, CurrentMaster, WaitingForIngestCompl, SecondaryMaster, Error, StandAlone. The HA implementation in the current state. Possible states: Initializing, DumpingDB, WaitingToPullDB, PullingDB, SyncingDB, BecomingMaster, GivingUpMaster, WaitingForPeerToGiveUp, WaitingForPeerToTakeOver, CurrentMaster, WaitingForIngestCompl, SecondaryMaster, Error, StandAlone. The name of a work group The bandwidth allocated to a work group by the central site The bandwidth in use at the central site to serve requests from a work group. The Network Interface Type in NodeAgent The Network Interface name or address

mbHACurrentState

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.48

Octet String

Read-only

mbWorkGroupName mbBWAllocated mbBWInuse mbInterfaceType mbInterfaceName

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.49 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.50 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.51 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.52 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.53

Octet String Integer32 Integer32 Octet String Octet String

Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

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Table 4-16 mbInterfaceStatus mbInterfaceAlias mbChangeEvent mbRequestedNPT mbNPT mbShowingName mbChannelName mbChannelId Trap Variables (Continued) Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Octet String Integer32 Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only Read-only

Administrators Guide

1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.54 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.55 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.56 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.57 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.58 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.59 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.60 1.3.6.1.4.1.6293.1.1.3.61

The status of the Network Interface in NodeAgent The Network Interface that is aliased to the HPN interface The state change event. Possible values are: LinkUp, LinkDown, LinkFailOver, LinkSpeedInvalid The requested NPT position in PLAY request The actual NPT position for a PLAY or PAUSE request The showing name for a regular or nVOD showing The nVOD channel name The nVOD channel ID

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Monitoring MediaBase Services


The MediaBase server employs several services that deliver, stream, or manage assets. This section shows how to monitor these and other MediaBase services. See these topics: MediaBase Services on page 73 Determining the Status of MediaBase Services on page 76
Note: For more information about services, see Starting and Stopping MediaBase Services in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

MediaBase Services
These sections provide a detailed description of each MediaBase service: Jukebox Transfer Service on page 73 MediaBase Proxy Service on page 74 MBone Session Directory Service on page 74 Server Storage Manager on page 74 Universal Delivery Service on page 75 Cluster Enabling Service on page 75 Reliable Multicast Delivery Service on page 75 Cluster Video Transfer Service on page 75 Installation Service on page 75 Local Log Daemon on page 75 Name Service on page 75 Resource Audit Service on page 75 IP Multicast Routing Daemon on page 76 ODL Database Server on page 76 Streamer-Proxy Server on page 76 Jukebox Transfer Service This is the MediaBase service that transfers assets from nearline (backingstore) storage devices to MediaBase filesystems. The MediaBase server only stores metadata for nearline assets, the underlying asset data is kept on a nearline storage device. Each MediaBase server runs only one JBTS (definition) service, but the service can handle multiple transfers simultaneously. Transfers are implemented by JBTS which determines which jukebox profile needs to be used to handle the transfer based on the name of the assets underlying file. The filename is matched against the mount points specified in the profiles until the right profile is found. JBTS then uses the profiles status program to estimate file retrieval times and the profiles copy program to read the file from nearline storage. JBTS then calls MediaBases storage manager (SSM) to allocate storage for the incoming asset and to reserve disk bandwidth equal to the assets playback rate. This process allows the transfer to proceed without interfering with playback. If the profile allows playback while loading assets, JBTS marks the asset as being available for playback after the specified delay; otherwise, the MediaBase server marks the asset as being available once the entire file has been transferred.
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After the transfer, the MediaBase server caches the asset in the MediaBase filesystem for immediate and subsequent playback requests. If the storage manager is not able to allocate disk storage for a backingstore asset, it purges the least-recently-used nearline asset until sufficient storage is available. For additional information, see the jbts or ssm man pages. MediaBase Proxy Service This MediaBase service (mb_proxy) intercepts movie open (definition) calls from MediaBase clients. MediaBase clients that request playout via RTSP can request that the resources required for playout be controlled explicitly or implicitly by the client. With explicit control, resources are held until the client issues an RTSP TEARDOWN message or tears down the underlying TCP connection. With implicit control, resources are reclaimed if the client takes one of the above actions; additionally, resources are reclaimed if there are no RTSP messages from the client within a specified period. For additional information, see the mb_proxy man pages. MBone Session Directory Service MBone is the part of the Internet that supports IP multicast, and thus efficient many-to-many communications. It is often used for multimedia conferencing which require conference membership and coordination. To participate, a user at an MBone site only has to know that conferences multicast group address and the UDP ports for the conference data streams. Session directories advertise conference sessions and communicate relevant conference setup information to prospective participants. SDP (Session Description Protocol) is used to convey this information to recipients. Different transport protocols including SAP, electronic mail with MIME extensions, and HTTP can carry SDP session descriptions. MediaBases MBone Session Directory Service (MSDS) is a session directory. It listens for external MBone session announcements, announces local MediaBase multicast sessions on the MBone, and manages multicast addresses. MSDS consists of two threads: the SAD (snoop and announce daemon) which snoops for remote MBone sessions and announces local MediaBase multicast sessions, and the interface thread which is responsible for multicast address allocation and de-allocation. Internally, MSDS maintains a multicast address cache that contains information about multicast addresses that are known to be in use. This information is gathered from the received MBone session announcements and also from multicast addresses currently assigned to local MediaBase sessions. At startup, MSDS picks up information about local multicast sessions from MediaBases showings database. Information received about remote MBone sessions is stored in another MBone sessions database. For additional information, see the msds man pages. Server Storage Manager The Server Storage Manager (SSM) is the MediaBase service that stores and removes assets, then allocates bandwidth for the recording and playing for assets. There only needs to be one SSM running on a server which runs multiple threads. For more information, see the ssm and smstat man pages.
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Universal Delivery Service The Universal Delivery Service (UDS) is a MediaBase delivery pump responsible for streaming variable and constant bitrate (VBR and CBR) media. UDS is a universal service that supports a variety of media formats, and delivers on-disk and live content via unicasts or multicasts. UDS employs a set of plugin components called stream processors and stream readers that can handle a variety of media formats and sources. Each server can run only one UDS, but UDS may deploy several threads and deliver many movies. For additional information, see the uds man pages. Cluster Enabling Service MediaBases Cluster Service extends content management across multiple servers to offer a single, logical view of the system. This is done primarily by the NodeAgent service that communicates between machines to build a single logical view of the content management system. NodeAgents periodically send heartbeats with server load and asset availability information to the other servers in a cluster. This information helps create a single logical system view while handling cluster-related operations, such as redirecting user playback requests from servers that have the requested content, but lack the resources to satisfy the request. For more information, see the MediaBase XMP Cluster Server Administrators Guide. Reliable Multicast Delivery Service This service sends announcements from the sender for all the configured groups and scheduled distributions (schedules) and then receives these announcements on the receivers. To use this feature, you must have a license for the reliable multicast feature. Cluster Video Transfer Service This service transfers assets between a cluster of MediaBase servers. Installation Service This service installs (adds) assets to MediaBase servers. Local Log Daemon This daemon logs messages on MediaBase servers. Name Service This service converts names into physical addresses. Resource Audit Service This service audits MediaBase resources.
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IP Multicast Routing Daemon This daemon routes IP multicasts. ODL Database Server This is the Object Definition Language database service. Streamer-Proxy Server This service handles external streamers.

Determining the Status of MediaBase Services


Use either of these procedures to determine the status of a MediaBase service.
Note: For a detailed description of the functions carried out by each service see Table 4-20, MediaBase Core File Services, on page 90.

How to determine the status of MediaBase services from the command line
1 2 Log in to the server host as root (or use the su command to become superuser). From the command line, enter the following:

/usr/mbase/sbin/cksvcs
Following is the command printout:

Defaulting to fastweb.kasenna.wan for name server AAAA Service up Cluster Service up Cluster Video Transfer Service up Configuration Service up Installation Service up Jukebox Transfer Service up Local Log Daemon up MBone Session Directory Service up MediaBase Proxy Service up Multicast Daemon up Name Service up Node Manager up ODL Database Server up Play Log Service up Reliable Delivery Service up Reliable Multicast Directory Service up Resource Audit Service up Server Connection Manager up Server Storage Manager up SNMP Agent up SNMP Trap Daemon up Universal Delivery Service up Web Server up How to determine the status of MediaBase services from the Web interface
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor then Services. View the list of services and their status given by the indicator lights: green Indicates that the service is running.

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red

Chapter 4: Monitoring MediaBase Resources


Indicates that the service is down or has been disabled. If: A service is unexpectedly down, check the MediaBase message log (see Monitoring MediaBase XMP Change Tasks on page 60 for details). All indicators are red, the MediaBase server isnt running. To restart the MediaBase server, see Starting and Stopping MediaBase Services in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide. Indicates that the service is unresponsive. It may be overloaded or there may be a problem. If: The service is overloaded, the situation is temporary and resolves itself. There is a problem with the service, check the MediaBase message log for messages that indicate why the service is unresponsive (see Viewing the MediaBase Logs on page 78 for details).

yellow

Figure 4-10

Service Status Page

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Viewing the MediaBase Logs


Most MediaBase services write information to the MediaBase message logs. Each log entry identifies the server, the service that logged the message, the messages severity and timestamp, and the event. Check the message logs regularly. If problems arise with a MediaBase service (for example, videos cannot be installed), the message logs can provide important information that may indicate the cause. There are many ways to check the messages and events by viewing: Message logs in the Service Administration tool GUI (see instructions below) or from the command line (see page 79) Service logs, see page 82. System logs. If services cannot write to the message log, they write to the system log in /var/log/messages. You can also: Change the message log settings to clear entries or change the severity level of messages that appear, see Changing Message Log Options on page 80 Change the severity level of messages that display; see Changing Message Log Options on page 80. Back up the message log; see Backing Up the MediaBase Log on page 80.
Note: For information about core files and service log files, see Locating Core Files on page 90 and Checking Server Resources and Activity on page 54.

See these topics: Viewing the Message Logs in the GUI on page 78 Changing Message Log Options on page 80 Backing Up the MediaBase Log on page 80

Viewing the Message Logs in the GUI


Use the following procedures to view message logs. The message logs collect important event severity codes which are detailed in Table 4-17 on page 78.
Table 4-17 MediaBase Log Severity Codes

Code
2 3 4 6 7

Level
CRITICAL ERROR WARNING INFO DEBUG

Meaning
The event has system-wide impact, for example a service failed to start. Immediate action is required. There is a problem that needs correcting, for example a video file cannot be opened. This event does not require immediate action. There is a transient problem, for example, network connections are unavailable. An event occurred that you need to know about, such as the successful completion of a task or the successful starting of a service. Debug mode is on and all messages are being written to the log.

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Note:

To change the threshold of events that causes detail to be written to the log, see Setting the Message Logging Threshold in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

How to view the message log from the Service Administration tool GUI:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then View Log. The Entries appear in the following format:

<server_name> <service> <severity_level> <timestamp> <message_type> <message>

Figure 4-11

The MediaBase LogTool in the Service Administration tool

How to view the MediaBase message log from the command line:
1 2 To see the most recent messages, from the command prompt enter:

tail -f /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local | /usr/ocs/sbin/viewlog


To view all messages in the MediaBase message log, from the command prompt enter:

/usr/ocs/sbin/viewlog /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local

Server Name

Service Severity Level Message ID

Timestamp

Message

Figure 4-12

Sample log output from the command line

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Changing Message Log Options


Use the following procedure to clear message log entries or to change the severity level of messages displayed in the log. MediaBase displays messages for all services. However, you can set a different level setting for each service.
How to select messages to display in the message log:
1 2 3 4 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor, then View Log. To stop logging messages, click Stop. (MediaBase continues to log messages, but does not make them available in a pop-up window.) To clear existing entries from the log and continue logging messages, click Clear. To change the severity level of messages logged for services, click Options. At Level choose the message level to assign to all services; see Table 4-17 for a description of message log severity codes. Click OK. Tip: Kasenna recommends that the threshold level is set to Warning during normal operation. If problems occur, set the threshold level to DEBUG.

Figure 4-13

Log Tool Filter

At Service, select each service for logging or click ALL SERVICES to log messages for all services.

Backing Up the MediaBase Log


The MediaBase message log can grow very large because services continually write messages to it. To limit the number of messages in the log, MediaBase backs up the message log daily at 2 a.m. and saves it in a file named /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local.backup.n (where n is a number beginning with zero which is incremented by one each time the log is backed up). By default, MediaBase retains only 10 logs; once the tenth is created, it automatically deletes older logs as the eleventh is being saved. Use the following procedures to change the number of backups that MediaBase retains and to manually back up the MediaBase server. Changing the Number of Backups Retained Use the following procedure to change the number of backups that MediaBase retains.
How to change the number of backup logs retained:
1 2 3 Use a text editor to open the /usr/ocs/sbin/rotatelogs file. At MAXBACKUPS, set the value to the number of backups to retain. Save and close the file.

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# # # # #

rotatelogs Invoked as a cron job, causes current MediaBase log to be backed up via backuplog command, then discards oldest log backup files per maxbackups value.

debug=0 SCRIPT=basename $0 # MAXBACKUPS need to not exceed 99 MAXBACKUPS=10 LOGFILEDIR=/usr/ocs/logs LOGFILEBASE=mbaselog.local WHICHLOGD=-local
Figure 4-14 The rotatelogs Utility

Manually Backing up the Message Log Instead of waiting for the backup utility (backuplog) to be processed as a cron job, you can run it yourself at any time. Each time backuplog runs, it copies the MediaBase message log to a file named mbaselog.local.backup.n, then empties the message log. To conserve disk space, periodically remove these log backups or allow the rotatelogs utility to do it for you. The MediaBase server retains only 10 message log backup files.
Note: The log service must be running when this utility is used. To determine whether the service is running, check the Service Status page; see Monitoring MediaBase Services on page 73 for details.

How to run the backup log utility:


1 From the command prompt enter:

% su # /usr/ocs/sbin/backuplog

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Checking the Service Logs


MediaBase logs exceptions, statistics, and other messages for services according to the industry-standard log W3C format and provides the following log files:
Table 4-18 Log File /usr/mbase/logs/cla_playout.log /usr/mbase/logs/cla_transfer.log /usr/mbase/logs/cla_instdel.log /usr/mbase/logs/cla_resutil.log /usr/mbase/logs/cla_operstats.log /usr/mbase/logs/isacs.log /usr/mbase/logs/isacs-exeptions.log /usr/mbase/logs/isacs-statistics.log /usr/mbase/logs/isass.log /usr/mbase/logs/isass-exceptions.log /usr/mbase/logs/isass-statistics.log Description Logs movie playout operations (see Logging Playout Operations and Showings on page 83). Logs transfer operations (see Logging Transfer Operations on page 85). Logs content installation and deletion operations (see Logging Asset Installations and Deletions on page 86). Logs resource utilization (see Logging Resource Utilization on page 87). Logs operational statistics (see Logging Operational Statistics on page 88). Logs events for ISA content store operations. Logs exceptions for ISA content store operations. Logs statistics for ISA content store operations. Logs events for ISA stream services operations. Logs exceptions for ISA stream services operations. Logs statistics for ISA stream services operations.

Tip:

When monitoring a cluster of MediaBase servers, to consolidate logging for all servers in the cluster into one service log see Configuring a Cluster Master for Master Logging on page 83 for details). Configuring log options to preserve disk space can be done using the configuration file /usr/mbase/config/log4cpp.prop. The detailed instructions for this configuration are at http://log4cpp.sourceforge.net/api/index.html.

See these topics: Viewing the Logs on page 82 Changing Logging Parameters on page 83 Configuring a Cluster Master for Master Logging on page 83 Logging Playout Operations and Showings on page 83 Logging Transfer Operations on page 85 Logging Asset Installations and Deletions on page 86 Logging Resource Utilization on page 87 Logging Operational Statistics on page 88

Viewing the Logs


How to view the logs:
1 From the command line, open and view the log file:

% su # vi /usr/mbase/logs/<Log_Name>.log
For example: # vi /usr/mbase/logs/cla_playout.log Note: All the log files are logged in W3C format. If a particular field is not applicable to a log entry or is an optional field and therefore is not available, it is logged as W3C string -. MB-ADMIN-83-A

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Changing Logging Parameters


Use the following procedure to change the location of log files and the frequency with which the logs are updated.
How to change logging parameters:
1 2 Use a text editor to open /usr/mbase/config/cluster.config. To change the directory in which log files are placed, change the directory specified at Clagent.log_directory = <log_dir>. Note: 3 The default location is /usr/mbase/logs.

To change the frequency of logging resource utilization and operational statistics, change the value specified at Clagent.push_load_frequency = <freq> (where frequency is indicated in seconds). Note: The default value is 60 seconds.

Save and close the file.

Configuring a Cluster Master for Master Logging


Each node in a cluster generates a log of its activities. If a node in the cluster is designated as the master, the activities of each node in the cluster are automatically aggregated and logged on the node acting as the current master. This consolidation of the logs onto the master is known as master logging. Master logging is enabled by default. When MediaBase is initially configured, the property clagent.enable_master_logging is set to True in the file /usr/mbase/config/cluster.config. When master logging is enabled, activity is logged into the following files on the master node:
Consolidated Log File Playout log Transfer log Install/Delete log Resource utilization log Operational statistics log Location on Master Node /usr/mbase/logs/mcla_playout.log /usr/mbase/logs/mcla_transfer.log /usr/mbase/logs/mcla_instdel.log /usr/mbase/logs/mcla_resutil.log /usr/mbase/logs/mcla_operstats.log For a detailed description see: Logging Playout Operations and Showings on page 83 Logging Transfer Operations on page 85 Logging Asset Installations and Deletions on page 86 Logging Resource Utilization on page 87 Logging Operational Statistics on page 88

Note:

To disable master logging, set the property clagent.enable_master_logging in the file /usr/mbase/config/cluster.config to False.

Logging Playout Operations and Showings


This log (/usr/mbase/logs/cla_playout.log) captures playout operations such as session SETUP, TEARDOWN, PLAY (including fast-forward and rewind), and PAUSE. This log also captures showings activity and logs the start time (ShowingBegin) and end time (ShowingEnd) of each showing.
Field Date MB-ADMIN-83-A Description The date of the operation.

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Field Time TimeVal ServerName AssetHandle Operation Description The time of the operation.

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The time in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). The name of the server on which the operation occurred. The name of the asset on which the operation was performed. The operation name. This can be Setup, Teardown, Play, Pause, ShowingBegin, ShowingEnd. FastForward and FastRewind are logged as Play requests with appropriate Scale value. The operation status: Success, Failed, Aborted, or Redirected. (Optional) This describes the operations status and is logged only if available. The server name to which the SETUP request is redirected. This is applicable only to session SETUP requests. For a TEARDOWN request, this is the date when the session was started. For a PAUSE request this indicates the date on which the previous playout (or fast-forward / fast-rewind request) was performed. For all other operations this field is not applicable. For a TEARDOWN request, this is the time when the session started. For a PAUSE request this indicates the time that the previous PLAY (or fast-forward or fast-rewind request) was performed. For all other operations this field is not applicable. The StartTime value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). This indicated the speed at which the asset is played. For a PLAY request, this is 1. For fast-forward or fast-rewind requests this indicates the speed of the operation. For all other operations this field is not applicable. (Optional) This is the session name. All operations belonging to this session have the same name. The unique ID for this session. All operations belonging to the same session have the same session ID. (Optional) This identifies the MPEG-4 track and is applicable only for session SETUP requests. This indicates the destination to which the data stream is sent. This is logged only as part of the session SETUP request and is not applicable to other operations. The destination address string is in the <protocol>:<address> format. For IP networks, it can have following form: UDP: <ipaddr>:<port> TCP: <ipaddr>:<port>. For cable networks, it can be GQAM:<ipaddr>:<port>, where <ipaddr> and <port> indicate the QAM address to which the data stream is sent.

Status Reason RedirectServerName StartDate

StartTime

StartTimeVal Speed

SessionName SessionId TrackId DestinationAddress

AssetGroup RequestNPTPosition NPTPosition BandwidthUsed ShowingName ChannelName ChannelID Comment

The asset group to which this asset belongs. The requested NPT position in the asset at which the playout should begin. The actual NPT position at which the playout started The network bandwidth used for the session. The name of the showing for a ShowingBegin or ShowingEnd operation. The name of the channel associated with the showing (if any) for a ShowingBegin or ShowingEnd operation. The channel ID of the channel associated with the showing (if any) for a ShowingBegin or ShowingEnd operation. (Optional) Use this string to provide additional information.

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Figure 4-15

cla_playout Log Example

Logging Transfer Operations


This log captures all the transfer operations. Each transfer begin and end of operation is logged in the /usr/mbase/logs/cla_transfer.log file.
Field Date Time TimeVal ServerName AssetHandle Operation Status Reason TransferType Description The date of the operation. The time the operation occurred. The Time value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). The name of the server on which the transfer occurred. The name of the asset transferred. The name of the operation performed: TransferBegin or TransferEnd. The operations status: Success, Failed, or Aborted. (Optional) This describes the operations status and is logged only if available. This is the type of transfer: Export (if the asset is pushed to the peer server) Import (if the asset is pulled from the peer server). This is the transfer category and has one of the following values: MetaDataContent, where metadata, content, and all auxiliary files are transferred. MetaDataContentNoAux, where metadata and the content is transferred. Auxiliary files are not transferred because they are generated locally on the destination. Unknown, where the transfer type is not known. The name of the peer server involved in the transfer operation. The name of the asset group associated with the asset. For TransferEnd operations, this is the date on which the transfer began. For TransferBegin operations this field is not applicable. For TransferEnd operations, this is the time when the transfer began. For TransferBegin operations this field is not applicable. The StartTime value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970).

TransferCategory

PeerServerName DestAssetGroup StartDate StartTime StartTimeVal MB-ADMIN-83-A

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Field Comment Description (Optional) Use this string to provide additional information.

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Figure 4-16

cla_transfer Log Example

Logging Asset Installations and Deletions


This log captures asset installation and deletion operations in /usr/mbase/logs/cla_instdel.log.
Field
Date Time TimeVal ServerName AssetHandle Operation Status Reason Format Type Availability

Description
The date of the operation. The time the operation occurred. The Time value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). The name of the server on which the transfer occurred. The name of the asset transferred. The name of the operation performed: InstallBegin, InstallEnd, DeleteBegin, or DeleteEnd. The operations status: Success, Failed, or Aborted. (Optional) This describes the operations status and is logged only if available. (Optional) The assets format of the asset: MPEG-1, MPEG-1 Audio, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4. (Optional) The asset type: Simple or Sequence. (Optional) For InstallEnd operations, this indicates the assets availability and is one of the following values: AVAILABLE, if the entire asset is available. AVAILABLE_ON_BACKING_STORE, if the asset is available on a backing store (nearline) storage device. (Optional) The name of the asset group associated with the asset. For InstallEnd or DeleteEnd operations, this is the date the operation began. For InstallBegin and DeleteBegin operations this field is not applicable. For InstallEnd or DeleteEnd operation, this is the time the operation began. For InstallBegin and DeleteBegin operation this field is not applicable. The StartTime value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). For DeleteEnd operations, this is the date the asset was last used. For other operations this field is not applicable. For DeleteEnd operations, this is the time the asset was last used. For other operations this field is not applicable. The LastUseTime value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). (Optional) Use this string to provide additional information.

AssetGroup StartDate StartTime StartTimeVal LastUseDate LastUseTime LastUseTimeVal Comment

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Figure 4-17

cla_instel Log Example

Logging Resource Utilization


This log (/usr/mbase/logs/cla_resutil.log) provides a periodic snapshot of storage, network, and CPU utilization. Events are logged every 60 seconds.
Field
Date Time TimeVal ServerName ResourceName ResourceType AvailBandwidth UsedBandwidth AvailStorageSpace TotalStorageSpace CpuUsage Comment

Description
The date the resource was monitored. The time the resource was monitored. The Time value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). The name of the server being monitored The name of the resource being monitored. The type of resource monitored: Storage, Network, or CPU. The available bandwidth (in bits per second). This applies only to storage and network resources. The used bandwidth (in bits per second). This applies only to storage and network resources. The available storage (in MB). This applies only to storage resources. The total storage space (in MB). This applies only to storage resources. The total CPU usage, indicated on a scale from 0 (none) to 100 (all). This applies only to CPU resources. (Optional) Use this string to provide additional information.

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Figure 4-18

cla_resutil Log Example

Logging Operational Statistics


This log (/usr/mbase/logs/cla_operstats.log) provides a periodic snapshot of system operations such as sessions, playouts, transfers, and asset installations and deletions. Events are captured every 60 seconds.
Table 4-19

Field
Date Time TimeVal ServerName LoadFactor SuccSetups FailedSetups RedirSetups SuccTeardowns FailedTeardowns SuccPlays FailedPlays AttemptedTransfers FailedTransfers AttemptedInstalls FailedInstalls AttemptedDeletes

Description
The date the information was captured. The time the information was captured. The Time value in seconds since the Epoch (00:00:00 on January 1, 1970). The name of the server being monitored The servers consolidated load factor (CLF) when the information was captured. The number of successful SETUP requests received during the monitoring period. The number of failed SETUP requests received during the monitoring period. The number of redirected SETUP requests received during the monitoring period. The number of successful TEARDOWN requests received during the monitoring period. The number of failed TEARDOWN requests received during the monitoring period. The number of successful PLAY requests received during the monitoring period. The number of failed PLAY requests received during the monitoring period. The number of successful TransferBegin requests received during the monitoring period. The number of failed transfers (begin or completion) received during the monitoring period. The number of successful InstallBegin requests received during the monitoring period. The number of failed asset installation requests (begin or completion) received during the monitoring period. The number of successful DeleteBegin requests received during the monitoring period.

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Table 4-19

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Field
FailedDeletes SuccShowings FailedShowings

Description
The number of failed asset deletion requests (begin or completion) received during the monitoring period. The number of successful showings started during the monitoring period. The number of failed showings during the monitoring period.

Figure 4-19

cla_operstats Log Example

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Locating Core Files


When an error occurs, a MediaBase service may create a core dump file. To preserve information for different services, each service writes core files to a different directory. Table 4-20, MediaBase Core File Services, on page 90 provides a list of core file directories and a description of each service.
Table 4-20 MediaBase Core File Services

Core File Directory


/usr/mbase/coredir/jbts

MediaBase Service Descriptions


Jukebox Transfer Service transfers assets from nearline (backingstore) storage devices to MediaBase filesystems. For a detailed description of this service see Jukebox Transfer Service on page 73.

/usr/mbase/coredir/mb_proxy

MediaBase Proxy Service Intercepts movie open calls from MediaBase clients. For a detailed description of this service see MediaBase Proxy Service on page 74.

/usr/mbase/coredir/msds

MBone Session Directory Service is MediaBases MBone session directory service that listens for external MBone session announcements, announces local MediaBase multicast sessions on the MBone, and manages multicast addresses. For a detailed description of this service see MBone Session Directory Service on page 74.

/usr/mbase/coredir/ssm

Server Storage Manager stores and removes assets, then allocates bandwidth for the recording and playing for assets. For a detailed description of this service see Server Storage Manager on page 74.

/usr/mbase/coredir/uds

Universal Delivery Service is the MediaBase delivery pump responsible for streaming variable and constant bitrate (VBR and CBR) media. For a detailed description of this service see Universal Delivery Service on page 75.

/usr/mbase/coredir/nodeagent

Cluster Enabling Service Extends content management across multiple servers to offer a single, logical view of the system. For a detailed description of this service see Cluster Enabling Service on page 75.

/usr/mbase/coredir/ccserver /usr/mbase/coredir/StreamService

Content Component Services Conforms to the Time Warner Cables ISA (Interactive Services Architecture) content component specification for an architectural separation of services from infrastructure. ISA components are of two types: Services and Infrastructure. This distinguishes products from provisioning. Monitoring and Configuration Services supports MediaBases Java-based administration interface. Node Manager Service provides the interface between the MediaBase node agents and the MediaService API. Streamer Proxy Service provides the interface to external streamers. Reliable Multicast Directory Service transmits and receives information regarding multicast group transfers (license required). Content Ingest Service processes ingest content from a staging area. FTP Content Ingest Service processes ingesting content from an FTP server.

/usr/mbase/coredir/config_svc /usr/mbase/coredir/nodemanager /usr/mbase/coredir/streamer-proxy /usr/mbase/coredir/rmds /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc/taskrunner /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc/ftpingest

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Managing MediaBase Assets

This chapter shows you how to install and manage encoded video and audio assets.
See these topics: Before Installing an Asset on page 92 Using the Video Management Tool on page 97 Transferring Assets Between Servers on page 106 Deleting Assets on a Remote System on page 116 About Time Formats on page 118

Consult these additional resources: MediaBase also provides command line utilities that you can use to install and manage assets. These are described in Command-line Utilities on page 149. For information about MediaBase asset types and how filesystem resources are reserved for videos, see About MediaBase Assets on page 39. For information about managing live streaming video captures, see Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions on page 139.

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Before Installing an Asset


To manage an asset with MediaBase, first youll need to install (add) it. You can only install simple assets into MediaBase. Simple assets are MPEG-1 video and MPEG-1 audio, MPEG-2 transport stream video, and MPEG-4. To have MediaBase manage derivative assets, you can create them from simple assets. Derivative assets are clips, sequences, and personal sequences as described in the following sections. Before you install assets into MediaBase, review the following sections. See these topics: Encode Assets Before Installation on page 92 Determine Required Auxiliary Files on page 93 Determine Storage Requirements on page 93 Assigning Asset Groups on page 95 Determining Asset Metadata on page 95

Encode Assets Before Installation


First, use an encoder to compress and convert assets from an analog to a digital format such as MPEG. Compression minimizes the storage space and bandwidth required to store and transmit asset data. The process consists of two parts: encoding, which transforms assets into a highly compressed form called the bitstream, and, decoding, which takes the bitstream then expands it into a wave file. Decoding occurs at the client during playback. Converting assets to the MPEG format exploits the properties of the human ear to interpret sound and reduces the size of data by a factor of 11 with little or no perceptible loss of quality. MediaBase supports encoder output in the MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 formats. To configure your encoder to work with the MediaBase server, see Adding Encoders to MediaBase XMP in Chapter 3 of the Figure 5-1 Configure Encoders MediaBase Installation and Configuration guide for details. Youll then use MediaBases Live Video Capture Management tool to capture encoded assets (see details in Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions on page 139).

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Determine Required Auxiliary Files


You can choose to serve assets with or without player controls that allow users to fast-forward, rewind, and re-position playback. These controls are provided in auxiliary files that describe which controls are enabled for the asset. Auxiliary files are usually created when you install assets. The process of creating auxiliary files during installation time takes time and may not always be required. To limit installation time, you can skip auxiliary files altogether or you can create them only for positioning only.

In this player, only the positioning control is enabled. The fast forward and rewind buttons are disabled. Positioning slider

Figure 5-2

Sample player control options

If you choose to have MediaBase create auxiliary files, it provides all controls unless you specify otherwise. If you choose not to create all the auxiliary files, all controls are disabled. When you choose to create an auxiliary file only for positioning, the position slider is enabled, but the fast forward and re-position buttons are disabled.

Determine Storage Requirements


To add a video to the MediaBase server, use the following options to specify how MediaBase stores it.
Table 5-1 MediaBase Storage Options

Storage Option
Standard

Function
Inserts metadata into the MediaBase database Copies source files to a MediaBase-managed filesystem.

Advantages / Disadvantages
The video is immediately available for playback after installation.

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Table 5-1 MediaBase Storage Options (Continued)

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Storage Option
Nearline storage

Function
Inserts metadata into the MediaBase database Leaves source files on a nearline (backingstore) storage device such as CD jukebox or digital tape library.

Advantages / Disadvantages
When asset is copied to the MediaBase filesystem, only a user play request is received for the asset and the asset isnt already present from a previous play request. Playback of nearline (backingstore) assets cannot begin until the entire asset is transferred. During this time, a status window displays that shows the user the estimated time until the video can be played. The user can cancel video playback from this status window. This method is a very cost effective way to store and view large amounts of digital content because nearline (backingstore) storage devices provide vast amounts of storage capacity at low cost. This is also a good choice for serving less frequently used content. A nearline (backingstore) asset remains on the MediaBase filesystem until there is insufficient space for another backingstore asset. At that time, MediaBase deletes the asset from its filesystem. If MediaBase cannot find a nearline (backingstore) asset to purge, it displays space unavailable. With nearline (backingstore) assets you cannot: Manually control asset placement Specify the number of guaranteed viewers

Specify Filesystems The MediaBase server determines which of its filesystems has sufficient space and bandwidth for an asset and copies the video to that filesystem. If there are insufficient resources on a filesystem to support the maximum number of simultaneous users, MediaBase replicates (copies) the video to another managed filesystem. The MediaBase server repeats this replication process until the number of copies available supports the specified number of simultaneous users. By default, the MediaBase server selects the filesystem to use. However, you can have MediaBase: Store the video in a specific filesystem. Use a copy of an asset that resides on a specific MediaBase-managed filesystem. If you choose one of these options, MediaBase does not make additional copies of the video, even if the single copy isnt sufficient to support the requested number of plays.

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Assigning Asset Groups


MediaBase assigns videos to logical groupings called asset groups. You can assign assets to asset groups that you create. If you do not specify an asset group, MediaBase assigns the asset to the System Asset Group. Each asset can belong to only one asset group. Derived assets are never assigned asset groups.
Note: See Adding a New Asset Group in Chapter 3 of MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide for more information about asset groups. For information about the Cache Asset Group, see About the Cache Asset Group on page 42.

Using Group Assets with Folders Asset groups can contain folders, folders can Figure 5-1 Sample player control options contain other folders as illustrated at the right. Use folders to create logical groupings within asset groups. MediaBase folders work like directories in a filesystem, except that assets are not physically stored in the folders.
Note: You must create folders before you install the videos you intend to assign to them. During installation youll specify the folder as part of the video name in fact it is considered to be part of the assets metadata. If you do not specify a folder, the video is placed in the root folder (which is designated by a single forward slash /). See Using Folders on page 101 for more information.

Assets can belong to multiple folders and folders can contain other folders. For example, you might use a folder called animal for videos that have animals as the main topic. The animal folder might contain other folders for types of animals, such as dogs or cats. Refer to the videos in the folders the same way you refer to a file in a directory. For example, the notation for a video in the dogs folder would be animal/dogs/video_name. Use this notation whenever referring to a video name in MediaBase.
Tip: Use MediaBases Video Management tool to view and search for videos in folders.

Determining Asset Metadata


To add a video to MediaBase, enter descriptive information about the video, called metadata. Table 5-2 describes the metadata that can be added when installing a video into MediaBase. MediaBase also calculates the delivery bitrate and duration, and stores it as part of the metadata.

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Table 5-2

Types of Metadata Information

Attribute
Video name Asset group

Description
The name of the video in [folder_name]/<video_name> format. The asset group the asset belongs to. By default, MediaBase assigns assets to the System Asset Group. See Configuring Asset Groups on page 164 for information about creating new asset groups.

Encoding Source file(s) Auxiliary files Number of guaranteed plays

The format in which the video was encoded. MediaBase supports MPEG-1 with system stream, MPEG-4, MPEG-2 Transport, Program Stream, and MPEG1-Audio formats. The full path and name of the file(s) that contains the video and audio source data. The type of auxiliary files created when the asset is installed. You can choose auxiliary files that contain controls for fast forward, rewind, and positioning. The maximum number of simultaneous users for which MediaBase guarantees the performance of the video after it is installed. MediaBase uses this number to reserve filesystem resources. A higher number of plays causes MediaBase to reserve a large amount of space, and may limit the number of videos that MediaBase can manage. For information about how MediaBase reserves filesystem resources, see MediaBase Asset Groups on page 42.

Keywords

Descriptive information about the video. This information appears on listing pages for the showings and video. Kasenna recommends that you use keywords that help users search for and identify videos. The method by which the video is stored in MediaBase: Automatic Placement Forced Placement Shared Placement (Default) MediaBase copies the video to the filesystem it chooses. MediaBase places the video in the filesystem you choose. MediaBase uses the existing file in the filesystem.

Placement options

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Using the Video Management Tool


This section shows you how to use the MediaBase Video Management tool to add and manage videos. See these topics: Accessing the Video Management tool on page 97 Browsing for Videos on page 98 Creating Clips and Sequences on page 99 Using Folders on page 101 Changing or Deleting Videos on page 103 Viewing Detailed Information About Videos on page 105

Accessing the Video Management tool


Use this procedure to access the Video Management tool.
How to access the Video Management tool:
1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, Click Content Pages, then Video.

Figure 5-3

Video Management Tools

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Browsing for Videos


Several pages in the Video Management tool support the option to browse through folders and select videos instead of entering the specific video name and path. Use the following procedure to browse for assets.
How to browse for videos:
1 If the page you are viewing has a Browse button, click it (see Figure 6-4).

Figure 5-4

Add Video/Audio Entry Screen

The Video Browser appears and displays the contents of the root folder. 2 To browse for a specific type of asset, select that asset type at Show. To display the contents of the folders that contain this folder, select one of the forward slashes, then click Open Folder. The number of dots that precedes a slash indicates the number of higher-level folders available. Figure 5-5 3 4 The Video Browser

To view videos in a specific folder, select the folder from the Videos list at the left. To search for an asset by entering a part of the name, use wildcards and enter a portion of the name at Video Name like. For example, to conduct a search that finds all videos whose descriptions contain a specific keyword, use wildcard characters and enter *train* and see a list display of videos whose descriptions contain train. Table 5-3 on page 98 lists the various types of wildcard characters available. Table 5-3 Special Pattern-Matching Characters

Symbol
* ? \* \? 5

Represents
Zero or more characters One character An asterisk A question mark

Click Open Folder to display the contents of the folder.

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6 Click Add to initiate installation of the asset.

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Creating Clips and Sequences


MediaBase supports derivative assets. These assets are created (derived) from one or more simple assets. Types of derivative assets are clips, sequences, and personal sequences. Use the instructions in this section to create derivative assets in MediaBase. See these topics: Creating Clips on page 99, shows you how to create an asset that is a segment of a video. Creating Sequences on page 100, shows you how to create a video asset from multiple videos.
Note: You may only create derivative videos from assets that are already installed in MediaBase.

Creating Clips
A clip is a portion of an asset, for example, a 60-second interval of a 5-minute video. Use the following procedure to create them. See Clips on page 40 for additional information about clips.
Note: If you havent installed the asset into MediaBase yet, see Determining Asset Metadata on page 95.

Figure 5-6

Clips

How to create a clip:


1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then Add Clip. At Clip Name, enter a name for the clip. Warning! The following characters are not allowed in asset names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >. 3 To add the clip to a folder, click Browse and select the folder from the Video Browser. Note: 4 5 For more information see Using Folders on page 101 and Browsing for Videos on page 98.

At Video Name, enter the name of the asset that youll create the clip from. To browse for installed assets, click Browse. At Start Time, enter the time (in seconds from the beginning of the video) where the clip need to begin. For example, if you want the clip to start four and a half seconds from the beginning of the source asset, enter 4.5. Playback starts at the nearest I-frame (the frame with a complete image).

6 7

At End Time, enter the time (from the beginning of the video) that you want the clip to end. (Optional) At Keywords enter any descriptive text you want to associate with the asset. This information is used in searches and also appears in listings and schedule pages; therefore, provide descriptive text that a user can understand.

Click Add.

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Figure 5-7

Add Clip Page

Creating Sequences
A sequence is two or more videos that are played in a particular order. For example, a sequence may consist of commercials interspersed within segments of a movie. The commercials and movie segments are then played sequentially as one video. You can create sequences from any video or clip that has the same format and bitrate. Sequences cannot contain other sequences or more than 16 components (clips or complete videos).
Note: Figure 5-8 Sequences

For more information about sequences and how theyre stored in MediaBase, see Sequences on page 40.

How to create a sequence:


1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then Add Sequence. To add the sequence to a folder, click Browse and select the folder. Note: 3 For more information see Using Folders on page 101 and Browsing for Videos on page 98.

At Sequence Name, enter a name for the sequence. Warning! The following characters are not allowed in asset names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >.

To create the list of videos that goes in the sequence: At Asset List select an asset or clip to add to the sequence. Determine the position of the asset in the sequence. Click Insert After or Insert Before. The name of the video appears at List of Videos in the Sequence.

5 6

Repeat the step above until all the assets are added. (Optional) At Keywords enter any descriptive text you want to associate with the asset. This information is used in searches and appears on listing and schedule pages; therefore, provide descriptive text that a user can understand.

Click Add.

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To delete an asset from the sequence, select it from the list, and then click Remove Item.

To display only assets of a particular encoding type in the asset list, select the type at Show, then click Apply.

Figure 5-9

Add Sequence Page

Using Folders
Use folders to organize assets just as you would use folders to organize directory files on a disk. However, these folders are logical groupings that do not effect how assets are stored in the filesystem. See these topics: Creating Folders on page 101 Accessing Folders on page 102 Deleting Folders on page 102 Renaming Folders on page 102 Moving Folders on page 103

Creating Folders
Use the following procedure to create new folders as well as folders within folders.
How to create a folder:
1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then click Add Folder.

Figure 5-10 2

Add Folder Page

To add the folder to an existing folder, browse for the folder. Click Browse, select the folder, click Open Folder, then click Add. Note: For more information Browsing for Videos on page 98.

At Folder Name, enter the folder name. Warning! The following characters are not allowed in folder names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >.

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4 Click Add to add the folder.

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Accessing Folders
After you create a folder, you add assets to the folder by specifying the folder as part of the video name. Because the notion of a current working directory does not exist in the MediaBase folder hierarchy, you cannot use relative paths to refer to folders. Instead, to access assets in a folder, specify a multilevel folder name in its entirety (as an absolute path). Folders are identified by a forward slash at the end of their name. For example, to access folder xyz under a folder abc, you must specify the entire folder name: /abc/xyz.

