VBrick Systems ETV User Manual

VBrick EtherneTV Portal Server

ETV v4.2 Portal Server Admin Guide

December 14, 2007

4410-0118-0007

This publication contains confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information. No part of this document may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable or electronic format without prior written permission from VBrick. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and VBrick Systems assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies. VBrick, VBrick Systems, the VBrick logo, StreamPlayer, and StreamPlayer Plus are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries. Windows Media is a trademarked name of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other products or services mentioned in this document are identified by the trademarks, service marks, or product names as designated by the companies who market those products. Inquiries should be made directly to those companies. This document may also have links to third-party web pages that are beyond the control of VBrick. The presence of such links does not imply that VBrick endorses or recommends the content of any third-party web pages. VBrick acknowledges the use of third-party open source software and licenses VBrick products. This freely available source code is posted at http://www.vbrick.com/opensource.

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About VBrick Systems

Founded in 1997, VBrick Systems, an ISO 9001 certified vendor, is a privately held company that has enjoyed rapid growth by helping our customers successfully introduce mission critical video applications across their enterprise networks. Since our founding, VBrick has been setting the standard for quality, performance and innovation in the delivery of live and stored video over IP networks—LANs, WANs and the Internet. With thousands of video appliances installed world-wide, VBrick is the recognized leader in reliable, high-performance, easy-to-use networked video solutions.

VBrick is an active participant in the development of industry standards and continues to play an influential role in the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA), the MPEG Industry Forum, and Internet2. In 1998 VBrick invented and shipped the world's first MPEG Video Network Appliance designed to provide affordable DVDquality video across the network. Since then, VBrick's video solutions have grown to include Video on Demand, Management, Security and Access Control, Scheduling, and Rich Media Integration. VBrick solutions are successfully supporting a broad variety of applications including distance learning and training, conferencing and remote office communications, security, process monitoring, traffic monitoring, business and news feeds to the desktop, webcasting, corporate communications, collaboration, command and control, and telemedicine. VBrick serves customers in education, government, healthcare, and financial services markets among others.

Portal Server v4.2 Admin Guide

Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Font Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Printer-Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

1. Introduction

Portal Server Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Server Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Desktop Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Copyright Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MySQL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Portal Server Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

End User Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Administrative Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Portal Server Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

VBrick Encoders/Decoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ETV Video-on-Demand Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ETV Set Top Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ETV Network Video Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VB-PC Remote Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Amino Set Top Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

WM IP Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Portal Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Download Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Port Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Portal Server License Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Admin Console Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Admin Console Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Internet Explorer 7.0 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Contents

2. Global Settings

Global Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Custom Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Stream Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Using Secure FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Add/Modify VOD/FTP Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Add/Modify Video On Demand Content Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

VBricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide iii

Control Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Adding Control Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Adding User-Defined VBIRs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Connecting Control Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Configuring Control Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Control Device VBIRs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Set Top Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Synchronizing the Portal Server and the NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Script Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Creating a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Finding VBrick Parameters and Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Add/Modify a URL for a Live Video Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Add VOD Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Add Non-VOD Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Emergency Broadcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Program Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Manage Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Access Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Extended Logging Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Viewing the Access Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3. Server Administration

Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Channel Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Custom Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Modify VOD Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Expired Content Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Access Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Using LDAP Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Using Single Sign-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Using LDAP Servers with SSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Live Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

User Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Resource Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Logout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

4. Users and User Groups

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

iv Contents

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Configuring Users and User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

1. Setup and Configure ETV Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

2. Choose an Authentication Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

3. Create User Groups on the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

4. Create Resource Groups on the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

5. Create Users on the ETV Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

6. Assign Resources to Users or User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Configuring Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Add/Modify User Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Add/Modify User's Group Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Add/Modify User's Resource Group Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Add/Modify Live Channel Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Allow Access to Specific FTP Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Allow Access to Specific Recorder Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Allow Access to Specific VOD Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Allow Access to Specific VOD Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Allow Viewing by Content Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Allow Content Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Allow Content Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Default Content Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Allow VBrick Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

STB Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Schedule Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Emergency Broadcast Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Configuring User Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Add/Modify Group Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Add/Modify Group's User Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Add/Modify Group's Resource Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Resource Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Add/Modify Resource Group Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Add/Modify User's Resource Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Add/Modify Group's Resource Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

STB Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Authentication by PIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Authentication by Host Name or IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

5. Configuring for SSL

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

1. Generate a Certificate Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

2. Submit a Certificate Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

3. Install the Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

4. Configure ETV Resources for SSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide v

6. Network Video Recording

NVR Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

NVR Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

NVR Performance Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

NVR Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Standard NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Standalone NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

NVR Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Synchronizing the Portal Server and the NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

NVR Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Configuring a Standard NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Configuring a Standalone NVR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Using an NVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

7. VBPresenter

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Working with Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Configuring MCS for VBPresenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Configuring an FTP User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Configuring a Presentation User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Configuring for Live Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Configuring for Stored Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

8. Auto Content Ingestion

AutoIngest Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

AutoIngest Content via XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

AutoIngestXML Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Using the XML Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Removing MPEG-4 Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

9. Database Backup

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Database Backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Database Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