Deleting Folders
Use this procedure to delete folders.
Note: You cannot delete folders that contain assets.

How to delete a folder:


1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then click Add Folder. At Folder Name, enter the name of the folder you want to delete. To browse for the folder, click Browse, select the folder, then click Add to automatically add the selected folder name at Folder Name. Note: 3 For more information Browsing for Videos on page 98.

Click Delete.

Renaming Folders
Use this procedure to rename folders. If you rename a folder that contains assets, the assets are not effected.
How to rename a folder:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then click Add Folder. At Folder Name, enter the name of the folder that you want to rename or click Browse, select the folder, click Open Folder, then click Add. Note: 3 For more information Browsing for Videos on page 98.

Click Rename.

Figure 5-11 4

Rename Folder Page

At Rename To, enter a new folder name. Warning! The following characters are not allowed in folder names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >.

Click Rename.

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Moving Folders
Use the following procedure to move a folder. When you move a folder that already contains assets, the assets contained in the folder are not effected.
How to move a folder:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then click Add Folder. At Folder Name, enter the name of the folder you want to move. You can browse for the folder. Click Browse, select the folder, then click Add to automatically add the selected folder at Folder Name. Note: 3 4 For more information see Browsing for Videos on page 98.

Click Move. Enter the name of the folder you want to move the folder to, then click Move.

Changing or Deleting Videos


Use the following procedure to change the attributes or to delete a video that is installed, playable, and does not have a derivative asset (such as a clip or sequence) associated with it. The only changeable video attributes are the video name, keywords, and number of guaranteed viewers.
How to change or delete an installed and playable video:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, then click Find/Modify. To find the video based upon its name, at Video Name, enter a portion of the videos, enter one more wildcard characters to represent the rest of the name, then click Find. For example, to conduct a search that finds all videos whose descriptions contain either keyword, use wildcard characters and enter *train* and see a list display of any video whose description contain train. Table 5-4 on page 103 describes the various types of wildcard characters you can use. Table 5-4 Special Pattern-Matching Characters

Symbol
* ? \* \? 3

Represents
Zero or more characters One character An asterisk A question mark

To find the video based upon its description, at Keywords, enter one or more words that describe the video, and then click Find.

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Enter your search criteria in this section, and click Find.

The results appear here.

Figure 5-12 4 5

Complete Find Videos Page

To delete a video, select the checkbox next to the video, then click Delete. To change the videos attributes, click the video, then change any of the following information: Video Name The name that appears in listings for the video. Note: The following characters are not allowed in asset names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >. Keywords One or more words that describe the video. This information can also be used to search for the video.

Number of The guaranteed number of playouts possible for the asset, assuming no other asset Guaranteed Viewers is being played at the same time. If you increase the number of guaranteed viewers, MediaBase determines if the current number of copies and the placement support the new value. If they do not, Number of MediaBase makes additional copies. If you decrease the number of guaranteed Guaranteed Viewers viewers, MediaBase may delete one or more copies of the video until it has the fewest number of copies needed to support the requested number of users. Note: To change any other information that isnt displayed on the page (for example, storage information), delete the video, then reinstall it. To confirm your changes, see Viewing Detailed Information About Videos on page 105.

Tip:

Figure 5-13

Modify Video Attributes Page MB-ADMIN-83-A

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Viewing Detailed Information About Videos


You can view the following information about MediaBase videos: Video name and encoding type Asset group MediaBase filename and server where the video content is stored Nearline storage location Number of guaranteed viewers Duration Asset ID Delivery rate MediaBase video URL Keywords Status of the most recent change request involving the video In addition, you can also preview the video.
How to view information about MediaBase assets:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Video, click Find/Modify. If you know the complete name and folder of the video, at Video Name enter that information. If you do not know the complete information, enter a part of the folder name and then use one of these pattern-matching special characters (see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105). For example, to search for videos in the mpeg folder that begin with the letter a, enter mpeg/a%*. Tip: You cannot use single quotation mark () and double quotation mark () characters in the same search pattern. Pattern-matching Characters Figure 5-14 Video Information

Table 5-5

Use this...
% _ \* \? 3 4

To replace...
Zero or more characters Any character An asterisk A question mark

To search for the video based on keywords associated with it, at Keywords, enter one or more terms that are in the videos description, and then click Find. Then select the video from the resulting list. Check the information about the video as it appears. Table 5-6 on page 105 lists the symbols which indicate if the video file is installed on a MediaBase hard disk, filesystem, or resides on a nearline storage device. Table 5-6 Video Status Symbols

Symbol
+ x 5

To replace this...
The video is currently being installed. The video is currently being deleted or deletion terminated with an error. An error was encountered during the last operation on this video.

To determine the status of the installation or the date when the video was last changed, scroll to the bottom of the page. If the request is in progress, or it ended with an error, information about the most recent modification appears. Note: While a modification is in progress, this page is updated every 60 seconds.

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To preview the video, click the videos URL. The video plays in a separate window.

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Transferring Assets Between Servers


If you have installed and have a license for MediaBases Video Content Distribution (VCD) feature, you can use VCD to transfer media assets between MediaBase servers. With the export function, you can copy assets from the local server to another MediaBase server. With the import function, you can copy assets from another MediaBase server.
Note: For information about configuring VCD, see Installing Video Content Distribution (VCD) in Chapter 2 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

The following sections describe how to transfer assets between two servers using point-to-point distribution. See these topics: Exporting Assets on page 106 Importing Assets on page 108 Managing Transfer Jobs on page 110 Troubleshooting Transfer Jobs on page 113 Deleting Assets on a Remote System on page 116
Note: For more information about how asset transfers work, see Content Distribution Components on page 27.

Note:

For tips on increasing the performance of asset transfers via FTP or VCD, see Tuning MediaBase XMP for Optimal Asset Ingestation on page 273 and Tuning MediaBase XMP VCD Transfers on page 275, respectively.

Exporting Assets
You can export assets immediately (on demand) or you can schedule export transfer jobs for some future time. See these topics: Export on Demand on page 106 Scheduling an Export Job on page 107 Export on Demand Use the following procedure to export assets immediately.
How to export assets:
1 2 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Export. At Destination, select the MediaBase server that you want to transfer the asset to. To select more than one server, hold the Ctrl key and select additional servers.

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Figure 5-15 3 4

Export an Asset Page

At Asset(s) to transfer, click Browse then select the asset that you want to transfer. At Transfer Option, select: Overwrite to overwrite the existing asset at its destination. Modify to modify the metadata at its destination.

5 6

At Components to transfer, you must select MetaData, Content, and Auxiliary files. Click Export Asset.

Scheduling an Export Job Use the following procedure to schedule an export job that transfers assets at some later time.
How to schedule an export job:
1 2 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Export. Click Switch to schedule.

Figure 5-16 3 4 5

Scheduling a New Export Page

At Schedule Name, enter a name for the job. At Destination, select the MediaBase server that you want to transfer the asset to. To select more than one server, hold the Ctrl key and select additional servers. At Asset(s) to transfer, click Find Assets then identify the assets you want to transfer using one of the following methods: Enter the path and name of a file that contains the list of assets to transfer

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Enter a query string to find the asset. (For more information about using query strings, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197.) 6 7 At Priority, select priority you want to assign to the job. At Transfer Option, select: Overwrite to overwrite the existing asset at its destination. Modify to modify the metadata at its destination. Note: If you do not select Overwrite or Modify, the transfer cannot overwrite existing assets. 8 9 At Components to transfer, select MetaData, Content, and Auxiliary files. This the only valid option. At Start Time, enter the time you want the transfer to start. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

10 At Repeat Interval, indicate how often you want the transfer job to occur. 11 At End Time, enter the date that you want the transfer to end. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. 12 At No. of Retries, enter the number of times you want MediaBase to reattempt a failed transfer. 13 Click Add Schedule. Note: Point-to-multipoint distribution operations can be initiated using the command line. See Chapter 9, Distributing Assets to Edge Servers: Multicast Group Transfers on page 201.

Importing Assets
You can import assets immediately (on demand) or you can schedule export transfer jobs for some future time. See these topics: Import on Demand on page 108 Scheduling an Import Job on page 109 Import on Demand Use the following procedure to import assets immediately.
How to import assets on demand:
1 2 3 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Import. At Source, select the MediaBase server that you want to transfer the asset from. To select more than one server, hold your Shift key and select additional servers. At Asset(s) to transfer, click Find Assets, and then identify the assets you want to transfer using one of the following methods: Enter the path and name of a file that contains the list of assets to transfer Enter a query string to find the asset. (For more information about using query strings, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197.)

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Figure 5-17 4

Import an Asset On-Demand

At Transfer Option, select: Overwrite to overwrite the existing asset at its destination. Modify to modify the metadata at its destination. Note: If you leave Overwrite and Modify unselected, the transfer cannot overwrite the existing assets.

5 6

At Components to transfer, select MetaData, Content, and Auxiliary files. This the only valid option. Click Import asset.

Scheduling an Import Job Use the following procedure to schedule (pull) an import job that transfers assets at some later time. To change an existing scheduled job, see Changing Scheduled Transfer Jobs on page 111.
How to schedule an import job:
1 2 3 4 5 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Import. Click Switch to schedule. At Schedule Name, enter a name for the job. At Source, select the MediaBase server that you want to transfer the asset from. To select more than one server, hold your Shift key and select additional servers. At Asset(s) to transfer, click Find Assets then identify the assets you want to transfer using one of the following methods: Enter the path and name of a file that contains the list of assets to transfer, or Enter a query string to find the asset. (For more information about using query strings, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197.) 6 7 At Priority, select priority you want to assign to the job. At Transfer Option, select: Overwrite to overwrite the existing asset at its destination. Modify to modify the metadata at its destination. Note: If you leave Overwrite and Modify unselected, the transfer cannot overwrite existing assets. 8 9 At Components to transfer, select MetaData, Content, and Auxiliary files. This is the only valid option. At Start Time, enter the time you want the transfer to start. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

10 At Repeat Interval, indicate how often you want the transfer job to occur. 11 At End Time, enter the date that you want the transfer to end. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. 12 At No. of Retries, enter the number of times you want MediaBase to reattempt a failed transfer. MB-ADMIN-83-A

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13 Click Add Schedule.

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Figure 5-18

Schedule a New Import on Demand page

Managing Transfer Jobs


If you have scheduled an import or export transfer job, you can view a list of scheduled jobs, change the schedule, delete, or temporarily disable the job using the procedures in this section. See these topics Viewing Scheduled Transfer Jobs on page 110 Changing Scheduled Transfer Jobs on page 111 Deleting or Disabling Scheduled Transfer Jobs on page 112 Viewing Scheduled Transfer Jobs To view a list of scheduled jobs and individual transfer jobs within a schedule use the following procedure.
How to view scheduled transfer jobs:
1 2 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Monitor/Modify. At List of schedules, see a list of scheduled transfer jobs. See schedules that contain information about future import and export transfer jobs. To view a list of individual future transfers, enter search criteria here. Figure 5-19 3 Schedules Page

To view a list of individual transfer jobs, at Search for transfer jobs enter all or a portion of the asset name, the source host or the destination host, and then click List matching transfer jobs.

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See the type of asset components to be transferred

See the source and destination of the transfer. See the number of times that MediaBase reattempts the transfer if it fail.

Figure 5-20

Transfer Jobs List Page 4 To view detailed information about the schedule, click the Job ID.

Figure 5-21 5 6

Monitor a Schedule Page

To see a list of assets involved in the schedule, click List selected assets. If you think that information about the schedule may have changed because a job was running while you were viewing this page, click Refresh.

Changing Scheduled Transfer Jobs If you created a transfer job that transfers assets at some future time or date, use the following procedure to change the job.
Note: You cannot change a schedule that has jobs currently running. You also cannot change an import schedule to an export schedule, and vice versa.

How to change scheduled transfer jobs:


1 2 3 4 5 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Monitor/Modify. At List of schedules, see a list of scheduled transfer jobs at the top of the page. Select the schedule that you want to change, then click Modify schedule. To change the schedule name, at Schedule Name enter a new name. To change the destination of the transfer, at Destination enter the name of another MediaBase server.

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To change the assets that are transferred, click Find Assets, and then identify the assets you want to transfer using one of the following methods: Enter the path and name of a file that contains the list of assets to transfer Enter a query string to find the asset. (For more information about using query strings, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197.)

Figure 5-22 7 8

Modify a Schedule Page

To change the priority of the transfer job, select a new one at Priority. To change transfer options, at Transfer Options select: Overwrite to overwrite the existing asset at its destination. Modify to modify the metadata at its destination. Note: If you leave Overwrite and Modify unselected, the transfer cannot overwrite existing assets.

To change the items to transfer, at Components to transfer select MetaData Content, and Auxiliary files. This is the only supported option.

10 To change the time that the job starts, at Start Time, enter the time. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. 11 To change the frequency with which MediaBase attempts to re-transfer failed jobs, set that interval at Repeat Interval. 12 To change the time that you want the schedule to end, at End Time, enter a new time. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. 13 To change the number of times you want MediaBase to re-attempt failed jobs, enter that number into No. of Retries. 14 Click Update Schedule.

Deleting or Disabling Scheduled Transfer Jobs If you created a transfer job that transfers assets at some future time or date, you can use the following procedure to permanently delete or temporarily disable the job (as long as the job is not currently running). You can: Disable jobs whose transfer status is Waiting to start, Running, or Failed with non-zero retry count. If you disable the transfer job, later enable the job to run again. Delete jobs whose transfer status is Waiting to Run, Abort Complete, Failed, Run Complete, or Abort Failed.
How to delete or disable an individual transfer job:
1 2 3 From the Content Administration main page, click Distribution, then Monitor/Modify. At List of schedules, view the list of scheduled transfer jobs. To view the transfer job that you want to change, at Search for transfer job enter all or a portion of the asset name, or its source or destination host, and then click List matching transfer jobs. MB-ADMIN-83-A

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Select one or more jobs to disable or delete by clicking the jobs ID in the column at the left. To permanently delete the job, click Delete Selected. To temporarily disable the job, click Abort Selected. Click here to select jobs to disable or delete

Figure 5-23

Transfer Jobs List Page

Troubleshooting Transfer Jobs


This section contains solutions to the most commonly-experienced transfer problems. See these topics: FTP Issues on page 113 Username and Password Issues on page 114 Error Messages on page 114 Troubleshooting Resources on page 114 FTP Issues
How to test that the Kasenna FTP daemon is running:
1 2 3 From the command line, FTP to port 2121 with the command:

$ ftp <destination-server-name> 2121


Login in with the username and password specified in /etc/accessfile. If you are not asked to provide a username and password, use these commands to check /etc/xinetd.conf and /etc/services for kn-ftp and port 2121 entries, respectively.

$ grep kn-ftp $ grep kn-ftp


4

kn-ftp /etc/xinetd.conf stream tcp nowait root /usr/mbase/sbin/ftpd ftpd -l 2121 /etc/services 2121/tcp # Kasenna MediaBase Distribution Service

Make sure the MediaBase server is running.

$ ps -ef | grep mbase

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Username and Password Issues This section contains information to resolve unrecognized server errors during file transfers. You must have entries for the server to which or from which you want to transfer an asset. The Kasenna FTP uses the /etc/accessfile file to provide access control. At a minimum, verify the entries for the local server and the destination server exist in the /etc/accessfile.

Figure 5-24

Sample /etc/accessfile

How to resolve access issues:


1 From the command line, edit the /etc/accessfile, and add the following entries:

localhost <username> <password> <destination_server_name> <username> <password> Where


<username> passwd The login for accessing the destination MediaBase server. The password for accessing the destination MediaBase server. The default username password is kftpuser.

Error Messages Events and transactions from MediaBase and Content Distribution are logged in the /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local file. See following corrective actions that you can take when you see certain messages. Troubleshooting Resources Review the following list of help resources, logs, and configuration files to use when troubleshooting VCD issues.
Resource Type
Man pages

Description
The following man pages provide detailed information about using the Content Distribution commands: scheduleAdd scheduleModify scheduleQuery scheduleDelete scheduleMonitor transferjobAdd processJob

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Resource Type
Error logs Configuration files

Description
See /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local for most messages and /var/adm/SYSLOG for FTP information. The following configuration files are changed when Content Distribution is configured: /etc/accessfile /etc/inetd.conf /etc/services /etc/passwd /etc/hosts

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Deleting Assets on a Remote System


Use the following procedure to delete assets on a remote MediaBase server. Deleting Assets On-demand (Immediately) Use the following procedure to delete assets on demand.
How to delete or disable an individual transfer job:
1 From the Content Administration main page, click Content, then Delete.

Figure 5-25 2 3 4

Delete An Asset Page

At Remote Host, select one or more hosts to delete the asset from. To select more than one host, press the Shift key then select additional hosts. At Asset(s) to delete, enter the path and filename for one or more assets, or click Browse and select them from the list. Click Delete asset.

Scheduling Assets for Deletion Use the following procedure to schedule assets for deletion.
How to delete or disable an individual transfer job:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 From the Content Administration main page, click Content, then Delete. Click Switch to schedule. At Schedule Name, enter a name for the deletion job. At Remote Host, select one or more hosts to delete the asset from. To select more than one host, press the Shift key then select additional hosts. At Asset(s) to delete, enter the path and filename for one or more assets. To select assets from a list, click Browse, select the assets, then click Add. At Priority, select a priority for the job. At Start Time, enter the time you want the asset(s) to start deleting assets. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. At Repeat Interval, indicate how often you want the deletion to occur. At End Time, enter the date that you want the deletion to end. For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

10 At No. of Retries, enter the number of times you want MediaBase to re-attempt a failed deletion. 11 Click Add Schedule.

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Figure 5-26

Scheduling a New Delete Operation Page

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About Time Formats


The MediaBase server allows you to enter time using the following variety of formats: Enter the hour, minutes, and seconds in the hh:mm:ss format (at a minimum, enter the hour). Enter any time between 00:00:00 and 23:59:59. Military time is assumed if you don't specify otherwise. You can enter a date with the time. If you do not specify a date, the current date is assumed. If you do not specify a year, the current year is assumed. If you enter the month, provide at least the first three letters of the month. For example, enter Jun. for the month of June. You can enter the month in upper or lower case letters. Enter dates in mm/dd/yy or mm/dd format. If you omit the year, the current year is assumed.
Table 5-7 Time Format Examples

Entry in Time Field


7pm June 30 00:00:00 10:15 10:30:15 pm May 8 10:00 may 8 10:00PM May 8 10:00 2001 may 8 2001 10:00 7:30pm Apr. 13 6/1/01 8pm 6/1 7pm now+100

Meaning
Current day at 19:00:00 June 30 (current year) at 00:00:00 Current day at 10:15:00 Current day at 22:30:15 May 8 (current year) at 10:00:00 May 8 (current year) at 22:00:00 May 8, 2001 at 10:00:00 May 8, 2001 at 10:00:00 April 13 (current year) at 19:30:00 June 1, 2001 at 20:00:00 June 1 (current year) at 19:00:00 100 seconds from now

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Chapter 6

Authoring With MediaBase Videos

This chapter describes how to reference MediaBase videos in Web documents.


See these topics: Format of a MediaBase Video URL on page 120 Authoring Personal Sequences on page 123

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Format of a MediaBase Video URL


Use any HTML hyperlink method (such as forms or anchors) to enable clients to play a MediaBase video. See the following syntax for creating links to play videos that are embedded in the Web page or that play in a separate window.
<A HREF> Tag Syntax <a href=http://<MediaBase_hostname>/mbase/asset/<video_name>[options]> <EMBED> Tag Syntax <EMBED SRC="<MediaBase_hostname>/mbase/asset/<video_name>?displaymethod=embed&[opt ions]" WIDTH=<width> HEIGHT= <height>> Where
Options

is one or more name-value pairs that modify the appearance or behavior of the video. The valid name-value pairs are in Table 6-1.
Name-value Pairs for Tag Syntax

Table 6-1

Option
autostart=value

Description
Set this to true to have the video start playing as soon as the player is ready. (Default) Set this to false to have force manual start. This tag is required if you use the EMBED tag to embed the video player in a Web page. Use this to add JavaScript functions that implement user controls for an embedded video (for more information, see sgiUseToolBar in this table). Set value to any valid name for a tool bar feature.

displaymethod=embed name=value

sgiLoop=value

Indicates whether the video needs to be replayed when the Web page that contains the embedded video remains displayed when the video ends. Set this to true to continuously replay the video. (Default) Set to false to allow the window to go blank when the video ends. Determines if a tool bar appears in the embedded video window. (Default) Set this to true to display a tool bar in the embedded window. Set this to false to suppress the tool bar in the embedded window and use JavaScript to display it elsewhere. Specifies the place that playback begins. StartPosition is expressed as the elapsed time (in seconds) from the beginning of the video. Specifies the place where playback ends. StopPosition is expressed as the elapsed time (in seconds) from the beginning of the video.

sgiUseToolBar=value

StartPosition=<time_in_seconds> StopPosition=<time_in_seconds>

Note:

Kasennas KBPlayer does not support the sgiLoop and sgiUseToolBar name-value pairs.

Authoring examples: <HREF> Tag Example: on page 120 <EMBED> Tag Example: on page 121 Enabling User Controls Example on page 121 JavaScript Controls Example: on page 121
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This tag plays the video train2 in a separate window and starts playing as soon as the player is ready:
<A HREF="http://server1/mbase/asset/train2?autostart=true"> Lesson 2 </A> <EMBED> Tag Example:

The following plays the video named train2 that is embedded inside a Web page:
Example: HTML for an embedded video

<HTML> <BODY VLINK="#fffa00" LINK="#fffa00" BGCOLOR="#000065" TEXT="#fffa00"> <CENTER> <H2 ALIGN="CENTER"> <I>MediaBase Movie</I> </H2></CENTER> <CENTER> <P ALIGN="CENTER"> <EMBED SRC="http://server1/mbase/asset/train2?displaymethod=embed&autostart=tr ue" WIDTH=382 HEIGHT=362> </P> </CENTER> <CENTER> <H6 ALIGN="CENTER"> <A HREF="http://server1/mbase/asset/train2?autostart=true"> <I>See the video in a separate window</I> </A> </H6> </CENTER> </BODY> /HTML
Tip: Use the following MediaBase command line utility to make sure that the height and width you specify in the URL are correct.

How to check the dimensions of a video:


1 From the command line, enter:

# /usr/mbase/bin/lsAssets -a <asset_name> -s

Enabling User Controls Example You can add a tool bar that users can use to start, stop, rewind, and fast forward playback in embedded videos. This method is intended for users of Windows 98/NT/2000 systems (not available for Macintosh clients).
Warning! Example: This feature is untested on versions of the Netscape browsers earlier than 4.0. HTML with an <EMBED> tag that defines the tool bar

<EMBED SRC="http://pyros/mbase/asset/Trailers/ Congo?displaymethod=embed&sgiUseToolBar=False&autoStart=True" name="KasennaMovieControls" WIDTH=380 HEIGHT=310> <br> JavaScript Controls Example:

The following example illustrates a form that uses JavaScript to implement the tool bar.

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Example: JavaScript tool bar

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<form> <input type=button value="Play" onclick=document.KasennaMovieControls.play()> <input type=button value="Stop" onclick=document.KasennaMovieControls.stop()> <input type=button value="Rewind" onclick=document.KasennaMovieControls.rewind()> <input type=button value="FastForward" onclick=document.KasennaMovieControls.fastForward()> <input type=button value="Duration" onclick=alert(document.KasennaMovieControls.getMovieDuration())> <input type=button value="CurTime" onclick=alert(document.KasennaMovieControls.getPositionInMicroSecs())> <p> <input type=input name="seekVal" value=0 size=3> <input type=button value="Seek" onclick=document.KasennaMovieControls.reposition(parseInt(form.seekVal.val </form>

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Authoring Personal Sequences


A personal sequence contains one or more simple assets and/or clips that are created by a client and played in a sequence. The sequence is not stored in the MediaBase filesystem, and the sequence and order of videos is only displayed to the owner. This section describes two of several methods to include a personal sequence in a Web page. See these topics: Authoring Personal Sequences in a Hyperlink on page 123 Authoring Personal Sequences in a List Box on page 124
Tip: You can also validate the personal sequence to make sure that there are no errors before the http request is sent. See Validating Personal Sequences in Chapter 9 of the MediaBase XMP Administrators Guide for details.

Authoring Personal Sequences in a Hyperlink


To create a personal sequence as a hyperlink on a Web page, define the sequence in the URL; up to 16 assets can be included in the sequence. To play the sequence, click the hyperlink on a Web page.
Syntax <A HREF=http://<MediaBase_hostame>/mbase/asset/[title]?dds=true&<asset-list>&[options] > Example: HTML that list assets for a personal sequence <a href="http://squeeky/mbase/asset/dds_title?dds=true&ddsname=Sullivans%20 Travels&ddsname=Citizen%20Kane&autostart=true">Sullivans Travels followed by Citizen Kane</a><br> <a href="http://squeeky/mbase/asset/dds_title?dds=true&ddsname=My%20Man%20Go dfrey&ddsname=Men%20With%20Guns&autostart=true">My Man Godfrey followed by Men with Guns</a><br> <p> Example: How the HTML displays

Where
Options is one or more name-value pairs that modify the appearance or behavior of the video. See valid name-value pairs in the following table.

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Table 6-2

Hyperlink Options

Option
dds=true servername title asset-list

Description
(Required) Indicates that the video URL is a personal sequence. The hostname of the MediaBase server that contains the assets. (Optional) The name you can assign to the personal sequence. If you assign a title, it must be encoded (use hexadecimal values for special characters, such as spaces). A list of asset names to include in the sequence. Use the following format: ddsname=<assetname> Asset names must be encoded (use hexadecimal values for special characters, such as spaces).

options

(Optional) Use the following options, entered as value pairs. autostart=<value> Set this to true to have the video start playing as soon as the player is ready. (Default) Set this to false to force a manual start. This tag is required if you use the EMBED tag to embed the video player in a Web page. A JavaScript function that implements user controls for an embedded video (for more information, see sgiUseToolBar in this table). Set value to any recognizable name for the tool bar feature.

displaymethod=embed name=<value>

Authoring Personal Sequences in a List Box


Use an HTML list box to create a personal sequence. The following example shows how to select assets from a list (up to the maximum of 16 assets to play in the sequence), select the assets to include in the sequence, and launch the personal sequence by clicking OK.
Example: HTML that list assets in a personal sequence <form name="ddsform" action="/mbase/asset/dds_title" method="GET"> Select assets from the following list to create a personal sequence, then click OK to play the sequence. <p> <select name="ddsname" multiple size=8> <option> Sullivans Travels <option> Citizen Kane <option> Men With Guns <option> Thin Blue Line </select> <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="dds" value="true"> <INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="autostart" value="true"> <input type="submit" value="OK">

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Chapter 7

Managing Multicast Showings

MediaBases multicast feature provides transmission of a video to multiple recipients at the same time. Multicasting saves considerable bandwidth, because the bulk of the data is transmitted once from the source through major backbones, and then multiplied or distributed to switching points that are closer to end users. You can also schedule video transmissions, called showings, to be available for viewing at designated times. Users can then request showings from a Web-based list of videos called the Showings Guide. This chapter shows you how to set up and manage multicast showings with MediaBases Multicast Management tool.
See these topics: Defining Time in MediaBase on page 128 Adding Showings on page 129 Changing, Copying, and Deleting Showings on page 131 Viewing Scheduled Showings on page 135 Scheduling NVOD Programs on page 136 In addition to the Multicast Management tool, MediaBase provides command-line utilities which perform many of the same functions. For detailed information about command-line utilities, see Command-line Utilities on page 149.

Tip:

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Defining Time in MediaBase


When you schedule showings, you can enter times in a variety of formats: Enter time in the hour, minutes, and seconds (hh:mm:ss) or month and date (mm:dd) format. This format assumes a 24-hour clock if you dont specify a.m. or p.m. If you dont specify a date, the current date is assumed. If you dont specify a year, the current year is assumed. To designate the month, enter at least the first three letters of the month. For example, enter jun for June. You can use upper, lower, or mixed-case letters.
Table 7-1 Time Format Options

Time Entry
7pm June 30 10:00:00 June 30 10:00 10:15 10:30:15 pm may 8 10:00PM May 8 10:00 2001 May 8 2001 10:00 7:30pm apr 13 06/01/2001 8pm 06/01 7pm now+60

Meaning
Today at 19:00:00. June 30 at 10:00 a.m. Because no year is specified, the current year is assumed. Today at 10:15:00 a.m. Today at 22:30:15 p.m. May 8 at 22:00:00. Because no year is specified, the current year is assumed. May 8, 2001 at 10:00:00 a.m. April 13 at 19:30:00. Because no year is specified, the current year is assumed. June 1, 2001 at 20:00:00. June 1st at 19:00:00. Because no year is specified, the current year is assumed. 60 seconds from now.

Table 7-2

Invalid Formats

Time Entry
6 Ja 1 7pm 6/01 10am 6/1/01 20:30:00:30

Reason Entry Is Invalid


If minutes are not specified, you need to specify a.m. or p.m.. You must specify at least the first three letters of the month. The month must be specified using two digits, such as mm/dd/yy or mm/dd You must specify a time. The maximum time resolution is seconds (hh:mm:ss).

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Adding Showings
This section shows you how to schedule a future showing. Consider the following guidelines when adding a showing: MediaBase does not reserve network bandwidth when you schedule a showing; it only verifies network availability. Try not to schedule showings that exceed available bandwidth. Otherwise, the showing fails. To view available resources, see Checking Server Resources and Activity on page 54. Allow enough time for a video that is currently stored on a nearline storage device to be transferred to the MediaBase filesystem before playout begins. If the video has recently played, it may already exist on the filesystem and is available immediately. If the video must be transferred during periods of heavy activity, the transfer may take longer than usual.
How to add a multicast showing:
1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Multicast, then click Add.

Figure 7-1 2

Add Showing Page

At Video to Play, enter the name of the video you want to schedule. To see a list of videos that are already installed in MediaBase, click Browse. Select a video, then click Add. MediaBase automatically adds the video name at Video to Play on the Add Showings page.

To select a video from a folder, at Videos, select the folder that contains the video then click Open Folder.

Figure 7-2

Video Browser 3 4 At Showing Name, enter a name for the showing. This is the name that appears in the showings guide. At Start Time, enter the time you want the showing to start. If you want to schedule the showing to play at regular intervals, this is the time of the first showing. Note: For additional information about time formats, see About Time Formats on page 118.

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5

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(Optional) If you want to control access to the showing, at Multicast Address, enter the servers IP address. Multicast addresses range from 232.xxx.xxx.xxx to 239.xxx.xxx.xxx. If you do not specify an address, MediaBase assigns one for you.

6 7

(Optional) If you specified a multicast IP address, at Port, enter the multicast port number. If you do not specify a port, MediaBase assigns one for you. (Optional) If you are scheduling the showing to re-occur at regular intervals, at Repeat Interval, enter the time (in days, hours, and minutes) between the start time of successive showings. Then at No. of Showings, enter the total number of showings. (Optional) At Keywords, enter one or more terms that describe the showing. This information is used for searching and also displays in the showing guide. If you want MediaBase to automatically delete the showing after its last scheduled time, click AutoDelete. Multicast The showing starts at the time you schedule. Users cannot control playout of the video or positioning. Tip: Enable Interactive Controls Choose this option to use the least possible disk and network bandwidth resources.

8 9

10 At Delivery Type, choose:

The showing starts only when the user clicks Start. VCR-like controls display on the client (such as fast-forward and rewind) to control playback. This mode allows the client to start playout in multicast mode then switch to this mode.

11 Click Add. 12 See a list of the showings appear at the bottom of the page. If you need to change the showing, following the instructions in Changing a Showing on page 131.

Figure 7-3

Add Showings Results Page

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Changing, Copying, and Deleting Showings


After you create a showing, you can change it, copy the showing information to another showing, or delete the showing. See these topics: Searching for a Showing on page 131 Changing a Showing on page 131 Copying a Showing on page 132 Deleting a Showing on page 133 Aborting a Showing on page 134

Searching for a Showing


The following procedure shows you how to search for a showing.
How to search for a showing:
1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Multicast, and then click Modify. Use one of the following methods to display the showing(s) that you want to change: To see showings with certain keywords, at Keywords, enter one or more terms or special characters that describe the showing. Do not use successive single () or double quote () in your search criteria. To see showings with a specified start or end times, at Start Time and/or End Time, enter a range of times and/or dates. To see showings with a certain name or portion of a name, at Showing Name enter all or part of the name. Use wildcards to represent a portion of the name. See following the various types of wildcard characters you can use: Table 7-1 Special Pattern-Matching Characters

Symbol
* ? \* \?

Represents
Zero or more characters One character An asterisk A question mark

Figure 7-4 3

Edit Showings Page

Click Query, and see a list of showings that match your search criteria appear.

Changing a Showing
Use the following procedure to modify information about a scheduled showing.

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Information that can be changed includes: the showing name, the start time, the multicast address and port, the associated keywords, whether the video is to be automatically deleted after its last showing about a scheduled showing and whether user controls (such as rewind and fast forward) display on the client.
How to modify a multicast showing:
1 2 3 Use the procedure described in Searching for a Showing on page 131 to display the showing that you want to change. Click the showing name. Change the showing name, start time, end time, multicast address, port number, auto delete setting, keywords, or interactive controls setting, and then click Modify, then Close.

Figure 7-5

Modify Showing Page

Copying a Showing
You can most of the copy the settings from a showing to another showing. In the following procedure, youll select a new name for the showing copy, then MediaBase copies most of the attributes from the original showing to the new showing. You can change or add new attributes to the showing copy.
Warning! Make sure that the copy of the original showing does not schedule showings to use the same port at the same time as the original showing.

How to make copies of a multicast showing:


1 2 3 4 Use the procedure described in Searching for a Showing on page 131 to display the showing that you want to change. Click the showing name. Click Copy. At Showing Name, enter a name for the new showing.

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Figure 7-6 5

Copy Showing Page

(Optional) Change any of the other showing settings: Start Time Multicast Address Change the time you want the showing to start. If you want to schedule the showing to play at regular intervals, this is the time of the first showing. Enter a new multicast IP address. MediaBase are not able to schedule the showing copy with the same IP address that the original showing is using. Note: Multicast addresses range from 232.xxx.xxx.xxx to 239.xxx.xxx.xxx. Port Repeat Interval Enter a new multicast port number. If you want the showing to reoccur at regular intervals, at Repeat Interval enter the time (in days, hours, and minutes) between the start time of successive showings. Enter the total number of showings to repeat at regular intervals. Enter one or more terms that describe the showing. This information is used for searching and also displays in the showing guide. Select this to have MediaBase automatically delete the asset after the last showing. Select this to have the showing start at the time you schedule. Users cannot control playout of the video or positioning. Select this to have the showing start only when the user clicks Start. VCR-like controls display on the client (such as fast forward and rewind) to control playback. This mode allows the client to start playout in multicast mode, then switch to this mode.

No. of Showings Keywords AutoDelete Multicast Enable Interactive Controls

Click Add to make the copy.

Figure 7-7

Copy Showing Results Page

Deleting a Showing
Use the following procedure to delete a showing that is not currently running.
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Note:

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If the showing is running, abort the showing using the procedure in Aborting a Showing on page 134.

How to delete a multicast showing:


1 2 3 Use the procedure described in Searching for a Showing on page 131 to display the showing that you want to change. Click the showing name. Click the box next to the showing you want to delete or click Select All to delete all the showings.

Figure 7-8 4 Click Delete.

Query Results Page

Aborting a Showing
Use the following procedure to abort a showing that is currently running.
How to abort a multicast showing:
1 2 3 4 Use the procedure described in Searching for a Showing on page 131 to display the showing that you want to change. Click the showing name. Click the box next to the showing you want to delete or click Select All to delete all the showings. Click Delete.

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Viewing Scheduled Showings


Use the Showings Guide to see a list of scheduled showings for installed videos and live-feed sessions.
Note: For more information about live-feed sessions, see Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions on page 139.

How to view the Multicast Showings Guide:


1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click Multicast, then Schedule.

Figure 7-9 2

Showings Guide Page

To view a video, click the showing name. A separate window opens that shows a countdown to the showings start time. The showing then plays in the window.

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Scheduling NVOD Programs


This section explains how to create programs that schedule a multicast to play on a NVOD channel. While a showing is based on a specified multicast address and port, a program is scheduled for a specific channel.
Note: This section assumes that you have created and configured NVOD channels as described in Chapter 3 Configuring and Maintaining MediaBase XMP in the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

See these topics: Adding Programs on page 136 Changing Programs on page 137 Display the Program List on page 138 Deleting Programs on page 138
Note: For command-line equivalents of these functions, see Adding and Managing Showings on page 171 and Adding and Managing Channels on page 181.

Adding Programs
Use the following procedure to add a program to an existing channel.
Note: When you add programs to a channel, the assets must be of the same type. For example, you cannot play an MPEG-1 program and then play an MPEG-2 asset immediately thereafter.

How to add a program:


1 2 3 4 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click NVOD, then Add. At Channel Name, select a channel to add the program to. At Program Name, enter a unique name for the program. (This name appears in the Program Guide.) At Video/Audio File, enter the name of the video or audio file to multicast or click Browse and select the folder from the Video Browser. Note: 5 6 For more information see Using Folders on page 101 and Browsing for Videos on page 98.

At Start Time, enter the time that you want the program to start. (Optional) If you want to play this video at regular intervals, use these steps: At Repeat Interval, enter the days, hours, and minutes between the start time of the programs. At No. of Programs, enter the number of times you want this program to repeat. Tip: For example if you want the program to play 10 times every four hours, enter 4 at Repeat Interval and 10 at No. of Programs.

7 8

At Keywords, enter one or more terms that describe the program. Click Add.

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Figure 7-10

Add Program Page

Changing Programs
Use the following procedure to change a program.
Note: You cannot change a program that is currently running.

How to change programs:


1 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click NVOD, then Modify.

Figure 7-11 2

Edit Program Page

Enter all or a portion of the following information to retrieve the program that you want to change, then click Query: Modify Showing (enter all or part of the program name) Start Time End Time Keywords Tip: Leave all fields blank to retrieve all programs.

3 4 5 6 7

Select the program from the list that you want to change. To change the programs start time, at Start Time enter a new time. To change the programs end time, at End Time enter a new time. To change the keywords associated with the program, at Keywords enter one or more new keywords. Click Modify.

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Display the Program List


Use the following procedure to display a list of programs.
How to display the program list:
From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click NVOD, then List.

Deleting Programs
Use the following procedure to delete a program.
Note: You cannot delete a program that is currently running.

How to change programs:


1 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, click NVOD, then Modify. Enter all or a portion of the following information to retrieve the program that you want to delete, then click Query: Modify Showing (enter all or part of the program name) Start Time End Time Keywords Tip: 3 4 5 6 7 Leave all fields blank to retrieve all programs.

Select the program from the list that you want to change. To change the programs start time, at Start Time enter a new time. To change the programs end time, at End Time enter a new time. To change the keywords associated with the program, at Keywords enter one or more new keywords. Click Remove.

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Managing Video Capture and Live-feed Sessions

This chapter shows you how to use manage video capture and live-feed encoding sessions in the MediaBase XMP server.
See these topics: Overview of Capture Sessions on page 140 Capture Session Tips on page 141 Adding Video Capture Sessions on page 145 Changing, Stopping, or Aborting a Scheduled Capture Session on page 147 Viewing Scheduled Capture Sessions on page 148

Additional Resources:
MediaBase also provides a command-line utility for managing encoding sessions. For information about this utility, see Managing Capture and Live-feed Sessions on page 183. For additional information about encoding formats and how filesystem resources are reserved for videos, see Managing MediaBase Assets on page 91.

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Overview of Capture Sessions


MediaBase uses integrated encoding during video capture or live-feed sessions to make an encoded asset available for storage or live transmission without using an intermediate staging area or file. MediaBase also supports network streaming encoders to encapsulate video input and transmit it in realtime over an IP network. Each capture session requires certain items to be specified: the encoder to use, the disposition of the stream (capture, live-feed, or both), the session time, and any encoding profile parameters that may differ from the default encoder profile. You can schedule capture sessions to start immediately or at some later time.
Note: When you set the time for a capture session, remember that a single encoder may engage in only one capture session at a time.

Use MediaBases immediate capture feature when the video source is under direct control, such as a video tape recorder (VTR), videodisc player, or other video storage medium that can be started and stopped on demand. With immediate capture, the video source is set up for playback (for example, a tape is placed into a video tape recorder and cued to the starting point of the program material), then the capture is started, and finally the video source is started. You can request both video capture and live feed during the same capture session to have a single stream from the encoder simultaneously installed into MediaBase storage and transmitted in realtime. You can also combine video capture and live-feed sessions with different live-feed, capture, and multicast sessions.

Capture Terms
Term
Capture Live feed

Definition
To install encoder output into MediaBase storage for later playback. To transmit encoder output in realtime via MediaBase. Like with multicast showings, users see the same copy of the video at the same time. They may not reposition the video but may join the viewing at any time. A capture or live-feed session. This term is used when no distinction needs to be made between the two types of sessions.

Capture session

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Capture Session Tips


This section provides tips for running capture sessions. See these topics: Preparing for a Capture Session on page 141 Tips for Starting Capture Sessions on page 141 Tips for Capturing Streams in Progress on page 141 Tips for Ending Capture Sessions on page 142 Tips for Allocating Resources on page 143 Tips for Designating Bitrates on page 144 Tips for Monitoring Sessions on page 144

Preparing for a Capture Session


Before you start a capture session in MediaBase, make sure that the encoding device is connected and configured properly. See Configuring Encoders for Use With MediaBase XMP in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide for general information about setting up encoders to work properly with MediaBase. Also, if a network interface is not available to your encoder, the capture session fails. See Configuring MediaBase XMP Network Interfaces in Chapter 3 of MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide for information about configuring network interfaces.

Tips for Starting Capture Sessions


Because encoders do not start instantaneously, it is important to accommodate this when you schedule capture sessions. If the encoder is not ready, startup artifacts, such as tape speed variations, video noise or picture tearing in the captured asset, may appear. For best results Kasenna recommends: 1 Start the MediaBase capture session first. 2 Start the device next if using a mechanical device, such as a tape deck, as a video source, and the device needs time to come up to speed. 3 Start the encoder. Tips for Capturing Streams in Progress If you use MediaBase to capture an encoder stream in progress, including streams from free-running encoders, MediaBase discards all input from the stream until it finds a clean synchronization point. For MPEG encoding, this means that MediaBase needs to recognize an appropriate header in the MPEG system layer or a clean interframe point (the boundary for a group of pictures). Depending on the frequency with which system headers are inserted by the encoder, you may lose several seconds of material from the beginning of the stream. To help MediaBase find a clean synchronization point: Have the encoder insert system headers on a regular basis. Controls may permit insertion periodically in time or preceding a regularly recurring MPEG data unit such as a pack or group-of-pictures boundary. Consult your encoder operating manual for details. For live-feed sessions, you must set up the encoder to periodically insert system headers.
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do not capture a stream in progress. Instead, arrange to have the MediaBase capture session begin before you start the encoder. The encoder always inserts headers at the beginning of the stream. Tips for Time- or Duration-Based Capture Sessions There are two types of capture sessions: A time-based capture session waits for the specified start time and the encoding stream to start, and then ends at the specified stop time. A duration-based capture session neither starts nor stops at a specified time; it stops when the end of the stream is received. As a result, the length of a duration-based captured video may be exactly 30 minutes while the length of a time-based captured video may be 30 minutes or less.
Behavior
Starts exactly at specified time Stops exactly at specified time Has a specified duration Timing begins with first bit of stream Session fails if cannot start on time

Time-Based
Yes Yes No No Yes

Duration-Based
No No Yes Yes No

Figure 8-1

Duration-Based and Time-Based Capture Sessions Illustration

When to Use Each Type of Capture Use: Duration-based captures for sessions that originate from recorded material. Time-based capture to ensure clean start transitions for critical applications and live-feed sessions. This requires that you use a clock that is synchronized to the MediaBase servers time-of-day clock. You then schedule the capture session to start at a specified time and have the video source and encoder ready. Using the clock, start the video source and the encoder exactly at the specified time (or anticipate the time if they do not start instantaneously). MediaBase captures the encoded stream at exactly the specified time.

Tips for Ending Capture Sessions


It is important to end a capture session cleanly. The encoder is normally unaware of the program sources content and encodes black images or color bars at the end of a tape. Monitor the video source and terminate the session to avoid capturing spurious material.
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Note:

MediaBase does not use SMPTE time codes to define in- and out-edit points.

Use one of the following strategies to terminate capture sessions:


Time Specify a maximum capture duration for a MediaBase capture session. If you set the duration to the exact running time of the video material, youll achieve a clean termination. Terminate a capture session in progress to save all video that is encoded to that point. There are two on-demand capture termination options: stop capture which retains the accumulated video. There is some latency between your stop request and the time that the capture session actually stops. abort capture which discards the accumulated video and immediately terminates the capture session. Encoder Shutdown Allow the session to terminate at the end of the stream. MediaBase looks for the end of the encoded stream. When it detects that the encoder is no longer sending data, it terminates the capture session and saves the video that is accumulated. This is a convenient way to end a session and it also provides a clean termination of the encoded stream during shut down.

On-demand

Tips for Optimizing Network Performance


It is important to match the size of packets multicasted by the MediaBase server to the size of the packets being output by your encoder. If the packet size output by your encoder is larger than the packets that MediaBase is multicasting, excessive fragmentation of packets at the routers often occurs. There are two packet sizes used in live feeds. The first packet size comes from the encoders profile and defines the size of the buffer read from the encoder. The second packet size defines the size of the multicast packets sent by MediaBase for the livefeed.
Tip: For MediaBase 6.1.2 and earlier, the transmit packet size was always 16384 bytes. For MediaBase 7.0 and beyond, the transmit packet size is set to the encoder packet size when USE_PACKET_SIZE_IN_ENCODER_PROFILE is set to 1.

To decouple the transmit packet size from the encoder packet size set, set USE_PACKET_SIZE_IN_ENCODER_PROFILE to 0 and STREAMING_PACKET_SIZE to any desired value in the /usr/mbase/config/capture.config file. For example:

# #

USE_PACKET_SIZE_IN_ENCODER_PROFILE=0 STREAMING_PACKET_SIZE=16384

USE_PACKET_SIZE_IN_ENCODER_PROFILE=1 #STREAMING_PACKET_SIZE=16384

Tips for Allocating Resources


MediaBase uses the capture duration and encoded bitrate to reserve resources for captured assets. The size of a captured video is limited by the amount of MediaBase storage available. MediaBase will not initiate a capture session unless there are sufficient resources.

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To optimize resources, set the asset duration as accurately as possible. Any excess resources (representing the difference between the estimated and actual duration) are released by MediaBase at the end of the capture session.

Tips for Designating Bitrates


To ensure a successful capture, set the session bitrate equal to the actual stream bitrate that is transmitted by the encoder. If you do not, MediaBase will not detect the mismatch until a portion of the program is captured. Since MediaBase cannot fail the capture based on a future bitrate mismatch, you need to take the following steps to avoid this: Use constant bitrate encoding for MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 assets. If you use variable bitrate encoding, using piece-wise constant encoding or embedded headers that have a bitrate different from the actual stream, the bitrate will not install successfully. Make sure that the encoder is generating a stream at the bitrate you expect. Encode a sample, examine the resulting asset, and check the bitrate. (For details, see Viewing Detailed Information About Videos on page 105.) Do not initiate a capture session at a certain bitrate and then start the encoder using another rate. If you temporarily change the encoder to operate with new settings, override the bitrate for that capture session only. Avoid changing the default encoder profile.
Note: If you choose a bitrate in the encoder default or override profiles, it does not force the encoder to operate at this rate; it informs MediaBase what bitrate to expect.

Tips for Monitoring Sessions


Depending upon the storage requirements for a captured asset and the number of simultaneous viewers (guaranteed possible plays) reserved for it, some time may be required following the end of the video capture before the asset becomes available in MediaBase. During this time, MediaBase creates auxiliary files that support fast-forward, rewind, and indexing. It also makes any required instances (asset copies) needed to support the playback guarantees. MediaBase also releases any excess resources resulting from any overestimate of program duration. To monitor the progress of a capture use the Video Capture Management tool (see Tips for Monitoring Sessions on page 144). When reviewing the session results, make sure that the start and ending transitions are acceptable and that they do not contain start and stop artifacts.

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Adding Video Capture Sessions


This section describes how to add a session to capture assets from an encoder or live session.
Note: MediaBase does not reserve network bandwidth when you schedule a session; it verifies the bandwidth when the session begins. You must prevent future scheduled sessions from exceeding available bandwidth for both multicast showings and live-feed sessions.

Figure 8-2

Add Video Capture Page

How to add a capture session to MediaBase:


1 2 3 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Content Pages, then Capture. Click Add. At Encoder Name, select the encoder you want to use. For more information about using encoders with MediaBase, see Configuring Encoders for Use With MediaBase XMP in Chapter 3 in the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide. 4 At Session Type, choose one or more options: Capture Capture streaming media and store it as an asset in MediaBase. Note: If you only select Capture, you do not select a delivery type. Live feed Capture streaming media and use MediaBase to transmit it over a network. Note: Only if you select Live feed, at Delivery Type you must select Multicast. Enable interactive controls Provide VCR-like controls (such as fast forward and rewind) to control the session. Interactive controls can be enabled only during a capture session. Additional storage and network resources are used with interactive controls.

5 6

At Video Name, enter a name for the asset. If this is a live-feed session, enter the showing name. At Asset Group Name, enter the name of an asset group to add the asset to. If you do not assign an asset group, MediaBase assigns it to the default System Asset Group. See Configuring Asset Groups in Chapter 3 in MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide for more information.

(Optional) At Start Time, enter the time to start capturing the video. Note: If you leave this blank or enter 0, the session is a duration-based capture session that starts immediately when you click Add (and there is enough MediaBase storage available). To overcome the anticipated latency in starting a session immediately, use an absolute time for any time-critical sessions. If you enter a time and date, this is time-based capture session. If you specify an absolute start time, the time must be at least 60 seconds in the future (this allows sufficient time for the data servers and the encoder to run). If you specify a relative start time, the time must be greater than 60 seconds from the current time. See Tips for Time- or Duration-Based Capture Sessions on page 142 for more information. For more information about time formats, see About Time Formats on page 118.

At End Time, you must enter the time to stop capturing the video. Every capture session must have a finite duration. You can specify relative times, such as now+120 or +120, (units in seconds) as well as absolute times, such as 10:15 pm. For a time-based capture session, enter an end time or and end time and date and for a duration-based capture session enter a duration (units in seconds).

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See Tips for Ending Capture Sessions on page 142 for more information. 9

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At Maximum Simultaneously Viewers, enter the number of simultaneous viewers for whom MediaBase needs to guarantee performance. Note: MediaBase uses this entry to reserve filesystem resources. If you enter an unnecessarily large value, MediaBase reserves more resources than needed and limits the number of videos that can be managed.

10 (Optional) At Multicast Address, enter the multicast IP address. If you do not specify an address, MediaBase selects one for you. This is applicable only if the Live feed option is selected. 11 (Optional) If you entered a multicast address, at Multicast Port, enter the multicast port number. If you do not specify a port, MediaBase selects one for you. This is applicable only if the Live feed option is selected. 12 At Keywords, enter one or more terms that describe the session and can be used to search for the showing.

Figure 8-3

Add Video Capture Page (bottom)

13 To specify how MediaBase stores the asset, at Placement Options choose one of the following: Automatic Placement Forced Placement (Default) MediaBase automatically copies the video to filesystem it chooses. Place the video in a specific file on a MediaBase managed disk. If you choose this option, at Destination Filename, enter the name of the file in which MediaBase is to store the video.

14 Use the Scales field to specify the values for trick file speeds. The default scales value is 12. For MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, you can specify up to five comma-separated scales. 15 To specify the (software of the) encryption vendor to be used in this capture, from the Encryption drop-down menu select from these vendors: Widevine, SecureMedia, Verimatrix, Nagravision, Viaccess, Cyphaware, and Irdeto Access. The default is no encryption. 16 If you want to change the encoding format or bitrate parameters for this session only, click Override Profile, then enter new information at Format and Bitrate. 17 Click Apply, then Add.

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Changing, Stopping, or Aborting a Scheduled Capture Session


How to change, stop, or abort a scheduled video capture session:
1 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, click Capture, then Modify.

Figure 8-4 2 3

Modify Scheduled Capture Page

At Video Name, select the name of the video. To stop a capture session in progress and retain accumulated data, click Stop. Stop can be used only when a session is running. When you stop a session, the captured data is saved.

Note: 4

To stop a scheduled or running capture session and discard accumulated data, click Abort. Note: Note: The abort operation stops the session and cleans up the captured data. For live-feed-only sessions, Stop and Abort both have the same functionality.

To change capture parameters, change any of the following information, then click Modify.

Attribute
Encoder Name Session Type

Description
Name of the encoder to use for this session. Indicates the type of session: Capture and install the asset in MediaBase Transmit the asset as a live-feed Enable interactive controls (VCR-like controls to control the session) Choose multicast. The time the session starts. When left blank or you enter 0 (zero), the session is a duration-based capture session that starts immediately when you click Add and enough MediaBase storage is available. As there is some latency in starting a session specified to start immediately, it is best to use an absolute time for time-critical sessions. When you enter an explicit time or time and date, it is a time-based capture session. See Tips for Starting Capture Sessions on page 141 for more information. Note: See About Time Formats on page 118 for additional information.

Delivery Type Start Time

End Time

This is the time the session ends. Every capture session must have a finite duration. You can specify relative times, such as now+120 or +120, as well as absolute times, such as 10:15 pm. For time-based capture session, enter an end time or and end time and date and for duration-based capture session, enter a duration. See Tips for Ending Capture Sessions on page 142 for more information.

Multicast Address Multicast Port Keywords Override Profile

Enter or change the IP address to restrict transmission and to control who can access a showing. If you do not specify a multicast address, MediaBase selects one for you. If you specified a multicast address, enter or change the port number. If you do not specify a port number, MediaBase selects one for you. Descriptive information about the video. Click this to override the default encoder profile. You can then enter format and bitrate parameters that are applied only to the current session.

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Viewing Scheduled Capture Sessions


How to view a list of scheduled capture sessions:
1 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, click Capture, then Schedule.

Figure 8-5

Live Capture and Feed Schedule Page

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Command-line Utilities

This chapter describes the command-line utilities that are used to manage videos, encoding sessions, and showings, and to backup, restore metadata, and monitor asset playout.
See these topics: About Specifying Keywords and Time on page 150 Commands for Managing Assets and Standalone MediaBase Servers Command-Line Utilities Overview on page 151 Adding and Deleting Assets on page 153 mbinst Batch File Examples on page 160 Bypassing the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Content Processors on page 162 Configuring Asset Groups on page 164 Listing Assets and Folders on a MediaBase Filesystem on page 168 Validating Personal Sequences on page 169 Adding and Managing Showings on page 171 Adding and Managing Channels on page 181 Managing Capture and Live-feed Sessions on page 183 Monitoring Capture Task States on page 188 Monitoring and Controlling Playout on page 189 Adding and Deleting PVC Virtual Circuits on page 191 Backing Up and Restoring MediaBase Metadata on page 193 Commands for Point-to-Point and Multicast Content Transfers Between Servers (VCD) Point-to-Point Content Distribution on page 194 Multicast Transfer Content Distribution on page 201 Commands for Managing MediaBase Servers Using vScript/ClusterCP commands Using vScript Commands on page 207 vScript Commands by Function on page 209 Alphabetical List of vScript Commands on page 213 Miscellaneous Procedures on page 251

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About Specifying Keywords and Time


This section describes the various ways to specify time and keywords in MediaBase commands.

Specifying Keywords
Use keywords to specify to find assets. If you enter more than one keyword, enclose each keyword in quotation marks as follows:
/usr/mbase/bin/showing_add -n mpeg1_S -v ASSET_MPEG1 -f concert -s now+240 -k "three is a magic number"

In the example above, MediaBase finds the asset if three is magic or number are used as search criteria. However, if you specify each keyword individually as shown in the following example, MediaBase only uses the last keyword (that is, pledge) in searches.
/usr/mbase/bin/showing_add -n more blind -k lemon -k pledge -v ASSET_MPEG1 -f concert -s now+240 -k

Specifying Time
MediaBase allows you to enter time using a variety of formats as follows: Enter the hour, minutes, and seconds in the hh:mm:ss format (at a minimum, enter the hour). Enter any time between 00:00:00 and 23:59:59. Military time is assumed if you don't specify otherwise. You can enter a date with the time. If you do not specify a date, the current date is assumed. If you do not specify a year, the current year is assumed. If you enter the month, provide at least the first three letters of the month. For example, enter Jun. for the month of June. You can enter the month in upper or lower case letters. Enter dates in mm/dd/yy or mm/dd format. If you omit the year, the current year is assumed.
Table 9-1 Time Format Examples

Entry in Time Field


7pm June 30 00:00:00 10:15 10:30:15 pm May 8 10:00 May 8 10:00PM May 8 10:00 2001 May 8 2001 10:00 7:30pm Apr. 13 6/1/01 8pm 6/1 7pm now+100

Meaning
Current day at 19:00:00 June 30 (current year) at 00:00:00 Current day at 10:15:00 Current day at 22:30:15 May 8 (current year) at 10:00:00 May 8 (current year) at 22:00:00 May 8, 2001 at 10:00:00 May 8, 2001 at 10:00:00 April 13 (current year) at 19:30:00 June 1, 2001 at 20:00:00 June 1 (current year) at 19:00:00 After 100 seconds from now

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Command-Line Utilities Overview


Use the command-line utilities in batch files or scripts to automate management tasks. These utilities duplicate, and in some instances extend, the capabilities of the MediaBase XMP Administration tools. To use these utilities, you must login as the MediaBase Administrator. To do so you must have superuser permission on the MediaBase server or a valid MediaBase XMP administrator user name and password for the Web server used by MediaBase. Additional information on the use of these commands can be found online by accessing the man pages which are the online manual feature of UNIX/Linux. To access them, enter the word man followed by the name of the application, command or service desired. For example, to access the entry for mbinst:
man mbinst
Note: In Linux, use <command> --help to get help on a command or application. For example, the command /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst --help displays examples of how to use Kasenna's mbinst utility.

Table 9-2

MediaBase XMP Utilities List

Function Description
Managing Content Add or delete assets Create, delete, modify, and display information about asset groups

Location Command(s)
/usr/mbase/bin mbinst /usr/mbase/sbin ag_create ag_modify ag_info ag_delete lsAssets validateAsset showing_add showing_modify showing_delete showing_abort showing_query showing_count showing_cmd channel_add channel_delete channel_enable channel_disable channel_modify channel_query mbcapture mcaps mbcapture /usr/mbase/sbin /usr/mbase/sbin pvc_add pvc_query pvc_delete /usr/mbase/sbin/ mblicense mblicense page 288 page 191 page 192 page 192 mbmonitor page 153 page page page page 164 165 166 167

See Page

Display MediaBase assets and folders Validate personal sequences Add, delete, abort, and display information about showings

/usr/mbase/bin /usr/mbase/bin /usr/mbase/bin

page 168 page 169 page page page page page page page page page page page page 171 172 174 175 176 176 181 181 181 182 182 182

Add, delete, enable, disable, modify, and display information about channels

/usr/mbase/bin

Manage capture and live-feed sessions Monitor selected real time asset captures Monitor capture task states Monitor and control asset playouts ATM Utilities Add, query, and delete ATM PVC virtual circuits

/usr/mbase/bin /usr/mbase/bin

page 183 page 186 page 188 page 189

Licenses Verify licenses for the MediaBase server

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Table 9-2 MediaBase XMP Utilities List (Continued)

Administrators Guide

Function Description
General Utilities Assess available bandwidth and storage on a MediaBase filesystem Assess available bandwidth on configured network interfaces Backup Utilities Back up and restore asset metadata Video Content Distribution (VCD) Add an asset transfer job (import or export) Modify an existing transfer job Query remote or local assets through command-line utilities Delete a scheduled transfer job Monitor an existing transfer job and displays scheduled jobs Schedule a transfer job Create a multicast transfer group for a transfer job Change a multicast transfer group Delete a multicast transfer group Schedule a multicast transfer job Change a scheduled multicast transfer job Delete a scheduled multicast transfer job Abort a scheduled multicast transfer job

Location Command(s)
/usr/mbase/sbin smstat nistat /usr/mbase/sbin/ backupTools mbdump mbrestore /usr/mbase/bin/ scheduleAdd scheduleModify scheduleQuery scheduleDelete scheduleMonitor transferJobAdd /usr/mbase/sbin/ /usr/mbase/sbin/ /usr/mbase/sbin/ /usr/mbase/bin/ /usr/mbase/bin/ /usr/mbase/bin/ /usr/mbase/bin/ rmcast_group rmcast_group rmcast_group rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule page 194 page 196 page 197 page 199 page 198 page 199 page 201 page 202 page 203 page 203 page 204 page 204 page 205 page 193 page 193 page 269 page 271

See Page

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Adding and Deleting Assets


Use the mbinst utility to add, delete, or rename one or more assets or folders with a single command. The asset to be added or deleted along with its details must be specified in a batch file. For more information, see Adding or Deleting Assets in Batch Mode on page 153.
Syntax /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst <options> <batch_file> Where
batch_file The name of the batch file.

Options:
Option -a -d -e -f -h -n -o Description (default) Installs a video into the MediaBase filesystem. Deletes the video from MediaBase. (See also the -f option below.) Continues processing the next asset even if a failure is encountered while adding or deleting previous asset. Removes the folder if the last asset in the folder is deleted. This option can be used only with the -d option as it automatically enables the -s option. Displays help for this command. Reads and checks the input for errors, but does not actually add or delete any assets. If youre running mbinst in batch mode, this causes the batch file to be processed from top to bottom. (For more information about running in batch mode see Adding or Deleting Assets in Batch Mode on page 153.) Suppresses mbinst messages. Resumes the change task for the specified assets. Use this option with the -e option to rerun a long mbinst script that failed due to an error. Installs new assets synchronously so that mbinst waits until it receives status back from the installation service concerning the successful or unsuccessful installation of the asset before processing the next asset. Use this option to delete synchronously an asset, or to update the number of plays of an asset. If mbinst is invoked from a batch file, the -s option causes each asset to be installed sequentially. (For more information about running in batch mode see Adding or Deleting Assets in Batch Mode on page 153.) -v... Displays status information. Choose from three levels of detail: -v -vvv -vvvvv Provides the least detail. (Default) Provides a medium amount of detail. Provides the most detail.

-q -r -s

Adding or Deleting Assets in Batch Mode


You must add mbinst instructions to a batch file to add or delete assets. The general format of the input to mbinst is:
<tagname>: <Name1=Value1>... <NameN=ValueN> Where

The tagname is a string that labels a command.


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The Name=Value pair is a string where Name string identifies an attribute of the asset and Value is the value of the attribute. Table 9-3, Name-value pairs for mbinst, on page 156 describes each name-value pair.
Note: By default, mbinst creates an asset installation task, passes it to the installation service for completion, and then starts processing the next asset before the other service completes processing the current asset. If you are performing an operation on a derived asset (such as a sequence) and the derived assets source asset(s) are being created or deleted from the same batch file, be careful in determining the order in which the assets are specified and processed. All source assets must be installed before the derived asset can be installed. Derived assets must also be deleted before their base assets are deleted. Before using a single batch file for asset creation and deletion, mbinst processes all creation and resume tasks first starting with those at the top of the batch file. Deletions are processed from the bottom of the batch file to top.

If a name-value pair contains a name other than those described below, the pair are sent to the content-specific installation code for the asset.

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Use the following delimiters in mbinst batch commands:


Delimiter
Carriage return # \ spaces or tabs

Purpose
Denotes the end of a line. Encloses comments. Continues a command on the next line or escapes a character. Separates name-value pairs. Note: Value strings can contain spaces and tabs if they are enclosed in double quotation marks ().

Double quotation mark (...)

Value strings that are enclosed in double quotation marks can contain multiple words, spaces, or special characters. When you embed the value strings inside quotation marks, and you must precede them with a backslash (\).

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Table 9-3

Name-value pairs for mbinst

Name String
ASSETGROUPNAME=<Name>

Description of Value
The name of the asset group to associate with the asset. If you do not specify an asset group, MediaBase associates the asset with the default System Asset Group. Note: Only simple assets can be associated with asset groups. If you specify an asset group that does not exist, mbinst returns an error.

BACKINGSTORE=[TRUE | FALSE]

The type of storage from which the asset is installed. Choose one: TRUE FALSE To indicate that the asset resides on a nearline storage device (such as a CD jukebox). (Default) To indicate that the asset resides on hard disk storage system.

COMMENT=<String>

Enter up to 256 characters. If you do not specify a comment, MediaBase inserts simple asset created by mbinst. To create a multi-line comment field, add a backslash \ at the end of each line (except the last line). The offset (in microseconds) at which a clip ends in the underlying simple asset. The name of the asset, including the absolute path. Note: The following characters are not allowed in asset names: |,\, ' , [, ], \\, =, +, *, &, ? , < , >.

END_OFFSET_TIME=<offset> FILENAME=<FileName>

FOLDERNAME=<FolderName> FORMAT=<AssetType>

The name of a MediaBase folder to be added or deleted. The assets data format. Use one of the following asset types. If a delivery service for a third-party partner is installed, you can specify a data format used by that delivery service. MPEG-1 MPEG1-Audio MPEG-2 PARTNER_41_MPEG-4 (Default) Installs assets in the MPEG-1 format. Installs assets in the MPEG-1 audio format. Installs assets in the MPEG-2 format. Installs assets in the MPEG-4 format.

HANDLELIST=<HandleList> HANDLENAME=<HandleName> MB_AUXILIARIES=[NONE | POSITIONING_ONLY | FF_REWIND_SUPPORT]

A comma-delimited list of handle names to include in a clip or sequence. The assets handle name. Indicates if asset playout controls are provided. Choose from the following: NONE Fast-forward and rewind are disabled, and playout repositioning is performed based on computing the position using bitrate. Fast-forward and rewind are disabled, and playout repositioning is performed based the assets index entries. (Default) Fast-forward and rewind are enabled, and playout repositioning is performed using asset index entries.

POSITIONING_ONLY FF_REWIND_SUPPORT Tip:

Using index entries reduces disruption during playout because the decoder always receives valid video/audio frames. MediaBase generates auxiliary files to enable positioning and fast-forward/rewind

MB_DEST_PATH=<Path> MB_INDEX_FILE=<Path>

When you place an asset using PLACEMENT with a value of PLACE_FORCED, this indicates the directory path in which the asset is placed. When you place an asset using PLACEMENT with a value of PLACE_FORCED or PLACE_SHARED using the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 formats, use this to indicate the path to the assets all frames index. If you do not specify a location, MediaBase selects one. Set this to an integer that indicates the guaranteed number of plays for an asset. If you do not specify this option, MediaBase assumes a value of 1.

NUMBER_OF_PLAYS=<GuaranteedNoPlays>

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Name String
PLACEMENT=[PLACE_AUTO | PLACE_SHARED | PLACE_FORCED]

Description of Value
Use these to indicate how an asset is stored. When you place an asset with a PLACEMENT option, use one of the following name-value pairs to specify the location of the following types of auxiliary files. If you do not specify a location, MediaBase uses the location identified by MB_DEST_PATH. If the placement choice is not specified, PLACE_AUTO is assumed. Choose from the following: PLACE_AUTO PLACE_SHARED MediaBase determines the location. MediaBase does not copy from the location specified by the value FILENAME, instead it points to this file. You can specify the path to the auxiliary files located in the MediaBase filesystem as described in the next section. If you do not specify, the MediaBase generates the files. When the asset is removed, the FILENAME is not removed. Use the values at MB_DEST_PATH to indicate the location where the asset is to be stored.

PLACE_FORCED

Use the following auxiliary filenames to indicated locations for the PLACE_SHARED and PLACE_FORCED values. Index file Map file Fast-forward data file Fast-forward data index file Fast-forward data map file Rewind data file Rewind data index file Rewind data map file Sequence Header File PAT file PMT file START_OFFSET_TIME=<Offset> TYPE=[SIMPLE | SEQUENCE|CLIP] MB_INDEX_FILE=<filename> MB_MAP_FILE=<filename> MB_FF_FILE=<filename> MB_FF_INDEX_FILE=<filename> MB_FF_MAP_FILE=<filename> MB_REW_FILE=<filename> MB_REW_INDEX_FILE=<filename> MB_REW_MAP_FILE=<filename> MB_SEQ_HDR_FILE=<filename> MB_PAT_FILE=<filename> MB_PMT_FILE=<filename>

The offset (in microseconds) at which a clip begins in the underlying simple asset. The type of asset to be created. Choose from the following: SIMPLE SEQUENCE CLIP (Default) Creates a simple asset. Creates one or more simple assets and/or clips to be played in a sequence. Creates a portion of a simple asset.

UPDATE_COMMENT=<String> UPDATE_HANDLENAME=<HandleName> UPDATE_NUMBER_OF_PLAYS=<NumberofPlays> USE_PTS_FOR_DURATION=[TRUE | FASLE]

Changes an assets existing keywords. Changes an assets current handle name. Changes the number of plays for an asset. Choose from the following: TRUE Specifies that the MPEG-1 presentation time stamps (PTS) algorithm is used to compute the duration of an MPEG-1 system stream asset. Typically, the size and bitrate of the MPEG-1 file are used to compute the duration. However, this method yields incorrect values for some MPEG-1 system streams. (Default) Use the assets size and bitrate to calculate duration.

FALSE

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Name String
MB_ENCRYPTION_VENDOR_ID

Description of Value
To specify the encryption vendor: Widevine SecureMedia Verimatrix Nagravision Viaccess Cyphaware Irdeto Access None Identifies MB_ENCRYPTION version; default is 1.0. To specify the scale values for trick speeds. The default scales value is 12. For MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, you can specify up to five comma-separated scales. Specifies the total number of scale values. Only the value of 5 is supported.

MB_ENCRYPTION_VENDOR_VERSION MB_AUX_SCALES MB_TOTAL_AUX_SCALES

mbinst Auxiliary Files Name-Value Pairs Requirements Use the following rules for auxiliary files name-value pairs used by mbinst: If an assets file list is not complete, an error condition results according to the type of installation. Only in MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and MP3 auxiliary files are the options supported in mbinst. You must specify all or none of the auxiliary files.

In the following table, if the MB_AUXILIARIES is NONE, you must not specify an auxiliary file with that type of content. In the table below, if the PLACEMENT is:
PLACE_FORCED

You must specify the assets destination. Use PLACE_FORCED to place auxiliary files in the specified location under MediaBase filesystem.
PLACE_SHARED

The assets auxiliary files are used and not generated. The auxiliary files must already exist and be specified. Use PLACE_SHARED to skip auxiliary file generation and to use existing auxiliary files located in the MediaBase filesystem.
Not specified

If the PLACEMENT is specified as PLACEMENT=PLACE_AUTO, the MediaBase automatically places the files in the MediaBase filesystem.

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Table 9-4 mbinst Auxiliary Files Name-Value Pairs Requirements

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Installation Type FF_REWIND_SUPPORT POSITIONING_ONLY

Placement Types

Format
MPEG-1

Auxiliary Files
MB_INDEX_FILE MB_MAP_FILE MB_SEQ_HEADER_FILE MB_FF_FILE MB_FF_INDEX_FILE MB_REW_FILE MB_REW_INDEX_FILE

PLACE_FORCED
Optional (Files point to destination)

PLACE_SHARED
Optional (Files point to source)

Not specified
NA

X X X

X X X X X X X

MPEG-2

MB_INDEX_FILE MB_MAP_FILE MB_SEQ_HEADER_FILE MB_FF_INDEX_FILE MB_FF_MAP_FILE MB_REW_FILE MB_REW_INDEX_FILE MB_REW_MAP_FILE MB_FF_FILE MB_PAT_FILE

X X X

X X X X X X X X X X

Optional (Files point to destination)

Optional (Files point to source)

NA

Optional (Files point to destination) Optional Optional Optional (Files point to destination)

Optional (Files point to source) Optional Optional Optional (Files point to source)

NA

MB_PMT_FILE MPEG-1 Audio MPEG-4 MB_INDEX_FILE MB_COARSE_INDEX_FILE MB_FINE_INDEX_FILE MB_CONFIG_DATA_FILE MPEG-1, -2, -4 MPEG-1 Audio FF_RTP_File_Speed_# FF_Index_File_Speed_# RW_RTP_File_Speed_# RW_Index_File_Speed_# MPEG-1, -2, -4 MPEG-1 Audio MB_DEST_PATH

X X X X X

X X X X X X X X X

NA NA NA

Required

Required

Required

Required

NA

NA

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mbinst Batch File Examples


This section contains examples that use mbinst to manage assets. See the following examples: Adding a Simple Asset With Specified Storage Location on page 160 Adding Simple Videos With Multiline Comments from a Batch Command on page 160 Adding a Clip from a Batch Command on page 160 Deleting Simple Assets from a Batch Command on page 161 Creating a Sequence from a Batch Command on page 161 Creating a Nearline Asset from a Batch Command on page 161 Modifying an Asset Name from a Batch Command on page 161
Example: Adding a Simple Asset With Specified Storage Location

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -a <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


tag1: FILENAME=/staging/mpegfile1 HANDLENAME=myfile COMMENT="my new video"

The data in /staging/mpegfile1 is installed in MediaBase as a simple MPEG-1 asset named myfile with the comment my new video. The backslash (\) indicates the command is continued on the next line.
Example: Adding Simple Videos With Multiline Comments from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -a <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


tag1: FILENAME=/d2/movie1 HANDLENAME=title1 \ FORMAT=MPEG-1 COMMENT="movie1 description \ movie1 director \ movie1 actors" tag2: FILENAME=/d2/movie2 HANDLENAME=title2 FORMAT=MPEG-1 \ COMMENT="\ movie2 description \ movie2 director \ movie2 actors"
Tag1 in the example above creates a simple MPEG-1 asset named title1. The storage location is not defined and it is automatically determined by MediaBase. It contains the comment:

movie1 description movie1 director movie1 actors


Tag2 creates a second simple MPEG-1 asset with a handle named title2. The storage location is also not

defined and it is determined by MediaBase. This asset has the comment:


movie2 description movie2 director movie2 actors
Example: Adding a Clip from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -s <batch_file>

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The contents of <batch_file> are:


cliptag: HANDLENAME=clip_handle START_OFFSET_TIME=1000000 \ END_OFFSET_TIME=60000000 COMMENT="1 minute clip" HANDLELIST=simple

This example creates a clip named clip_handle that starts one second from the beginning of the underlying simple asset and continues for 59 seconds. The underlying MPEG-1 simple asset is /d2/mpegfile1 with the handle simple. The underlying asset simple must be fully installed before MediaBase can create the clip.
Example: Deleting Simple Assets from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -s -d <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


tag1: HANDLENAME="my video" tag2: HANDLENAME="your video"
Tag1 deletes the simple asset with the handle name my video. Since mbinst is invoked with the -s option, MediaBase waits until the asset is deleted before processing Tag2 which causes the asset with the handle name of your video to be deleted. Example: Creating a Sequence from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -s <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


simple: FILENAME=/d2/mpegfile1 FORMAT=MPEG-1 \ PLACEMENT=PLACE_SHARED HANDLENAME=simple_handle sequence: TYPE=SEQUENCE HANDLENAME=sequence1 COMMENT="sequence \ asset definition" HANDLELIST=simple_handle

This example creates a sequence that contains one simple asset. The sequence is named sequence1 and the comment string is sequence asset definition. The simple sequence is created from the file /d2/mpegfile1. PLACE_SHARED indicates that the data will not be copied from the location specified by the value FILENAME; MediaBase only points to this file.
Example: Creating a Nearline Asset from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -s <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


tag: TYPE=SIMPLE HANDLENAME=demo_asset.backingstore FILENAME=/CD/demo_asset.mpg
COMMENT="demo_asset asset from backing store" BACKINGSTORE=TRUE FORMAT=MPEG-1

This creates a backings-store asset with handle name demo_asset.backingstore. The contents of the asset are copied from CD to /CD/demo_asset.mpg. To have MediaBase recognize this as an asset from a CD, specify BACKINGSTORE=TRUE even though an absolute path was specified.
Example: Modifying an Asset Name from a Batch Command

# /usr/mbase/bin/mbinst -s <batch_file>

The contents of <batch_file> are:


changetag: HANDLENAME=original_demo_asset UPDATE_HANDLENAME=new_demo_asset

This changes the handlename of the asset from original_demo_asset to new_demo_asset.

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Bypassing the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Content Processors


This section explains how to bypass MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 content processors. If you provide all the required name-value pairs, MediaBase bypasses the content processor and does not read the content file for metadata information. If you use PLACE_SHARED with all the required name-value pairs, MediaBase skips the content file altogether, even generating auxiliary files which allows for faster installation and format variations. All required metadata pairs must be present in the mbinst batch file to skip the content processor. Either all the metadata information is present or none. Any set of incomplete metadata results in an error. During processing, it is assumed that: RTP formats are not supported. Only MPEG-1, MPEG-1-Audio, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 are involved. The supplied data is accurate. Shared placement is used to avoid auxiliary files generation. Forced placement is used to skip the content processor for metadata generation MediaBase only reads the file for auxiliary file generation.
Note: You must specify all or none of the following name-value pairs. If there are no auxiliaries, set MB_AUXILIARIES to NONE. MediaBase automatically calculates the size of auxiliary files. Optional and Required Metadata Information to Bypass Content Processors

Table 9-5

Asset Type
MPEG-1

Property

Format

Note: Header sizes are calculated based upon header information. Required MB_DELIVERY_FPS MB_DELIVERY_BITRATE MB_IMAGE_WIDTH MB_IMAGE_HEIGHT MB_ASPECT_RATIO MB_SYSTEMHEADER_FILE MB_VIDEOHEADER_FILE MB_AUDIOHEADER_FILE MB_PACKHEADER_FILE floating point number in frames per second number, in pixels, with no upper limit number, in pixels, between 0-4095 number, in pixels, between 0-4095 floating point number, x over y pathname of binary header data pathname of binary header data pathname of binary header data pathname of binary header data

MPEG-2

You must specify all or none of the following name-value pairs and auxiliary files. Required MB_IMAGE_WIDTH MB_IMAGE_HEIGHT MB_ASPECT_RATIO MB_DELIVERY_FPS MB_DELIVERY_BITRATE MPEG2_VIDEO_PID MPEG2_AUDIO_PID number, in pixels, between 0-4095 number, in pixels, between 0-4095 floating point number, x over y floating point number in frames per second number, in pixels with no upper limit video packet identifier audio packet identifier number, in pixels, with no upper limit duration of the movie in microseconds pathname of the media attribute header number, in pixels, with no upper limit duration of the movie in microseconds pathname of the media attribute header MB-ADMIN-83-A

MPEG-1-Audio

Required

MB_DELIVERY_BITRATE MB_DELIVERY_DURATION MB_MEDIAATTRHEADER_FILE

MPEG-4 MPEG-4

Required

MB_DELIVERY_BITRATE MB_DELIVERY_DURATION MB_MEDIAATTRHEADER_FILE

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Optional and Required Metadata Information to Bypass Content Processors (Continued)

Asset Type
Optional

Property
MB_IMAGE_WIDTH MB_IMAGE_HEIGHT MB_FINE_INDEX_FILE_SIZE

Format
number, in pixels, between 0-4095; -1 if not used. number, in pixels, between 0-4095; -1 if not used. fine index file size in bytes (default is 10 KB)

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Configuring Asset Groups


Use these command-line utilities to add, modify, delete, and view details about asset groups. See these topics: Adding Asset Groups on page 164 Modifying Asset Groups on page 165 Viewing Information About Asset Groups on page 166 Removing Asset Groups on page 167 Setting Cache Asset Group Parameters on page 167 Displaying Cache Asset Group Parameters on page 167
Note: You must have superuser permission on the MediaBase server or a valid MediaBase XMP administrator user name and password for the Web server used by MediaBase. If you arent the superuser and you have not changed the MediaBase administrator password and user name, use the default user name (mbase) and password (mbase-admin). For more information, see Changing the MediaBase XMP Administration Password in Chapter 3 of MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide. For additional information about asset groups, see MediaBase Asset Groups on page 42.

Adding Asset Groups


Use ag_create to create MediaBase asset groups. Asset groups help you improve filesystem bandwidth utilization and asset replication. An asset group is a set of assets that share system resources such as disk space (called a quota). Assets within an asset group can have varied bitrates.
Syntax /usr/mbase/sbin/ag_create -n <AssetGroupName> <options> Where Options/Variables
-b <bandwidth_Mbps>

Description
(Optional) Specifies the total bandwidth (in Mb/s) to allocate. If left undefined, MediaBase uses the -g and -t options to calculate total bandwidth.

-c <html_query_string> -d <filesystem_distribution> -g <max_playouts_ag>

Use this to provide an HTML_QUERY_STRING that performs these operations. Specifies the distribution of space and bandwidth in the filesystem (in MB and Mb/s, respectively). The format is: [fsName,sp,bw][:]... Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous plays for assets in the asset group. The default value is 1. Use this option in conjunction with the -t option to calculate the total bandwidth of the asset group.

-m -n <AssetGroupName> -p <max_simultaneous_playouts>

Specifies the maximum bitrate for any asset installed into the asset group. Specifies the asset group name. This name must be unique to the MediaBase server. Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous plays for an installed asset. Assets installed into this asset group inherit this value. The default value for this option is 1. Specifies the total disk space (in MB) allocated to the asset group.

-s <space_in_MB>

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-t <typical_bit_rate>

Chapter 9: Command-line Utilities Description


Specifies the typical bitrate (in Mb/s) of installed assets. This is the average bitrate of all the assets installed in this asset group. You cannot change this attribute after MediaBase creates the asset group. -h Displays help for this command. Creating an Asset Group

Example:

ag_create -n test1 -s 500 -g 10 -p 1 -t 1.5

For example, the command above creates an asset group called test1 and allocates 500 MB of disk space and 15 Mb/s bandwidth. It also sets a maximum of 10 playouts for the asset group and a maximum of one playout for the asset.
Note: Mediabase assets use index and frame files that require space, so make sure to allocate additional space and badwidth for these files. For more information, see the ag_create man pages.

Modifying Asset Groups


Use ag_modify to modify MediaBase asset groups. You cannot change the asset group name or the typical and maximum bitrate.
Syntax /usr/mbase/sbin/ag_modify -n <AssetGroupName> <options> Where Options/Variables
-b <bandwidth_Mbps>

Description
(Optional) Specifies the total bandwidth (in Mb/s) to allocate. If left undefined, MediaBase uses the -g and -t options to calculate total bandwidth.

-c <html_query_string> -d <filesystem_distribution> -g <max_playouts_ag>

Use this to provide an HTML_QUERY_STRING that performs asset group operations. Specifies the distribution of space and bandwidth in the filesystem (in MB and Mb/s, respectively). The format is: [fsName,sp,bw][:]... Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous plays for assets in the asset group. The default value is 1. Use this option in conjunction with the -t option to calculate the total bandwidth of the asset group.