10. Amino Set Top Box

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Connecting the Amino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Configuring the Amino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Changing the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Configuring a Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Configuring the Remote Control for a TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Configuring the Amino for a Widescreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Setting the TV Display Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

vi Contents

11. ACNS Configuration

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

ACNS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

VOD-W Server Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Portal Server Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

ACNS Server Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Verify Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

12. Rebranding the User Interface

Customizing the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Changing the Title and Header Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Rebranding the Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Rebranding Other ETV Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

VBrick Set Top Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Amino Set Top Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

VBrick IP Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

13. NXG-to-VOD-W Content Migration

Creating an Asset List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Sample Asset List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Using the Migration Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Increasing the Ingestion Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Running the Migration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Recovering from Migration Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Verifying the Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Index

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide vii

viii Contents

Portal Server v4.2 Admin Guide

This Portal Server Admin Guide is written for anyone who will be using or evaluating the VBrick EtherneTV Portal Server. This includes system administrators, software developers, network technicians, and others. The ETV Portal Server is a web-based portal for accessing and managing video assets including both live or stored audio and video files. The ETV Portal Server is a key component in VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System. The ETV Portal Server provides a simple, intuitive interface that auto-discovers available media assets in your network. Key components in VBrick's EtherneTV solution include:

• EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand Server – Provides all standard Video-on-Demand

(VOD) features including support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and Windows

Media for maximum flexibility.

• EtherneTV Digital IP Receivers – Leading edge digital set top boxes that provide a low-

cost standalone decoder for DVD-quality MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and Windows

Media video assets.

• VBrick Hardware Encoders/Decoders – Rugged, reliable video appliances that can

reside anywhere on your network to provide either distributed or high-density centralized

encoding/decoding of MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and WM (Windows Media) video.

Note The Amino STB is a compact set top box that plays MPEG-2 streams only. It is fully

integrated with the Portal Server and provides access to most Portal Server viewer functionality. It does not, however, support Access Logging, Scheduling, Device Control, Emergency Broadcast, or Copyright Restrictions.

Organization

Introduction

Global Settings

Server Administration

Users and User Groups

Configuring for SSL explains how to securely configure the system using the Secure

Network Video Recording

provides an overview of the application including server and desktop requirements and an overview of features and functionality.

explains high-level configuration settings and parameters that apply to the entire system.

provides detailed explanations of all ETV Portal Server global settings and configuration options, as well as diagnostics and status windows.

explains how to configure the system for access control. It explains how to create users and groups with specific permissions and access to resources.

Sockets Layer.

explains how to configure and use an NVR to offload recording tasks from the Portal Server to a separate "recorder server" machine.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide ix

VBPresenter explains how to configure and launch rich media presentation from

the Portal Server including those created with VBPresenter.

Auto Content Ingestion

Database Backup

explains auto content ingestion. This is the process whereby video content is automatically populated on the portal server.

explains how to backup the MySQL database when you transfer or remove VOD servers. Note that procedure backs up the database—not video content.

Amino Set Top Box explains how to connect and use the Amino set top box to view

MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams.

ACNS Configuration

explains how to configure the Portal Server and Cisco's Application and Content Networking System (ACNS) to work together.

Rebranding the User Interface

explains how to modify the Portal Server "user" interface. You can simply replace images or you can

modify the .css stylesheets and

thoroughly rebrand the look-and-feel of the application.

NXG-to-VODWContentMigration

explains how to migrate MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video files from a VBrick NXG (Linux) VOD server to a VBrick VOD-W (Windows) VOD server.

Getting Help

If you need help, or more information about any topic, use the online help system. The

online help is cross-referenced and searchable and can usually find the information in a few seconds. Use the tree controls in the left pane to open documents and the up and down arrows to page through them. Use the one or more words in the box and press Enter. The search results will return pages that have all of the words you entered—highlighted in yellow (Internet Explorer only). The is not case-sensitive and does not recognize articles (a, an, the), operators (+ and – ), or quotation marks. You can narrow the search by adding words.

Search box to find specific information. Simply enter

Search box

If you can't find the information you need from the online help, or from your certified VBrick reseller, you can contact VBrick Support Services

on the web. Support Services can usually answer your technical questions in 24 business hours or less. Also note that our publications team is committed to accurate and reliable documentation and we appreciate your feedback. If you find errors or omissions in any of our documents, please send e-mail to documentation@vbrick.com

and let us know. For more information about any VBrick products, all of our product documentation is available on the web. Go to www.vbrick.com/ documentation to search or download VBrick product documentation.

Font Conventions

Arial bold is used to describe dialog boxes and menu choices, for example: Start > All Programs > VBrick

Courier fixed-width font is used for code elements (C++, HTML) as well as filenames, directories, etc.

Black Courier fixed-width font is used to indicate user input in keyboard commands, scripts, etc.

Folder names and user examples are displayed in this sans serif font.

Folder names and user input are displayed in this bold sans serif font.

x Preface

Italics are used to emphasize specific words or phrases.