-n <AssetGroupName> -p <max_simultaneous_playouts>

Specifies the asset group name. This name must be unique to the MediaBase server. Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous plays for an installed asset. Assets installed into this asset group inherit this value. The default value for this option is 1. Specifies the total disk space (in MB) allocated to the asset group. Displays help for this command.

-s <space_in_MB> -h

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ag_modify -n test1 -s 500 -g 10 -p 1

For example, this command changes maximum playouts and bandwidth for the test1 asset group. It changes the maximum number of playouts for the asset group to 10 the allocated space to 500 MB, and the maximum simultaneous playouts to 1.

Viewing Information About Asset Groups


Use the ag_info utility to display information about MediaBase asset groups.
Syntax /usr/mbase/sbin/ag_info -n <AssetGroupName> <options> Where Option/Value
-a -l

Description
Provides detailed information about the specified asset group(s) such as: filesystems used by the group, and real and non realtime bandwidth and disk space. Provides summary information about the specified asset group(s) such as the maximum bitrate, maximum users, the default number of maximum simultaneous plays for an asset (DefPlays), and the number of assets currently installed in the group (Usage Count). Displays information for a specific asset group. Omit this option to display information about all asset groups. Displays detailed information about the default System Asset Group. Displays help for this command.

-n <AssetGroupName> -s -h

Output: Item
DefPlays F or Free MaxBitrate MaxUsers nrtbw(Mb/s) nrtsp(MB) rtbw(Mb/s) rtsp(MB) Total and free quota and filesystem quota distribution T or Total TypBitrate U or Used Usage

Description
The default amount of maximum simultaneous plays for any asset in the asset group. Indicates the free quota (disk space and bandwidth) for each filesystem. The maximum bitrate of assets installed in the asset group. The maximum simultaneous users that can play assets in the asset group. The non-realtime bandwidth in megabits per second. The non-realtime disk space in megabytes. The realtime bandwidth in megabits per second. The realtime disk space in megabytes. For each asset group, the total and free quota of the asset group is displayed along with the filesystem quota distribution, Where Name/FS is the filesystem name nrtbw(Mbs) is the non-realtime bandwidth (in Mb/s) nrtsp(MB) is the non-realtime disk space (in MB) Indicates the total quota (disk space and bandwidth). The typical bitrate of assets installed in the asset group. Indicates the quota (disk space and bandwidth) used. The number of files (including auxiliary files) installed in the asset group. This is also referred to as the usage count. If the usage count is positive, the asset group is currently hosting assets. To delete an asset group with a positive usage count, use the -f flag to force removal of the asset group.

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Note:

For more information, see the ag_info man pages.

Removing Asset Groups


Use the ag_delete tool to delete a MediaBase asset group. Any assets assigned to the asset group you delete are automatically reassigned to the default, the System Asset Group.
Note: You cannot delete the System Asset Group. For more information, see the ag_delete man pages.

Syntax /usr/mbase/sbin/ag_delete <options> Where Option/Value


-f

Description
Forces deletion of the given asset group. Any assets remaining in the asset group are moved to the System Asset Group before the group is deleted. If the usage count (as output by ag_info) is positive, the asset group is currently hosting assets. Use the -f option to delete an asset group with a positive usage count.

-n <name> -h

Specifies the asset group name to delete. Displays help for this command.

For example, to delete an asset group named test1 enter:


ag_delete -n test1 -f

Setting Cache Asset Group Parameters


In an anticipated event, such as a flash-flood, assets must be replicated across multiple caches in order to ensure that sufficient copies exist to meet demand. This aggressive caching adds replicated assets to the cache asset group of peer nodes. These assets are available for reclamation if the system runs out of space. Aggressive caching occurs only when the cluster feature is enabled.
Note: The cache asset group parameters are valid only for aggressive caching and cache asset group management.

Use the following command to set cache asset group parameters: setCacheAssetAttributes on page 246

Displaying Cache Asset Group Parameters


Use the following command to display information about the cache asset group. listCacheAssetAttributes on page 233

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Listing Assets and Folders on a MediaBase Filesystem


Use lsAssets to display the type, format, duration, keywords, and size of assets that are installed in a specific folder or for all assets installed on a MediaBase server.
Note: If you do not specify any options, all folders and assets on the MediaBase server are displayed. You can find additional information in the lsAssets man pages.

Syntax /usr/mbase/bin/lsAssets <options> Where Options


-a <assetname> -n <foldername> -s -h Example:

Description
The name of a specific asset to list. The name of the folder to list. If you do not specify a foldername, MediaBase displays assets from the root folder. Displays asset details, including the height and width. Displays help for this command. Using lsAsset with No Options to List All MediaBase Server Videos

Example:

Using lsAsset With the -n and -s Options to List Videos in a Specific Folder With Size Information

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Validating Personal Sequences


Use validateAsset to validate a personal (user-defined) sequence. MediaBase returns one of the codes listed in 169.
Note: A personal sequence is one or more simple assets and/or clips that can be created by a user and played in a sequence.

Syntax /usr/mbase/bin/validateAsset -n <UDShandleName> Where


Table 9-6

Option/Value
-n <UDShandleName>

Description
The handle name of the sequence to be validated. The format for handleName is:

<sep>udsName<sep>handleName1<sep>handleName2<sep>...<sep >handleNameK<sep>
Where: udsName sep The name assigned by the user to the sequence. The sequence consists of K assets with handle names handleName1 through handleNameK. The separator string with the value MeDiAbAsE. Note: A valid handle name must begin with a separator string. -h Displays help for this command.

See the following example which shows output for a valid personal sequence that contains the MPEG-2 assets Batman and Terminator.
Example: validateAsset Output for a Valid Asset

% /usr/mbase/bin/validateAsset MeDiAbAsEGoodName1MeDiAbAsEBatmanMeDiAbAsETerminatorMeDiAbAsE Sequence is valid

Output:

If the sequence is valid and no exceptional conditions are encountered, the exit status is 0 and no message is directed to stdout. If a non-zero exit status is returned, a status message describing the error is directed to stderr. The returned asset number can range from 0 to 15; the number is incremented for each asset in the sequence. The exit status is returned in the least-significant byte. The four most-significant bits of that byte contain the error code, and the four-least significant bits contain the asset number, if applicable.
Table 9-7 Validate Asset Error Codes

Code
1 2 3 4

Description
Could not extract information from the asset. assetNumber has different a frame size than previous assets. assetNumber has a different content descriptor than previous assets. assetNumber has a different bitrate than previous assets.

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Code
5 6 7 8 9

Description
assetNumber is a different format than previous assets. assetNumber is an incorrect asset format or bitrate. assetNumber is an incorrect content descriptor. assetNumber is invalid and therefore could not be canonicalized (represented in a physical form). assetNumber is a simple asset; previous assets were parallel assets. assetNumber is a parallel asset; previous assets were simple assets. assetNumber is a different type than previous assets.

10

assetNumber is a composite asset. assetNumber is a sequential asset.

11

assetNumber is not yet installed. assetNumber is invalid. assetNumber is not found.

12

Unable to communicate with the name service. Unable to communicate to the MediaBase proxy service. An older version of the MediaBase proxy service may be running. MediaBase is not responding. Check to see that MediaBase services are running.

14 15

Invalid arguments were passed to ValidateAsset. No authorization permission was denied. Insufficient server resources. Check the MediaBase logs. There is a mismatch between client and server versions. You may need to reinstall client software.

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Adding and Managing Showings


This section shows you how to add, delete, and view information about showings. See these commands: Adding Showings on page 171 Deleting Showings on page 173 Aborting Showings on page 174 Displaying Information About Showings on page 175 Displaying the Number of Showings on page 176 Using a Batch File to Display Showing Information on page 176 For information about: The time formats used with these utilities, see About Time Formats on page 118. Adding or changing channels on which a showing can be multicast, see Adding and Managing Channels on page 181.

Adding Showings
Use showing_add to add a new showing for videos installed MediaBase, to specify a channel on which the showing is to be multicasted, or to schedule showings to repeat at intervals (using the -i <interval> option) with the frequency and total number of showings you specify.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/showing_add -n <name> -s <startTime> -v <video> <options> Where
Table 9-8

Option/Value
-a <multicast_addr>

Description
(Optional) The multicast address to use for the showing. If you do not specify an address, MediaBase selects one for you. If you specify a multicast address, you must also use the -p option to specify a multicast port number. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name.

-C <channel_name>

(Optional) The name of the multicast channel on which the showing is scheduled. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name.

-c <count> -d -f <feedtype> -F <formatName>

(Optional) The total number of showings to schedule at regular intervals. (Optional) Use to indicate that the showing is to be automatically deleted after it plays. If you omit this option, the showing is automatically deleted. (Optional) The type of feed. (Optional) The format of the showings source file. Choose from the following formats: MPEG-1 MPEG-1-Audio MPEG-2 PARTNER_41_MPEG-4 (Optional) The interval (in seconds) between the end time and the start time of two consecutive showings. Note: You can either specify -i or -g; you cannot use both options in a single command.

-g <interval>

-i <interval>

(Optional) The interval (in seconds) between the start time of successive showings that are scheduled at regular intervals. 171

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Table 9-8

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Option/Value
-k <keywords>

Description
(Optional) One word, enclosed in quotation marks () that describes the showing. This information can be used for searches. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

-n <name> -p <multicast_port>

Specifies the showing name. This name appears in the showings guide. (Optional) The multicast port number used for the showing. This is used in conjunction with the -a multicast_addr option. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name.

-s <startTime> -u -v <video> -h Example:

The time that the showing starts in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format. (Optional) Provides interactive (VCR-like) controls that allow users to fast forward and rewind playback. The name of the video to schedule. Displays help for this command. Using showing_add to add a showing

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_add -v training -n New-Hire -s 3pm

This showing starts at 3 p.m. today. MediaBase calculates the end time automatically.
Example: Using showing_add to add repeated showings

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_add -v training -n Repeated_Showings -s 3pm -c 2 -i 900

One of the showings has a start time of 3 p.m. today. The other has a start time of 3:15 p.m. (900 seconds after the start time of the first showing). MediaBase calculates the end time automatically.

Modifying Showings
Use showing_modify to change information about a showing. You can provide multiple showing names or ID to modify two or more showings with a single command. You are cannot run this command on showings that are currently in the running state.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/showing_modify <name>|<showingid> <options> Where Option/Value
-n <name>

Description
Provide the partial or entire showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters) to modify. If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example, repeat). Omit this parameter to delete all showings that match your other criteria. If you provide the name, you do not need to provide the showingid. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-I <showingid>

Provide one or more showing IDs. If you provide up to 4,096 showing IDs, each showing you specify is modified using the other options specified in this command. Use showing_query to get the showing ID (see Displaying Information About Showings on page 175). If you provide the showingid, you do not need to provide the name.

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Options -a <New mcastAddress> -c <New name> -e <New endtime> -d -D -F <format>

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(Optional) A new multicast address to assign to the showing. (Optional) To change the showing name, provide a new name for the showing. (Optional) The latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify just a time, date, or time and date. (Optional) Use this to indicate that the showing needs to not be deleted immediately after playout. By default, showings are automatically deleted after playout. (Optional) Use this to delete the showing. (Optional) The format of the showings source file. Choose from the following formats: MPEG-1 MPEG-1-Audio MPEG-2 PARTNER_41_MPEG-4 (Optional) One or more keywords enclosed in quotation marks () which describe the showing. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

-k <keywords>

-p <New mcastPort> -s <New starttime> -v <video> -u -h

(Optional) A new multicast port to assign to the showing. (Optional) The earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify just a time, date, or time and date. (Optional) Change the video file that is associated with the showing to provide the video name. (Optional) Use this to enable interactive controls (such as fast-forward or rewind). By default, controls are not enabled. Display help for this command.

Deleting Showings
Use showing_delete to remove showings from MediaBase that match the criteria you specify. You can delete up to 750 showings with a single command. To delete a showing that is scheduled to run or is currently running, see Aborting Showings on page 174.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/showing_delete <options> Where Option/Value
-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Description
indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or a time and date.

-k <keywords>

One or more terms keywords enclosed in quotation marks () that describe the showing. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

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-n <name>

Administrators Guide Description


Provide the entire showing name or a partial name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat. Omit this parameter to delete all showings that match your other criteria. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify just a time, date, or time and date.

-h Example:

Display help for this command. Using showing_delete to remove a showing

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_delete -n *repeat* -s Jul 8 00:00:00 -S Jul 8 23:59:59

All showings are deleted whose names contain repeat with start times that begin on or before midnight of July 8 of this year. Since this operation is for a showing with multiple instances, only those instances that meet the criteria are deleted.

Aborting Showings
Use showing_abort to stop scheduled or running showings that match the criteria you specify, and it discards any data accumulated in MediaBase storage.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/showing_abort <options> Where Option/Value
-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Description
Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify just a time, date, or time and date.

-k <keywords>

One or more keywords enclosed in quotation marks () that describe the showing. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

-n <name>

Provide the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to abort all showings that match your other criteria. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify just a time, date, or time and date.

-h Example:

Display help for this command. Using showing_abort to stop a showing

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_abort -n *repeat* -s Jul 8 00:00:00 -S Jul 8 23:59:59

All showings are aborted whose names contain the word repeat with start times that begin on or before midnight of July 8 of this year.
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Displaying Information About Showings


Use showing_query to display information about showings that match the criteria you specify.
Syntax % /usr/mbase/bin/showing_query <options>

You can choose a formatted version that displays column headings...

...or the unformatted version that displays one attribute per line.

Figure 9-1

Formatted and Non-formatted Showing Information Examples

Where
Option
-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Description
Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-g

Use this option to display an unformatted report. By default MediaBase displays all attributes. This format is more suitable when you plan to export the data to a customized showing guide. With this option, MediaBase also provides the video URL and start and stop times. One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks (). Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

-k <keywords>

-n <name>

Provide the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to display all showings that match your other criteria. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

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-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Administrators Guide Description


Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-h Example:

Display help for this command. Using showing_query to display showing information

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_query -n *training* -s Jul 30 00:00:00 -S Jul 8 23:59:59

This example displays all showings whose names contain training with start times that begin before midnight of July 30 of this year.

Displaying the Number of Showings


Use showing_count to display the number of showings that match a certain criteria; it does not return any information about the showing.
Syntax % /usr/mbase/bin/showing_count <options> Where Option/Value
-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Description
Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-k <keywords>

One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks (). Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

-n <name>

(Optional) Provide the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat. Omit this parameter to display all showings. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

Example:

Using showing_count to display the number of showings

# /usr/mbase/bin/showing_count -n *training* -s Jul 30 00:00:00 -S Jul 8 23:59:59

This example displays the number of showings whose names include training with start times that begin before midnight of July 30 of this year.

Using a Batch File to Display Showing Information


Use showing_cmd to aggregate the information provided by the showing_abort, showing_add, showing_count, showing_delete and showing_query commands. Use showing_cmd to run and call a batch file that contains showing commands.
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Then enter one or more lines in the batch file with the following syntax:
<batch_file> Syntax command=<command> parameters=<parameters>

Each command is paired with a parameter. If a command is missing a required parameter or a parameter is provided without a command, showing_cmd ignores it. To indicate: The end of a line, enter a carriage return. Comments, enter a # character at the beginning of the line. You can enter spaces in parameter strings by enclosing them in quotation marks (").
Table 9-9 Contents for the showing_cmd batch file

Command Command Description


abort Stops a scheduled or running capture task and discards any data accumulated in MediaBase storage. Example:

Parameter
-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Parameter Description
Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

COMMAND=abort MyShowing PARAMETERS=

-k <keywords>

One or more terms keywords enclosed in quotation marks () that describe the showing. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one specified is used (see Specifying Keywords on page 150 for details).

-n <name>

Provide the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to abort all showings that match your other criteria. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

add

Adds a new showing for videos that are installed MediaBase. Use the -i interval option to schedule repeat showings at intervals and can add multiple showings with the frequency and total number of showings you specify. Example:

-a <multicast_addr>

(Optional) The multicast address used for the showing. If you do not specify an address, MediaBase selects one for you. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name.

COMMAND=add PARAMETERS=-n test -s now+62 -v /demo/kasenna.mpg


Displays the number of showings that match the criteria you specify. -C <channel_name> (Optional) The name of the multicast channel on which the showing is scheduled. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name. -c <count> (Optional) The total number of showings to schedule at regular intervals.

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Table 9-9 Contents for the showing_cmd batch file

Administrators Guide

Command Command Description

Parameter
-d

Parameter Description
(Optional) Indicates that you do not want the showing to be deleted after it plays. If you omit this option, the showing is automatically deleted. (Optional) The format of the showings source file. (Optional) The interval (in seconds) between successive showings that are scheduled at regular intervals. (Optional) The interval (in seconds) between the end time and the start time of two consecutive showings. Note: You can either specify -i or -g; you cannot use both options in a single command.

-F <formatName> -i <interval> -g <interval>

-n <name> -p <multicast_port>

Specifies the showing name. This name appears in the showings guide. (Optional) The multicast port number used for the showing. This is used in conjunction with the -a multicast_addr option. Note: Do not specify the multicast_addr or multicast_port if you specify a channel_name.

-s <startTime> -u -v <video> -n <name>

The time that the showing starts (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). (Optional) Provides interactive (VCR-like) controls that allow users to fast forward and rewind playback. The name of the video to schedule. Specifies the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to display all showings. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-k <keywords>

One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks (). Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details).

delete

Deletes showings that match the criteria you specify. Example:

-n <name>

COMMAND=delete PARAMETERS=-n test


-s <minstart> -S <maxstart>

Specify the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to display all showings. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105. Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

-e <minend> -E <maxend>

Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicates the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date.

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Table 9-9 Contents for the showing_cmd batch file

Chapter 9: Command-line Utilities

Command Command Description

Parameter
-k <keywords>

Parameter Description
One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks (). Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see Specifying Keywords on page 150 for details).

display

Displays information about showings that match the criteria you specify.

-g

Indicates that you want the output in a format that is suitable for creating customized showing guides on the MediaBase user Website. Specifies the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to display all showings. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105.

-n <name>

-s <minstart> -S <maxstart> -e <minend> -E <maxend> -k <keywords>

Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date. Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date. One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks (). Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see Specifying Keywords on page 150 for details).

help query

Displays the man page for showing_cmd. Displays information about showings. Example: COMMAND=query -g Indicates that you want the output in a format that is suitable for creating customized showing guides on the MediaBase user Website.

PARAMETERS= -k Test -g
-n <name> Specifies the entire or partial showing name (using pattern-matching characters to substitute for one or more characters). If you use a pattern-matching string, enclose the string in single quotation marks (for example repeat). Omit this parameter to display all showings. Note: For more information about pattern-matching strings, see Pattern-matching Characters on page 105. -s <minstart> -S <maxstart> Indicate the earliest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest start time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date. query -e <minend> -E <maxend> Indicate the earliest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). Indicate the latest end time (in mm:dd:hh:mm:ss format). You can specify a time, date, or time and date. -k <keywords> One or more terms contained in the showings keyword field and enclosed in quotation marks ().

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Example: Using showing_cmd

Administrators Guide

# Counts the number of showings. The value returned needs to be "0." COMMAND=count PARAMETERS= # Displays showing information. Nothing displays because it does not # yet exist. COMMAND=query PARAMETERS= -n test # Adds a showing. COMMAND=add PARAMETERS=-n test -s now+62 -v /demo/kasenna.mpg # Counts the number of showings. Now the value returned is "1." COMMAND=count PARAMETERS= # Invokes showing_query for a showing named test which now exists. COMMAND=query PARAMETERS= -k Test -g # Deletes the showing COMMAND=delete PARAMETERS=-n test

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Adding and Managing Channels


This section shows how you can create channels that define the specific multicast address and port on which a showing plays. See these topics: Adding Channels on page 181 Deleting Channels on page 181

Enabling Channels on page 181


Disabling Channels on page 182 Modifying Channels on page 182 Getting Channel Information on page 182
Note: For information about creating and modifying the showings that play on channels, see Adding and Managing Showings on page 171.

Adding Channels
Use channel_add to create a new channel. The channel name and ID you select must not be already be in use by another channel in your MediaBase system.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_add -a <mcast_addr> -p <mcast_port> -n <channel_number> -N <channel_name> -d <channel_descr> -b <bandwidth> Where Option/Value
-a <mcast_addr> -d <channel_descr> -p <mcast_port> -n <channel_name> -N <channel_number> -b <bandwidth>

Description
(Required) The IP address assigned to the multicast. A description for the channel. (Required) The port to assign to the multicast. (Required) A unique name for the channel. A unique ID that identifies the channel. Maximum bandwidth of the asset used to schedule the program on this channel.

Deleting Channels
Use channel_delete to delete a channel. If there are programs scheduled on this channel, you cannot delete the channel. To delete any programs, first see Deleting Channels on page 181.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_delete <channelName> Where Option/Value
channelName

Description
The name of the channel to delete.

Enabling Channels
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Use channel_enable to (activate) a channel. An activated channel starts multicasting with the next scheduled program.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_enable <channel_name> Where Option/Value
channel_name

Description
A unique name for the channel.

Disabling Channels
Use channel_disable to disable (deactivate) a channel. When a channel is disabled, it stops multicasting scheduled programs, but it does not stop currently active multicasts.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_disable <channel_name> Where Option/Value
channel_name

Description
A unique name for the channel.

Modifying Channels
Use channel_modify to change the channel name or ID. This command fails if the new channel name or ID already exists.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_modify -N <channel_name> -o <channel_name> -n <new_channel_number> -d <channel_descr> Where Option/Value
-d <channel_descr> -N <channel_name> -n <new_channel_number> -o <new_channel_name>

Description
A new description for the channel. Name of the channel to modify. The new channel number. The new channel name.

Getting Channel Information


Use channel_query to display a list of channels and their IDs.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/channel_query

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Managing Capture and Live-feed Sessions


Use mbcapture to set up and configure MediaBase capture and live-feed functions. A capture task can perform captures, multicast live-feed sessions, or any combination of these functions simultaneously. With mbcapture you can also schedule, modify, display, and abort capture tasks. The following terms are used in these instructions:
Term
capture multicast live feed

Meaning
To place live media data into MediaBase storage for later playback on demand or via webcast. The IP multicast retransmission of media data as a Webcast.

Tip:

For tips on specifying capture times, see Tips for Starting Capture Sessions on page 141 and Tips for Ending Capture Sessions on page 142.

Syntax /usr/mbase/bin/mbcapture <subcommand> <options>

The subcommands are described in Table 9-10, mbcapture Subcommands, on page 183. The options are described in Table 9-11, mbcapture Options, on page 184.
Table 9-10 mbcapture Subcommands

Subcommand
-abort -name <string> -capture -name <string> <options>

Description
Stop a scheduled or running capture task and discards any data accumulated to MediaBase storage. <string> is the name of a scheduled capture. Start a capture task and schedule a capture with the name provided by -name. For its options, see Table 9-11 on page 184. For example:

/usr/mbase/bin/mbcapture -capture -encoder "2nd Encoder" -name "Captured Asset" -starttime "2001 March 28 15:00:00" -stoptime "2001 March 28 16:00:00" -feed
-display -name <string> Display options used for an existing capture task. You must provide the task name with this option. <string> is the name of a scheduled capture. For example:

/usr/mbase/bin/mbcapture -display -name "Feed Now"


-feed -livefeed Indicate the type of capture. (feed and -livefeed are synonymous.) For example:

/usr/mbase/bin/mbcapture -livefeed -name "Feed Now" -encoder LiveEncoder -stoptime 30


List currently defined capture tasks specified in <string>. Use the pattern-matching to specify the task to display. For example:

-list -name <string>

mbcapture -list -name "Feed Now"


-modify -<name> <string> <options> Modify options for a capture task that has not yet run. The <string> is required. For its options, see Table 9-11 on page 184. For example:

mbcapture -modify -name "Feed Now" -placement auto


Note: You cannot use -modify to abort capture tasks. -resume -name <string> Resume a failed capture task. The <string> is required. For example:

mbcapture -resume MyTask "Feed Now"


Note: Live-feeds and capture tasks that fail while receiving data from an encoder cannot be resumed.

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Table 9-10 mbcapture Subcommands

Administrators Guide

Subcommand
-status -name <string>

Description
Display the status of the capture task. For a list of possible states and detailed explanations, see Monitoring Capture Task States on page 188. For example:

mbcapture -status -name "Feed Now"


Note: Depending on the Start Timeout defined (which defaults to 60 or 60 seconds), the status may report the capture task as Running though it does actually take up to 60 seconds to begin running. -stop -name <string> Terminate a running capture task so that any data accumulated in MediaBase storage is saved. For only live-feed sessions, there is no effective difference between -abort and -stop. The <string> is required. For example:

mbcapture -stop -name "Feed Now"

Table 9-11

mbcapture Options

Options
-assetgroup <name> -comment <string> -destfile <pathname> -encoder <encodername> -multicastaddress <ipaddress>

Description
Specify the asset group name. If you specify -capture without the -assetgroup option, the captured asset is installed in the default System Asset Group. Specify the comment for an asset. This option can be specified with -capture and -modify. If -comment is omitted when placing an asset in MediaBase storage, the asset is created with an empty comment field. Specify the destination filename in MediaBase storage when forced placement is requested (-placement forced). You can only specify this option with the -capture and -modify subcommands. Specify the encoder to be used as the source for a capture. You can only specify this with the -capture, -livefeed, and -modify subcommands. (Optional) Specify the multicast IP address used to transmit data for this multicast live-feed function. With this option you must also specify the -multicastport option. If you omit the -multicastaddress option, you must also omit -multicastport. Note: This option is only valid with the -livefeed subcommand.

-multicastport <port>

(Optional) Specify the multicast port number to use with a multicast live-feed function. The port value must be a integer between 1 and 65535. If you do not provide a port, MediaBase assigns a multicast IP address and port number randomly and uniquely among all multicast address users on the attached network. You must specify this with the -multicastaddress option. If you omit the -multicastaddress option, you must also omit -multicastport. Note: This option is only valid with the -livefeed subcommand.

-name <string>

The name of an asset created in MediaBase with the -capture subcommand. It may also be the name of a multicast showing. Specifies the capture task for the -abort, -capture, -display, -livefeed, -simultatedmulticastlivefeed, -modify, -status and -stop subcommands. When used with the -list subcommand, enter capture name as a regular expression that can be used to select tasks for inclusion in the list. If -list is specified without -name, all capture tasks are listed.

-numplays <playcount> -placement [auto|forced]

Specify the number of guaranteed plays to reserve for an asset created by the capture function. Specify the placement of an asset in MediaBase storage. Automatic placement (-placement auto) is the default. If forced placement (-placement forced) is specified, you must also specify the destination file using the -destfile option. Specify the starting time (in seconds) for a capture task. You can specify this option with -capture, -livefeed, and -modify subcommands. Specify the stopping time (in seconds) or a capture task. You can specify this option with -capture, -livefeed, and -modify subcommands. This is required, however, when used with the original -capture and -livefeed functions.

-starttime <time> -stoptime <time>

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Options
-speeds <requested speeds> -encryption

Description
Specify up to five comma-separated positive integers that indicate the various speeds to support for fast-forward and rewind operations. The default speed is 12. Choose one of following encryption options from this list: Widevine SecureMedia Verimatrix Nagravision Viaccess Cyphaware Irdeto Access None Note: The default value is None.

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Monitoring Real Time Captures


Use the mcaps utility to continuously display information about selected real time capture tasks. The information is displayed in tabular form (see following examples) where each capture occupies a row with its attributes listed in columns. There are 11 standard attributes and four additional available in verbose mode. The status files for real time captures are located at /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc/capture_process/status/. To stop mcaps, issue a CTRL-C.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/bin/mcaps [-d directory_path] [-t Task_ID] [-v] [-s sleep_time] [-l assetname_length] [-m maximum_captures] Option/Value
-d <directory_path> -t <Task_ID>

Description
Points to the directory where the real time capture status files are kept. A Task Identifier which provides one-to-one mapping of the capture being monitored. When specified, mcaps monitors only real time capture associated with the given Task-Id Sets the interval (in seconds) before showing the next set of data for the selected real time captures. Default is one second. Specifies the maximum number of characters available to display the asset name. Sets the maximum number of captures to be displayed. Default is five captures. Initiates verbose mode.

-s <sleep_time> -l <assetname_length> -m <maximum_captures> -v

The following table lists the attributes displayed and provides a brief description of the information.
Table 9-12 Attributes listed in mcaps readouts

Attribute
Asset Name BitRate Main File Main File Read Read (%) FF-Rate Rewind-Rate CCErr BSkip RunTime isDone

Description
Represents the name of the real time capture. Represents the bit rate of the capture in bits per second. Represents the size of the main file being written by capture process, in bytes. Represents the size of the main file processed by the content-processor, in bytes. The percent of the main file processed for the current capture in percentage. It is calculated using the following formula: (main file size read/main File size captured) * 100. Rate of generation of the Fast Forward (FF) auxiliary file. It is measured as the FF files bits written per second divided by the bit rate of the asset. Rate of generation of the Rewind (REW) auxiliary file. It is measured as the REW files bits written per second divided by bit rate of the asset. The reported Continuity Counter (CC) errors on the main file. Bytes skipped in the main file because of the CC Errors. Total run time of the capture. The capture status: Running (capture is not complete), CP-Running (the capture process is done, but the content processor is still running), or Done (capture completed).

Verbose Mode Additional Attributes FF-File FF-Index REW-File REW-Index The FF (Fast Forward) file size in bytes. The FF (Fast Forward) Index file size in bytes. The REW (Rewind) file size in bytes. The REW (Rewind) Index file size in bytes.

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Example:

Using mcaps in standard mode

# /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc/capture_process/status/ -m 10 AssetName /cap-test-3 /cap-test-8 /cap-test-1 /cap-test-9 /cap-test-7 /cap-test-2 /cap-test-5 /cap-test-10 /cap-test-6 /cap-test-4 BitRate 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 MainFile 56623104 53477376 56623104 51904512 53477376 56623104 55050240 51904512 55050240 55050240 MainFileRead 56600784 50891412 56567320 50901564 50807188 56467304 50757744 50944804 50853624 50827680 (Read %) FF 99.96 95.16 99.90 98.07 95.01 99.72 92.20 98.15 92.38 92.33 7.75 7.34 7.60 7.41 7.25 7.67 7.10 7.49 7.18 7.03 RW 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 CC-Err 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BSkip RunTime 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 121560895 115295073 123998824 114055200 116574461 122766194 119050779 112870852 117813585 120307432 isDone Running Running Running Running Running Running Running Running Running Running

Example:

Using mcaps in verbose mode

# /usr/mbase/bin/mcaps -d /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc/capture_process/status/ -m 10 -v AssetName BitRate isDone /cap-test-3 /cap-test-8 /cap-test-1 /cap-test-9 /cap-test-7 /cap-test-2 /cap-test-5 /cap-test-10 /cap-test-6 /cap-test-4 MainFile 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 3750000 MainFileRead (Read %) FF-Rate RW-Rate IndexFile FF-File 75497472 72351744 75497472 70778880 72351744 75497472 73924608 70778880 73924608 73924608 73470588 67789416 73440696 67817428 67700868 73343312 73270368 67840740 73400464 73317368 97.32 7.60 93.69 7.29 97.28 7.49 95.82 7.35 93.57 7.23 97.15 7.55 99.11 7.72 95.85 7.41 99.29 7.78 99.18 7.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 37448 34568 37448 34568 34568 37448 37448 34568 37448 37448 6006224 5536976 6006224 5536976 5536976 6006224 6006224 5536976 6006224 6006224 FF-Index Rew-File 3080 2840 3080 2840 2840 3080 3080 2840 3080 3080 Rew-Index CC-Err BSkip RunTime 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 161 155 164 154 156 162 159 153 158 160 Running Running Running Running Running Running Running Rnuning Running Running

179578192 87464 180047252 87704 179578192 87464 180047064 87704 180047064 87704 179578192 87464 179578192 87464 180047064 87704 179578004 87464 179578192 87464

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Monitoring Capture Task States


Use the -status subcommand to check the status of a task. You can capture tasks move from state to state, starting in the created state and usually ending in the complete state.
Note: Some states occur so quickly, that they cannot be observed. Command-line Function Task States

Table 9-13

Task State
created

Description
A transitory state that immediately follows the creation of a capture task. Normally the capture task is scheduled to run and immediately moves to the waiting to run state. The state of a capture task that is scheduled to run at a future time. A capture task remains in this state until the scheduled start time. The state of a capture task while it is actively doing its work. To allow for setup and cleanup activities, the duration of the this state is slightly longer than the scheduled running time (as determined by the -starttime and -stoptime). A capture task that has completed its activity successfully. This is a transitory state that is immediately followed by deletion of the capture task. A capture task that failed before completing its work. The task may fail before running, while running, or as part of post-run cleanup, and remains in this state until a MediaBase administrator aborts the task. While in this state, any MediaBase storage resources used continue to be held by the failed capture task. A capture task after an abort function is initiated (using the mbcapture -abort subcommand). A capture task can enter this from the waiting to run, running, or failed with error states. A capture task that is actively being aborted. Abort runs as a background activity and can take several minutes to complete. During abort, MediaBase resources used by the aborted capture task are released. A transitory state that follows a successful capture task deletion.

waiting to run running

run complete failed with error

waiting to abort

aborting

abort completed

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Monitoring and Controlling Playout


Use mbmonitor to: stop playout control operation playout choose which playouts to display determine playout information to display Destination IP Addresses If you do not specify a -use option (such as useIPAddress, useIPPort, or useAssetName), mbmonitor displays all MediaBase playouts for all destination IP addresses. If you specify -useIPAddress with a valid IP address, then only playouts with this destination IP address display. You can specify more than one -use option in a single mbmonitor command. For example, use the -useIpAddress option with the -useAsset option, to display only those playouts that deliver the specified asset to a client with the specified IP addresses. Operating Modes The mbmonitor operates in two modes: Interactive mode: When you invoke mbmonitor with the -monitor parameter, MediaBase displays information using the full screen capabilities of the current terminal. Use the -refreshRate parameter to control the delay between screen updates. By default, the terminal is updated every five seconds. In this mode you can press the u or d keys to page up and down the playlist. For example, if your terminal window is 10 lines high, mbmonitor displays the first 10 playouts. If you type d the next 10 playouts display. Type r to refresh the window before the refresh time expires. To terminate playout in interactive mode, use your keyboards arrow keys to move your cursor over the line that describes the playout, and then type t. Alternatively, you can type j to move the cursor down one display line, and k to move the cursor up one display line. Type q to end your monitoring session.

Figure 9-2

mbmonitor Output Example

Console mode: Most mbmonitor functions are carried out in interactive mode where it displays information about currently-running operations. To update the information, you need to run the command again.

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Exit Codes
mbmonitor

returns a 0 exist code if the operation was successful, and 1 if there was an error.

Syntax /usr/mbase/sbin/mbmonitor <options> Where Option


-list

Description
List active playouts without the curses utility. Foe example:

#/usr/mbase/sbin/mbmonitor -list U="Unknown" A="/demo/yancey1" IP=227.1.1.1/12345 U="Unknown" A="/demo/yancey1" IP=172.16.1.105/1234


-monitor List playouts in interactive mode. The information displayed is refreshed every five seconds unless you change the refreshRate option (as described in the refreshRate section below). Stop error messages from displaying. Set the number of seconds between screen updates. The default is five seconds. Terminate active playouts if you have MediaBase XMP administrator privileges. If there is more than one playout, you are asked to confirm termination of each playout. To terminate all playouts with confirmation, use the -all option. For example:

-quiet -refreshRate <seconds> -terminate

#/usr/mbase/sbin/mbmonitor terminate all playout: U="Unknown" A="/demo/yancey1" IP=227.1.1.1/12345 - terminated playout: U="Unknown" A="/demo/yancey1" IP=172.16.1.105/1234 terminated
-h Note: Display help for this command. For additional information, see the mbmonitor man pages.

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Adding and Deleting PVC Virtual Circuits


This section shows you how to configure and manage ATM PVC connections and how to add, delete, and query ATM connections. For information about supported features, see Supported Physical Network Interfaces on page 64. For details on using Web-based tools to manage these connections, see Configuring a Native ATM Connection. in the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

Adding an ATM PVC Circuit


Use pvc_add to add a PVC circuit between a server and a client.
Syntax (PVC): # /usr/mbase/sbin/pvc_add -n <name> <options> Where Option/Value
-b <bandwidth> -c <client_vci>

Description
The bitrate allocated to this interface. The Virtual Channel Identifier. This must match the VCI value on the ATM switch with which the MediaBase client directly interfaces. (The values between intermediate ATM switches can be configured independently of this VCI value.) The Virtual Channel Identifier. This must match the VCI value on the ATM switch with which the MediaBase server interfaces. (The values between intermediate ATM switches can be configured independently of this VCI value.) Descriptive information about the ATM connection. This can contain any annotation enclosed in quotation marks (). Use lo to specify the IP interface name on the MediaBase server. IP address to which to send data for this PVC. (Required) The name of the ATM PVC connection. For example, you can specify a client phone number or home address, or any other identifier. The Virtual Path Identifier. This must match the VPI value on the ATM switch with which the MediaBase client directly interfaces. (The values between intermediate ATM switches can be configured independently of this VPI value.) The Virtual Path Identifier. This must match the VPI value on the ATM switch with which the MediaBase server directly interfaces. (The values between intermediate ATM switches can be configured independently of this VPI value.) A 40-digit address that uniquely identifies the client. A 26-digit BDT identifier. Port on which to send data for this PVC. Displays help for this command. Example: Adding an ATM PVC Connection

-C <server_vci>

-d <description> -i <server_interface> -I <ip_address> -n <name> -p <client_vpi>

-P <server_vpi>

-s <client_NSAP> -t <bdtid> -T <port number> -h

# /usr/mbase/sbin/pvc_add -n pvc_connection \ -s 0123456789012345678901234567890123456789 \ -p 1 -c 1 -i lo -P 4 -C 5 -I 192.168.3.2 -T 60001 -t 012345678901234567890123456

In the example above, an ATM interface is added for a client with the specified NSAP: -p 1 specifies the value of the client VPI. -c 1 specifies the value of the client VCI.
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-i lo provides backward compatibility. -P 4 specifies the value of the server VPI. -C 5 specifies the value of the server VCI. -t <bdtid> specifies the 26-digit BDT ID. -T 60001 specifies the port on which to send the data for this PVC. -I 192.168.3.2 specifies the IP address to which to send the data for this PVC.
Note: For more information about these commands, see the pvc_add man pages.

Querying an ATM Circuit


You can query an ATM circuit to display the existence of PVC connections between MediaBase and its clients and the client configuration and bandwidth. To do this, use the pvc_query command. This command take no arguments. The output lists the connection name and a mapping of server and client attributes.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/sbin/pvc_query Sample Output:

The first part of the output displays server configuration:


name atm pc desc pvc s_interface /dev/fatm0 s_vpi 0 s_vci 200

The remainder displays client configuration and bandwidth:


c_nsap c_vpi c_vci bandwidth 47.000880ffe1000000f41a2398.002048072c3b.00 0 500 6000000

Deleting an ATM Circuit


To remove an ATM PVC circuit, use the pvc_delete command.
Syntax # /usr/mbase/sbin/pvc_delete -n <client_name> Where Option
-n <client_name>

Description
The name of the ATM connection that you want to remove. To determine the name of the connection, use the pvc_query command as described in the Querying an ATM Circuit on page 192.

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Backing Up and Restoring MediaBase Metadata


Use mbrestore to restore the most recent backup. Kasenna recommends that you periodically back up your MediaBase asset metadata.

Backing Up MediaBase Metadata


Use the following procedure to back up your MediaBase database (asset metadata).
How to backup MediaBase metadata:
1 Log in to the server host as root. Note: 2 It is not sufficient to use the su command to temporarily become the superuser.

Stop the MediaBase services:

# /etc/init.d/mediabase stop # /etc/init.d/Kasenna_Apache stop


3 Dump the MediaBase database:

# /usr/mbase/sbin/backupTools/mbdump <options> Where


-d [mbdumpdir] Specifies the dump directory name. If you do not specify a directory, the dump file is saved in /usr/tmp (where date is the date the file is created):

/usr/tmp/mbdump.date
-l [mblogdir] -h 4 Specifies the log file name. If you do not specify a log file, the log file is saved in /usr/tmp: /usr/tmp/mbdump.log Displays instructions for using this command.

Restart the MediaBase services.

# /etc/init.d/mediabase start

Restoring MediaBase Metadata


Use the following procedure to restore MediaBase metadata from a backed-up version. Use mbdump to save the existing contents.
How to restore MediaBase metadata:
1 2 3 4 Become the super user on the MediaBase server (by typing su - root). Stop the MediaBase services.

# /etc/init.d/mediabase stop
Stop the Web Server.

# /etc/init.d/Kasenna_Apache stop
Start the database server.

# /etc/init.d/mediabase startdb
Note: 5 You only need to run startdb when you are restoring the database. Otherwise the database automatically starts when you start MediaBase.

Restore the MediaBase data.

# /usr/mbase/sbin/backupTools/mbrestore <options> Where


-l <logfilename> -r <restoredir> -h Specifies the log file Specifies the directory that contains the dump file Displays instructions for using this command

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Point-to-Point Content Distribution


If you have installed and have a license for the MediaBase VCD feature, use the commands in this section to manage the creation and scheduling of point-to-point operations from the command line. These utilities duplicate the capabilities provided on the MediaBase Content Distribution Website.
Note: For information about installing VCD, see Installing Video Content Distribution (VCD) in Chapter 2 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide. Utilities for Point-to-Point VCD Operations

Table 9-14

Adding and Managing Schedules scheduleAdd scheduleModify scheduleQuery scheduleMonitor scheduleDelete transferjobAdd Add a scheduled asset transfer (import or export). Modify an existing schedule. Queries remote or local assets through command-line utilities. Monitors an existing schedule and displays scheduled jobs. Deletes a transfer job from a schedule. Adds a transfer job to an existing schedule. page 194 page 196 page 197 page 198 page 199 page 199

Adding a Schedule: scheduleAdd


Use scheduleAdd to add a schedule. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleAdd <options>

Options
Miscellaneous options -a -n <name> -t <transferMode> Identifies a destination asset group (where the asset is to be transferred). The name to assign to this schedule. Use one of the following values: MDC MDO MDM DEL -p <priority> -r <numRetries> Metadata, content, and auxiliary files. Overwrite existing metadata. Modify metadata only. Delete the asset.