Related Documents

ETV Portal Server User Guide

ETV IPR Receiver Admin Guide

ETV STB Admin Guide

ETV STB Quick Start Guide

ETV NXG Server Quick Start Guide

ETV VOD W Server Quick Start Guide

ETV VOD WM Server Admin Guide

VBPresenter User Guide

Printer-Friendly

Click on the following link to print a hard copy of the document.

ETV Portal Server User Guide

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide

ETV Portal Server Release Notes

T To save or print a PDF document:

1. Click once to open the PDF document in Acrobat Reader.

2. To save or print a PDF document, right-click and select

Save Target As or Print Target.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide xi

xii Preface

Introduction

Topics in this chapter

Portal Server Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Portal Server Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Portal Server Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Portal Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Admin Console Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Portal Server Overview

VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System consists of a group of products that includes the EtherneTV Portal (ETV Portal Server), EtherneTV Encoders, the EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand Server, EtherneTV Set-Top Boxes and StreamPlayer software. This integrated system delivers both live and on-demand audio and video over an IP-based infrastructure. The ETV Portal Server functions as a video portal, permitting end users to view live and on-demand MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and WM (Windows Media) streams on a Window PC, a Macintosh, a Linux PC (or a set top box). The ETV Portal Server comes as software-only solution that can be installed on a Windows Server or as a pre-configured hardware/software combination.

Chapter 1F

Figure 1. EtherneTV Media Control Server Suite

The VBrick EtherneTV (ETV) Portal Server is a web-based portal for accessing Live and On-Demand audio and video files. A key component of VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System, the ETV Portal Server provides a simple interface to easily locate

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 1

available media assets on your network. Upon accessing the main portal page, users can navigate or search for specific videos, select the video, and immediately begin viewing DVD quality video. For on-demand videos, users can Fast Forward/Rewind and Seek to specific points in the video. Standard access control functionality provides restriction of certain content to particular users, user groups, or set top boxes. An optional scheduling module allows users to schedule devices to send video, receive video, record video, or to initiate a two-way conference.

Server Requirements

The minimum server requirements include:

• Windows Server 2003 (Web Edition or Standard Edition with Service Pack 2).

• Pentium IV or Xeon Processor 1.26 GHz Minimum (2 GHz or higher recommended).

• RAM 512 MB Minimum (1 GB or more recommended).

• Hard Drive 36 GB Minimum (larger for frequent recording).

Note VBrick has tested the ETV Portal Server on Windows 2000 Web Server and on

Windows 2003 Server Web Edition and Standard Edition. Note also that ETV Portal Server also will not operate correctly on a server that is configured as a primary domain controller or with other network-related services and software.

Desktop Requirements

Windows-based PC and Macintosh users access the ETV Portal Server through a web browser. For Windows-based PCs, on the first access to the server, VBrick StreamPlayer software is automatically downloaded to the PC. StreamPlayer software lets end users select a stream and view TV-quality video directly on a PC. Macintosh users view MPEG-4 video through the QuickTime player.

Tab le 1 . Desktop Requirements

PC Type Requirements

Windows PCs • Windows 2000, XP (Service Pack 2), or Vista.

• 300 MHz Pentium II processor for MPEG-1 streams.

• 500 MHz Pentium III processor for MPEG-2 streams.

• 500 MHz (minimum), 750 MHz Pentium III processor (recommended) for MPEG-4 streams.

• 128 MB RAM.

• SVGA video card 640x480, 256 colors, video card acceleration recommended.

• Minimum 10 MB hard disk space for installation.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.

• Microsoft Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher.

•Firefox 1.0 or higher.

• DirectX Media Version 8.1 and higher.

Introduction

PC Type Requirements

Macintosh PCs • Mac OS X with Safari 1.0 or higher.

• Firefox for Macintosh 1.0.4 or higher.

• QuickTime Player 6.0 or higher.

• Internet Explorer on a Macintosh is not supported.

Linux PCs • Red Hat Fedora Core 3.

•FireFox 1.0.

• 512 MB RAM.

The Portal Server uses copyright restrictions and content expiration to protect the rights of content owners and to enforce rules against unauthorized usage or distribution. Copyright restrictions are specifically used to enforce license requirements. Content is often restricted to a limited number of viewers and you may need a license, for example, to view MPEG-2 content. In the Portal Server, restrictions for any live, stored, or recorded video. If the number of concurrent viewers exceeds the configured value, the content will not play. (The restriction does not apply to viewers who tune in to a scheduled broadcast.)

Max. Concurrent Viewers is used to enforce copyright

Max. Concurrent Users

Content expiration controls the length of time that specific content can be viewed. Content expiration is used for time-sensitive, copyrighted, or otherwise protected content that cannot be legally displayed after a specified date or a period of time. Users with appropriate permissions (see Copyright Restrictions & Expiration Privileges expiration dates or a viewing period when they use the

Add Video feature. The viewing period

on page 97) can assign

starts at the time the content is added to the server. If desired, administrators can restrict expiration privileges to particular users or groups in which case only those specified users or groups (and administrators) can set content to expire.