Indicate the priority for this transfer (low, medium, high, or urgent). Number of times to retry a transfer is unsuccessful.

Options that identify the source and destination -s <source_server> -d <destHost> -a destAssetGroupName The MediaBase server (hostname.domainName) from which the assets are transferred. The MediaBase server to which the assets are to be transferred (hostname, domainName, etc.). Identify the asset group the transferred asset belongs to.

Options that identify files to transfer or delete -A <assetName> -f <filename> Name of a specific asset to transfer or delete. The path to a file that contains a list of asset names to transfer or delete (depending on the transfer mode).

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The name of a folder that contains the files to transfer or delete. The name of the asset group to transfer. Use this flag that indicate that you are using a user-defined query to identify the files to transfer. If you use this options, do not use the -F option. For more information about queries, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197. Transfer assets that contain the specified keyword. Select assets created during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

-K <keyword> -C <creationStartCreationEnd>

-M <modificationStartEnd>

Select assets changed during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

Options that identify asset format -E <encoding> Use one of the following values to indicate the type of assets to transfer: MPEG-1 MPEG-1-Audio MPEG-2 MPEG-4 MPEG* Transfers MPEG-1 assets. Transfers MPEG-1 audio assets. Transfers MPEG-2 assets. Transfers MPEG-4 assets. Transfers all MPEG files.

Options that identify when transfers occur -b <beginDate> -e <endDate> -i <periodicity> The date the first transfer job occurs. The date the last transfer job occurs. The interval at which transfers occur in dd/hh/mm (days/hours/minutes) format. Note: The periodicity option uses a lowercase i an uppercase I is used for the scheduleID.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleAdd -q -F /demo/ -C 14:00 18:00 -n test -p HIGH -t MDC -b "May 31 13:00" -e "Jun. 5" -d destination.kasenna.wan -r 3 -i 0/2/30

This transfers: All the assets from the /demo folder that were created today between 14:00 and 18:00. The schedule is called test and is assigned a high priority. The transfers begin at 13:00, May 31st, and continue until June 5th. Transfers occur every two and a half hours. Metadata, content, and auxiliary files (MDC). If the transfer fails, MediaBase attempts to transfer the data up to three times.

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Changing a Schedule: scheduleModify


Use scheduleModify to change a schedule that is not currently running. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleModify <options>

Options
Miscellaneous options -n <name> -t <transferMode> The name to assign to this schedule. Use one of the following values: MDC MDO MDM DEL -p <priority> -r <numRetries> -g <enabled> Transfer metadata, content, and auxiliary files. Overwrite existing metadata. Modify metadata only. Delete the asset.

Set the priority for this transfer (low, medium, high, or urgent). Number of times to retry a transfer is unsuccessful. Use this to enable or disable a schedule. 1 0 Enable the schedule. Disable the schedule.

-I <ScheduleID> (uppercase i)

Identify this schedule with a unique ID (identifier).

Options that identify the source and destination -s <source> -d <destDir> -a destAssetGroupName The MediaBase server (hostname.domainName) from which the assets are transferred. The MediaBase server from which assets are transferred to (hostname.domainName). Identify the asset group to which the transferred asset belongs.

Options that identify files to transfer or delete -A <assetName> -f <filename> -F <sourceFolder> -G <assetGroupName> -q <query> Name of the asset to transfer or delete. Path to a file containing a list of asset names to be transferred or deleted, depending on the transfer mode. Name of the folder to transfer or delete. The name of the asset group of the asset(s) to transfer. Indicate the use of a user-defined query to identify files. If you use this options, do not use the -f option. For more information about queries, see Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery on page 197. Transfer assets that contain the specified keyword.

-K <keyword>

-C <creationStartCreationEnd> Select assets created during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

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Select assets changed during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118.

Options that identify asset format -E <encoding> Use one of the following values to indicate the type of assets to transfer: MPEG-1 MPEG-1-Audio MPEG-2 MPEG-4 MPEG* Transfer MPEG-1 assets. Transfer MPEG-1 audio assets. Transfer MPEG-2 assets. Transfer MPEG-4 assets. Transfer all MPEG files.

-i <periodicity>

The interval at which transfers occur in dd/hh/mm (days/hours/minutes) format. Note: The periodicity option uses a lowercase i an uppercase I is used for the scheduleID.

Options that identify when transfers occur -b <beginDate> -e <endDate> The date the first transfer job occurs. The date the last transfer job occurs.

Listing Scheduled Transfers: scheduleQuery


Use scheduleQuery to browse a host and build a query about the assets to transfer before scheduling the transfer. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleQuery <options>

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Options
-h <hostName> -A <assetName> -F <folderName> -G <assetGroupName> -C <creationStartCreationEnd> Name of the source machine. Name of the asset. Use this to see if an asset exists on the source. Name of the folder. Use this to list the assets in a specified folder. The name of the asset group to transfer. Select assets created during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118 -M <modificationStartEnd> Select assets changed during this range of dates. Enter any two valid dates, separated by spaces. For example: -C 14:00 18:00 For detailed information about entering time, see About Time Formats on page 118. -K <keywords> Transfer assets that contain the specified keywords. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords with double quotes and add a space between each keyword. Note: If you enter more than one keyword and do not enclose them in quotes, only the last one you specify is used (see page 150 for details). -E <encoding> Use one of the following values to indicate the type of assets to transfer: MPEG-1 MPEG-1-Audio MPEG-2 MPEG-4 MPEG* Transfer MPEG-1 assets. Transfer MPEG-1 audio assets. Transfer MPEG-2 assets. Transfer MPEG-4 assets. Transfer all MPEG files.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleQuery -h hostname.kasenna.wan -F /demo

This lists all the assets contained in the /demo directory of the MediaBase XMP server hostname.kasenna.wan.

Monitoring a Schedule: scheduleMonitor


Use scheduleMonitor to display a list of transfer jobs defined in a schedule. This command can also be used to abort (temporarily stop) or delete (permanently remove) a transfer job from the schedule. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleMonitor <options>

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Options
-l (lowercase L) Choose one of the following list options: all <scheduleID> -I <scheduleID> (uppercase i) -t <listTransferJobs> -v <listVideos> -a <transferJobID> -d <transferJobID> List all schedules. List only the schedule with this scheduleID.

Indicate the schedule to display or monitor. Add transfer jobs to the listing or schedule defined with the -l (lowercase L) or -I (uppercase i) option. Add asset names to the listing or schedule defined with the -l (lowercase L) or -I (uppercase i) option. Abort specified job. Delete specified job.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleMonitor -I 4 -tv

This displays a list of assets and transfer jobs defined in the schedule with scheduleID number 4.

Deleting a Schedule: scheduleDelete


Use scheduleDelete to delete a schedule or a transfer job. This command requires the job ID of the schedule or transfer; use scheduleMonitor on page 198 to get that ID. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleDelete <option>

Options
-s <scheduleID> -t <transferJobID> The ID of the schedule to delete. The ID of the transfer job to delete.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/scheduleDelete -s 4

This deletes the schedule with scheduleID 4.

Adding Transfer Jobs: transferjobAdd


Use transferjobAdd to add an individual transfer job from another schedule. This command requires the schedule ID for the other schedule and the transfer jobs ID; use the scheduleMonitor command on page 196 to get those IDs. The new transfer job inherits all the transfer information from the other schedule, except the asset name.
Note: To transfer content between a cluster of servers, see transferAsset on page 250.

Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/transferjobAdd <options>

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Options
Table 9-15 -I <scheduleID> (uppercase i) -a <assetNamePath> The schedule ID of the schedule that contains information about the transfer job that you want to add. The name and path to the asset to be transferred.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/transferjobAdd -i 4 -a /demo/kasenna.mpg

This adds a job for /demo/kasenna.mpg to scheduleID number 4.

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Multicast Transfer Content Distribution


If you have installed and have a license for the MediaBase VCD Reliable Multicast Transfer feature, use the commands in this section to use the following utilities for managing multicast transfer operations from the command line. These utilities duplicate the capabilities provided on the MediaBase Content Distribution Website.
Table 9-16 Utilities for Multicast Transfer VCD Operations

Adding and Managing Transfer Jobs rmcast_group rmcast_group rmcast_group rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule rmcast_schedule Create a multicast transfer group for a transfer job Change a multicast transfer group Delete a multicast transfer group Schedule a multicast transfer job Change a scheduled multicast transfer job Delete a scheduled multicast transfer job Abort a scheduled multicast transfer job page 201 page 202 page 203 page 203 page 204 page 204 page 205

Distributing Assets to Edge Servers: Multicast Group Transfers


Note: You can only create, change, or delete multicast groups or transfer jobs from the sender. You can list multicast groups or transfer jobs that pertain to a receiver from the receiver.

If you have installed the Kasenna Multicast Transmission DistributeXmit or DistributeRecv licenses, you can use MediaBases Multicast Transmission feature to distribute assets from a central server to edge servers in your network. You can also specify which MediaBase servers (or clusters) in your network is in the group. You can create several groups in your network, and they may contain some of the same servers. These group definitions are retained by MediaBase until you explicitly delete them.
Note: The multicast address assigned to a group may not be used for any other purpose by other services until the group is deleted. In other words, a showing may not be configured at the same IP address and port combination as a group.

Creating a Multicast Group


Use rmcast_group to create a multicast group to send assets to all servers in the group simultaneously.
Note: When you are creating a reliable multicast group, you must not include the sending server in it.

Syntax
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n <multicast GroupName> -s <serverclusterName> -D <multicast group description> -c <clustername>

Example
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n MCG1 -s Serv1 -s Serv2 -c Clust1 "Group1" -D

Creates a group named MCG1 to transfer assets to MediaBase servers Serv1 Serv2, and cluster Clust1.

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Table 9-17

rmcast_group Options

Option
-a -n <multicastgroupName> -D <string> -s <servername>

Description
Add (create) the specified multicast group. The name of the multicast group you are creating The description of the group. The MediaBase server (hostname.domainName) from which the assets are multicast. To specify additional servers involved in the multicast group, use the following format: -s <servername1> -s <servername2> -s <servername3>... The MediaBase server cluster (hostname.domainName.clustername) from which the assets are multicast. To specify additional servers involved in the multicast group, use the following format: -s <clustername1> -s <clustername2> -s <clustername3>... Request online help for this command or term.

-c <clustername>

-h

Modifying a Multicast Group


Use rmcast_group to modify an existing multicast group. Syntax
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -f -n <multicast GroupName> -s <serverName> -c <clusterName> -D <multicast group description>

Options
-n <multicast GroupName> -f -s <serverName> -c <clusterName> -D <string> The name of the multicast group you are modifying. Force the modification of the multicast group. The name of a server to add to the multicast server group. Add -s <serverName> for each server or cluster you add. The virtual IP address of the cluster to add to the multicast group. The description of the group.

Example
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -f -n MCG1 -s Serv1 -s Serv2 -c Clust1

Listing All Multicast Groups


Use rmcast_group to list all multicast groups. Syntax
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -l

Options
-l List all multicast groups.

Example
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -l
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Deleting a Multicast Group


Use rmcast_group to delete an existing multicast group.
Note: You cannot delete a group if there is a scheduled task associated with it.

Syntax
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -d -n <multicast GroupName>

Options
-n <multicast GroupName> -d The name of the multicast group you are creating. Delete the multicast group.

Scheduling a Multicast Group Transfer Job


Use rmcast_schedule to schedule a multicast transmission for a specified time and date. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a -N <assetName> -g <multicastGroupName> -n <multicastTransferJobName> -M <multicastaddress> -p <multicastPort> -t <startTime> -D -A <assetgroupName> -o <operation> -c comment

Table 9-18

rmcast_schedule Options

Options
-a -g <groupname> -n <schedule-name> -M <multicast_addr>

Description
To add a schedule. To assign a group name for this scheduled operation. The name to assign to this scheduled operation. The multicast address to use for the scheduled operation. If you do not specify an address, MediaBase generates one automatically. If you specify a multicast address, you must also use the -p option to specify a multicast port number. The multicast port to use for the scheduled operation. If you do not specify a port, MediaBase generates one automatically. To specify an asset group to send the transfer to. The time to start the transfer job. You can specify the start time in the following format now + x (where x is the number of minutes from now that the transfer needs to start). To provide comments. The name of the asset to be transferred. Request online help for this command or term. To specify either adding content or deleting content operations <[ADD_CONTENT] / [DELETE_CONTENT]>.

-p <multicast_port> -A <assetgroupname> -t <startTime>

-c <string> -N -h -o <operation>

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Example
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a -n MCS1 -N Asset123 -g MCG1 -t "now+600" -c "Scheduling distribution of Asset123 at 2004/11/29 2 AM"

Schedules asset Asset123 to be transferred to all servers in the MCG1 multicast server group, beginning at 2004/11/29 2 AM (now plus 600 minutes). To delete an asset from all servers in a multicast group, use the following command:
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a -n <groupName> -N <assetName> -t <time> -o DELETE_CONTENT

Changing a Multicast Group Transfer Job


Use rmcast_schedule to change a scheduled multicast transfer job. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -f -n <multicastTransferJobName> -N <assetName> -g <MulticastGroupName> -t <startTime> -D

Options
-N <assetName> -n <multicastTransferJobName> -t <startTime> The name of the asset to transfer. The multicast group to transfer the asset to. The time to start the transfer job. You can specify the start time in the following format now + x (where x is the number of minutes from now that the transfer needs to start).

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a n MCS1 -N Asset123 -g MCG1 -t "now+600" -c "Scheduling distribution of Asset123 at 2004/11/29 2 AM"

Changes the multicast transfer job MCS1 to start at 6AM on Dec. 10, 2004.

Deleting a Multicast Group Transfer Job


Use rmcast_schedule to delete a scheduled multicast transfer job.
Note: A transfer job which is currently running or has completed cannot be aborted. You can abort it (see Aborting a Multicast Group Transfer Job on page 205).

Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -d -n <multicastTransferJobName>

Options
-n <multicastTransferJobName> The multicast group to transfer the asset to.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -d -n MCS1

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Aborting a Multicast Group Transfer Job


Use the following command to stop a scheduled multicast transfer job that is currently running. Syntax
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -x -n <multicastTransferJobName>

Options
-n <multicastTransferJobName> The multicast group to transfer the asset to.

Example
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -x -n MCS1

Troubleshooting Multicast Group Distribution Jobs This section provides solutions to commonly-experienced multicast transmission transfer job problems. See these topics: Configuration Problems on page 205 Directory Services problems on page 205 Networking problems on page 205 Failed distribution tasks on page 206
Configuration Problems

Ensure that you have the proper licenses. On the sender, you must have Multicast Transmission and DistribteXmit licenses. Run the /usr/mbase/sbin/mblicense/mblicense command from the console to check for the proper licenses. Make sure you have configured the server as a sender in the /usr/mbase/config/rmcast.config file. The default configuration has the server as a receiver. Make sure that all the servers are configured with the same IP address and UDP port for the rmds service (see the /usr/mbase/config/rmds.config file). The default values for these are 234.5.6.7 and 12345. Make sure that the GroupServerIP is set to the identical, correct value on all servers.
Directory Services problems

Make sure that you have a valid license for rmds (directory services daemon). Make sure that the rmds is up and running. Run the /usr/mbase/sbin/cksvcs command to check the daemon status. Make sure that the IP address and port for the rmds service is not being used for another service.
Networking problems

Make sure that your network is configured to propagate IP multicast packets across routers and L3 switches if they exist in your network. Upgrade your routers to support IGMPv3. If not, the routers may freeze network traffic for significant durations whenever a node leaves a multicast session. Make sure that the hop count between the sender and all receivers is less than the TTL value specified in the parameter AnnounceMulticastTTL=<x> in the file /usr/mbase/config/rmcast.config file. If the hop count is more, the receivers cannot receive IP packets.

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Sometimes an asset may successfully distribute to all the receivers. To check if the sender has successfully transmitted an asset:
Run the /usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule l command. The status field shows if the transfer status is Completed. If it failed, the status field indicates the reason. There may be a change task associated with it. To find out, run the /usr/mbase/bin/apiToolBox/listTasks command. Run the /usr/mbase/bin/apiToolBox/listHandles command to see if a receiver has successfully received an asset. The status column must read AVAILABLE. If the asset is not in the list or if the state is not AVAILABLE, check to see if there is a changeTask associated with it by running the /usr/mbase/bin/apiToolBox/listTasks command.

If there is a failed task, you may release it and associated resources by aborting it. Do this by running the /usr/mbase/bin/apiToolBox/abortTask <task_id> command. If the systems are not all synchronized, the server may not fully receive the asset data even if it was successfully transferred from the sender.

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Using vScript Commands


This section describes the vScript command-line utilities used to manage content and servers. The vScript commands: can be invoked either from the UNIX prompt or the shell. replace the ClusterCP commands used in previous versions of MediaBase. perform many of the same functions that can be carried out from the vFusion console (additional license required).

Important Note for ClusterCP Command Users


If you used previous versions of MediaBase, you may have used ClusterCP commands which have been renamed to vScript. Batch files that issue ClusterCP commands are still functional; also, applications that include batch files which issue ClusterCP commands continue to work.
Sample ClusterCP Command /usr/mbase/cluster/ClusterCP.sh Sample vScript Command /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo serverName -listServers -connectTo serverName -listServers

Java Requirements
The vScript commands run under Java 1.4.x or 1.5. These versions of Java are not automatically installed with Red Hat Linux Enterprise 4.0. Install Java 1.4x or 1.5 before attempting to use the vScript commands.

Version Mismatch
The Java interface jglue.jaris used by vScript to interact with MediaBase servers. When a vScript command is issued, the version number of the MediaBase server is compared to the version number of jglue.jar. If an incompatibility occurs, vScript exits and an error message is issued. To get the version number of the currently running Java interface, use the following command:
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -getjglueVersion

General Command Syntax


To perform tasks from the command line, use the vScript command and specify one or more options, as in the following example. (See vScript Commands by Function on page 209 for detailed information about available options.)
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh
serverName

-connectTo serverName -option

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

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-option A list of command options sorted by function begins on page 209. Enter each option in the order specified.

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Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addAsset assetName [assetGroup]encodingType sourceFile [keywords] sync|async If you choose not to specify an option, pass an open string instead, as follows: Example with assetGroup not specified /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -addAsset /demo/ftded.mpg "" "MPEG-1" "ftp://root:secret@remotehost/usr/mbase/validation/kmb_ad.mpg" "FTPD Asset" async

Warning:

To perform functions on a cluster, use a workstation that can connect to a server in the cluster.

Displaying Help
Use the following command to display a list of vScript options (the option types that you specify).
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -help <optionType>
optionType Leave this blank to display a list of help options, or specify one of the following option types to display options related only to that item. asset asset group multicast transfer recording playout program channel task encoder system Displays options related to assets. Displays options related to asset groups. Displays options related to multicast showings. Displays options related to asset transfers. Displays options related to asset captures. Displays options related to asset playout. Displays options related to managing programs (NVOD showings). Displays options related to managing channels for NVOD showings. Displays options related to tasks. Displays options related to managing and configuring encoders. Displays options related to MediaBase system functions.

Specifying Time
This time format is specific to the use of vScript commands. Enter time in the format: MM/DD/YY HH:MM AM|PM
MM DD YY HH MM The month. Use a 0 before single-digit numbers. For example, use 09 to represent September. The day of the month. Use a 0 before single-digit numbers; for example, 05. The year. Use only the last two digits of the year. For example, use 99 to represent 1999. The hour of the day. This format assumes a 24-hour clock. For example, use 05 to represent 5 A.M. and 20 to represent 10 P.M. The minutes. Use a 0 before single-digit numbers.

Running Commands in Shell Mode


Every vScript command can be run in shell mode. In this mode, you can also use the interactive mode and enter command options one at a time, as in the following example:
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -shell
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vScript Commands by Function


This section lists vScript commands by the following functional areas: Help and Shell on page 209 Assets on page 209 Asset Groups on page 210 Channels on page 210 Encoders on page 210 Version on page 210 Multicast on page 210 Playouts on page 211 Programs on page 211 Recording on page 211 System on page 211 Tasks on page 212 Transfers on page 212 For an alphabetical listing of commands with a full description of command parameters, see Alphabetical List of vScript Commands on page 213.
Note: All commands except -help and -shell must have the following prefix: /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName]

Help and Shell


/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -help <optionType> /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -shell

Assets
-addAsset assetName assetGroup encodingType sourceFile keywords sync|async scales<4,16,32 or 12> installtype<realtime,non-realtime> encryption<Widevine, SecureMedia, Nagravision, Cyphaware, Viaccess, Verimatrix or none> auxfiles<FF_REWIND_SUPPORT,POSITIONING_ONLY,NONE> placement<PLACE_AUTO,PRE_PLACED,PLACE_SHARED,PLACE_FORCED> forcedplcmtlocation -addClip assetname fromAsset keywords -addSequence assetname keywords -assets asset1 [asset2 ...] -deleteAsset assetName -deleteAssetInServer assetName -deleteAssetsInAssetGroup assetGroupName -findAssets assetname foldername assetgroup keywords encodingtype assettype -getAssetLocations assetName -getAssetProperties assetName -getOperationStatus operationId -listAssets -listAssetsInFolder folderName -listAssetsInAssetGroup assetGroupName -listAssetsInServer

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Asset Groups
-addAssetGroup assetGroupName typicalBitRate(in Kb/s) maxSimultaneousPlays maxDiskSpace(in Mb) -deleteAssetGroup assetGroupName -getAssetGroup assetGroupName -listAssetGroups

Channels
-createChannel channelName channelId multicastAddress multicastPort -deleteChannel channelName -disableChannel channelName -enableChannel channelName -getChannel channelName -isChannelMulticasting channelName -listChannels -modifyChannel channelName newChannelName newChannelId newDescription

Encoders
-addEncoder encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate(in kbps) packetSize startTimeout(in sec) endTimeout(in sec) destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort -deleteEncoder encoderName -getEncoder encoderName -getEncoderModel encoderModelName -listEncoders -listEncoderModels -modifyEncoder encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate(in kbps) packetSize startTimeout(in sec) endTimeout(in sec) destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort

Version
-checkVersionCompatibility

Multicast
-abortMulticast multicastName -deleteMulticast multicastName -findMulticasts multicastName minStartTime maxStartTime minEndTime maxEndTime keywords -getMulticast multicastName
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-scheduleMulticast multicastName startTime assetName multicastAddress multicastPort

Playouts
-abortPlayout clientAddress port -listPlayouts -listPlayoutsByAsset assetName -getStreamCount

Programs
-deleteProgram programId -deleteProgramGroup programGroupName -getProgram programId -listProgramGroups channelName -listPrograms channelName -listProgramsByProgramGroup programGroupName -listProgramsByTime channelName startTime endTime -modifyProgram programId channelName programName assetName keywords startTime -scheduleProgramGroup programGroupName channelName assetName keywords startTime numRecurring numInterval -scheduleProgram programName channelName assetName keywords startTime

Recording
-abortRecording recordingName -findRecordings assetName -getOperationStatus operationId -getRecording recordingName -listRecordings -scheduleRecording recordingName encoderName startTime endTime assetKeywords assetGroup numPlays realTime(true/false) speeds(a,b,c,d) encryption(Widevine,Viaccess,Verimatrix) -stopRecording recordingName

System
-getNetworkInterfaces -getNetworkInterfaceStatus interfaceName -getServerConfig -getServerProfile -getTriggerLevels -listCacheAssetAttributes -listDiskStatus -listInterfaceStatus -listServers
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-setTriggerLevels "name=value,"

Tasks
-abortTask taskId -deleteTask taskId -getTaskInfo taskId -listTasks -resumeTask taskId

Transfers
-abortTransfer transferId -deleteTransfer transferId -getOperationStatus operationId -getTransferInfo transferId -listTransfers -listTransfersInServer -scheduleTransferAsset assetName destinationServer datetime assetGroup typeOfTransfer -transferAsset assetName destServer MD|MDC|MDC_NOAUX|MDO|MDM|MDCO|MDC_NOAUXO assetGroup

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Alphabetical List of vScript Commands


This section contains an alphabetical listing of all vScript commands.

abortMulticast
Abort a multicast showing that is currently running. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -abortMulticast multicastName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

multicastName

The name of the multicast showing to be aborted.

abortPlayout
Abort the playout of an asset of a specified IP address and port. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -abortPlayout clientAddress clientPort

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

clientAddress clientPort

The clients IP address. The clients port.

abortRecording
Abort a recording. When recordings are aborted, MediaBase immediately stops the capture session and deletes all asset data already stored in MediaBase. Recorded data can be retained by using stopRecording on page 249. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -abortRecording recordingName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

recordingName

The name of the recording to abort.

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abortTask
Abort a task with a specific ID. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -abortTask taskId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

taskId

The name of the task ID to abort.

abortTransfer
Abort a transfer job. If the transfer is in progress, any assets already transferred are not deleted. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -abortTransfer transferId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

transferId

A unique identifier assigned to the transfer job. The transferID can be obtained by running the list command (see listTransfers on page 240).

addAsset
Install (add) simple assets into MediaBase XMP. Simple assets are MPEG-1 video and MPEG-1 audio whose content is contained in a single byte stream, MPEG-2 transport stream video, or MPEG-4 files. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addAsset assetName assetGroup encodingType sourceFile keywords sync|async scales<4,16,12,32> installtype<realtime,non-realtime> encryption<Widevine,SecureMedia,Nagravision,Cyphaware,Viaccess, Verimatrix, none> auxfiles<FF_REWIND_SUPPORT,POSITIONING_ONLY,NONE> placement<PLACE_AUTO,PRE_PLACED,PLACE_SHARED,PLACE_FORCED> forcedplcmtlocation

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName assetGroup encodingType sourceFile keywords

The name of the asset. The name of the asset group for the asset. If an asset group is not specified, MediaBase adds the asset to the default system asset group. The method used to encode the asset (for example, MPEG-1, MPEG-1 Audio, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4). The name of the asset that is the source of the clip. One or more keywords that identify the recording. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword. When async is specified, MediaBase waits for status information concerning the successful or unsuccessful installation of the asset before installing additional assets. When sync is specified, MediaBase creates an asset installation task then passes it off to the installation service without regard to the status of the operation. Recommendation: Use "async" mode.

sync|async

scales installtype encryption auxfiles placement forcedplcmtlocation

Up to five comma-separated integers. realtime or non-realtime Widevine, SecureMedia, Nagravision, Cyphaware, Viaccess, Verimatrix, or none FF_REWIND_SUPPORT, POSITIONING_ONLY, or NONE PLACE_AUTO, PRE_PLACED, PLACE_SHARED, or PLACE_FORCED If PLACE_FORCED is selected, specify the full pathname of the location where the file must be copied.

Examples /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -addAsset /demo/simple.mpg ""


"MPEG-1" "/usr/mbase/validation/kmb_ad.mpg" "Simple async" async "" realtime Verimatrix FF_REWIND_SUPPORT PLACE_AUTO ""

/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -addAsset /demo/ftded.mpg "" "MPEG-1" "ftp://root:secret@remotehost/usr/mbase/validation/kmb_ad.mpg" "FTPD Asset" async

addAssetGroup
Create asset groups. Asset groups are used to improve file system bandwidth utilization and asset replication. An asset group is a set of assets that share system resources such as disk space. Assets within an asset group can have varied bitrates. Each asset in a MediaBase XMP system can belong to only one asset group. When a simple asset is added, an asset group must be specified for the asset. If an asset group is not specified, the asset is placed in a default asset group provided by MediaBase XMP called the System Asset Group. Additional asset groups can, however, be created. For more information about asset groups, their attributes, and how they are used, see Chapter 2, About MediaBase Assets in the Kasenna MediaBase XMP Administrators Guide. Do not assign derived assets (such as clips and sequences) to asset groups. Asset groups do not use any resources. Asset groups have only metadata associated with them.

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Note:

Administrators Guide
For information about how to install assets captured from a live-feed, see Capturing Assets on page 251.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addAssetGroup assetGroupName typicalBitRate maxSimultaneousPlays maxDiskSpace


serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. assetGroupName typicalBitRate maxSimultaneousPlays maxDiskSpace The name of the asset group for the asset. If an asset group is not specified, MediaBase adds the asset to the default system asset group. Specifies the average bitrate (in Kb/s) of assets installed in the group. This attribute cannot be changed after the asset group has been created. The maximum simultaneous plays for any asset in the asset group. The amount of disk space (in Mb) allocated to the asset group.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -addAssetGroup myAssetGroup 2000


5 200

addClip
Create a clip. A clip is a portion of an asset (for example, a 60-second interval of a 5-minute video).
Note: For more information about clips, see Clips in Chapter 2 of the MediaBase Administrators Guide.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addClip assetName sourceFile startofOffset endofOffset keywords
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. assetName sourceFile startofOffset endofOffset keywords The name of the clip. The name of the asset that is the source of the clip. The number of microseconds from the beginning of the asset that the clip begins. The number of microseconds from the beginning of the asset that the clip ends. One or more keywords that identify the clip. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -addClip /demo/clip


"/demo/simle.mpg" 10000000 20000000 "Testing clip"

addEncoder
Add an encoder. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addEncoder encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate
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packetSize startTimeout endTimeout destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort


serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate packetSize startTimeout endTimeout destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort Model name of the encoder. Name of the encoder. Description of the encoder. Type of content of the encoder. Stream bit rate (kbps) of the encoder. Packet size of the encoder. Start timeout (seconds) of the encoder. End timeout (seconds) of the encoder. Destination address of the encoder. Source address of the encoder. Destination port of the encoder. Source port of the encoder.

addSequence
Create a sequence. A sequence is a collection of videos played in a particular order. For example, a sequence may consist of commercials interspersed within segments of a movie. In this case, the commercials and segments are played sequentially as one video sequence. A sequence can be created from any video or clip component of the same format and bitrate. Sequences cannot contain other sequences or more than 16 components.
Note: For more information about sequences and how they are created and stored in MediaBase XMP, see Sequences in Chapter 2 of the MediaBase Administrators Guide.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -addSequence sequenceName keywords -assets asset1 [asset2...]

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

sequenceName keywords asset

The name to assign to the sequence. One or more keywords that identify the sequence. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword. The name of two or more assets to add to the sequence.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh

-connectTo mondo -addSequence /demo/sequence "Sequence of assets" -assets /demo/kasenna.mpg /demo/simple.mpg

checkVersionCompatibility
Check the compatibility of the version. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -checkVersionCompatibility
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

createChannel
Create a channel. This operation cannot be performed if the channel name or ID already exists, or if a channel with the same multicast address and port already exists. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -createChannel channelName channelId multicastAddress multicastPort description

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName channelID multicastIPAddress multicastPort description

A unique name of the channel. A unique ID that identifies the channel. The IP address assigned to the multicast. The port assigned to the multicast. The description of the channel.

deleteAsset
Delete an asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteAsset assetName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName

The name of a asset to delete.

deleteAssetGroup
Delete an asset group. After an asset group is deleted, the assets contained in the group remain intact (because an asset group is a logical grouping of assets) and are re-assigned to the System Asset Group. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteAssetGroup assetGroupName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetGroupName

The name of the asset group to delete.

deleteAssetInServer
Delete assets from a server. Note: Assets can be deleted from a server even if the server does not belong to a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteAssetInServer assetName
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. assetName The name of the asset to delete.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -deleteAssetInServer


/demo/renamed.mpg

deleteAssetsInAssetGroup
Delete assests in an asset group. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteAssetsInAssetGroup assetGroupName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetGroupName

The name of the asset in the group to delete.

deleteChannel
Delete a channel. If programs are scheduled on the channel, the channel cannot be deleted until:
1 2 3 The channel is disabled (see deleteChannel on page 220). The command isChannelMulticasting returns false. All programs are deleted from the channel (see deleteProgram on page 221).

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteChannel channelName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName

The name of the channel to be deleted.

deleteEncoder
Delete an encoder. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteEncoder encoderName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

encoderName

The name of the encoder to delete.

deleteMulticast
Delete a scheduled multicast showing. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteMulticast multicastName
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. multicastName The name of the multicast showing to be deleted.

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deleteProgram
Delete a program (showing) with the specified program ID. Note: The program cannot be deleted if it is currently playing. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteProgram programId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

programID

An ID that uniquely identifies the program.

deleteProgramGroup
Delete a program group. The group is not deleted if a program in the group is currently playing. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteProgramGroup programGroupName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

programGroupName

A name that uniquely identifies the program group.

deleteTask
Delete a task. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteTask taskId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

taskId

The task ID to delete.

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deleteTransfer
Delete a scheduled asset transfer job. Note: If the transfer is in progress, use abortTransfer on page 214. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -deleteTransfer transferId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

transferId

A unique identifier assigned to the transfer operation. The transferID can be obtained by running the list command. See listTransfers on page 240 for details.

disableChannel
Disable a channel. Once disabled, a channel stops multicasting scheduled programs but does not stop currently active multicasts. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -disableChannel channelName Syntax
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. channelName The name of the channel.

enableChannel
Enable (activate) a channel. Once enabled, a channel starts multicasting with the next scheduled program. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -enableChannel channelName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName

The name of the channel.

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findAssets
Determine the location of an asset in a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -findAssets serverName assetName folderName assetGroup keywords encodingType
Warning: serverName The options must be entered in the order in which they appear in the table below. The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. assetName folderName assetGroup keywords Finds assets with the specified name. Finds assets with the specified folder name. Finds assets with the specified asset group name. One or more keywords that identify the recording. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword. Finds assets with the specified encoding type. Valid encoding types are MPEG-1, MPEG-1-Audio, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4.

encodingType

Example.
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -findAssets "" "" "" "learn course" ""

findMulticasts
Find multicast showings based on the scheduled start or end time or keywords associated with the showing. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -findMulticasts minStartTime maxStartTime minEndTime maxEndTime keywords
Warning: The options must be entered in the order in which they appear in the table below.

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

minStartTime maxStartTime minEndTime maxEndTime keywords

Designates the earliest time that the showing starts, in DAY MM DD HH:MM:SS TimeZone YYYY format. Designates the latest time that the showing starts, in DAY MM DD HH:MM:SS TimeZone YYYY format. Designates the earliest time that the showing ends, in DAY MM DD HH:MM:SS TimeZone YYYY format. Designates the latest time that the showing ends, in DAY MM DD HH:MM:SS TimeZone YYYY format. One or more keywords that identify the recording. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword.

Example
/usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo stooge -findMulticasts "" "Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 PDT 2002" "Thu Oct 10 00:00:00 PDT 2002" "" "" ""

findRecordings
Find live-capture recordings associated with a given asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -findRecordings assetName
Warning: The options must be entered in the order in which they appear in the table below.

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName

Indicates the recording to find.

getAssetGroup
Display properties of an asset group which include typical bitrate, maximum simultaneous plays, and allocated disk space. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getAssetGroup assetGroupName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetGroupName

The name of the asset group whose properties are to be returned.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo


-getAssetGroup "System Asset Group"

getAssetLocations
Get locations associated with a given asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getAssetLocations assetName
Warning: The options must be entered in the order in which they appear in the table below.

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName

Indicates the asset locations to retrieve.

getAssetProperties
Get properties associated with a given asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getAssetProperties assetName
Warning: The options must be entered in the order in which they appear in the table below.

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName

Indicates the asset properties to retrieve.

getChannel
Return information about a specified channel. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getChannel channelName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName

The name of the channel.

getClusterMode
Return mode information about clusters. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getClusterMode

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

getDefaultSortPolicy
Return default sort policy. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getDefaultSortPolicy

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

getEncoder
Return encoder name. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getEncoder encoderName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

encoderName

The name of the encoder.

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getEncoderModel
Return encoder model name. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getEncoderModel encoderModelName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

encoderModelName

The name of the encoder model.

getMulticast
Display multicast properties which include asset name, feed type, multicast address and port, if interactive controls are enabled, playout status, and the multicasts start time. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getMulticast multicastName
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. multicastName The name of the multicast.

Sample output
Multicast Name = multicast1 Start Time = Fri Jul 12 15:55:23 PDT 2002 Asset Name = /asset4multicast Keyword = Feed Type = Canned Interactive Control = false Multicast Address = 225.16.16.16 Multicast Port = 3000 Status = Pending

getNetworkInterfaceStatus
Display the network interface status. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getNetworkInterfaceStatus interfaceName
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. interfaceName The name of the interface.

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getNetworkInterfaces
Display the network interface. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getNetworkInterfaces

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

getOperationStatus
Display the operation status. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getOperationStatus operationId
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. operationId The ID of the operation.

getProgram
Display program (showing) information about the program with the specified program ID. Program information includes program name, program ID, asset name, channel start time, end time, and status. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getProgram programId
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. programID An ID that uniquely identifies the program.

getRecording
Display recording information. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getRecording recordingName
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. recordingName An name that identifies the recording.

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getServerConfig
Display server configuration information. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getServerConfig
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

getServerProfile
View server properties. Properties include memory, swap space, operating system, and network interfaces. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh
serverName

-connectTo serverName -getServerProfile

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Sample output
Number of CPUs = 2 Total Memory = 500MB Total Swap = 400MB OS Version = Linux MediaBase Version = 7 A4Plugin = BypassAuth Network Interface = ef0 10.10.10.1 100Mb/s Ethernet Network Interface = ef1 10.10.10.2 100Mb/s Ethernet

Hardware Profile Descriptions Term


Number of CPUs Total Memory Total Swap OS Version MediaBase Version Network Interface

Definition
The number of CPUs installed on the server. The amount of RAM installed on the server. The amount of swap space available on the server. The servers operating system. The version of MediaBase software installed on the server. The IP address, type, and throughput of network interfaces installed on the server. If the server has multiple network interfaces, a one-line description appears for each interface.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -getServerProfile

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getStreamCount
Return stream count. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getStreamCount

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

getTaskInfo
Display task information. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getTaskInfo taskId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

taskId

A unique identifier for the task.

getTransferInfo
Get information about a transfer job. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getTransferInfo transferId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

transferId

A unique identifier assigned to the transfer operation. The transferID can be obtained by running the list command. See below for details.

getTriggerLevels
Display the current thresholds for the MediaBase server traps. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -getTriggerLevels

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Item
CPU Usage Trigger Network Usage Trigger Storage Bandwidth Usage Trigger Storage Space Usage Trigger

Description
The percentage CPU usage at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator. The percentage network usage at which the server notifies the administrator. The percentage of storage bandwidth at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator. The percentage storage space at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator.

Example
usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -getTriggerLevels CPU Usage Trigger = 90 Network Usage Trigger = 90 Storage Bandwidth Usage Trigger = 90 Storage Space Usage Trigger = 90

help
Display help. /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -help optionType

optionType

Leave this blank to display a list of help options, or specify one of the following option types to display options related only to that item. asset asset group multicast transfer recording playout program channel task encoder system Displays options related to assets. Displays options related to asset groups. Displays options related to multicast showings. Displays options related to asset transfers. Displays options related to asset captures. Displays options related to asset playout. Displays options related to managing programs (NVOD showings). Displays options related to managing channels for NVOD showings. Displays options related to tasks. Displays options related to managing and configuring encoders. Displays options related to MediaBase system functions.

isChannelMulticasting
Determine if a channel is currently multicasting. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -isChannelMulticasting channelName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName

The name of the channel.

listAssetGroups
View a list of all asset groups on a server or in a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listAssetGroups

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listAssets
View a list of assets on a server or in a cluster.
Note: When issued in standby mode, the command returns a list of the assets on a server. When issued in cluster mode, the command returns a list of the assets available in the cluster.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listAssets


serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -listAssets Sample output


/demo/kasenna.mpg /demo/test/one.mpg

listAssetsInAssetGroup
View a list of all assets in an asset group on a server or in a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listAssetsInAssetGroup assetGroupName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

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assetGroupName The name of the asset group.

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listAssetsInFolder
View a list of all asset groups on a server or in a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listAssetsInFolder folderName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

folderName

The name of the folder containing the assets.

listAssetsInServer
View a list of all assets on a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listAssetsInServer

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listCacheAssetAttributes
Display information about the cache asset group. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -listCacheAssetAttributes
Aggressive Caching Mode Enables or disables aggressive caching. Possible values are ON or OFF. If the cache asset group of the peer node is set to 0, assets are not replicated into the peer node cache asset group, and aggressive caching to that node fails. The default value = OFF. Guaranteed Possible Plays The number of plays guaranteed for this asset, based on the available streaming bandwidth in the cluster. For example, when network bandwidth is 45 Mb/s and the asset bitrate is 3.75 mb/s, the guaranteed possible plays is 45 / 3.75 = 12. This parameter prevents the creation of unnecessary cache copies when an assets bandwidth requirement has already been met. The default value = 12.

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Reclamation Policy

Administrators Guide
Indicates the policy used to reclaim space during content replication. Possible values are: LRU (last recently used). Assets are sorted based on last usage, and the asset with the oldest request is deleted from the cache. LP (Least Popular). An aging factor is used, based on the usage time and the number of requests received for that asset. Assets are then deleted based on this aging factor. The default value = LP.

Expiration Time

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that must pass before an asset can be removed from the cache. The default value = 10080 (1 week).

Retention Time

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that an asset must reside in the cache before the asset can be deleted from the cache. The default value = 360 (6 hours).

License Window

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that an asset is considered valid. The default value = 4320 (3 days).

-h

Displays help for this command.

listChannels
Return a list of channels for a specified server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listChannels
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listDiskStatus
View the class, part, disk space type, and description of a servers disk. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh
serverName

-connectTo serverName -listDiskStatus

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Returns
listDiskStatus Class Part Used Free Reserved Available Description

provides the following information about the disk:


The storage class, either space or bandwidth. The partition type. The amount of storage currently in use. The amount of free storage space. The amount of storage space reserved for asset groups. The available storage space. Information about the system, asset group, and disk name.

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listEncoderModels
Return a list of encoder models for a specified server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listEncoderModels

listEncoders
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Return a list of encoders for a specified server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listEncoders

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listInterfaceStatus
View the name, bandwidth, and IP address of a servers interface. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo serverName -listInterfaceStatus
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Returns
listInterfaceStatus Interface Total Bandwidth Used Bandwidth/stream Available Bandwidth/stream Used Bandwidth/vcd Available Bandwidth/vcd IP Address

provides the following information about the interface:


The names of the servers active interfaces. The bandwidth allocated to MediaBase for the network interface. Also called the managed bitrate. The bandwidth already in use to stream assets. The bandwidth available to stream assets. The bandwidth already in use for content distribution. The bandwidth available for content distribution. The IP address of the interface.

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listMulticasts
Display a list of multicast showings for a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listMulticasts

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listPlayouts
View the playout information of assets currently being played on the specified server. Playout information includes name of user playing the asset, asset name, client IP address, client port, and run time. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listPlayouts

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listPlayoutsByAsset
View the playout information of assets on a specified server. Playout information includes name of user playing the asset, asset name, client IP address, client port, and run time. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listPlayoutsByAsset assetName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listProgramGroups
Display a list of program groups for a specified channel. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listProgramGroups channelName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

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channelName The channel name.

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listPrograms
Display a list of programs (showings) for a specified channel. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listPrograms channelName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName

The channel name.

listProgramsByProgramGroup
Display a list of programs (showings) for a specified program group. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listProgramsByProgramGroup programGroupName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

programGroupName

The program group name.

listProgramsByTime
Display a list of program IDs for programs (showings) scheduled on the channel between the specified start and end times. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listProgramsByTime channelName startTime endTime

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName startTime endTime

A unique name of the channel. The earliest start time to be included in the list. The latest end time to be included in the list.

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listRecordings
Display a list of assets recorded from a live feed. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listRecordings

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listServers
Display a list of all servers in cluster mode. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh
serverName

-connectTo serverName -listServers

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

Sample output
node1.kasenna.wan node2.kasenna.wan

listServersToIngest
Display a list of servers to which assets are to be sent for ingestion. The list can be sorted by load, available storage, or name, or it can be sorted randomly. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listServersToIngest sort_policy

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Item
SORT_BY_LOAD SORT_BY_STORAGE SORT_WEIGHTED_RANDOM

Description
Sorts servers in ascending order, based on current load. Sorts servers in descending order, by available storage space. Sorts servers in ascending order, by free network capacity and available storage. The sort is weight-randomized, giving more weight to a server with more free resources. Sorts servers by name.

SORT_BY_NAME

Example usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh listServersToIngest SORT_BY_LOAD

listServersToPlayAsset
Get a list of servers available for playing a particular asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listServersToPlayAsset assetName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName

The name of the asset.

listServicesStatus
Get a list of status for all services. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listServicesStatus

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listStorages
Return a list of storage information for a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listStorages

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

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listSummaryCacheInfo
Get a summary list of cache information on a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listSummaryCacheInfo [admin interface]

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

admin interface

IP address of the Admin Interface.

listTasks
Get a list of scheduled tasks on a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listTasks

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listTransfers
Get a list of scheduled transfer jobs. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listTransfers

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

listTransfersInServer
Get a list of scheduled transfer jobs on a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -listTransfersInServer

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

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modifyChannel
Change the channel name, ID, and/or description. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -modifyChannel channelName newChannelName newChannelId newDescription

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

channelName newChannelName newChannelId newDescription

The current channel name. The new channel name. The new channel ID. The new channel description.

modifyEncoder
Change information about an encoder. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -modifyEncoder encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate packetSize startTimeout endTimeout destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. encoderModelName encoderName encoderDesc contentType streamBitrate packetSize startTimeout endTimeout destAddress sourceAddress destPort sourcePort Model name of the encoder. Name of the encoder. Description of the encoder. Type of content of the encoder. Stream bit rate (kbps) of the encoder. Packet size of the encoder. Start timeout (seconds) of the encoder. End timeout (seconds) of the encoder. Destination address of the encoder. Source address of the encoder. Destination port of the encoder. Source port of the encoder.

modifyProgram
Change information about a program.

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Program information includes program ID, channel associated with the program (showing), assets, keywords, and/or start time. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -modifyProgram programId channelName assetName keywords startTime
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. channelName assetName keywords startTime A unique name that identifies the channel. The name of the asset to be multicasted. One or more words that describe the program. The time the program starts.

renameAsset
Rename all instances of an asset on servers in a cluster. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -renameAsset assetName newAssetName

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName newAssetName

The current name of the asset. The new name assigned to the asset on each server in the cluster.

renameAssetInServer
Rename an asset on a server. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -renameAssetInServer assetName newAssetName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName newAssetName

The current name of the asset. The new name assigned to the asset.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -renameAssetInServer


/demo/oldname.mpg /demo/newname.mpg

resumeTask
Resume a particular task. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -resumeTask taskId

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

taskId

The identifier for the task.

scheduleMulticast
Schedule a multicast. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -scheduleMulticast multicastName startTime assetName multicastAddress multicastPort

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

multicastName startTime assetName multicastAddress multicastPort

The name of the multicast. The time the recording is to start. For detailed information about entering times, see Specifying Time on page 208. The name of the asset to be multicast. The address of the asset to be multicast. The port of the asset to be multicast.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo


-scheduleMulticast multicast "7/15/02 10:40 AM" /demo/simple.mpg

scheduleProgram
Schedule a program (showing) to play on a channel. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -scheduleProgram programName channelName assetName keywords startTime
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. programName channelName assetName keywords startTime A unique name that identifies the program. A unique name that identifies the channel. The name of the asset to play. One or more words that describe the program. The time the program starts.

scheduleProgramGroup
Create a program group. Program Groups are programs that are scheduled to recur every day, week, etc. If the schedule for a program in the group conflicts with the timing of another program in the group, the program group cannot be created. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -scheduleProgramGroup programGroupName channelName assetName keywords startTime numRecurring numInterval
serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. programGroupName channelName assetName 244 A unique name that identifies the program. A unique name of the channel. The name of the asset to be multicasted. MB-ADMIN-83-A

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One or more words that describe the program. The time the program starts. The duration of the program. The number of times the program repeats. The time between the end of one showing and the beginning of the next showing.

scheduleRecording
Schedule a live-feed recording for a specific time or date. To perform a live-feed recording now, see Capturing Assets on page 251. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -scheduleRecording recordingName encoderName startTime endTime assetKeywords assetGroup numPlays realTime(true|false) generatePartialTrickFiles(true|false) speeds(a,b,c)

recordingName encoderName startTime

The name of the recording. The encoder used to capture the asset. The time to start the recording (enclosed in quotation marks). For detailed information about the various ways to specify start times, see Specifying Time on page 208. The time the recording ends (enclosed in quotation marks). For detailed information about the various ways to specify end times, see Specifying Time on page 208. One or more keywords that identify the recording. To enter more than one keyword, enclose the string of keywords in double quotes () and add a space between each keyword. The name of the asset group to associate with the recording. Specifies the number of guaranteed plays for an asset. Set this to true to allow playback in realtime. Set this to true to generate partial trick files. Indicate up to three speeds for fast-forward/rewind files, as in this example: 4,6,12. Indicate encryption type: "Widevine,Viaccess,or Verimatrix."

endTime

assetKeywords

assetGroup numPlays realTime generatePartialTrickFiles speeds encryption

scheduleTransferAsset
Schedule the transfer of an asset. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo nodeName] -scheduleTransferAsset assetName destServer datetime assetGroup typeOfTransfer

serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

assetName destServer

The filename of the asset to transfer. The IP address of the server receiving the transferred asset.

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datetime assetGroup typeOfTransfer The date and time of the transfer.

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Indicates the asset group into which this asset must be installed. The type of components to transfer.

setCacheAssetAttributes
Set cache asset group parameters. In an anticipated event, such as a flash-flood, assets must be replicated across multiple caches in order to ensure that sufficient copies exist to meet demand. This aggressive caching adds replicated assets to the cache asset group of peer nodes. These assets are available for reclamation if the system runs out of space. Aggressive caching occurs only when the cluster feature is enabled.
Note: The cache asset group parameters are valid only for aggressive caching and cache asset group management.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -setCacheAssetAttributes name = <values> <options>

Aggressive Caching Mode

Enables or disables aggressive caching. Possible values are ON or OFF. If the cache asset group of the peer node is set to 0, assets are not replicated into the peer node cache asset group, and aggressive caching to that node fails. The default value = OFF.

Guaranteed Possible Plays

The number of plays guaranteed for this asset, based on the available cluster streaming bandwidth. For example, when network bandwidth is 45 Mb/s and the asset bitrate is 3.75 mb/s, the guaranteed possible plays = 45 / 3.75 = 12. This parameter prevents the creation of unnecessary cache copies when the assets bandwidth requirement has already been met. The default value = 12.

Reclamation Policy

Indicates the policy used to reclaim space during content replication. Possible values are: LRU (last recently used). Assets are sorted based on last usage, and the asset with the oldest request is deleted from the cache. LP (Least Popular). An aging factor is used, based on the usage time and the number of requests received for that asset. Assets are then deleted based on this aging factor. The default value = LP.

Expiration Time

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that must pass before an asset can be removed from the cache. The default value = 10080 (1 week).

Retention Time

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that an asset must reside in the cache before the asset can be deleted from the cache. The default value = 360 (6 hours).

License Window

Specifies the amount of time (in minutes) that an asset is considered valid. The default value = 4320 (3 days).

-h

Displays help for this command.

setClusterMode
Activate or deactivate servers. When MediaBase is initially configured, all MediaBase servers are in standby mode. In this mode,
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configuration parameters can be monitored and changed, but the servers cannot serve assets as part of a cluster until the servers are activated. In standby mode, requests made directly to the server are not forwarded to another server Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo nodeName] -setClusterMode [active|on|off| standby]

nodeName active on | off standby

The name of a server in the cluster. Activates the cluster of servers so they can serve assets. Turns on/off the cluster of servers. Deactivates the cluster of servers. The servers are still part of the cluster, but they do not serve assets.

setServerConfig
Change the configuration of a server. Several MediaBase server configuration options can be changed, including load update, boot strap interface, redirection threshold, and hot objects parameters. And, one or more server options and settings can be changed with a single command. To change multiple settings, separate each option with a comma. MediaBases Cluster Server provides stream-level and hot-object load balancing beyond the capabilities provided by the switch. When a MediaBase server receives a request that it does not have enough resources to cover, or if the server has exceeded its load threshold, stream-level load balancing forwards the request to the least-loaded server in the cluster that has the resources necessary to stream the asset. MediaBases hot-asset load balancer detects hot assets and dynamically replicates them on the least-loaded server in the cluster that does not have copies of the assets. An asset is said to be hot when usage statistics indicate a spike in the number of requests for it. The spike indicates a flurry of requests for an asset in a short period. You can specify the triggers that determine when hot-asset load balancing is activated.
Note: To simply view these settings, see Displaying the Server Configuration on page 251.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -setServerConfig name = value, [name = value]


serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. name = value Enter one or more name value pairs enclosed in quotation marks. Separate each name value pair with a comma, as in the following example: Load Update Frequency = 50, Hot Object Period = 45

Option
Load Update Frequency

Valid Values
>0

Description
The frequency (in seconds) with which servers in a cluster exchange load status information. The default value = 5.

Boot Strap Interface

N/A

The IP address of the first (boot) interface reported for the server.

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Redirection Threshold >=0 and <=100

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The load threshold at which the server tries to redirect requests to a peer server in the cluster that has sufficient capacity to handle the request. The default value = 70. Hot Object Hits >0 The number of playout requests (hits) that can be serviced by a server. When the number of simultaneous requests exceeds this value, playout requests are forwarded to a peer server in the cluster that has sufficient capacity to handle the request. The default value = 60. Hot Objects Period >=30 The period during which playout requests (hits) are monitored to determine that an asset is a hot object. Hot objects are automatically replicated to other servers. The default value = 60. Storage Type LOCAL | SHARED Indicates the storage used by the server: LOCAL Indicates that the server participates in application-level clustering, in which each server is attached to a separate storage device and content and metadata are replicated across the cluster to balance load. SHARED Indicates that this is a shared storage cluster, in which multiple servers are attached to the same storage device in order to share content while replicating the metadata to balance load. Set this to ON to enable stream load balancing and replication of content across a cluster of servers. The default value = ON. High Availability Mode ON | OFF Set this to ON to enable high availability mode so that assets are automatically replicated to peer servers in the cluster during ingest. The default value = OFF. Degree of Availability >=1 Specifies the number of extra asset copies created during ingest. The default value = 2. Load Replication Threshold >=0 Specifies the load threshold at which the server replicates the most popular content on a peer server. The default value = 50. Stream Control Interface N/A The interface configured for streaming on a server. The default value is the primary interface. Available NICs Network Threshold N/A >=0 and <=100 The names of network interface cards attached to the server. The percentage network bandwidth usage at which system load is based only on the network bandwidth, ignoring CPU and storage bandwidth usage. The default value = 80.

Load Balancing Mode

ON | OFF

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Note:

To disable the load updating feature, set Hot Object Hits and Hot Objects Period to 0.

Example /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -setServerConfig "Redirection


Threshold=40,Hot Object Period=45,Hot Object Hits=90"

setTriggerLevels
Set thresholds that trigger alarms and send messages to alert you to undesirable network performance conditions. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -setTriggerLevels name = value, [name = value] Item
CPU Usage Trigger

Description
The percentage CPU usage at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator. The default value = 90%.

Network Usage Trigger

The percentage network usage at which the server notifies the administrator. The default value = 90%.

Storage Bandwidth Usage Trigger

The percentage of storage bandwidth at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator. The default value = 90%.

Storage Space Usage Trigger

The percentage storage space at which the server triggers an alarm and notifies the administrator. The default value = 90.

Trap Trigger Interval

The interval (in minutes) after which an alarm is triggered for the same resource usage trigger. The default value = 15.

Example
usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh -connectTo mondo -setTriggerLevels CPU Usage Trigger = 70

stopRecording
Stop the recording of an asset from a live feed. MediaBase immediately stops the capture session and retains all asset data already stored in MediaBases file system. Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -stopRecording recordingName

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serverName

The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost.

recordingName

The name of the recording to stop.

transferAsset
Transfer an installed (added) asset from one server to another. Transferring an asset also transfers the assets accompanying metadata. The server receiving a transferred asset does not have to be in the same cluster as the server sending the asset. MediaBase assets consist of three components: - Content: the actual video file - Metadata: information about the content (that is, bitrate, keywords, etc.) - Auxiliary files: index and fast-forward or rewind data
Note: A component is transferred only if its transfer type is specified in the command.

Syntax /usr/mbase/vScript/vScript.sh [-connectTo serverName] -transferAsset assetName destServer type-of-transfer assetGroup


serverName The name of a server in the cluster. Note: If the connectTo option is not used and a server is not specified, MediaBase performs the action only on the localhost. assetName destServer type-of-transfer The filename of the asset to transfer. The IP address of the server receiving the transferred asset. The type of components to transfer:

Code
MDC MDC_NO_AUX MDO MDM MDCO MDC_NO_AUXO assetGroup

Description
Transfer the assets metadata and content. Transfer the assets metadata and content, but not its auxiliary files. Transfer and overwrite the assets metadata. Change the assets metadata. Transfer and overwrite the assets metadata and content. Transfer and overwrite the assets metadata and content, but not its auxiliary files.

Indicates the asset group into which this asset must be installed.

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Miscellaneous Procedures
This section contains information on miscellaneous procedures you can perform with vScript commands.

Capturing Assets
MediaBase uses integrated encoding during video capture or live-feed sessions to make an encoded asset immediately available for storage or live transmission. No intermediate staging area or file is required.
Note: Pre-encoded video files can be installed (added) from a staging area (seeaddAsset on page 214).

For each capture session, the following items must be specified: the encoder to use, the session time, and any encoding profile parameters that may differ from the default encoder profile. Note that a single encoder may engage in only one capture session at a time. This restriction is important to remember when setting the time for a capture session. Capture sessions can be scheduled to start immediately or at some later time. MediaBases immediate capture feature is especially useful when the video source is under direct control of a video tape recorder (VTR), videodisc player, or other video storage medium that can be started and stopped on demand. In immediate capture, the video source is set up for playback (for example, a tape is placed into a video tape recorder and cued to the starting point of the program material), the capture is started, and then the video source is started. See the following commands for more information: scheduleRecording on page 245 stopRecording on page 249 abortRecording on page 213

Displaying the Server Configuration


MediaBases Cluster Server provides stream-level and hot-object load balancing beyond the capabilities provided by the switch. When a MediaBase server receives a request that it does not have enough resources to cover, or if the server has exceeded its load threshold, stream-level load balancing forwards the request to the least-loaded server in the cluster that has the resources necessary to stream the asset. MediaBases hot-asset load balancer detects hot assets and dynamically replicates them on the least-loaded server in the cluster that does not have copies of the assets. An asset is said to be hot when usage statistics indicate a spike in the number of requests for it. The spike indicates a flurry of requests for an asset in a short period. You can specify the triggers that determine when hot-asset load balancing is activated. When this command is run, Degree of Availability displays only if high availability mode is enabled.
Note: To simply view these settings, see Changing the Server Configuration on page 251.

Use the following command to view information about a server, including load update frequency, bootstrap interface IP address, redirection threshold, and hot object hits and period: getServerConfig on page 229

Changing the Server Configuration


Several MediaBase server configuration options can be changed, including load update, boot strap interface, redirection threshold, and hot objects parameters. And, one or more server options and settings can be changed with a single command. To change multiple settings, separate each option with a comma. MediaBases Cluster Server provides stream-level and hot-object load balancing beyond the capabilities provided by the switch. When a MediaBase server receives a request that it does not have enough resources
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to cover, or if the server has exceeded its load threshold, stream-level load balancing forwards the request to the least-loaded server in the cluster that has the resources necessary to stream the asset. MediaBases hot-asset load balancer detects hot assets and dynamically replicates them on the least-loaded server in the cluster that does not have copies of the assets. An asset is said to be hot when usage statistics indicate a spike in the number of requests for it. The spike indicates a flurry of requests for an asset in a short period. You can specify the triggers that determine when hot-asset load balancing is activated. Use the following command to change the configuration of a server: setServerConfig on page 247

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Playing MediaBase Assets

The MediaBase XMP Asset Catalog is a collection of Web pages that users can access from a client computer to display or search for showings.
See these topics: Accessing the Asset Catalog on page 254 Viewing Videos and Showings: The Showings Schedule on page 255 Installing a Player (MediaBase Client) on page 258 Customizing Players on page 259 Configuring a QuickTime 6.0 Player for MediaBase Assets on page 263 To use the site, you need to have Java and JavaScript enabled in your Web browser. Context-sensitive online help is also available on the catalog site.

Note:

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Accessing the Asset Catalog


How to access the Asset Catalog:
1 Enter the following URL in your Web browser.

http://<hostname>/mbase
Where hostname is the name of the MediaBase server. 2 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, click Asset Catalog.

Figure 10-1

MediaBase XMP Asset Catalog

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Viewing Videos and Showings: The Showings Schedule


The Showings Schedule organizes multicast showings according to their scheduled time. From the Showings Schedule page, you can play or search for showings. See these topics: View a List of Available Videos on page 255 Viewing the Showings Calendar on page 255 Viewing a Showing on page 256 Searching for a Showing on page 257

View a List of Available Videos


Use these procedures to view lists of videos. Depending upon how the videos were installed, they may also be organized into folders.
How to view a list of showings:
1 2 From the Asset Catalog home page, click List Videos. View the list of videos that are stored in the root folder. To view a list of videos in other folders, at Folder select the folder.

Figure 10-2

List Videos Page

Viewing the Showings Calendar


You can see when showings are scheduled from the Showings Calendar.
How to view the Showings Calendar:
1 2 From the Asset Catalog home page, click Schedule. At the top of the page, click Calendar.

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3 Click a date to see a list of showings that are scheduled for that date.

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To display another month, select the month here

Figure 10-4

Calendar of Showings Page

Viewing a Showing
How to view a showing:
1 2 From the Asset Catalog home page, click Schedule. In the Showing column, click the showing you want to view.

Figure 10-5

Scheduled Showings Page

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Searching for a Showing


Use the Search Showings option to display only some of the scheduled showings and to reduce the number of showings listed on the schedule.
Use these to increase or reduce the number of showings that display in your search results

Figure 10-6

Search Showings Page

How to search for a showing:


1 From the Asset Catalog home page, click Search. Tip: 2 3 You can also search for showings from the Schedule page by clicking Search Showings.

To search for showings that are scheduled for a certain range of dates, at From and To, select the dates. To search for showings by name, at Showing Name enter the name. You can also use wildcard characters and enter only a portion of the name. (For more information see Using Wildcard Characters to Search (Pattern-Matching) on page 257.) To search using a showings descriptions, at Keywords enter one or more terms that describe the showing. Click Search.

4 5

Using Wildcard Characters to Search (Pattern-Matching) To search for multiple videos that match the search criteria, or if you are not sure of the exact search criteria, use wildcard characters to search for a part of a video name or description. For example, if you are looking for training videos, some videos may have the keyword training in their description, others may contain only the word train. To conduct a search that finds all videos whose descriptions contain either keyword, use wildcard characters and enter *train* and see a list display of any video whose description contain train. See Special Pattern-Matching Characters on page 257 for the various types of wildcard characters which can be used.
Table 10-20 Special Pattern-Matching Characters

Symbol
* ? \* \?

Represents
Zero or more characters One character An asterisk A question mark

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Installing a Player (MediaBase Client)


Note: MediaBase automatically configures the player during installation. You can customize these parameters (see Customizing Players on page 259 for details).

Figure 10-7

Players and Downloads Page

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Customizing Players
MediaBase supports capability-based streaming where the player specifies its hardware and software capabilities to the server at the beginning of a session. The server then determines the best way to send the video and audio streams to the client. In most cases, the default values that MediaBase uses for client sessions are satisfactory. However, you can change the configuration to add or remove players or change the parameters that control the flow of data from the server. See these topics: Selecting a Preferred Player on page 259 Changing Flow Parameters on page 260 Configuring Firewall Settings for the Preferred Player on page 261 Changing Bandwidth Parameters on page 261

Selecting a Preferred Player


You can choose a preferred player to use as the default player for asset playout.
How to change a players configuration:
1 2 3 4 From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then select the program folder in which you installed the MediaBase player (usually Kasenna MediaBase), and then click Player Configuration. Click the Player Database tab. Highlight the player, then click Modify. Add or change any of the following information: Player Name Binary path Preferred Player 5 Click OK. Change the name to one that is unique among the players installed on your system. Enter the complete path to the players program file. Make this your default (preferred) player.

Figure 10-8

The Player Database Tab

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Changing Flow Parameters


When a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) or Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC) connection is configured, MediaBase automatically sets its streaming parameters. However, for User Datagram Protocol (UDP) connections, you must specify parameters for data sent from the MediaBase server. Each flow corresponds to a video, audio, or video/audio stream, depending upon the assets format. By default each flow is sent using UDP to the primary IP interface. Use the following procedure to override the default flows parameters.
How to change flow parameters:
1 2 3 4 From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then select the program folder in which you installed the MediaBase player (usually Kasenna MediaBase), then select Player Configuration. Click the Flow Fine Tuning tab. Select the flow that is associated with the player that you want to change. At Flow Type, select one of the following: UPD (User Datagram Protocol) A protocol used in place of TCP when a reliable delivery is not required. UDP ignores lost packets and does not try to retransmit them because there is no time for retransmission. (Switched Virtual Circuit) A network connection established at the time transmission is required and disconnected when the session is complete. (Permanent Virtual Circuit) A point-to-point connection established in advance of the transmission. (Transmission Control Protocol) A protocol that ensures that a message is sent accurately and in its entirety. Any lost packets are retransmitted.

SVC PVC TCP 5 Click OK.

Figure 10-9

PC Player Configuration Tool: Flow Fine Tuning Tab

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Configuring Firewall Settings for the Preferred Player


MediaBase supports streaming over TCP for players behind firewalls which requires the configuration of the server and the player. You can configure the player to play just video or audio, or audio and video server streams behind the firewall.
Note: By default, each flow is sent using UDP to the primary IP interface; it does not support the playback of MediaBase streams behind the firewall.

Use the following procedure to change the player settings and enable playback behind the firewall.
How to configure the player to play behind the firewall:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then select the program folder in which you installed the MediaBase player (usually Kasenna MediaBase), then select Player Configuration. Click the Flow Fine Tuning tab. From the list at the left, select KBPlayer. At Flow Parameters, click flowSpec-1. At Flow Type, select TCP. Click the Network Connection tab. Check the box next to Connect through a Firewall, then click OK.

Figure 10-10

Player Configuration Window

Changing Bandwidth Parameters


MediaBase automatically selects which content is delivered in realtime over your connection. This setting controls the bandwidth of the content selected. You can specify the bandwidth at which content is delivered to your computer.
How to change bandwidth parameters:
1 2 3 From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then select the program folder in which you installed the MediaBase player (usually Kasenna MediaBase), then click Player Configuration. Click the Network Connection tab. Select a new connection type from list, then click OK.

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Figure 10-11

PC Player Configuration Tool: Network Connection Tab

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Configuring a QuickTime 6.0 Player for MediaBase Assets


You can set up MediaBase to play MPEG-4 assets from a QuickTime 6.0 player in lieu of using the MediaBase client software to play assets on a client machine. Use the following procedure to configure a QuickTime player for MediaBase MPEG-4 assets.
Tip: Use this mode for playing multi-format assets, showings, and assets on a backingstore storage device.

How to configure a QuickTime Player for MediaBase assets:


1 2 3 4 5 6 From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then select the program folder in which you installed the MediaBase player (usually Kasenna MediaBase), then click Player Configuration. Click Add. At Player Name, enter a name for the player. In the box below Playable Format, enter PARTNER_41_MPEG-4. At Binary Path, enter the path to your QuickTime player. Click OK.

Figure 10-12 Note:

The Add Player Window

To configure MediaBase to allow playout of MPEG-4 assets using the QuickTime player, see Configuring MediaBase for the QuickTime Player in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase Installation and Configuration Guide.

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Tuning MediaBase

This chapter shows you how to tune the MediaBase XMP server.
Note: This chapter does not provide information about high performance tuning. For that, please contact Kasenna Customer Support.

See these topics: Tuning MediaBase: Overview on page 266 Tuning MediaBase Filesystems on page 269 Tuning MediaBase Managed Network Devices on page 271 Tuning MediaBase XMP for Optimal Asset Ingestation on page 273 Tuning MediaBase XMP VCD Transfers on page 275 Monitoring the Number of Streams in MediaBase on page 276 MediaBase Performance Issues on page 277

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Tuning MediaBase: Overview


You can adjust several parameters in the UDS configuration file (/usr/mbase/config/uds.config) to improve performance and help keep your system stable.
# # Universal Delivery Service # Configuration Parameters # # R3P related parameters R3P_MIN_THREADS = 20 R3P_MAX_THREADS = 20 # System parameters SYSTEM_MEMORY_USE_PERCENT = 90 # System Parameters # VBR Engine parameters VBR_FEEDER_CPU_ALLOWANCE_FOR_PEAK_TRAFFIC = 10 # VBR Engine, uniProcessor related VBR_FEEDER_UNIPROCESSOR_CYCLE_TIME = 20000 #Early buffering parameters #SEND_EARLY = 1 #SEND_INTERVAL = 40000 #CLIENT_BUFFER_SIZE = 750000 #CLIENT_BUFFER_SIZE = bytes corresponding to 4 seconds of 1.5 Mbps asset #If you wish to delay sending the media data # after responding to the client's PLAY request, # change the default value below. the value # is in seconds. DELAY_B4_SEND_DATA = 0 STREAMING_CPU=1 STREAMING_CPU_PERCENT=95 MAX_PACKET_SIZE = 1316

Figure 11-1 Warning!

Typical uds.config File Change these parameters with care as improper settings can result in undesirable behavior. Before you change properties other than those discussed in the following section, please consult with your Kasenna support representative.

Tip:

Keep the sum of all dedicated CPU for streaming, transfer in, and transfer out operations to less than 50% of total CPU dedicated to streaming-only operations. If the system needs to do more transfer than streaming operations, dedicate more CPU to transfers than to streaming. Transfer out operations are VCD transfers in which the system acts as the source. Transfer in operations are VCD transfers in which the system acts as the destination. It is a good idea to dedicate 100% of one CPU more than part of a CPU whenever possible.

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1 2 Use a text editor to open /usr/mbase/config/uds.config. Change one or more of the following properties: Table 11-1 Post-installation tuning properties

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Property
STREAMING_CPU

Description
A list of CPUs to use for streaming operations. For example:

STREAMING CPU=1,3,4
STREAMING_CPU_PERCENT A comma-delimited list of streaming CPUs and the percentage of total system CPU dedicated to streaming operations. Note: For a single CPU, the percent allocated for STREAMING_CUP_PERCENT and TRANSFER_OUT_CPU_PERCENT need to not exceed 100%. For example:

STREAMING_CPU_PERCENT=100,50,50
TRANSFER_OUT_CPU A comma-delimited list of CPUs that are used for transfer out operations. For example:

TRANSFER_OUT_CPU=3,4
TRANSFER_OUT_CPU_PERCENT A comma-delimited list of the percentage of CPUs dedicated to transfer out operations. Note: For a single CPU, the percent allocated for STREAMING_CUP_PERCENT and TRANSFER_OUT_CPU_PERCENT need to not exceed 100%. For example:

TRANSFER_OUT_CPU_PERCENT=50,50
MAX_TRANSFER_IN_OPERATION The maximum number of transfer-in operations UDS allows. The default value is 10. Increase this value depending on your requirements and system capability. These two properties determine the minimum and maximum number of threads MediaBase uses to handle connection and control requests (fast forward, play, pause, etc.) from clients. The more threads you designate, the more requests that can be serviced. If connection and control requests are being handled in a manner that is too slow, you might increase the number of threads to as high as 80. However, because each thread uses operating system resources, you are not to designate more threads than necessary. Kasenna recommends that you designate a value that is greater than 20. Note: The R3P_MIN_THREADS and R3P_MAX_THREADS properties need to always contain the same value. All threads are kernel scope threads. SYSTEM_MEMORY_USE_PERCENT Designates the amount of system memory MediaBase can use. If you are running MediaBase on a dedicated server, you can use up to 90% of available memory resources.

R3P_MIN_THREADS R3P_MAX_THREADS

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Table 11-1 Post-installation tuning properties (Continued)

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Property
VBR_FEEDER_CPU_ALLOWANCE_FOR_PEAK_TRAFFIC

Description
To deal with bursty conditions (where data that is transmitted in short, uneven spurts), a certain part of the CPU is reserved so it will not be allocated to any stream. This property determines the allowance that is reserved to deal with bursty conditions. Statistical multiplexing suggests that not all streams are bursty at the same time. The default value for this parameter is 10 which reserves 10% of the CPU for dealing with bursty conditions. If you find that your MediaBase server is unstable and drops streams occasionally in response to spikes in CPU activity, Kasenna recommends that you increase this parameter.

FS_IO_READ_BUFFER FS_IO_WRITE_BUFFER TCP_THROTTLE

The buffer size (in bytes) to use for disk read operations. The buffer size to use for writing to files. If 1, MediaBase deploys TCP throttling algorithm for bad networks. Default is 0. No longer supported. Set this property to 1 to turn Direct-IO on, and 0 to turn it off. Direct-IO is a type of filesystem access that MediaBase supports that may improve performance. With Direct-IO, you can bypass the filesystem buffer cache and DMA the data off disk, directly into memory. You must only turn this parameter on if the user knows to mount their filesystems to use Direct-IO. To use Direct-IO efficiently and attain performance gains, you must also correctly tune the filesystem (tuning is beyond the scope of this document). Contact your support representative or system administrator for information regarding this type of filesystem performance tuning. You must set values in /etc/vfstab to activate this capability.

VBR_FEEDER_UNIPROCESSOR_CPU_PERCENT DIRECT_IO

Stop, then restart MediaBase using the following commands:

/etc/init.d/mediabase stop ;

sleep 15 ; /etc/init.d/mediabase start

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Tuning MediaBase Filesystems


When MediaBase manages filesystems, it assumes that each filesystem has a finite bandwidth. The Server Storage Manager keeps track of how much bandwidth is being used by applying the formula: number of streams * bitrate = bandwidth used. The Server Storage Manager stops serving streams when it is unable to allocate additional bandwidth. This allows the user to avoid oversubscribing to any particular storage subsystem (a situation that would result in poor video quality and lost streams). In the event that MediaBase assigns a value that is lower than what is realistic for a particular filesystem, use the following procedure to assess the amount of bandwidth allocated and increase it.
How to assess available bandwidth on MediaBase filesystems:
1 From the command prompt, run the following command:

/usr/mbase/sbin/smstat
Note: The output you see is similar to that in Figure 13-2. Each MediaBase filesystem has 167Mb/s of bandwidth available. As you stream videos the amount available goes down. When all the bandwidth is used up, Media Base no longer allows you to stream off the filesystem.

To change the amount of bandwidth, use a text editor to open /usr/mbase/etc/fsconf, and then set the bandwidth for each filesystem. Use a text editor and open /usr/mbae/etc/fsconf. MediaBase managed filesystem name Bandwidth Unit value in megabits per second

/BVOL1 3600 Mbps /BVOL2 3600 Mbps Figure 11-2 Note: 3 4 /usr/mbase/etc/fsconf

This indicates that the bandwidth is 3600 Mb/s for each member of the filesystem

To see the effect of the changes, stop then restart MediaBase.

/etc/init.d/mediabase stop ;

sleep 15 ; /etc/init.d/mediabase start

Run smstat to see the increase in bandwidth.

Figure 11-3

smstat Output Example

You can see that the bandwidth of the filesystems has increased approximately 10 fold to 1.7 Mb/s. When the limits of the filesystem bandwidth have been reached, MediaBase no longer allows you to connect streams from a filesystem, and then smstat reports that 100% of the bandwidth is in use. 5 If the fsconf file is locatable or if some of your MediaBase filesystems are not listed, run the following command to scan the MediaBase filesystems and generate a new fsconf.

/usr/mbase/sbin/fsconfigure -a
Note: MediaBase assumes that independent filesystems do not share bandwidth; therefore, the cumulative bandwidth is the sum of the individual bandwidths. Also, the storage manager only accounts for bandwidth used by MediaBase. Bandwidth used by other applications is not included. Kasenna

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recommends avoiding running other applications on the same machine that runs MediaBase. For more information about smstat, see the smstat man pages.

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Tuning MediaBase Managed Network Devices


MediaBase also manages the network interfaces that it uses to stream data. These interfaces must be added to MediaBase, either at initialization by running /usr/mbase/sbin/mbaseinit, or from the Configure Network Interfaces page. Use the following procedures to do this.
Note: For more information about mbaseinit, see the mbaseinit man pages.

MediaBase automatically limits the amount of bandwidth for each interface. You can change the amount of bandwidth allocated from the Configure Network Interfaces page (see example Figure 11-4). Kasenna recommends that you do not increase the bandwidth allocated beyond the default values unless you have a thorough understanding of your networks capacity, configuration, and how it functions.
How to tune managed network devices:
1 2 Make sure that you have enabled Java and JavaScript in your Web browser. Enter the MediaBase URLs into your Web browser.

http://<hostname>/mbase/admin/service
Note: 3 4 Substitute the name of the Media Server for <hostname>.

Enter your MediaBase XMP administrator user name and password. From the Service Administration main page, under Server, Configure, then Network. See all the interfaces available to MediaBase. The ones marked MB are already managed by MediaBase Click an interface, and the interfaces attributes display in the attributes section

Figure 11-4 5 6 7

Configure Network Interfaces Page

To change the managed bitrate of an existing interface, enter a new number, then click Modify. If MediaBase didnt previously manage the interface, also click Add. You must stop and start MediaBase for these changes to take effect. To see if your changes have taken effect and to determine if you are running out of network bandwidth (thereby limiting your stream count), run the following command:

/usr/mbase/sbin/nistat

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Figure 11-5 Note:

nistat Output Example

For more information about nistat, see the nistat man pages.

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Tuning MediaBase XMP for Optimal Asset Ingestation


To optimize the rate at which MediaBase ingests assets via FTP, change the various parameters in /usr/mbase/config/ingest.config. This configuration file directs the ingestion of assets through the ContentComponent service, or when using the MediaScript command-line utility to ingest assets via FTP.
How to tune asset ingestation in MediaBase:
1 2 Change any of the following parameters:

Use a text editor to open /usr/mbase/config/ingest.config.

Property
DEFAULT_BITRATE_MPEG1

Description
Define the default bitrate for MPEG-1 assets in bits per second. The default value is 1500000 (1.5 Mb/s).

DEFAULT_BITRATE_MPEG1_AUDIO

Define the default bitrate for MPEG-1 Audio assets in bits per second. The default value is 128000 (128 Kb/s).

DEFAULT_BITRATE_MPEG2

Define the default bitrate for MPEG-2 assets in bits per second. The default value is 3750000 (3.75 Mb/s).

DEFAULT_BITRATE_MPEG4

Define the default bitrate for MPEG-4 assets in bits per second. The default value is 1500000 (1.5 Mb/s).

DEFAULT_DURATION

Define the default duration of a content file during ingest in microseconds. The default value is 7200000000 (2 hours).

DEFAULT_FPS

Define the default frames per second (f/s) during ingest for a content file. The default value is 30 (30 f/s).

DEFAULT_TRANSFER_RATE

Define the maximum rate at which content is read from the network. The default value is 20000000 (20 Mb/s).

RESUME_FTP_XFER

Indicate if FTP content transfer is resumed after a failure. This option is enabled by setting the value to 1 and disabled by setting the value to 0. The default value is 1 (true).

DEFAULT_FILESIZE

If the FTP daemon transferring the data does not support the SIZE command, this defines the default content file size during transfers. The default value is 262144000 (256 MB).

DEFAULT_INGEST_IO_BUFSIZE

Define the size (in bytes) of I/O buffers used for read/write data operations to and from the filesystem. The default value is 262144 (256KB).

MBINST_PACED_XFER

This parameter is used to pace the copying of content files from the staging location to the MediaBase-managed filesystem during asset installation. To enable this feature, set it to 1 (enabled). The default value is 0 (disabled).

MBINST_XFER_RATE

Define the rate at which content is copied to the MediaBase-managed filesystem (in b/s), when pacing is enabled using the MBINST_PACED_XFER option. The default value is 4 Mb/s. The default value is 4000000 (4 Mb/s).

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USE_DIRECT_IO

Administrators Guide Description


Enable or disable Direct I/O during read/write operations to and from the filesystem. When set to 1, Direct I/O is enabled; when set to 0, it is disabled. Note: This option is only supported on the Linux operating system. Before you change this parameter, make sure that the filesystem supports Direct I/O. The default value is 0 (disabled).

Save and close the file.

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Tuning MediaBase XMP VCD Transfers


Use /usr/mbase/config/ingest.config to change the various parameters and optimize that rate at which MediaBase transfers assets via VCD.
How to tune asset transfers in MediaBase:
1 2 Change any of the following parameters:

Use a text editor to open /usr/mbase/config/ingest.config.

Property
DEFAULT_IO_BUFFER_SIZE

Description
Configure the I/O buffer size (in bytes) for each read/write operation to and from the filesystem. The default value for is 262144 (256 KB).

FTP_XFER_RATE

The maximum rate (in bits per second) at which data is transferred via FTP. This parameter is ignored if the VCD_UNPACED_TRANSFERS environment variable is enabled. The default value is 4000000 (4 Mb/s).

USE_DIRECT_IO

Enable or disable Direct I/O during read/write operations to and from the filesystem. Set this to 1 to enable Direct I/O and to 0 to disable it. Note: Before change this parameter, make sure that the filesystem supports Direct I/O. The default value is 0 (disabled).

URGENT_XFER_WINDOW

Configure the time window during which only urgent transfers are allowed. The start and stop times need to be specified as comma separated strings. For example: URGENT_XFER_WINDOW = 15:00, 17:00 The above parameter values will only allow urgent priority transfers between 3PM and 5 PM every day. The syntax for specifying the date time is the same as the scheduleAdd command line utility. The default value is 0,0. This indicates no start or stop times for the window.

FTP_TRANSFER_SIZE

The default file size of an asset in a transfer operation. The unit is bytes. This is used to compute the average ETC for a transfer operation, which is utilized when resetting start times of failed transfers. The default value is 2147483648 (2 GB). PURGE_XFER_JOBS This is used to enable cleanup of completed transfer operations. Setting it to 0 will disable it. The default value is 1.

MAX_SIMUL_XFERS

Configure the maximum number of simultaneous transfer jobs that can run when bandwidth used by each asset transfer is not limited. This parameter is ignored if the VCD_UNPACED_TRANSFERS environment variable is disabled. The default value is 10.

PURGE_XFER_JOBS 3 Save and close the file.

Disable a complete transfer operation cleanup when it is set to 0.

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Monitoring the Number of Streams in MediaBase


There are a several ways to check to see how many streams the MediaBase server is making available. The fastest way to do this is with command line utility smstat; it reports the number of streams currently streaming out of the available licensed streams.
Note: For more information about smstat, see the smstat man pages.