Administrators can also assign an

Expiration Date or Viewing Period for any stored video

using the Modify VOD Content page. By default, recordings from live streams have no expiration date. However administrators can set default viewing periods for content recorded from specific live streams (see "Viewing Periods" in Stream Restrictions

on page 26).

The ETV Portal Server enforces content expiration by preventing the streaming or scheduling of content that is expired or will expire before the scheduled event. Once content has expired, administrators can set a new expiration date or viewing period. By default, expired content will remain in storage indefinitely unless you choose to delete it automatically using the

Set Expired VOD Content Treatment option in Global Assignments.

The Portal Server writes to a log that tracks content expirations; administrators can view or purge this log as necessary (see Expired Content Log

on page 76). In many installation an administrator is assigned to monitor and/or renew content that is about to expire. To facilitate this process, the Portal Server can be configured to automatically generate e-mail that notifies the designated administrator when content is about to expire by using the option in Global Assignments

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 3

MySQL

EtherneTV Portal Server is shipped with MySQL as the database. The MySQL database is installed as part of the Portal Server installation package. If the hardware/software combination was purchased from VBrick, MySQL will already be installed on your machine; the default user name is

root. To protect the integrity of the database, you should change the

default password (vbrick_18) after initial installation and periodically thereafter as explained below. To backup the MySQL database, see Database Backup on page 125.

Note MySQL Query Browser is an Open Source front-end that provides a graphical

interface to the MySQL database. MySQL Query Browser is available with the free software/open source GNU General Public License at to

T To change the MySQL password:

1. Open a Command Prompt window.

2. At the C: prompt type

3. Type

4. Type

5. Type

mysql -uroot -pvbrick_18 and press Enter. set password for 'root'@'localhost'=password ('new_password'); (where

'new_password' in single quotes is the new password) and press Enter.

exit.

cd program files\mysql\mysql server 4.1\bin and press Enter.

Portal Server Features

http://www.mysql.com.

End User Features

• Windows-based PCs, Macintoshes, or STBs (connected to televisions or display

monitors) can all access the Portal Server.

• Users can view video at

• Users can view Video-On-Demand assets with full VCR/DVD control, including

Pause, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Seek.

• Video can be viewed in a preview window or launched in multiple external, re-sizeable

player windows (PC and Macintosh).

Full Screen for a television-like user experience.

Play,

Introduction

• Set Top Box users can use familiar Channel Up/Down keys and other hot keys on the IR

remote control to navigate through video listings.

• Users can search through the list of Live or On-Demand videos by

Description, or other custom fields defined by an ETV Portal Server administrator.

Title, Keyword,

• Users can record and store videos on the EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand server via

ETV Portal Server.

• Users can publish pre-recorded content and thumbnails directly to the VOD server.

• Users can view closed caption text (Windows-based PCs and set-top boxes only).

• Users can launch pre-configured emergency broadcasts. (Optional. Requires Scheduling

module.)

• Users can schedule recordings or broadcasts. (Optional. Requires Scheduling module.)

Figure 2. ETV Portal Server Live Broadcasts

Administrative Features

• Access Control - allows administrators to allow/deny access to specific functions of the

ETV Portal Server server. Access control functionality can use the local ETV Portal Server database or authenticate to an LDAP directory server.

• Clustering support – multiple EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand servers can be

clustered to increase total throughput. The ETV Portal Server will automatically load balance all servers defined in ETV Portal Server; no additional configuration is necessary. See Servers

• SSL/TLS security – the ETV Portal Server can be set up to provide encrypted access to

the Login pages and/or the Admin pages. See Configuring for SSL

• Customer defined URLs – can be entered into the system and displayed in the ETV

Portal Server interface. The URLs can point to video assets or other assets such as PDFs or PowerPoint documents.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 5

on page 27 for more.

on page 103.

• Autoingestion to the EtherneTV-VOD server – content placed in autoingestion folders

on the ETV Portal Server will be automatically transferred and ingested into the EtherneTV-VOD server.

• Customized global messages can display on the ETV Portal Server interface.

• Channel numbers can be assigned to live streams.

• Define a startup channel for STBs – the STB will automatically tune into this channel

when users select the

• Emergency broadcasts – can define pre-configured emergency broadcast templates that

can be launched instantaneously. See Emergency Broadcast

• Status window – shows the status of videos being added, recorded, or ingested.

• Diagnostics window – displays a complete log of system events by source, time, and IP

address.

• Custom fields and streams – the ability to add customized information and search

parameters to live and stored streams.

• A Channel Guide Server can be configured to automatically provide third-party

programming data for configured TV Stations.

Live TV option.

Portal Server Components

VBrick Encoders/Decoders

VBrick's VB4000-5000-6000 Series MPEG-2 network video appliances provide DVD quality video and CD quality audio at 1–15 Mbps of bandwidth. MPEG-2 is the world's most popular digital compression technology and is used to encode DVDs as well as Digital Cable and Digital Satellite broadcasts. VBrick's VB4000-5000-6000 Series MPEG-4 encoders and decoders are versatile and reliable video appliances for one or two-way interactive communications over low or medium bandwidth IP networks. The VBrick MPEG-4 encoder/decoder can be used for webcasting, multicasting, transcoding, and two-way interactive video. Designed for streaming over the Internet at lower bit rates (56K, 128K, 384K) and over a LAN at higher rates (1Mbps and above). VBrick's WM (Windows Media) video appliances provide scalable quality at webcasting rates up to 2 Mbps. It features built-in live streaming server, automatic multicasting, and state-of-the-art reliability. A key benefit of the WM appliance is its compatibility with the Windows Media Player, thus eliminating the need for desktop player installation.

on page 55 for more.

ETV Video-on-Demand Servers

EtherneTV Video on Demand (VOD) servers provide the ETV Portal Server with a source of available video content organized in folders. The VOD content is displayed by name in the ETV Portal Server user interface, along with the duration of the video, and associated descriptions, key words, and other custom information entered by an administrator. You play content from the VOD server by selecting the program name from the application interface (see the Portal Server User Guide for details). The ETV Portal Server currently supports all of the VOD servers shown in Table 2. The configuration for each server is essentially the same (see Servers

ETV servers can be LAN-based or Internet-based depending on how the range of Internet addresses is defined (see "Assign LAN/Internet Address Range" in Global Assignments page 19). VOD servers accessible to Internet users are called Internet-zone servers; VOD

on page 27 for details) and there is little difference in functionality for end users.

Introduction

servers assessable to LAN users only (within a secured corporate network and behind a firewall) are called LAN-zone servers.

Content added by users in the LAN zone will be ingested to all VOD servers for which they have permissions using the

Add Video page. Users in the Internet zone have the Add Video

page available only if they have permissions for at least one VOD server that is also in the Internet zone. Content added by LAN users is added to all configured servers that can handle the content (for example you cannot add MPEG content to a Windows Media server) and for which you have permission. The content available for viewing may also be limited by the server type. For example, Internet users will see only MPEG-4 and Windows Media content on VOD-D and VOD-WM servers respectively. LAN users however will see all content on all servers.

Table 2. Supported EtherneTV VOD Servers

Server Type Description Zone

NXG Linux-based NXG1/2 VOD server. LAN only

VOD-W Windows-based VOD-W VOD server. LAN only

VOD-D Darwin Open Source server for Linux, Windows, Mac,

LAN or Internet etc. Ingests and plays MPEG-4 content only. Requires an FTP server.

VOD-WMStandard

VOD-WMEnterprise

Microsoft Windows Media Server (unicast only). Requires an FTP server.

Microsoft Windows Media Server (unicast or multicast). Requires an FTP server.

LAN or Internet

ETV Internet-Based Servers

ETV Portal Server supports the installation of LAN-based servers and Internet-based servers. As part of an ETV Server installation, you can configure a VOD-D or VOD-WM server (see Table 2) to run on your LAN or on the public Internet. Before server configuration, you assign a range of IP addresses that define the LAN domain, or vice versa, that define the Internet domain. Any IP address outside that range will assumed to be from an Internet source, or vice versa, from a LAN source. (See "Assign LAN/Internet Address Range" in Global Assignments

You can purchase an Internet-based Windows Media server from VBrick (in which case it is configured by VBrick) or you can purchase and configure it yourself using the Microsoft documentation (not recommended). You can also install a Darwin Open Source server which is fully-compatible with ETV Portal Server but is not sold or supported by VBrick. (For more about downloading, installing, and configuring a Darwin server, go to:

developer.apple.com/opensource/server/streaming/index.html) As noted, ETV users can be

on the Internet or on a LAN; Internet users can only access MPEG-4 and Windows Media content stored on Internet-based servers. LAN users can access all content on all servers both inside and outside the firewall. To summarize, Internet-based servers and users are subject to the following limitations:

on page 19.)

http://

• Internet servers support MPEG-4 and Windows Media content only.

• Internet servers support unicast only (they do not support multicast).

• Internet ETV users can add video only to VOD servers in the Internet zone.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 7

• Internet users can only see MPEG-4 and Windows Media content stored on Internetbased servers.

• Internet servers do not support ETV scheduling features.

ETV Set Top Box

EtherneTV-STBs access the ETV Portal Server through a web browser within the Set Top Box. Using the Set-Top Box remote control, users can navigate and search for specific ondemand content or live video streams, select a stream, and begin viewing television-quality video. Set-Top Box users can also record video directly on the ETV Portal Server using the remote control or the wireless keyboard. See the Set Top Box documentation for more about how to configure and use an ETV Set Top Box.

ETV Network Video Recorder

The ETV Network Video Recorder and the ETV Live Portal Server are optional components that are purchased and installed separately. They have different license files that must be installed separately. See Portal Server License Files on page 14. The ETV Network Video Recorder lets you off-load all recording tasks from the ETV Portal Server machine to one or more separate "recorder server" machines. This optimizes recording performance and improves ETV Portal Server performance as well. The Network Video Recorder uses ETV Portal Server components and typically requires two machines: the ETV Portal Server is installed on one machine; the Network Video Recorder software is installed on a different machine. Once installed, the NVR machine is used for all ETV Portal Server recording tasks. See Network Video Recording

on page 107 for more information.