You can also monitor the number of streams with the following command:
usr/mbase/sbin/mbmonitor -monitor

Figure 11-6

mbmonitor Output

The total number of streams is displayed as well as the destination and origin IPs. This information is updated every 5 seconds. To watch the stream count change in real time, leave this command running.
Tip: See the mbmonitor man pages for other interactive features of this command.

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MediaBase Performance Issues


For help diagnosing other performance bottlenecks, contact Kasenna Customer Support. To diagnose the problem, you may be asked to provide a section of your main MediaBase log. You can find this log at:
/usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local

This log provides most of the information necessary to determine the state of MediaBase and diagnose problems. If support needs more information, they may ask you to change your logging parameters to benchmarking mode.
How to change logging parameters to benchmarking mode:
1 2 Run the following script:

Edit /usr/mbase/config/service.config
Insert -b after the UDS command. For example:

-b -z -w /usr/mbase/coredir/uds64 >>/usr/mbase/coredir/uds/log 2>&1 ;;


3 4 5 Save your changes and close the file. Stop then restart MediaBase for the change to take effect.

/etc/init.d/mediabase stop ; ps -eaf | grep uds64

sleep 15 ; /etc/init.d/mediabase start

To verify that logging is being done in benchmark mode, run this command:

You must see a -b appear after the UDS entry in the output.

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Troubleshooting

This chapter shows you how to troubleshoot common situations you may experience with the MediaBase XMP server.
See these topics: Assessing Synchronization Issues on page 280 Troubleshooting MediaBase Servers on page 281 Verifying Accessibility on page 282 Troubleshooting Network Problems on page 284 Troubleshooting Problems With Encoding Sessions on page 286

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Assessing Synchronization Issues


In complex, heterogeneous networks designed for streaming content distribution and NPVR functionality, time synchronization between various servers and other involved components is vital. Without synchronized servers, you may lose content being captured or distributed. MediaBase XMP manages time synchronization with the timeslave and timed utilities. These utilities guarantee that a given set of computers are synchronized to a common, although not necessarily standard, time source. This degree of synchronization may be adequate when all program material and program timing originate within a single organization. Kasenna recommends that when cross-organizational program sources or timing are factors, synchronize the time to some well-known, standard time source. These time standards are usually government maintained. Within the United States, for example, primary time standards are maintained by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). The xntpd utility, a public domain implementation of the NTP protocol, maintains synchronization of the system clock with one or more external reference clocks. These clocks may be standard time sources or may themselves be synchronized to standard time sources.

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Troubleshooting MediaBase Servers


Use the following procedure to resolve issues if you have trouble starting MediaBase servers.
How to troubleshoot problems starting MediaBase servers:
1 2 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, then Monitor. To review the status of the services have failed, click Services.

Figure 12-1 3 4

Monitoring Services

To check the error messages, review the message log. At the command line enter:

tail -f /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local
If the services need to be started, at the command line enter:

% su #/etc/init.d/mediabase start
5 Observe the messages that display as the service starts. If the service fails to start correctly, and you require additional assistance, send an email message to your Kasenna support representative at support@kasenna.com.

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Verifying Accessibility
This section shows you how to use MediaBases troubleshooting tools to verify accessibility. See these topics: Determining If a Client Is Accessible on the Network on page 282 Checking Accessibility of Videos on page 283

Determining If a Client Is Accessible on the Network


Use the following procedure to determine if a client is reachable on the network from the server and to obtain information about packet transmission times.
How to determine if a client is accessible:
1 2 3 4 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Test. To check if a client is reachable on the network from the server, packet transmission times, and suggestions, click Client. At Hostname, enter the hostname or IP address of the client. Click OK.

Figure 12-2

Service Administration Test Results Page

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Checking Accessibility of Videos


You can run a test to see which videos can be opened on a server. However, this test does not check the accessibility of the video across the network. Make sure that the loopback interface lo0 is configured in MediaBase before you run this test; otherwise, the test fails.
Video Open Test Results for Video Name: [asset name] movie object was null. Video Open Test Failure: unable to correct open video [asset name].

Note:

For detailed information about enabling interfaces, see How to verify that a video can be opened: below.

If the test is successful, you will see the duration and type of video. The loopback interface is enabled by default in MediaBase. If it becomes disabled, use the following procedure to enable it again.
How to verify that a video can be opened:
1 2 3 From the list at the left of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Test, then Video. At Video Name, enter the name of the video or click Browse to find one. Click Test.

Figure 12-3

Video Access Test Page

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Troubleshooting Network Problems


This section shows you how to troubleshoot common network problems. See these topics: General Network Problems on page 284 A New Network Interface is not Accessible on page 284 Client cannot Play Video on page 284 Multicast Showings Are Not Reaching the Client on page 284 Capturing Connection Manager Debug-Level Messages on page 285
Note: For information about networking features and the Connection Manager service that manages the network, see Configuring MediaBase XMP Network Interfaces in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide.

General Network Problems


If general network problems occur, verify that: All MediaBase services are running. The network or IP multicast routing daemons may not be running on the local server. If that is the case, there may not be a problem if routed and mrouted are running on the local subnet and subnets leading to clients. The MediaBase event log is capturing Connection Manager debugging information. See Capturing Connection Manager Debug-Level Messages on page 285 for details.

A New Network Interface is not Accessible


If you have recently added a network interface to MediaBase and the interface is not accessible, check MediaBases Network page to see that MediaBase recognizes the interface. For additional information, see Configuring MediaBase XMP Network Interfaces in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase Installation and Configuration Guide.

Client cannot Play Video


If a client cannot play a video, make sure: The client is accessible from the server. See Determining If a Client Is Accessible on the Network on page 282 for details. The video can be accessed on the server. See Service Administration Test Results Page on page 282 for details.

Multicast Showings Are Not Reaching the Client


If multicast showings are not reaching a client, make sure: The multicast time-to-live (TTL) value is high enough. See Configuring IP Multicast Packet TTL in Chapter 3 of the MediaBase XMP Installation and Configuration Guide for details. Java is enabled in the client.

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You can reach the client. To trace the multicast path from the source to a client, use mtrace to trace the path. For more information, see the mtrace(1M) man pages.

Capturing Connection Manager Debug-Level Messages


To find out why data is not reaching the client, Kasenna recommends that you capture Connection Manager debugging information in the MediaBase event log.
How to capture Connection Manager debugging information in the event log:
1 2 3 From the list on the left side of the Service Administration main page, under Server, click Monitor and then View Log. Click Options. From the Service scroll box, select the Connection Manager.

4 5 6

At Level, select Debug. Set the event log threshold to debug, then click Apply. Turn on the Connection Manager to begin debugging. Open the /usr/mbase/config/services.properties file and find the line that contains the command-line arguments for scm:

-m 12 -M 20 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/scm
Then add the -D 5 parameter to turn on debugging, for example:

-D 5 -m 12 -M 20 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/scm
7 Stop and then restart MediaBase.

When MediaBase is restarted, it writes debug-level messages to the log.


How to turn off debugging mode:
1 Open the /usr/mbase/config/services.properties file, and find the line that contains the command-line arguments for scm:

-D 5 -m 12 -M 20 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/scm
2 Remove the -D 5 parameter.

-m 12 -M 20 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/scm
3 Stop, and then restart MediaBase. When MediaBase is restarted, it no longer writes debug-level messages to the log, regardless of the event log threshold.

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Troubleshooting Problems With Encoding Sessions


This section shows you how to troubleshoot problems with encoding sessions.

Troubleshooting Generic Encoders


It is important that the configuration values from the encoder agree with those you entered into MediaBases Configure Encoders tool; otherwise, MediaBase is unable to capture the data stream from the encoder. Network discontinuities and routing problems can also contribute to failed communications. This section describes possible problems and solutions. If problems persist, see also your encoders documentation.
Symptom
You suspect that the base functionality of the encoder is not functioning properly. The encoder is running, but there appears to be no output stream.

Solution
Operate the encoder in standalone mode.

Verify that: Networking is installed on the encoding station. The operating system control panel has been used to establish network operating parameters, and that the parameters are correct. The network is accessible from the encoder and vice versa using Ping, Telnet, FTP, or another network application to verify this. The encoder is set up to transmit on the network. Verify that the destination address is a legal and reachable address (with respect to the encoder). Verify that: The MediaBase server is reachable from the encoder using Ping, Telnet, FTP, or another network application to verify this. No previously-scheduled capture sessions are running and using the same encoder. The stream destination is correct. The configuration values defined in MediaBase and the encoder match. For a unicast encoder stream destination, the Configure Encoders Source Address property specifies the correct address for the encoder and the MediaBase server network interface. Encoder packets are arriving at the MediaBase server; use tcpdump to verify this. Verify that: The encoding and multiplexing formats match the encoder default for MPEG-1 or the capture session override format value for MPEG-2. The stream bitrate matches the encoder default or capture session override bitrate. The UDP packet size being transmitted is less than or equal to that defined on MediaBases Configure Encoders page. For MPEG-2 transmission, choose a packet size that is a multiple of 188. Verify that: The multiplexing format specifies a MPEG-1 system or MPEG-2 transport stream. The video input source specification matches the video cabling on the back of the unit. The audio cables are correct. Try increasing the encoders audio gain.

The encoder is running and streaming, but the stream is not received by MediaBase.

The stream is received by MediaBase, but the captured asset is uninstallable, unplayable, or plays with unacceptable artifacts.

The stream is received by MediaBase, but the video, audio, or both is missing in the captured asset.

The stream is received by MediaBase, but the duration is being incorrectly reported, MediaBase storage is exhausted, or some failure occurs during capture. The stream is received by MediaBase, and the capture terminated normally but prematurely.

Verify that the stream bitrate matches the encoder default or capture session override bitrate.

The encoder may have re-initialized itself during the stream. Check the console messages MediaBase reports an end-of-stream message if the stop timeout is less than the initialization time. Most likely, the target bitrate is outside the range the encoder is capable of supporting. Also try to reduce the target bitrate.

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Kasenna MediaBase XMP v8.3 Symptom (Continued)


The stream is received by MediaBase and is playable, but the quality is poor. There is excessive packet loss between the encoder and MediaBase, or between MediaBase and the player.

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Problems Solution


To distinguish between these symptoms, play a captured asset several times and note whether the artifacts always occur at the same point. If not, the packet loss is between the encoder and MediaBase. Try the following: Run the encoder and MediaBase on a shared network. Reduce the number of hops between the encoder and MediaBase. Use a switched network technology rather than a shared bus topology. Switch to a unicast destination (instead of multicast). The audio level may be too high. Reduce the output level of the audio source. Reduce the output level of the audio source or reduce the encoder audio gain.

The stream is received by MediaBase, but the audio is distorted. The the audio level is too high.

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Verifying Your License


Use mblicense to determining the licenses you have on your MediaBase server. At the command line run this command /usr/mbase/sbin/mblicense/mblicense.
Example: Maximum NVoD Channels licensed: 6 Maximum Live Channels licensed: 5 Maximum network bandwidth licensed: 200 mediaserver is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_mpeg1 is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_mpeg1" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_mpeg2 is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_mpeg2" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_mpeg4 is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_mpeg4" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_encoding is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_encoding" will expire in 70 da mediaserver_cluster is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_cluster" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_distributxmit is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_distributxmit" will expir in 70 days mediaserver_distributrecv is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_distributrecv" will expir in 70 days mediaserver_networkbw is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_networkbw" will expire in 70 days mediaserver_reliablemcast is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_reliablemcast" will expir in 70 days mediaserver_cable_isa is a valid feature: License for "mediaserver_cable_isa" will expire in 70 days

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Appendix A

MediaBase MPEG-2 Stream Information

See these topics: Asset Installation Modes on page 290 Synchronize Mark Buffer on page 291 The MPEG-2 Stream on page 292 Transition Points on page 294 Fast-forward/Rewind on page 295 End of Stream on page 296

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Asset Installation Modes


MediaBase supports three modes of asset installation: Play Only Play and Positioning Play, Fast-forward, Rewind, and Positioning
Note: Play Only mode installs assets in RAW format without any special support other than streaming. The following information does not apply to assets installed as Play Only. It applies only to assets installed with Positioning and/or Fast-forward/Rewind support.

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Synchronize Mark Buffer


During MPEG streaming, the server may insert a synchronize mark buffer which consists of one data buffer (usually 16 KB) with a special header. This buffer is transmitted when there is a playback change (repositioning, play, pause fast-forward, or rewind) and in between clips of a sequence.
Note: The synchronize mark buffer is under the control of the RTSP protocol layer.

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The MPEG-2 Stream


Whenever the stream is started or the playback mode changes, MediaBase locates the stream random access point (RAP) that is on or just after the requested bitstream position. The following data is then added to the front of the stream before data is sent from the original stream:
NUL PAT Ver PMT /* /* /* /* /* Vid packets /* packets packets packet packets 5 null packets */ 1 or more PAT packets */ Version discontinuity PMT */ 1 or more PMT packets */ NPT descriptor added to current PMS */ 1 or more Video header packets */

After the packets are prepared, the remaining transport packets from the original stream follow in sequence.

Null Packets
The null packets help a demuxer to re-lock the bitstream after a transition point.

PAT Packets
Program Association Table (PAT) packets represent the complete PAT table found in the original stream just before the random access point. If the packets were scattered in the original bitstream, they now appear together in sequence at the beginning of the random access point.

Ver Packets
To signal a program change at the transition point, Kasenna inserts a null Program Map Table (PMT) with the discontinuity indicator set in the transport adaptation field and a new discontinuous version set in the version field. The following PMT packets contain the next continuity counter (current counter plus one) and version number.
Note: This technique is described in ISO/IEC 13818-1:2000, in section 2.4.3.5 Semantic definitions of fields in adaptation field.

PMT Packets
After the null PMT packet, Kasenna inserts the actual PMT packets for the stream. These are the PMT packets found in the original bitstream just before the random access point. If the packets were scattered in the original bitstream, they now appear together in sequence, following the null PMT packet, at the beginning of the random access point.

NPT Descriptor
Kasenna inserts a Normal Play Time (NPT) descriptor in the current program map section of the PMT packets. This descriptor is explained in the MPEG-2 standard for DSM-CC (ISO/IEC 13818-6, Chapter 8 Stream Descriptors).

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For more information about the location of descriptors and the general syntax of program map sections, see ISO/IEC 13818-1, Sections 2.4.4.8 Program Map Table, and table 2-28, TransportStream program map section.Kasenna implements the NPT descriptor in the following manner:
NPT Syntax # of bits

The NPTReferenceDescriptor() {
descriptorTag descriptorLength postDiscontinutityIndicator contentId reserved STC_Reference reserved NPT_Reference scaleNumerator scaleDenominator }
Note: The descriptorTag is set to 23, descriptorLength is fixed at 18, and postDiscontinuityIndicator is set to 0 (to indicate that the NPT is currently valid). The ContentID changes with each transition point it is generally incremented by one with each new transition.

8 8 1 7 7 33 31 33 16 16

The STC_Reference represents the PCR value when the NPT_Reference becomes valid. The NPT_Reference is the normal play time for this transition point. For example, if a sequence of two MPEG assets are transmitted, each last 10 seconds and starts their PCR at 0, then the NPT_Reference represents 10 seconds (900,000 MPEG ticks) at the transition point. This sends hints to the decoder to offset the logical play time of the second asset by 10 seconds so that the total sequence time maintains a consistent logical playback of 20 seconds. The scaleNumerator/scaleDenominator represents the relative speed of the time clock, and hence the logical speed of the presentation (which may differ from the normal presentation speed). For normal playback transitions, the values are 1/1, representing unity speed. When transitions occur onto or within fast-forward streams, the value would be 6/1, representing a speed factor of 6.0. Fast-rewind streams are indicated with -6/1 which indicates both the speed and direction of the logical timing. When Kasenna inserts the NPTdescriptor in the program map section, there is a chance that a particular program may occupy most of the transport packet and Kasenna has to split the program map section from a single transport packet to a dual transport packet PMT. Kasenna currently makes every effort to avoid expanding single packet PMT tables by stuffing available bytes.

Video Packets
After the PMT packets, Kasenna inserts the video header packets. These headers consist of all or some of the following elements (that are borrowed from the original bitstream):
PES header Sequence header GOP header Picture header /* /* /* /* With PTS/DTS as needed */ With video sequence info */ Marks the start of a GOP */ Initial bytes of picture */

These elements may occupy one or more transport packets. Stuffing bytes are added when necessary to complete the transport packets that contain the video headers. The Broken Link bit in the GOP header is set to indicate that the GOP may not be complete; however, the GOP starts on an i-frame boundary. After the video headers, the transport packets are continued from the packets that normally follow the first picture header packet in the original bitstream.
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Transition Points
Transition points occur when a stream is already in progress and a change event occurs. These change events are: Play mode switch (normal to fast-forward/rewind mode and vice versa) Stream reposition (jump from one location to another) Stream change (in between clips of a sequence) At the transition point, the stream currently in progress stops streaming at the end of the most recently transmitted buffer. These transmission buffers are usually 16 KB and are likely to end in the middle of a transport packet. This means the current stream may not complete cleanly at a transition point. A new stream begins at the transition point (as described in the previous section). Since the previous stream may have ended abruptly, the new bitstream contains five null packets to help a demuxer re-lock onto the transport data after the first missing synchronized byte. Alternatively, when using synchronize marks, a client may choose to reset the decoder if a synchronize mark is received.

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Fast-forward/Rewind
Fast-forward Rewind Streams
Kasenna creates fast-forward and fast-rewind streams during installation from the normal play asset. These streams are a collection of I-frames from the original bitstream. There might be dummy P-frames (with null motion vectors) that help define playback speed. Kasenna may add stuffing into the dummy P-frames to sustain the VBV buffer model. This stuffing is added as 0x00 bytes at the end of a P-frame and are consumed by the next_start_code() function as described in the MPEG-2 video specification (ISO/IEC 13818-2).

Fast-forward Rewind Program Changes


In fast-forward or rewind modes: audio elementary streams no longer exist within the bitstream only the video elementary stream of the first program exists. To enable most set-top boxes to switch between fast-forward/rewind and normal mode without losing audio, Kasenna retains the first audio elementary stream in the PMT definition for fast forward/rewind bitstreams. This means that for: a transport stream with only one audio elementary stream in the program, the PMT definition may not change between the normal and fast-forward/rewind bitstreams. a program with multiple audio streams, only the first audio stream in the program is present in the PMT definition of the fast-forward/rewind mode stream. If the PMT definition does not change, all mode transitions the PMT definition changes are signaled. PMT changes are signaled with a version discontinuity in the PMT as described in Ver Packets on page 292. The version number in the installed fast-forward and rewind bitstreams are set to 0.

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End of Stream
At the end of the streaming session, Kasenna adds the following transport packets:
NUL Vid Ver PMT packets packet packet packets /* /* /* /* /* /* /* /* 5 null packets */ Video packet with end-of-sequence */ Version discontinuity PMT */ 1 or more PMT packets */ StreamEnd descriptor added to current PMS */ optional padding null packets */ Duplicate PMT packets with */ StreamEnd descriptor added to current PMS */

NUL packets DUPL PMT packets

Null Packets

It is possible that the original bitstream may not terminate cleanly at the end of the stream. Therefore, Kasenna adds five null packets which help the transport demuxer re-lock to the transport bitstream in case the last packet of the original bitstream was incomplete. Kasenna adds optional padding null packets between the PMT with the StreamEnd descriptor (EOS descriptor) and the Duplicate PMT with the EOS descriptor to make the length of the transport packets at the end at least 16 transport packets. If the number of packets (inclusive of the PMT packets) is greater than or equal to 16, no padding packets are added.

Video Packets
The final video packet contains the end of sequence marker which terminates the current video bitstream.

StreamEnd Descriptor
The StreamEnd descriptor is a StreamMode descriptor with streamMode set to the end-of-stream mode. The StreamMode descriptor is explained in the MPEG-2 standard for DSM-CC (ISO/IEC 13818-6, Chapter 8 Stream Descriptors, 8.2 Stream Mode Descriptor).
StreamMode Syntax # of bits ---------------------------------------The StreamModeDescriptor{ descriptorTag 8 descriptorLength 8 streamMode 8 reserved 8 }
Note: Kasenna sets the descriptorTag to 25, descriptorLength to 2, and the streamMode to 7. For more information about End-of-Stream mode, see Table 8-5 on ISO/IEC 13818-6.

Ver Packets
To signal that the PMT packets with the StreamEnd descriptor are inserted in the stream, Kasenna inserts a null PMT with the discontinuity indicator set in the transport adaptation field and a new discontinuous version set in the version field of the PMT. This version number is the current PMT version number plus one. The following PMT packets contain the next continuity counter (current counter plus one) and also

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contain the version number of null PMT plus one. This PMT is an empty program (contains no video or audio).

PMT Packets
After the null PMT packet, Kasenna inserts the actual PMT packets for this stream. These are all the PMT packets found in the original bitstream just before the end of the stream. If these packets were scattered in the original bitstream, they now appear together in sequence following the null PMT packet. This PMT carries the StreamEnd descriptor.

DUPL PMT Packets


Kasenna adds duplicate sets of PMT packets after the optional padding packets. The optional padding packets are used for padding after the PMT with the EOS descriptor which is required by some set-top boxes. However, padding packets after the PMT with the EOS descriptor cause some set-top boxes to respond as if a new stream has begun. To avoid this, Kasenna adds the duplicate PMT with EOS descriptor; no transport packets follow the DUPL PMT packets in the stream.

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MediaBase MPEG-2 Support Specifications

See these topics: Systems on page 300 Video on page 301 Audio on page 302 Systems on page 303 Video on page 304 Audio on page 305

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Systems
Stream Format Program Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream) Single Program Transport Stream ISO/IEC 13818-1 T-STD Model CBR (Constant Bitrate) Up to 15.0 Mb/s (Client support)a Up to 20.0 Mb/s (Server support) a PSI Components Stream Components PCR Carriers PCR Jitter Tolerance Packet Size PAT, PMT MPEG-2 Video, MPEG-1 Audio (Client support), and HDTV Video, and AC-3 Audio (server support) Video, Audio, PCR-PID, and others < 4,000 / 27,000,000 Hz 188 bytes

a. Multiple asset streaming is benchmarked at up to 8 Mb/s per stream. The results from those benchmarks are not to be extrapolated to higher bitrates.

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Video
Stream Format Profile Video Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates Video Format Video Resolution Frame Rates Picture Structure MPEG-2 Video MP@ML (Main Profile, Main Level) Single or Multiple Streams Video (first Video in stream used for fast forward/rewind trick play) ISO/IEC 13818-2 VBV model CBR, VBR (constant or variable bitrate) Up to 15.0 Mb/s 4:2:0 Up to full D1 (720 X 480 NTSC, 720 X 576 PAL) 30, 29.97, 25, 24, 23.976 fps Frame picture only (interlaced or progressive)

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Audio
Stream Format Codec Audio Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates Audio Channels Sampling Rate MPEG-1 audio Layer 1, Layer 2, MP3 Single or Multiple Streams Audio ISO/IEC 11172-3 CBR 32 to 448 Kb/s for Layer I, 32 to 384 Kb/s for Layer II, 32 to 320 Kb/s for Layer III Mono, Stereo 48, 44.1, 32 kHz

Dolby AC-3 Audio


Stream Format Codec Audio Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates Audio Channels Sampling Rate Dolby AC-3 AC-3 Single or multiple stream audio ATSC Digital Audio Compression, Doc. A/52A CBR 32 to 640 Kb/s 1 to 5.1 channels 48, 44.1, 32 KHz

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Systems
Stream Format Program Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream) Single Program Transport Stream ISO/IEC 13818-1 T-STD Model CBR (Constant Bitrate) Up to 15.0 Mb/s (Client support)a Up to 20.0 Mb/s (Server support) a PSI Components PCR Carriers PCR Jitter Tolerance Packet Size a. PAT, PMT Video, Audio, PCR-PID, and others < 4,000 / 27,000,000 Hz 188 bytes

Multiple asset streaming is benchmarked at up to 8 Mb/s per stream. The results from those benchmarks must not be extrapolated to higher bitrates. Kasenna has integrated a transcoder to convert MPEG-2 program streams to transport streams which adhere to the specifications in this document.

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Video
Stream Format Profile Video Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates Video Format Video Resolution Frame Rates Picture Structure MPEG-2 Video MP@ML (Main Profile, Main Level) Single or Multiple Streams Video (first Video in stream used for fast forward/rewind trick play) ISO/IEC 13818-2 VBV model CBR, VBR (constant or variable bitrate) Up to 15.0 Mb/s 4:2:0 Up to full D1 (720 X 480 NTSC, 720 X 576 PAL) 60, 59.94, 50, 30, 29.97, 25, 24, 23.976 FPS Frame picture only (interlaced or progressive)

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Audio
Stream Format Codec Audio Complexity Compliance Muxing Bitrates MPEG-1 audio Layer 1, Layer 2, MP3 Single or multiple stream audio ISO/IEC 11172-3 CBR Layer I 32 to 448 Kb/s Audio Channels Sampling Rate Mono, stereo 48, 44.1, 32 kHz Layer II 32 to 384 Kb/s Layer III 32 to 320 Kb/s

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MPEG-4 Support

See these topics: MPEG-4 Trick Speed Support on page 308 Asset Streaming on page 309

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MPEG-4 Trick Speed Support


MediaBase supports the trick speeds for MPEG-4 asset installation and streaming.
Note: Trick speed installation from a live encoder is not supported.

Figure D-1

MPEG-4 Asset Installation (in process)

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Appendix C: MPEG-4 Support

Asset Streaming
When MPEG-4 assets are streamed, the following conditions apply: The player always sends a PAUSE request before repositioning and changing trick speeds. When a PLAY request follows a PAUSE request, if a new position is specified, or if play speed or direction changes, the player shall remove packets from the previous PLAY request from its internal buffers and reset the decoder. If the new PLAY request does not specify a range, and the play trick speed and direction is the same as the previous PLAY request, the server sends packets from the paused point (so the player keeps using the buffered packets). Without re-buffering, the player can resume playout from the PAUSE location immediately. This feature is referred to as seamless PAUSE since the packets before and after the PAUSE are continuous. The play trick speed and direction are specified in the Range header of the PLAY request. The trick speed requested, however, may not be supported by the asset installed. The server specifies the approved trick speed in the Range header of the PLAY response. The player always checks for the approved trick speed. The NPT time in a PLAY request or response and the NPT time retrieved by GET_PARAMETER(position) are the movie play time (no matter what the trick speed is). RFC 2326 specifies that for on-demand streams, the server replies with the actual range which is being played back. This may differ from the requested range, if alignment of the requested range to valid frame boundaries is required for the media source. On a new (fresh) PLAY (not seamless PAUSE) request, MediaBase seeks to the closest i-frame and streams from that location. The range header in the PLAY response specifies the actual range. If the range requested is the same as the actual range, there is no range header in the PLAY response.

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Appendix D

The Default Services Property File

# # Here is a short description of the properties in this file # # isc.services - Defines the services that service controller needs to know about. Any service not in this list is ignored. # isc.foundation_services - The service list that needs to be started when isc is started # # Each service requires the following properties to be defined # binary - The executable # description - A description of the service # directory - The directory to start the service in # args - The arguments to the service # restart_args - The arguments to the service when it is restarted, This defaults to args if left unspecified # core_limit - The maximum number of corefiles to keep around. The last corefiles are removed so the first core dump condition can be catched. # uid - The uid to run this service as # gid - The gid to run this service as # restart - A boolean flag that indicates if this service needs to be restarted when it dies # restart_limit - The maximum number of consecutive tries for restarting a service # logfile - The file to redirect stdout and stderr to #service_dependency - the services, which also need to be restarted, when this service dies abnormally and restarts. Any stop/start from iscctl cannot trigger this service_dependency check. # # When looking for property values, isc first searches for a property by the name # isc.<service name>.<property> first and if not found search for a property by the name isc.default.<property> # # The property args is special and can contain macros that aresubstituted when the service is exec'ed. # The following macros are recognized currently # %env(NAME) - Replaced by the value of the environment variable NAME. The macro is retained as # is if NAME is not defined in the environment. # %file(FILE) - Replaced by the contents of the file FILE if the file is less than BUFSIZ bytes. # If a file by FILE doesn't exist or if the file is too big, then the macro is left as is. # %hostname() - Replaced by the hostname of the node # %service(NAME) - Replaced by the port for service NAME as defined in the /etc/services file # %property(FILE, PROPERTY) - Replaced by the value of the property PROPERTY in the file FILE. #
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# Services not handled: snmpd, snmptrapd, rr, pm, lsma, rra, mbsnmp, log2ev # isc.services = "logd, nameserver, ras, config_svc, a4, ssm, msds, scm, mb_proxy, showtimed, ins_svc, rds, rmds, playlogd, jbts, uds, uds64, nodeagent, nodemanager, vts, ccserver, StreamService, streamer_proxy, lscpserver, mms_serv, rt_proxy" isc.foundation_services = "logd, nameserver, ras, a4, config_svc" isc.default.core_limit = 3 isc.default.uid = root isc.default.gid = root isc.default.restart = true isc.default.restart_limit = 5 isc.default.logfile = log isc.default.email_on_coredump = somebody@yourcompany.com isc.logd.binary = /usr/ocs/sbin/locallogd isc.logd.description = MediaBase Logging Daemon isc.logd.directory = /usr/ocs/coredir/logd isc.logd.args = "-cwd /usr/ocs/coredir/logd" isc.logd.ocs_export_name = "svc/logd" isc.nameserver.binary = /usr/ocs/sbin/namesrvr isc.nameserver.description = MediaBase Naming Daemon isc.nameserver.directory = /usr/ocs/coredir/namesrvr isc.nameserver.args = "-minthreads 12 -maxthreads 12 -cwd /usr/ocs/coredir/namesrvr" isc.nameserver.ocs_export_name = "namesrvr" isc.ras.binary = /usr/ocs/sbin/ras isc.ras.description = MediaBase Resource Audit Service isc.ras.directory = /usr/ocs/coredir/ras isc.ras.args = "-nosc -cwd /usr/ocs/coredir/ras" isc.ras.ocs_export_name = "svc/ras" isc.config_svc.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/config_svc isc.config_svc.description = vFusion Configuration Service isc.config_svc.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/config_svc isc.config_svc.args = "-ORBInitRef NameService=%file(/usr/mbase/config/LocalNamingServiceIOR) -ORBendPoint giop:tcp::%service(mbcfg)" isc.config_svc.ocs_export_name = "Configuration" isc.a4.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/a4 isc.a4.description = MediaBase A4 Service isc.a4.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/a4 isc.a4.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/a4" isc.a4.ocs_export_name = "svc/a4" isc.ssm.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/ssm isc.ssm.description = MediaBase Storage Manager isc.ssm.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/ssm isc.ssm.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/ssm -m 12 -M 18" isc.ssm.ocs_export_name = "svc/ssm/0" isc.msds.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/msds isc.msds.description = MediaBase MBone Session Directory Service isc.msds.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/msds isc.msds.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/msds" isc.msds.ocs_export_name = "svc/msds" isc.scm.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/scm 312
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Appendix D: The Default Services Property File isc.scm.description = MediaBase Connection Manager Service isc.scm.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/scm isc.scm.args = "-m 12 -M 30 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/scm" isc.scm.ocs_export_name = "svc/cmgr" isc.cds.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/cds isc.cds.description = MediaBase Concert Delivery Service isc.cds.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/cds isc.cds.args = "-R 9000000 -w /usr/mbase/coredir/cds" isc.mb_proxy.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/mb_proxy isc.mb_proxy.description = MediaBase RTSP Service isc.mb_proxy.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/mb_proxy isc.mb_proxy.args = "-numFds 10000 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/mb_proxy" isc.mb_proxy.ocs_export_name = "svc/mb_proxy" isc.showtimed.binary = /usr/mbase/showtime_server/showtimed isc.showtimed.description = MediaBase Showtime Service isc.showtimed.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/showtimed isc.showtimed.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/showtimed" isc.showtimed.ocs_export_name = "svc/lancast" isc.ins_svc.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/ins_svc isc.ins_svc.description = MediaBase Installation Service isc.ins_svc.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc isc.ins_svc.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/ins_svc -maxTasks 5" isc.ins_svc.ocs_export_name = "svc/ins" isc.rds.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/rds isc.rds.description = MediaBase Download Service isc.rds.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/rds isc.rds.args = "-s 2 -S 2 -w /usr/mbase/coredir/rds" isc.rds.ocs_export_name = "svc/rds" isc.rmds.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/rmds isc.rmds.description = Reliable Multicast Directory Service isc.rmds.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/rmds isc.rmds.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/rmds" isc.rmds.ocs_export_name = "svc/rmds" isc.playlogd.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/playlogd isc.playlogd.description = MediaBase Playlog Monitoring Service isc.playlogd.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/playlogd isc.playlogd.args = "-minthreads 15 -maxthreads 15 -w /usr/mbase/coredir/playlogd" isc.playlogd.ocs_export_name = "svc/playlogger" isc.jbts.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/jbts isc.jbts.description = MediaBase Jukebox Transfer Service isc.jbts.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/jbts isc.jbts.args = "-T 10 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/jbts" isc.jbts.ocs_export_name = "svc/jbts" isc.uds.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/uds isc.uds.description = MediaBase Delivery Service isc.uds.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/uds isc.uds.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/uds" isc.uds.service_dependency = "mb_proxy scm ssm" isc.uds.ocs_export_name = "svc/uds" isc.uds64.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/uds64 isc.uds64.description = MediaBase Delivery Service isc.uds64.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/uds

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isc.uds64.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/uds" isc.uds64.service_dependency = "mb_proxy scm ssm lscpserver" isc.uds64.ocs_export_name = "svc/uds" isc.nodeagent.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/nodeagent isc.nodeagent.description = MediaBase Cluster Agent isc.nodeagent.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/nodeagent isc.nodeagent.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/nodeagent" isc.nodeagent.ocs_export_name = "svc/nodeagent" isc.nodemanager.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/nodemanager isc.nodemanager.description = MediaBase Node Manager isc.nodemanager.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/nodemanager isc.nodemanager.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/nodemanager" isc.nodemanager.ocs_export_name = "svc/nodeagentMgmt_iiop" isc.vts.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/vts isc.vts.description = MediaBase Video Transfer Service isc.vts.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/vts isc.vts.args = "-cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/vts" isc.vts.ocs_export_name = "svc/vts" isc.ccserver.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/ccserver isc.ccserver.description = MediaBase ISA Content Component Service isc.ccserver.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/ccserver isc.ccserver.args = "-ior-file /usr/mbase/coredir/ccserver/ContentServiceIOR -ORBInitRef NameService=%file(/usr/mbase/config/NamingServiceIOR) -ORBendPoint giop:tcp:%hostname():%service(isacs)" isc.StreamService.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/StreamService isc.StreamService.description = MediaBase ISA Stream Component Service isc.StreamService.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/StreamService isc.StreamService.args = "-ior-file /usr/mbase/coredir/StreamService/StreamServiceIOR -ORBInitRef NameService=%file(/usr/mbase/config/NamingServiceIOR) -ORBendPoint giop:tcp:%hostname():%service(isass)" isc.streamer_proxy.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/streamer_proxy isc.streamer_proxy.description = MediaBase Streamer Integration Service isc.streamer_proxy.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/streamer_proxy isc.streamer_proxy.args = "-w /usr/mbase/coredir/streamer_proxy" isc.streamer_proxy.ocs_export_name = "svc/streamer_proxy" isc.lscpserver.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/lscpserver isc.lscpserver.description = MediaBase LSCP Service isc.lscpserver.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/lscpserver isc.lscpserver.args = "-cmd /usr/mbase/coredir/lscpserver -ORBendPoint giop:tcp::59990" isc.mms_serv.binary = /opt/stream/bin/mms_serv isc.mms_serv.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/mms_serv isc.mms_serv.args = "/usr/mbase/coredir/mms_serv/log" isc.rt_proxy.binary = /usr/mbase/sbin/rt_proxy isc.rt_proxy.description = MediaBase nCUBE RTSP Proxy Service isc.rt_proxy.directory = /usr/mbase/coredir/rt_proxy isc.rt_proxy.args = "-recoverSessions -numFds 10000 -cwd /usr/mbase/coredir/rt_proxy -ORBendPoint giop:tcp::59991 -ORBInitRef NameService=%file(/usr/mbase/config/LocalNamingServiceIOR)"

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Appendix E

Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services

This appendix covers the procedures for preparing the MediaBase for reliable multicast operations.

See these topics: Overview on page 316 Configuration on page 317 Group Management on page 318 Schedule Management on page 319 Troubleshooting on page 320 Logs on page 321

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Overview
Kasenna recommends that you review the following terminology and license sections before implementing reliable multicast operations.

Terminology
1

The reliable multicast Group Server is the server which manages the multicast groups and schedules. There must be only one Group Server in the network. This server multicasts the group information periodically on a predefined multicast address. Groups can be created and managed on the Group Server only. The reliable multicast sender server is a MediaBase server which can transfer an asset installed on the server to a predefined multicast group at the scheduled time. The reliable multicast receiver server is a MediaBase server which listen to the multicast group and transfer information and captures the data send by the sender and installs it on the server. The reliable multicast sender receiver is a MediaBase server which can serve as a sender as well as a receiver. The MasterNode is the sender server on which multicast transfer schedules can be created and managed. In a cluster, one of the servers in the cluster be assigned as the Master Node. In such a case, the server IP address must be specified as the Master Node.

2 3

4 5

License Requirements
All the servers must have the Reliable Multicast license installed on the system. The sender nodes must have the Distribution Transmit license installed The receiver nodes must have the Distribution Receive license installed.

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Appendix E: Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services

Configuration
Note: All servers in the network (senders and receivers) must be time synchronized. It is recommended that syncing be done using an external NTP server.

Follow these steps to configure MediaBase for reliable multicast distribution. 1 Edit the /usr/mbase/config/rmcast.config file and modify the following fields: a. Set the distrib_mode to sender, receiver, or sender receiver, as appropriate. b. Set the GroupServerIP to the primary IP address of a server at the central site on all the MediaBase servers in the network. c. Set the MasterNodeIP to the primary IP address of the sender server if the sender is not part of a cluster. If the sender is part of a cluster, designate one of the servers to be the MasterNode and set the MasterNode IP address to be the primary IP address of that server.
Notes: If the sender side is a cluster, designate one of the servers in the cluster as the Master Node by setting the IP address of that server as MasterNodeIP on all the nodes in that cluster. Also, the distrib_mode must be set to sender on all the nodes in the cluster as well. You can create schedules only on the Master Node. At the scheduled time, the appropriate server which has the asset to be transferred (as well as the resources) is selected to transfer the asset. Warning! Appropriate settings for all variables (GroupServer, TTL, etc.) in the rmcast.config file must be set for reliable multicast distribution to function.

Set the AnnounceMulticastIP and AnnounceMulticastPort to the IP address and port on which all the group and schedule information should be broadcast. These two fields must be set on all the MediaBase servers in the network. e. Determine the hops between the Group Server, the sender servers and the receivers. Set the AnnounceMulticastTTL to the maximum number of hops between the central site and the edge nodes on all the MediaBase servers in the network. You must also set the TTL using the System Administration page f. Set the DataXferMulticastIP to the multicast address that must be used by default to transfer the asset data. g. Set the max_transmission_bw to the rate at which the data must be transferred. 2. Allocate bandwidth on the primary network interface for VCD on all the MediaBase servers. The bandwidth allocated must match the max_transmission_bw set in the configuration.
d.

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Group Management
There are three basic steps in creating a group for reliable multicast operation. 1 On the Group Server use the following command to create a multicast group:
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n <GroupName> -D <GroupDescription> -s server1 -s server2 ...

For example:
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n G1 -D "Group One" -s 10.10.4.5 -s 10.10.4.51 -s 10.10.5.12
Notes: If the receiver side a cluster, set the name of the cluster in the /usr/mbase/config/cluster.config file. For example: cluster.name = tier3_cluster Then specify the cluster name when defining the members of a group. The syntax would be:

/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n <rmcast_group> -s server1 -s server2 -c <clustername> ...


For example:

/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -a -n G1 -c "tier3_cluster" -s 10.10.4.5


When the scheduled transfer starts, the server which has the maximum available resources (within the cluster) is chosen to receive the asset. 2

Verify that the group has been successfully created using the following command:
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -l

Verify that the information has been broadcast and received by the senders and receivers using the following command:
/usr/mbase/sbin/rmcast_group -l

Modify the group whenever additional servers or clusters need to be added to the group.

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Appendix E: Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services

Schedule Management
There are three primary operations in scheduling a reliable multicast distribution. 1 On the sender or sender receiver system use the following command to create a schedule for transferring an asset:
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a -g <GroupName> -N <AssetName> -t <starttime> -n <scheduleName>

For example:
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -a -g G1 -N /MOD/Comedy/EPGP1062 -t "dec 20 2006 11:10" -n Sched1062
Note: In cluster operations, a schedule can be added on the MasterNode only. The actual transfer may be from another server in the cluster.