Note A standard ETV Portal Server permits two concurrent recording operations. If you

purchase a Network Video Recorder, the number of concurrent recording operations (10 or 40) is fixed by the terms of your licensing agreement with VBrick.

Introduction

Figure 3. Live Portal Server User Interface

VB-PC Remote Controller

The VB-PC Remote is a handheld infrared device you can use to control (stop/start/pause, etc.) any stream running on the Portal Server. The VB-PC Remote is compatible with Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher; it is not compatible with Firefox. The VB-PC Remote can be used for all Portal Server streams (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and WM) and has a line-of-sight range of approximately 40 feet.

After you manually start a stream using the Portal Server interface, you can use the VB-PC Remote to control it. When using the remote controller, the computer running the Portal Server basically acts like a set top box that you can control with the remote control. The VB-PC Remote includes an IR Remote Control and an IR Remote Receiver. The computer to which it's attached must have an available (1.1 or 2.0) USB port. Note that the VB-PC Remote is installed on client machines connected to the Portal Server. It is not part of the Portal Server installation and must be installed separately on each client machine. See the VB-PC Remote Product CD for details and installation instructions.

Amino Set Top Box

The AmiNet110 is a compact set top box for the Portal Server manufactured by Amino Systems. It connects to a standard TV and only plays MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams; no other streams are selectable for viewing on the Portal Server interface. There is no software installation required. Simply connect and configure the device as explained in Amino Set Top Box on page 127. The Portal Server User Guide explains how to use the Amino infrared remote control unit that comes with the device.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 9

WM IP Receiver

VBrick's WM IP Receiver is similar to a conventional set top box but is significantly more stable, rugged, and reliable. It is designed for 24x7 operation, and built for enterprise networks that require a high degree of stability, security, and scalability. The WM IP Receiver is a robust, state-of-art device that meets the demanding requirements of VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System. The WM IPR plays Windows Media streams from VBrick WM appliances and Windows Media servers. The WM IPR is also a fully-featured VBrick EtherneTV client. This means that in addition to the ability to deliver video, subsequent WM IPR releases will provide scheduling, access logging, and device control from the Portal Server. For more information about the WM IPR, see the IPR Admin Guide in the Portal Server online help.

Portal Server Installation

Complete installation instructions for the Portal Server are provided in the ETV Portal Server Release Notes. Once the Portal Server is installed, end users on Windows, Macintosh, and

Linux machines may be prompted for additional download components as explained below. This only happens the first time they access the Portal Server. The Portal Server supports a wide variety of clients and video formats. See Supported VBrick Clients and Video Formats for a complete list.

Download Components

Windows PCs

If configured with the appropriate components, Windows PCs (with Internet Explorer or Firefox) can play all stream types including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and Windows Media. For Windows-based PC users, the Portal Server uses VBrick StreamPlayer softwarebased components to decode video streams on user desktops. The Portal Server downloads these components to each client machine the first time you access the Portal Server (depending on the Assignments). No download is necessary for subsequent access. If this is a new installation, end users must answer Yes to security requests to download these components. After a download, you don’t have to restart your computer but must you must close the browser. These components are downloaded using .cab files.

In certain circumstances however, the use of .cabs is either not allowed or not feasible. In these cases, VBrick provides an installs the same components and allows end-users who cannot download .cabs to have full Portal Server functionality. This installer is located in the folder.

Note The component download setting will not affect previously-installed components. For

example if you have StreamPlayer installed, you will be able to play MPEG-2 streams regardless of what components you specify for download.

With Firefox, users will also be prompted to install additional components the first time they launch a stream—if they are configured to receive these download components. Links for the appropriate stream types (MPEG-1/2/4 and/or WM) will be displayed in the area where the embedded player is normally displayed. These additional plugins must be installed. Firefox

Specify Components to Download to Clients setting in Global

.msi installer called VBrickComponents.msi. This installer

Program Files\VBrick\MCS\utils

Introduction

users will also be required to install an additional plugin when they use Add Video for the first time (again, if they are configured with this privilege).

Table 3. Supported Operating Systems and Browsers – Windows

Operating System Browser

Windows 2000 Internet Explorer 6.0†, Firefox 1.0†

Windows XP Internet Explorer 6.0†, Firefox 1.0†

Windows Vista Internet Explorer 6.0†, Firefox 1.0†

†or higher

Locked-Down Windows PCs

As described above, the Portal Server automatically downloads components to client PCs depending on the Global Assignment setting. This download can be an issue in environments that have restrictions on client software installation. For playback of WM files, Portal Server uses the existing Windows Media Player components on the client PC and there is no need for the extra components to be downloaded. This means that Portal Server and WM can be used in some but not all restrictive or "locked-down" environments.

Even if downloads are configured, a client PC will still refuse to accept the component download if the Internet Explorer security feature

Download signed ActiveX controls is

disabled. When using Portal Server 4.0 exclusively with WM streams and a WM VOD, the client PC can refuse to accept the downloaded components and all Portal Server features except

Add Video will work. In this case you should uncheck the Add Video Utility in Global

Assignments.

Some sites also require that their PCs be configured with certain Internet Explorer security settings. The Portal Server will not work on clients with Internet Explorer security set to

High. The Portal Server will work at any level at or below Medium. If you start at High, the

client will still work with Portal Server if you enable

ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting

, and Active scripting.

Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins, Script

Since firewalls on LAN client PCs can also cause problems with Portal Server, it is recommended that firewalls be disabled on LAN clients. (In Windows XP with Service Pack 2, the firewall is enabled by default.) Portal Server's support for Internet clients is designed to work through firewalls. If you have Internet clients with firewalls see the description of LAN/Internet address ranges in Global Assignments

on page 19.

Macintosh PCs

If configured with the appropriate components, Macintosh PCs (with Safari or Firefox) can play all stream types including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and Windows Media. In a Macintosh environment, if downloads are configured in Global Assignments, when you launch the ETV Portal Server for the first time, the Home page (see Figure 2) displays a link prompting you to download components that are appropriate for your computer. If you agree, these components are automatically installed and no additional download is necessary for subsequent access. On Macintosh PCs, Portal Server functionality is the same as in Windows except that the supported for each environment; Table 5 shows the operating systems that are tested and supported. Note that there are certain performance limitations in Macintosh environments; see the ETV Portal Server Release Notes for information and recommendations.

Add Video feature is not available. Table 4 shows the stream types

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 11

Linux PCs

If configured with the appropriate components, Linux PCs running Fedora or Red Hat (on Firefox) can play MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and WM streams. However, the Portal Server must download Linux components to each-end user desktop before any streams will play. This should only be performed by a system administrator. When you access the Portal Server for the first time, you will see a message in the embedded player window indicating that the appropriate plugins are not installed. See "Installing Linux Components" in the Portal Server Release Notes for detailed instructions. On Linux PCs, Portal Server functionality is the same as in Windows except that the Table 4 shows the stream types supported for each environment; Table 5 shows the operating systems that are tested and supported. Note that there are certain performance limitations in Linux environments; see the ETV Portal Server Release Notes for information and recommendations.

Table 4. Supported Stream Types – Macintosh and Linux

Environment Supported Streams Closed Captions

Add Video feature is not available.

Macintosh Safari – MPEG-1,

MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WM.

Firefox – MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WM.

Linux Firefox – MPEG-1,

MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WM.

Table 5. Supported Operating Systems and Browsers – Macintosh and Linux

Operating System Browser †

Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) Safari 1.2, Firefox 1.0

Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Safari 2.0, Firefox 1.0

Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Safari 3.0, Firefox 1.0

Linux Red Hat 9.0 Firefox 1.0

Linux Fedora Core 3 Firefox 1.0

Linux Fedora Core 4 Firefox 1.0

† Use version shown or higher.

Supported for MPEG-1/MPEG-2 streams, and for MPEG-4 and WM with VBrick plugin.

Supported for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and WM streams.

Port Requirements

The drawing below, and the table that follows, show the required port configuration for various Portal Server devices. All ports in the drawing are TCP except as noted.

Introduction

Table 6. Port Requirements†

Zone Port(s) Protocol Description

Internet > DMZ 80 TCP Web request from client to MCS.

Internet > DMZ 9876/9878

DMZ > Internet 21 TCP FTP from MCS to VOD Server (Darwin/Windows Media/

LAN > DMZ 80 TCP Web request from client to MCS.

LAN > DMZ 9875/9876/

9878

LAN > DMZ 21 TCP FTP from VBStar to MCS (auto-FTP to MCS autoingest

DMZ > LAN 21 TCP FTP from MCS to VBStar (content discovery).

DMZ > LAN 80 TCP Management command from MCS to VBrick/STB.

DMZ > LAN 80/8080 TCP Web service request from MCS to VOD Server (VOD-W/

DMZ > LAN 21 TCP FTP from MCS to VOD Server (Darwin/Windows Media/

LAN > DMZ 21 TCP FTP from VOD Server (NXG/VOD-W) to MCS.

UDP

Management/RTSP SAP announce from VBrick to MCS.

FTP).

Multicast/Management/RTSP SAP announce from VBrick to MCS.

directory).

NXG).

FTP).

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 13

Zone Port(s) Protocol Description

DMZ > LAN 135 TCP Management command from MCS to Windows Media

(DCOM).

DMZ > LAN 80 TCP Web service request from MCS to Network Video Recorder.

DMZ > LAN 80 TCP Web service request from Network Video Recorder to MCS.

DMZ > LAN 389 TCP LDAP lookup from MCS to LDAP Server (e.g. Active

Directory).