To list the pertinent schedules, use the following command:


/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -l

The schedule information is sent to the receiver system just prior to the scheduled time for transfer. Use the following command to check the status of the transfer on the sender as well as receiver systems:
/usr/mbase/bin/rmcast_schedule -l

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Troubleshooting
Here are some guidelines to troubleshooting responses if you have problems setting up the MediaBase server for reliable multicast distribution. Group information not transmitted to the receivers. Check if the multicast is reaching the receivers Check if the multicast is being received on the primary IP address of the receiver Check if the IP address in the group matches the primary IP address of the receiver Check if the TTL is set to a large-enough value

Failed to schedule the transfer. Check if schedule name is unique Check if the schedule time is in the future Check if the multicast IP address and or its port is in use

Scheduled information not received by the receivers. Check if the multicast is reaching the receivers Check if the multicast is being received on the primary IP address of the receiver Check if the IP address in the group matches the primary IP address of the receiver Check if the TTL is set to a large-enough value Check if the clocks on the sender and receiver are synchronized Check if the group includes the receiver in question Check if the Group Server is set correctly Check if the Announce IP address and port match with the sender

Scheduled information on the receivers, but no data received. Check if the multicast data is being received on the primary interface, norm receives data only on the primary interface

Scheduled information is received, but transfer failed on the receiver. Check if there is sufficient bandwidth available for the transfer Check if there is an asset already exists by that name on the server Check if the clocks are synchronized between the sender and receiver

Schedule failed on the sender server. Check if there is sufficient bandwidth available for the transfer

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Appendix E: Setting Up for Reliable Multicast Services

Logs
Valuable information on the status and conditions of the transfers can be found by examining the following MediaBase system logs. /usr/mbase/logs/distrib_recv.log on the sender server has the status of transfer on each receiver at the end of the transfer. /usr/mbase/logs/cla_transfer.log has entries for each reliable multicast transfer including the group name and IP address for each port. /usr/mbase/coredir/vts/log and /usr/mbase/logs/rmds.log have service level debug information

Additional details can be found in /usr/ocs/logs/mbaselog.local

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Appendix F

Setting Up for Automatic Replication

This appendix covers the procedures for preparing the MediaBase to support automatic replication in multi-tier environments.

See these topics: Overview on page 324 Setup on page 325 Example on page 326

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Overview
Follow these steps to prepare automatic replication in a multi-tier environment.

Assumptions
There are four key aspects to setting up automatic replication.
1

All assets ingested at the head-end must have additional metadata supplied with each ingest to facilitate rules-based replication. All asset ingests are initiated with sufficient time before the start of the license period, to allow time to schedule transfer to the edge sites.

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Appendix F: Setting Up for Automatic Replication

Setup
Configuring MediaBase for Multicast or Point-to-Point Distribution
1

To set up reliable multicast at the central, as well as the edge sites, requires setting the following values appropriately if reliable multicast will be used to transfer the data: MasterNodeIP GroupServerIP AnnounceMulticastIP AnnounceMulticastPort AnnounceMulticastTTL DataXferMulticastIP Create multicast groups and schedule test transfer to ensure the setup is complete if Reliable multicast will be used to transfer the data If Point to Point transfer will be used, make sure the servers are set up appropriately with entries in /etc/accessfile for each of the servers.

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Example
Task
To set up a three tier network with all content ingested at the central site and 100% of the content is replicated to the regional head-ends and only the popular content and previews are sent to the edge nodes.

Solution
1 2 3 4

Create a group named AllNodes to contain all the nodes. Create a group named Edges to contain the edge nodes. Create a group named RHE to contain the nodes in the regional headend. Set the rsync_rules.config as follows:
OptionPack.values = "Preview_Asset, Popularity" OptionPack.Preview_Asset.true = "AllNodes" OptionPack.Popularity.1 = "AllNodes" OptionPack.Popularity.2 = "AllNodes" OptionPack.Popularity.3 = "AllNodes" InstallGroup = "RHE" DeleteGroup = "AllNodes"

To schedule reliable multicast transfers one at a time with the script to run at 2AM every day, create the following entry:
0 2 * * * /usr/mbase/sbin/rsync_oper > /usr/mbase/logs/rsync.log 2>&1

The script will initiate transfer of all assets ingested in the last 24 hours using the rules set in rsync_rules.config. It will also identify all assets deleted from the head-end and delete them from the RHEs and edge nodes.

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Appendix G

Content Distribution Using a Point-to-Point Model

This appendix describes the content distribution process using FTP with a point-to-point model on MediaBase XMP v8.3.

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Overview
This section describes the control flow for content distribution using the point-to-point model. In a point-to-point transfer, MediaBase uses a modified FTP protocol for transferring content from one server to another. MediaBase supports two different modes of content distribution, i.e. push and pull. Figure G-1 shows the push model of content distribution.

Figure G-1

Point-to-point content distribution (step 1)

The first step in this control flow is the creation of a content distribution schedule. MediaBase stores the schedule in the database and uses it to track the status of any content distribution activity. MediaBase supports simple as well as complex schedules that is, a schedule can be used to transfer a single asset (simple schedule) or multiple assets (complex schedule). MediaBase provides a command line utility called scheduleAdd that can be used to create content distribution schedules. scheduleAdd adds the schedule to the database and notifies Vts to read the new schedule from the database. Vts processes the new schedule and creates a job entry for each asset in the schedule that needs to be transferred. For each job, Vts then forks and execs a utility called processJob to transfer the asset that is associated with a specific job. Figure G-2 shows the control flow between processJob and the destination MediaBase server. processJob acts as a FTP client and transfers the metadata and content to the MediaBase FTP daemon on the destination server. The FTP daemon on the destination uses the metadata transferred to create the asset and the corresponding task. The FTP daemon then allocates space for the files and transfers the content into the files. When, the transfer is complete, the FTP daemon cleans up the task and marks the asset as available for playback.

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Figure G-2

Point-to-point content distribution (step 2)

In the case of a pull transfer, the FTP daemon is responsible for sending the metadata and content, while processJob is responsible for creating the task and transferring the received content to the respective files.

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Appendix H

Content Playback Control Flow

This appendix describes the stages of the playback control flow.

See these topics: Overview on page 332 RTSP DESCRIBE on page 333 RTSP SETUP on page 334 RTSP PLAY on page 335 RTSP Debugging on page 336

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Overview
The MediaBase XMP content control flow consists of the following three steps. 1 In the first step the client sends a RTSP DESCRIBE message to the MediaBase server to retrieve the properties of the content 2 In the second step the client sends a RTSP SETUP message to MediaBase to establish a session. 3 Once the session is established, in the third step the client sends a RTSP PLAY request to the MediaBase server. Figure H-1 shows the content playback control flow.

Figure H-1 RTSP DESCRIBE Interaction

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Appendix H: Content Playback Control Flow

RTSP DESCRIBE
In the first step, the client sends a RTSP DESCRIBE message to the MediaBase server to retrieve the properties of the content. MediaBase responds to the RTSP DESCRIBE request with the content properties. The client uses the response to determine the bit rate, format, aspect ratio and other properties of the content. The Mb_proxy service in MediaBase provides the RTSP gateway functionality and handles all RTSP interactions with the client. In a MediaBase cluster, each node in the cluster handles the RTSP requests for that node. Thus a single node does not need to scale to handle all RTSP sessions originating from the cluster.

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RTSP SETUP
The client next sends a RTSP SETUP message to MediaBase. The RTSP SETUP message includes the IP address and transport port number that the stream should be sent to. When MediaBase receives the RTSP SETUP message it first allocates any network interface resources required to stream the title. MediaBase, then responds to the RTSP SETUP message by including the IP address and transport port that the server will be streaming from (see Figure H-2). The RTSP response also includes the ID of the session that MediaBase uses to identify the session. All subsequent RTSP requests from the client must include the Session ID. MediaBase uses the Session ID to determine the session that the client is interested in controlling.

Figure H-2 RTSP SETUP Interaction

In some cases, the client may send multiple RTSP SETUP messages (one for each audio and video track in the title). However, the subsequent RTSP SETUP messages will include the Session ID of the original RTSP session. Thus, MediaBase associates the subsequent RTSP SETUP messages to the original session. MediaBase responds to the subsequent RTSP SETUP messages by allocating the required network interface resources.

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Appendix H: Content Playback Control Flow

RTSP PLAY
Once the session is established, the client sends a RTSP PLAY request to the MediaBase server. MediaBase treats the first play request from the client different from the subsequent play requests. MediaBase responds to the first RTSP PLAY request by allocating the necessary bandwidth from the file system, creating the stream in the delivery service (UDS) and issuing a play request on the stream (see Figure H-3).

Figure H-3 RTSP PLAY Interaction

Subsequent play requests only result in simple stream control messages to UDS. When the client is done with the session, it sends a RTSP TEARDOWN message to MediaBase to tear down the session. In response to the teardown request, Mb_proxy releases all server resources (such as network interface resource, file system bandwidth and streaming resources) that correspond to the session. These resources are now available for subsequent sessions.

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RTSP Debugging
How to debug an RTSP session:
1

In the mb_proxy command line in the /usr/mbase/config/services.properties file, add the following:
-localLog

In the /usr/mbase/config/mb_proxy.config file, set the following:


DEBUG_LEVEL = 5 PRINT_RTSP_MESSAGES = 1

3 4

Restart the mb_proxy using:


/etc/init.d/mediabase restart mb_proxy

Try playouts. The server side RTP messages and logs are in the /usr/mbase/coredir/mb_proxy file.

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Appendix I

Ingest Control Flows

This appendix describes the control flow for ingest using FTP and Mbinst.

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Overview
Figure I-1 shows the MediaBase control flow when content is ingested from an FTP URL.

Figure I-1 Control flow for FTP Ingest

The ingest process starts when the Nodemanager service (the API service in MediaBase) receives a request to ingest content from an FTP URL, for example, when Nodemanager receives a request from Kasenna LivingRoom. Nodemanager forwards the ingest request to the Vts service. As the first step, Vts obtains the size of the file that needs to be ingested from the FTP server. Vts uses the FTP SIZE command for this purpose. The file size is used to determine the amount of space to allocate for the content file and its trick files. If the file size cannot be determined for some reason (for example, the FTP server doesnt support the SIZE command), Vts assumes a maximum size based on the value of the parameter (DEFAULT_FILE_SIZE) configured in the file /usr/mbase/config/ingest.config. Once the file size is determined, Vts creates the asset and its corresponding task in the database. The task is used to track the state of the ingest in a persistent fashion. This allows MediaBase to recover from failures gracefully.
Note: You can use the commands listHandles and listTasks to view the assets and tasks in MediaBase. These commands can be found in the directory /usr/mbase/sbin/apiToolBox on a MediaBase server.

Vts then submits the task to the installation service (Ins_svc). Ins_svc performs the role of an installation scheduler by scheduling all VOD and NDVR ingests and monitoring the ingests until they are completed. Due to the different characteristics of VOD and NDVR ingests, Ins_svc schedules the two ingests differently. For example, a VOD ingest is scheduled on a best-effort basis, whereas NDVR ingests are scheduled on a time basis. Ins_svc provides mechanisms to control the number of VOD ingests that can be active at any given time. By default, Ins_svc limits the number of concurrent VOD ingests 5. This can be modified by passing the appropriate options to Ins_svc. In the event of a failure, Ins_svc will restart the ingest up to five times in an attempt to allow the ingest to complete successfully. Because NDVR ingests are usually time critical, Ins_svc will not restart NDVR ingests.

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Note:

Ins_svc schedules deletions as well. Deletions are handled on a best effort basis similar to VOD ingests. In fact, the number of concurrent ingests is used to limit the number of VOD ingests and deletions that can be active at any given time.

Once Ins_svc receives the FTP ingest request, it forks and executes a command called ftpIngest to download the content and ingest it into MediaBase. The ftpIngest command interacts with the MediaBase storage manager service to allocate space for the new content. Once the space is allocated, ftpIngest downloads the content and invokes the content processor to generate any necessary trick files. The trick file generation process does not start until the content is completely downloaded. For the ingest to complete successfully, both phases of the ingest (for example, FTP download and trick file generation) must complete successfully. Once the ingest completes, the asset is marked as available and is available for play back. Upon successful completion of the ingest, Ins_svc cleans up the task that was created to ingest the asset. Figure I-2 shows the content ingest control flow using the MediaBase command Mbinst. Mbinst provides the ability to ingest content that is already resident on a MediaBase server into MediaBase. Since most deployments use an FTP URL for ingesting content, Mbinst is not used in deployments very often.

Figure I-2 Control flow for MBinst ingest

The control flow for Mbinst ingest is very similar to the control flow for FTP ingest. For example, Mbinst creates the asset and the task and stores them in the database. Mbinst then submits the task to Ins_svc for scheduling. Ins_svc forks and executes the taskrunner command to handle the ingest. Taskrunner interacts with storage manager to allocate the space necessary for storing the content. Once the space is allocated, taskrunner invokes the content processor to generate the necessary trick files. The main differences between the two control flows are Taskrunner assumes the content file to already be available on the MediaBase server whereas ftpIngest assumes that the content file needs to be downloaded from the given FTP URL. ftpIngest downloads the content file to its final location and uses the downloaded file for generating trick files. Mbinst, on the other hand, uses the original file (the staging file) to generate the trick files. The staging file is copied to its final location once the trick files have been generated.

In either ingest scenario, the MediaBase storage manager selects the file system that would store the content. When the MediaBase server has only a single file system, this is a straight-forward decision.

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However, when the server has multiple file systems, then MediaBase considers the free space and the configured bandwidth of a file system before selecting the file system. Figure I-3 describes this algorithm.
Note: Multiple file systems are only supported in MediaBase v8.3.

Figure I-3 Algorithm for file system selection for ingest

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Appendix J

NDVR Recordings

This appendix describes the recording process for Network Digital Video Recorders (NDVR) supported by MediaBase XMP v8.3.

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Overview
This document describes the control flow for a NDVR recording in MediaBase (see Figure J-1). This control flow is similar to the MediaBase ingest control flow. The command mbcapture schedules a recording in the database and notifies Ins_svc about the new recording. A few seconds before the scheduled time (typically 60 seconds before), Ins_svc forks and executes a command called Capture_process to perform the recording. Capture_process creates three distinct threads (reader, writer and content processor threads) that all co-operate to record the asset and to create the necessary trick files. The trick files are generated in real time which allows users to play the asset as it is being recorded. The reader thread is responsible for reading data from the network. The reader thread aggregates the data into buffers and queues the buffers to the writer thread which is responsible for writing the data to disk.

Figure J-1 NDVR Recording in MediaBase

The buffer sizes are chosen in such a way so as to achieve the highest disk write performance. Typically, the buffer size matches the stripe size of the volume that hosts the file system. The content processor is responsible for generating the trick files. The content processor thread reads the data in the main file and generates the necessary trick files in real time. The content processor thread ensures that the data in the different trick files are always consistent. As a result, the content processor thread typically lags the writer thread by a few seconds. When the recording completes, Capture_process cleans up the necessary resources and marks the asset as available. Capture_process interacts with the storage manager to allocate space for the new files and interacts with the connection manager to reserve network interface bandwidth on the source interface for receiving the data. MediaBase schedules a new instance of Capture_process for each NDVR recording.

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Glossary
a
AMS API
Asset Management System A system component that provides functions related to content (asset) management. Application Program Interface A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other control program such as a database management system or communications protocol. Web content in the form of audio, video, or text files. Also known as media or content.

asset

b
B frames BMS
The video stream is created as a constant bitrate comprising the individual frames. Business Management System A system component that provides functions related to the business, such as provisioning and viewer services management.

c
CBR
Constant Bitrate A uniform transmission rate. For example, realtime voice and video traffic requires a CBR. In ATM, CBR guarantees bandwidth for the peak cell rate of the application. A device that takes an incoming video stream, compresses the signal by deleting extraneous or duplicate information, then transmits it. At the receiving end, the codec decompresses the signal and displays it on the monitor or television. Common Objects Request Broker Architecture See assets

codec

CORBA content

d
DBI
Database Interface The interface that stores metadata. These are objects that contain descriptive information about video assets. The DBI also stores objects that are used to manage the components in the distributed MediaBase system and provides the mappings that store these objects in a standard relational database management system.

e
Epoch
Time when interpreted as an absolute time value. Epoch represents the starting point for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) given as the number of seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 on January 1, 1970.

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h
headend hot assets hot objects HTTP play request
Equipment located at sites operated by a cable company, including the hubs. An asset that receives a flurry of requests in a short period of time. See hot assets A play request for an audio or video asset that uses the HTTP protocol.

i
I-frame
The video stream is created as a constant bitrate comprising the individual frames. Intraframes contains the data necessary to describe a particular frame and are found as the beginning structure of a GOP (group of pictures). A basic MPEG stream is created as an I-frame followed by 11 to 14 P-frames before the next I-frame. Installation Service The MediaBase service that manages the installation, modification and deletion of video assets on the server. Transmitting data to a group of selected users at the same time on a TCP/IP network (internal, intranet or Internet). IP multicast saves network bandwidth because files are transmitted as one data stream over the backbone and only split apart to the target stations by a router at the end of the path.

INS IP multicast

l
Layer 4 Switch
A network device that integrates routing and switching and forwards traffic at Layer 2 speed using Layer 4 and Layer 3 information. When packets are inspected at Layer 4, the sockets can be analyzed and decisions can be made based on the type of application being serviced. LAN Emulation The ability to connect ethernet and token ring networks via ATM. LANE makes the process transparent, requiring no modification to ethernet and token ring stations. LANE allows common protocols, such as IP, IPX, and DECnet to ride over an ATM backbone. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol A protocol used to access a X.500 directory listing. LDAP is a sibling protocol to HTTP and FTP and uses the ldap:// prefix in its URL.

LANE

LDAP

m
MBone
Multicast backBONE A group of servers throughout the Internet that support the IP multicast protocol and allow for live audio and video transmission. When it is necessary to leave the Mbone and traverse a part of the Internet that does not support multicast packets, the packets are tunnelled into normal packets. Mbone routers (mrouters) encapsulate the multicast packets into unicast packets and unencapsulate them on the receiving side. See assets Moving Pictures Experts Group An ISO/ITU standard for compressing video. MPEG is a lossy compression method, which means that some of the original image is lost during the compression stage, and cannot be recreated. MPEG-1, which is used in CDs and video CDs, provides a resolution of 352x288 at 30 FPS with 24-bit color and CD-quality sound. MPEG-1 requires 1.5 Mb/s bandwidth. MPEG-2 supports a wide variety of audio/video formats, including legacy TV, HDTV and five channel surround sound. It provides the broadcast-quality image of 720x480 resolution that is used in DVD movies. MPEG-2 requires from 4 to 15 Mb/s bandwidth. (MPEG-1 supports only stereo audio synchronized within the stream.) MPEG-2 separates the audio, allowing for anything from stereo to multiple channel surround sound to be included with the stream. MPEG-2 can deliver content in one of two forms: as a program or transport stream. MPEG-4 deals with audio/video objects (AVOs) that can be manipulated independently, allowing for interaction with the coded data. MPEG-4 supports a wide range of audio and video modes and transmission speeds. It also deals with intellectual property (IP) and protection issues.

media MPEG

MPEG-2

MPEG-4

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Administrators Guide multicast

Glossary
Multicast is a one-to-many transmission similar to broadcasting, except it sends to specific groups. When sending large volumes of data, multicast saves considerable bandwidth, because the bulk of the data is transmitted once from its source through major backbones and is multiplied, or distributed out, at switching points closer to end users.

n
node
A network junction or connection point.

o
OCS
Object Communication Service The MediaBase service that provides a CORBA-based distributed object structure that lets the software modules communicate with each other in a true heterogeneous environment. A distribution mode where the client requests content from a server. After verifying the clients credentials, the server transmits the asset to the client.

On-demand Mode

p
P-Frame
A video stream consists of individual frames. P-frames (predicted frames) are the difference between themselves and a previous I- or P-frame. A basic MPEG stream is thereby created as an I-frame followed by 11 to 14 P-frames before the next I-frame. Permanent Virtual Circuit A point-to-point connection that is established ahead of time.

PVC

q
QoS
Quality of Service An ATM feature that allows voice and video to be transmitted smoothly. The following levels of service are available: Constant Bitrate (CBR) guarantees bandwidth for realtime voice and video. Realtime Variable Bitrate (rt-VBR) supports interactive multimedia that requires minimal delays, and non-realtime variable bitrate (nrt-VBR) is used for bursty transaction traffic. Available Bitrate (ABR) adjusts bandwidth according to congestion levels for LAN traffic. Unspecified Bitrate (UBR) provides a best effort for non-critical data such as file transfers

Quality of Service

See QoS

r
RTP
Realtime Transport Protocol An IP protocol that supports realtime transmission of voice and video. RTP packets ride on top of UDP, the non-reliable counterpart of TCP, and includes timestamping and synchronization information in its header for proper reassembly at the receiving end. Realtime Control Protocol (RTCP) is a companion protocol that is used to maintain QoS. RTP nodes analyzes network conditions and periodically send each other RTCP packets that report on network congestion. RealTime Streaming Protocol A specification for transmitting audio, video and 3-D animation over the Internet. A play request for an audio or video asset that uses the RTSP protocol.

RTSP RTSP play request

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s
Set-top box(STB) SNMP
The hardware component that is located in a customers premises and attached to the cable system. Simple Network Management Protocol A widely used network monitoring and control protocol. Data is passed from SNMP agents, which are hardware and/or software processes reporting activity in each network device (hub, router, bridge, etc.) to the workstation console used to oversee the network. The agents return information contained in a MIB (Management Information Base), which is a data structure that defines what is obtainable from the device and what can be controlled (turned off, on, etc.). Storage Manager The MediaBase service that stores the actual video data (that is, the video and audio content) in the MediaBase filesystem. The Storage Manager determines how many copies of each video are needed, and where they need to be placed, to ensure that a specific number of users can play back the video at the same time. Subscriber Management System A system component that provides functions related to managing information about subscribers (movie viewers). Simple Object Access Protocol Defines a model of using simple request and response messages written in XML as the basic protocol for communication. Audio transmission over a data network. The term implies a one-way transmission to the listener, in which both the client and server cooperate for uninterrupted sound. The client side buffers a few seconds of audio data before it starts sending it to the speakers, which compensates for momentary delays in packet delivery. Video transmission over a data network. It is widely used on the Web to deliver video on demand or a video broadcast at a set time. In streaming video, both the client and server software cooperate for uninterrupted motion. The client side buffers a few seconds of video data before it starts sending it to the screen, which compensates for momentary delays in packet delivery. A division of a network into an interconnected, but independent, segment, or domain, in order to improve performance and security. Switched Virtual Circuit A network connection that is established at the time the transmission is required and disconnected when the session is completed.

SM

SMS SOAP

streaming audio

streaming video

subnet SVC

t
transport stream
Transport streams allow audio and video to run on a separate time bases. This allows better transport over networks that are error prone or prone to transmission noise. Transport streams are limited to packets of 188 bytes in length.

u
UDP
User Datagram Protocol A protocol within the TCP/IP protocol suite that is used in place of TCP when a reliable delivery isnt required. For example, UDP is used for realtime audio and video traffic where lost packets are simply ignored, because there is no time to retransmit. If UDP is used and a reliable delivery is required, packet sequence checking and error notification must be written into the applications. Universal Delivery Service The MediaBase delivery pump that is responsible for streaming media. UDS is designed to be a universal service that is capable of working with a variety of media formats and deliver both on-disk and live content via unicasts, and multicasts. To transmit a message to one receiver, typically from a server to a workstation. In unicast, even though multiple users might request the same data from the same server at the same time, duplicate data streams are transmitted, one to each user.

UDS

unicast

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Glossary

w
WCM
Multicast Manager The MediaBase service that controls the scheduling and multicasting of videos and live-feed sessions. This is called the showtimed service. Multicast videos (also called directed broadcast videos) are sent only to users who request them. Web Services Description Language An XML vocabulary that describes network services in terms of methods, arguments, return values, underlying protocol, data encoding schemes etc.

WSDL

x
XMP Delivery Services
The MediaBase service that sends videos to users who click on links to MediaBase assets from Web pages. Some videos have special requirements because they must be played back either at a constant bitrate or at a variable bitrate. The service is the Universal Delivery Service (UDS). The appropriate delivery service for a selected video is based on the format of the video content. eXtended Meta Language Allows the creation of platform-independent data.

XML

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348

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Index

Numbers
100-BaseT Interface, 54

A
aaaaService, 65 Abort Change Tasks, 62 Showing, 174 abortMulticast, 213 abortPlayout, 213 abortRecording, 213 abortTask, 214 abortTransfer, 214 accessfile, 114, 115 Access Issues, 114 addAsset, 214 addAssetGroup, 216 Add Assets, 153 addClip, 216 addEncoder, 216 Adding Programs, 136 addSequence, 217 Add Showing, 171, 172, 181 ag_create Utility, 164, 165 ag_delete Utility, 167 Apache Web Server Starting, 46 Asset, 167 assetGroup, 223, 245 assetGroupName, 216, 219, 225, 233 Asset Groups ag_create Utility, 164, 165 ag_delete Utility, 167 Configure with Commands, 164 Asset Installations and Deletions, 86 assetName, 215 Asset Popularity, 67 Assets
MB-ADMIN-83-A

Abort Task, 62 Capturing, 251 Change Task, 62 Clips, 40 Deleting On-demand, 116 Deleting on Remote System, 116 Deleting on Schedule, 116 Handling With Nearline Storage Devices, 41 List of Installed, 168 Playing, 257 assets add simple, 160 delete simple, 160 simple, 160 Available Bandwidth, 235 Available Storage Defined, 234

B
Backing-store Devices, 41 bitrate set for encoding, 146 Building Queries, 194, 197, 201 Bundled Database Starting, 46

C
Cache Asset Group Displaying Parameters, 167 Setting Parameters, 167 Calendar of Showings, 255 Capture Immediate, 251 Sessions, Understanding, 251 Capture Sessions Tasks, 188 Troubleshooting, 286 capture sessions beginning, 141 capture streams in progress, 141
349

Index

Administrators Guide

encoder setup, 141 ending, 142, 147 managing through GUI, 145 managing with Video Capture tool, 139 monitoring, 144 reserve resources, 143 starting, 141 stopping, 142, 147 terminate, 147 time synchronization, 280 timing, 142 understanding, 140 Capturing Assets, 251 capVideoName, 64 CBR, 75 CD Jukeboxes, 41 CGI, 36 Change Tasks Abort, 62 Failure, 62 Resume, 62 change tasks delete, 62 Change Task Tool, 60 Changing Programs, 137 Scheduled Transfer Jobs, 111 checkVersionCompatibility, 218 cla_instdel.log, 82 cla_operstats.log, 82 cla_playout.log, 82 cla_resutil.log, 82 cla_transfer.log, 82 Class storage, 234 Client and PC Player, 259 Calendar of Showings, 255 Capability-based Streaming, 259 Customize, 259 Hardware Capability, 259 Software Capability, 259 clientAddress, 213 clientPort, 213 Clip Asset Creating with GUI, 99 Described, 40 Clips, 41 Creating, 216 Cluster Enabling Service, 75 Cluster Enabling Service core files, 90
350

clusterService, 66 Cluster Video Transfer Service, 75 clusterVideoTransferService, 66 Command-Line Utilities, 207 Command-line Utilities ag_create, 164, 165 ag_delete, 167 Asset Groups, 164 mbmonitor, 189 showing_abort, 174 showing_add, 171, 172, 181 showing_delete, 173 validateAsset, 169 Commands Content Distribution (VCD), 194, 201 Configuration Files List of, 115 ConfigurationService, 66 Configuring QuickTime 6.0 for MediaBase Assets, 263 Servers, 251 Content Administration, 47 ContentComponentService, 66 Content Component Services core files, 90 Content Distribution (VCD) Commands, 194, 201 conventions, 37 core files directory, 90 CPU Usage Trigger, 231, 249 cpuUtilization, 67 Customize Client, 259 PC Client, 259

D
Database Starting, 46, 193 database interface, defined, 343 DBI, 343 Delete Asset Group, 167 Showing, 173 delete change task, 62 deleteAsset, 218 deleteAssetGroup, 219 deleteAssetInServer, 219 deleteAssetsInAssetGroup, 219
MB-ADMIN-83-A

Administrators Guide

Index

deleteEncoder, 220 deleteMulticast, 220 deleteTask, 221 Deleting, 222 Programs, 138 Scheduled Transfer Jobs, 112 Deleting Assets on Remote System, 116 Scheduling, 116 Deleting Assets Immediately, 116 Deleting Schedules, 199 Derivative Assets, 99 Description about asset group, 234 about disk name, 234 about system, 234 destServer, 250 directed broadcast videos, 347 Disabling Scheduled Transfer Jobs, 112 Disk Space Free, 234 Displaying MediaBase Version, 229 Network Interface Information, 229 Number of CPUs, 229 OS Version, 229 Program List, 138 Server Configuration, 251 Total Memory, 229 Total Swap Space, 229 /docs directory, 36

endofOffset, 216 End of Stream, 296 endTime, 245 entering time, 150 Error Logs, 115 Error Messages, 114 /etc/accessfile, 114 ethX.info, 56 ethX.streams, 56 event log backing up, 80 MediaBase, 78 Export on Demand, 106

F
fast-forward, 290 fast-forward/rewind streams, 295 files core, 90 findAssets, 223 findMulticasts, 223 findRecordings, 224 folderName, 223, 233 Folders Adding to MediaBase, 101 format set audio for encoding, 146 set video for encoding, 146 Free Storage, 234 Free Storage Space, 234 FTP Daemon, 113 FTP Issues, 113

E
Encoder Generic Models, 287 Information for Specific Encoders, 287 Troubleshooting, 286, 287 encoder modify parameter, 146 parameter settings, 146 selecting for video capture session, 145 set bitrate, 146 set format, 146 encoderName, 217, 241, 245 Encoding Video Formats, 41 encoding sessions, 139 encodingType, 223
MB-ADMIN-83-A

G
General Network Problems, 284 Generic Encoder, 287 getAssetGroup, 224 getAssetLocations, 225 getAssetProperties, 225 getChannel, 225 getClusterMode, 226 getDefaultSortPolicy, 226 getEncoder, 226 getEncoderModel, 227 getMulticast, 227
351

Index

Administrators Guide

getNetworkInterfaces, 228 getNetworkInterfaceStatus, 227 getOperationStatus, 228 getProgram, 228 getRecording, 228 getServerConfig, 229 getStreamCount, 230 getTaskInfo, 230 getTriggerLevels, 230 Group, 167

isacs-statistics.log, 82 isass-exceptions.log, 82 isass.log, 82 isass-statistics.log, 82 ISO/IEC 13818-1 2000, 292

J
Java Requirements, 207 Jukebox Transfer Service, 73 jukeBoxTransferService, 65 Jukebox Transfer Service core files, 90

H
Help, 208 hosts, 115 Hot Object Hits, 248 Hot Objects Period Defined, 248 HPN Interfaces Monitoring, 56 HTML, 36 hyperlink, 120 HTML tags, 119 hyperlinks, 120 personal sequences, 123

L
launch video, 119 listAssetGroups, 232 listAssets, 232 listAssetsInAssetGroup, 232 listAssetsInFolder, 233 listAssetsInServer, 233 listChannels, 234 listDiskStatus, 234 listEncoderModels, 235 listEncoders, 235 listInterfaceStatus, 235 listMulticasts, 236 listPlayouts, 236 listPlayoutsByAsset, 236 listRecordings, 238 listServers, 207, 238 listServersToPlayAsset, 239 listServicesStatuslistTasks, 239 listStorages, 239 listSummaryCacheInfo, 240 listTasks, 240 listTransfers, 240 listTransfersInServer, 240 Live-feed Sessions, 251 live-feed sessions managing, 139 Load Update Frequency Defined, 247 Local Log Daemon, 75 localLogDaemon, 65 log MediaBase, 78
MB-ADMIN-83-A

I
Immediate Capture, 251 Importing Assets, 108 Import Job Scheduling, 109 Import on Demand, 108 inetd.conf, 115 INS, defined, 344 Installation Service, 75 installationService, 65 Interactive Services Architecture, 90 Interface Defined, 235 interfaceName, 227 Interfaces 100-BaseT, 54 IP Address, 235 IP Multicast Routing Daemon, 76, 284 ipMulticastRoutingDaemon, 65 ISA, 90 isacs-exeptions.log, 82 isacs.log, 82
352

Administrators Guide

Index

log4cpp, 82 Logging, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88 Log Parameters, Changing, 83 Logs Asset Installations and Deletions, 86 Operations Statistics, 88 Playout Operations, 83 Resource Utilization, 87 Transfer Operations, 85 Viewing, 82 Loopback Interface, 54 lsAssets Command, 168

M
Managed Bitrate Described, 235 Man Pages, 114 processJob, 114 scheduleAdd, 114 scheduleDelete, 114 scheduleModify, 114 scheduleMonitor, 114 scheduleQuery, 114 transferjobAdd, 114 maxDiskSpace, 216 maxSimultaneousPlays, 216 maxStartTime, 224 mb_proxy, 74 mbaselog.local, 115 mbAssetDeletes, 66 mbAssetInserts, 66 mbAssetName, 67 mbAssetNotCached, 66 mbAssetNotInCluster, 67 mbcapture Utility, 183 mbDiskStatAvailable, 67 mbDiskStatClass, 67 mbDiskStatDescription, 67 mbDiskStatFree, 67 mbDiskStatPart, 67 mbDiskStatReserved, 67 mbDiskStatUsed, 67 mbErrorTrap, 68 mbFalseHits, 66 mbFirstTry, 66 mbinst, 153 mbinst command, 153
MB-ADMIN-83-A

mbmonitor Utility, 189 mbNumAssetsForwarded, 67 MBone Guide, 135 MBone Session Directory Service, 74 mboneSessionDirectoryService, 65 MBone Session Directory Service core files, 90 mbOutOfClusterResources, 66 mbRegTrapAgents, 68 mbResourceUnavailable, 66 mbSecondTry, 66 mbSMNoSpaceTrap, 68 mbThreeOrMore, 66 mbTrapDesc, 68 mbUnRegTrapAgents, 68 mbWarnTrap, 68 MDC, 250 MDC_NO_AUX, 250 MDC_NO_AUXO, 250 MDCO, 250 MDM, 250 MDO, 250 MediaBase core files, 90 Monitoring Services, 73 Service and Content Administration Website, 47 Starting, 48 Starting from the Command Line, 49, 50, 51 Troubleshooting Tool, 279 User Website, 254 video URL, 120 MediaBase, Starting and Stopping, 48 MediaBase event log backing up, 80 MediaBase Monitoring Tool, 53 MediaBase Network Interfaces Monitoring, 54 mediabaseProxyServer, 65 MediaBase Proxy Service, 74 MediaBase Proxy Service core files, 90 MediaBase Version Displaying, 229 memoryutilization, 67 Messages Error, 114 Military Time, 118 military time, 150 minEndTime, 224 minStartTime, 224 mm/dd Time Format, 118
353

Index

Administrators Guide

mm/dd time format, 150 mm/dd/yy Time Format, 118 mm/dd/yy time format, 150 modify capture, 62 modifyEncoder, 241 Modifying Scheduled Transfer Jobs, 111 Modifying Schedules, 196 Monitoring HPN Interfaces, 56 Network Interfaces, 54 monitoring event log, 78 swap activity, 60 Monitoring and Configuration Services core files, 90 Monitoring Schedules, 198 Monitor Playouts, 189 MPEG-1, 40, 162 Encoding Format, 41 MPEG-1 Audio, 214 MPEG1-Audio, 40, 96 MPEG-2, 40, 92, 162, 214 stream, 292 MPEG-2., 41 MPEG-2 Transport, 96 MPEG-4, 40, 41, 92, 96, 214 MSDS, 74 Multicast, 130 multicastDaemon, 66 multicastName, 213, 220, 227, 244 Multicast Showings, 130 Aborting with showing_abort Utility, 174 Calendar, 255 Modifying with GUI, 131 Modifying With the GUI, 131 Multicast, 130 Obtaining Information About Through the GUI, 131 Obtaining Information About With the GUI, 131 Playing, 257 Search Schedule, 257 Unicast, 130 Multicast Showings Guide, 135 multicastVideoName, 65

Displaying, 229 Network Interfaces Monitor, 54 Network Routing Daemon, 284 Network Usage Trigger, 231, 239, 249 newAssetName, 242, 243 NodeAgent, 75 node agents, 90 Node Counters, 66 NodeManagerService, 66 Node Manager Service core files, 90 Normal Play Time, 292 NPT descriptor, 292 null packets, 292, 296 Number of CPUs Displaying, 229 numPlay, 245

O
Object Identifier, 63 OCS, defined, 345 ODL Database Server, 76 OID, 63 On-demand Delete, 116 On-demand, Export, 106 On-demand, Transfer Out, 106 On-demand Import, 108 On-demand Transfer in, 108 Operational Statistics, 88 operationId, 228 OS Version Displaying, 229

P
Partition type (part), 234 passwd, 115 Password Changing, 52 MediaBase, 52 Password Problems, 114 PAT packets, 292 PC Client Customize, 259 Personal Sequences
MB-ADMIN-83-A

N
Name Service, 75 Nearline Storage Devices, Asset Handling, 41 Network Interface
354

Administrators Guide

Index

validating, 169 personal sequences hyperlink, 123 URL generation, 123 Play and Positioning mode, 290 Playing Sssets With QuickTime 6.0, 263 Playing a Video, 257 playLogTime, 65 Play Only mode, 290 Playout Operations, 83 playout positioning, 290 PMT, 292 PMT packets, 292, 297 prerequisites, 36 processSchedule, 114 /proc/net/nicinfo/ethX.info, 56 /proc/net/nicinfo/ethX.streams, 56 Program Association Table, 292 Program List Displaying, 138 Program Map Table, 292 Programs Adding, 136 Changing, 137 Configuring, 136 Deleting, 138

Resume Change Tasks, 62 resumeTask, 243 rewind, 290 RTSP session debugging, 336

S
SAD, 74 Schedule Change, 196 scheduleAdd, 194 scheduleDelete, 199 Scheduled Transfer Jobs Changing, 111 Deleting, 112 Disabling, 112 Viewing, 110 scheduleModify, 196 scheduleMonitor, 198 scheduleMulticast, 243 scheduleProgram, 244 scheduleQuery, 194, 197, 201 Schedules Deleting, 199 Schedules Monitoring, 198 scheduleTransferAsset, 245 Scheduling an Import Job, 109 Scheduling Assets for Deletion, 116 Scheduling a Transfer Job, 109 SDP, 74 security, 271 Selecting Components to Transfer, 108, 109, 112 Sequence Asset Creating with GUI, 100 Described, 40 sequenceName, 218 Server Starting and Stopping, 46 Server Configuration Changing, 251 Displaying, 251 serverConnectionManagerService, 66 Server Storage Manager core files, 90 serverStorageManagerService, 66 Service Administration Page, Accessing, 47 Service Administration Tool, 42 Services, 115 Services, Starting and Stopping, 46, 49
355

Q
Queries Building Asset Lists, 194, 197, 201 QuickTime 6.0 Configuring for MediaBase, 263

R
RAM, 229 RAW format, 290 recordingName, 213, 245, 250 related documents, 36 Remote System Deleting Assets, 116 Remove Showing, 173 renameAsset, 242 renameAssetInCluster, 242 Reserved Storage, 234 Resource Audit Service, 75 Resource Utilization, 87
MB-ADMIN-83-A

Index

Administrators Guide

Session Description Protocol, 74 setClusterMode, 247 setServerConfig, 247 Shell Mode, 208 showing_abort Utility, 174 Showings Guide, 135 Simple Assets, 40, 41, 214 simple assets, 160 SNMP, 62, 63 SNMP SET Messages, 68 snoop and announce Daemon, 74 sourceFile, 216 startdb, 193 Starting Bundled Database, 46, 193 MediaBase, 48 MediaBase, Problems, 281 MediaBase from the Command Line, 49, 50, 51 Server, 46 Services, 46, 49 startofOffset, 216 startTime, 244, 245 Stop Playouts, 189 Showing, 174 Stopping MediaBase, 48 Server, 46 Services, 46, 49 stopRecording, 249 Storage Used, 234 Storage Bandwidth Usage Trigger, 231, 239, 249 Storage Space Usage Trigger, 231, 249 StreamEnd descriptor, 296 Streamer Proxy Service core files, 90 StreamService, 66 Support Files for Assets, 93 swap activity monitoring, 60 sync|async, 215 sync mark buffer, 291 inserting buffer, 291 SYSLOG, 115 System Asset Group, 42, 57, 215, 219

Playout, 189 Threshold Limit, 248 Time Format, 208 time formats defined, 150 Time Warner Cables ISA, 90 Total Bandwidth, 235 Total Memory Displaying, 229 Total Swap Space Displaying, 229 Transfer, 222 transferAsset, 250 Transfer Assets in On-demand, 108 transferId, 214, 222, 230 Transfer Job Scheduling, 109 transferjobAdd Adding Transfer Jobs, 199 Transfer Jobs Adding, 199 Managing, 110 Transfer Operations, 85 Transfer Out on Demand, 106 Transferring Assets in, 108 Transfers Deleting, 222 transition points, 294 Trap Trigger Interval, 249 Troubleshooting Capture Sessions, 286 Client Accessibility, 282 Encoder, 286, 287 Network Problems, 284, 285 Starting MediaBase, 281 Troubleshooting Resources, 114 Troubleshooting Tools, 282 typicalBitRate, 216

U
UDS, 75, 347 Unicast, 130 Universal Delivery Service, 75, 347 universalDeliveryService, 66 Universal Delivery Service core files, 90 URL personal sequence, 123 Used Bandwidth, 235 User Name Problems, 114
MB-ADMIN-83-A

T
Terminate Change Tasks, 62
356

Administrators Guide

Index

V
validateAsset Command, 169 Validating Personal Sequences, 169 VBR, 75 ver packets, 296 Version Mismatch, 207 video capture managing through GUI, 145 Video Management Tools, 97 video packets, 293, 296 Videos Change Tasks, 62 Compression Techniques, 41 Displaying Information About, 105 Encoding Formats, 41 Guaranteed Playouts, 96 List of, 255 Metadata, 95 Playing, 257 Support Files, 93 videos launch in Web page, 119 using in Web documents, 119 Videos, Managing, 91 Viewing, Logs, 82 vScript Command, 207 vScript Commands alphabetical list vScript Commands, 213 vScript help, 208 vScript.sh, 207, 208, 231

W
web authoring, 119 Website Client, 254 User Pages, 254 what you should know, 36 Windows Player Configuration, 259

X
XMP Delivery Services, defined, 347

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Index

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358

MB-ADMIN-83-A

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