† All ports are TCP except as noted.

Portal Server License Files

You are prompted to install a license (.lic) file as part of the ETV Portal Server installation process. Different Portal Server functionality is available depending on the type of license you purchase and install. (For example if you do not install a Scheduler license, you will not see a

Scheduled Programs, as shown above, option in the Portal Server client application.)

After initial installation you can install a different license as necessary by using Add or

Remove Programs

T To install or modify a Portal Server license file:

1. Go to

Suite

2. Click

3. Click

Change/Remove and select the appropriate license file type (see below). Next, then browse to the file and click Open.

4. When done, manually close the window and launch the application. There is no need to restart the host machine.

Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > VBrick Media Control Server

Table 7. Portal Server License Files

License File Description License Errors

Introduction

Player The embedded Windows Media Player has

restrictions on the number of licensed users. Use this option to select a license file that modifies the number of allowed users for various MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 streams.

Scheduler Enables the broadcast or recording of future

events. See the ETV Portal Server User Guide for more information.

Network Video Recorder

A Network Video Recorder is a standalone recorder option that can speed up recording operations and/or enhance Portal Server performance. (See ETV Network Video Recorder on page 8.)

Channel Guide Server

Enables access to the Channel Guide Server for TV Stations that are typically provided by a thirdpart content provider.

Modify Host Name or IP Address

Lets you auto-detect or manually change the Portal Server Host Name. This name must match the machine name on which ETV Portal Server is installed. If you change the host machine name, use this option to change the Portal Server Host Name.

If not installed, popup message displayed when you try to launch a stream.

If not installed, the Add option will not be shown on Scheduler page.

If not installed, there will be a "record" failure for more than two concurrent record requests.

If not installed, there will be no TV Stations or access to the Channel Guide server.

Not applicable.

Uninstall Media Control Server Suite

Remove all ETV Portal Server components. You are prompted to save the database as desired.

Admin Console Login

The ETV Portal Server can be administered from Windows-based PCs using Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher only. The Admin Console pages are best viewed at 1024x768

resolution. The Admin Console is not supported on Macintoshes or Set Top Boxes, or with Firefox or other browsers. In order to access the administrative functions enter the following address in the Internet Explorer browser of the PC where or IP address of the ETV Portal Server. The session will timeout after 20 minutes of inactivity.

http://myserveraddress/admin/

admin is both the default user name and password.

Not applicable.

myserveraddress is the host name

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 15

Note As a standard best practice, VBrick recommends changing the default administrator

User Name and Password. Go to

Global Settings > Global Assignments on the Admin

Console.

Admin Console Options

Login to the ETV Portal Server Admin pages with a valid user name and password to display the following window. This window provides access to all admin configuration options.

Introduction

Table 8. Admin Options

Option Description

Getting Started The ETV Portal Server splash page shown above.

Global Settings Provides system-wide configuration parameters to connect to

VBrick encoders and VOD servers as well as to customize the look of the ETV Portal Server pages.

Channels Lets you define TV stations and custom stations that obtain

programming data from a third-party provider.

Modify VOD Content Provides the ability to Move, Rename, or Delete assets on the

EtherneTV-VOD Video-on-Demand server. (Not supported on some legacy NXG servers.)

Diagnostics Displays system log messages by source, time, and (generally) IP

address.

Status Shows the status of events in progress including recordings, Add

Video commands, ingestion to the VOD server, and FTP downloads.

Expired Content Log Shows all expired content still present on the Portal Server. Use

Purge All to delete unwanted content.

ETV Portal Server Admin Guide 17

Option Description

Access Control Provides the ability to limit access to the ETV Portal Server system

to different users or groups of users.

Live Presentations Provides the ability to view and remove current live presentations

from the Live Broadcasts page.

Users† Used in conjunction with Access Control to limit access to the ETV

Portal Server system to different users.

User Groups† Used in conjunction with Access Control to limit access to the ETV

Portal Server system to different groups of users.

Resource Groups† Used in conjunction with Access Control to group resources which

can then be provided to users or user groups.

Help Displays the ETV Portal Server online help system in a new

window.

Logout Logs out the user who is currently logged in.

† Users, User Groups, and Resource Groups are only displayed if Access Control is

enabled. See Users and User Groups

on page 87 for a description of these functions.

Internet Explorer 7.0 Configuration

The Admin Console and the Portal Server user interface support the browsers shown in Table 3 and in Table 5. When using Internet Explorer 7.0, there are additional security settings required for compatibility with the Portal Server.

T To configure the Portal Server for Internet Explorer 7.0:

1. Go to

2. Under

Tools > Internet Options > Security and select Custom level.

Active X controls and plugins set the following parameters:

•

Allow previously unused ActiveX controls to run without prompt – Enable Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls – Disable

•

Display video and animation on a webpage that does not use external media player –

•

Enable

Download signed ActiveX controls – Prompt

•

Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins – Enable

•

Script ActiveX controls marked as safe for scripting – Enable

•

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VBrick Systems ETV User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual