VBrick Systems VBrick v4.2.1, VOD-W Server VBrick v4.2.1 User Manual

EtherneTV VOD-W Video on Demand Server

VBrick v4.2.1 VOD-W Server

Admin Guide

April 15, 2008 4410-0167-0002

Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, USA www.VBrick.com

This publication contains confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information. No part of this document may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable or electronic format without prior written permission from VBrick. 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 in some VBrick products. This freely available source code is posted at http://www.vbrick.com/opensource.

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.

Contents

VOD-W v4.2.1 Admin Guide

Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Font Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Related Publications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Printer-Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

1. Server Overview

Server Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Server Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Server Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

External Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Server Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

VOD-W Product CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Getting Started

Installing the VOD-W Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 1. Unpack the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 2. Connect the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 3. Configure the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 4. Configure the ETV Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 5. Verify the Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Configuring Secure Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Basic Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

SSL Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Post Configuration Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3. Server Administration

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Using a Remote Desktop Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Using a Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Configuring the Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Launching the Configuration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Using HTTP Tunneling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Changing the Web Service Communication Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Advanced Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Adding External Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Using Secure URL Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Manually Ingesting Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

VOD-W Admin Guide

iii

Monitoring the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Backup and Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Database Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Database Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Server Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4. Monitoring the Server

Starting the QVOD Server Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Using the QVOD Server Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Log Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

5. Ingesting Content

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Ingestion Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Content Ingestion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Content Backup and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

6. Troubleshooting

VOD-W Event Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Generating Custom Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Windows Event Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

VOD-W License Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

7. Reinstalling the Software

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Installation Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Reinstalling the VOD-W Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Reinstalling the Dongle Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Uninstalling the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

8. Adding Storage to 1850/2850 Servers

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Monitoring Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Adding Storage to 1850 Servers (VOD 50W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Adding Storage to 2850 Servers (VOD 125/300W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Contents

9. Adding Storage to 1950/2950 Servers

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Adding Storage to VOD 50/125/300W Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Index

VOD-W Admin Guide

Contents

VOD-W v4.2.1 Admin Guide

This VOD-W Admin Guide is written for anyone who will be using a VBrick EtherneTV VOD-W Video on Demand Server. This includes system administrators, network technicians, and others. This document explains how to set up and configure the VOD-W server, how to perform initial admin tasks, and how to add storage. For most common tasks like ingesting content, use the ETV Portal Server and refer to the ETV Portal Server Administrator Guide for details. You can perform most administration tasks using the Portal Server and it is unlikely you will ever need to access the VOD-W interface. EtherneTV VOD-W servers are a key component in VBrick's EtherneTV Media Distribution System. The EtherneTV VOD-W server provides all standard video-on-demand (VOD) features including support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 content.

Organization

Server Overview	provides a brief introduction to the features and functionality
	of the VOD-W server and explains the differences between
	server models.

Getting Started	explains how to unpack, connect, and configure the server. It
	also explains how to install the license dongle key.

Server Administration	explains how to use the configuration utility in case you need to
	reconfigure server parameters or reboot the system.

Monitoring the Server	explains how to use the monitoring utility to view performance
	characteristics and set log levels.

Ingesting Content	explains the concepts of ingesting content. It also describes
	important considerations and best practices.

Troubleshooting	explains how to do basic troubleshooting when you run into
	problems.

Reinstalling the Software	explains how to reinstall all VOD-W software in the unlikely
	event that it becomes necessary.

Adding Storage to 1850/	explains how to connect and configure external storage devices
2850 Servers	to 1850/1950 servers when you need more memory.

Adding Storage to 1950/	explains how to connect and configure external storage devices
2950 Servers	to 1950/2950 servers when you need more memory.

Getting Help

If you need help, or more information about any topic, use the online help system. Use the book icons in the left pane to open documents and the up and down arrows in the right pane to page through them. Use the Search box to find specific information. Simply enter 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 Search box is not casesensitive and does not recognize articles (a, an, or the), operators (+ and – ), or quotation marks. You can narrow the search by adding words. To view all VBrick documentation,

VOD-W Admin Guide

vii

including the latest updates, go to www.vbrick.com/support/documentation If you can't find the information you need from the online help, the VBrick documentation, or your certified VBrick reseller, you can contact VBrick Support Services on the web. Support Services will make every effort to answer your technical questions in 24 business hours or less. VBrick is committed to accurate and reliable documentation. If you find errors or omissions in any of our documents, please send e-mail to documentation@vbrick.com and let us know.

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.

Italics are used to emphasize specific words or phrases.

Related Publications

VBrick ETV Portal Server Admin Guide

Dell PowerEdge 1850 Systems User's Guide

Dell PowerEdge 2850 Systems User's Guide

Dell PowerEdge 1950 Product Documentation

Dell PowerEdge 2950 Systems Product Documentation

Dell PowerVault 220S Systems Service Manual

Dell PowerVault MD1000 Product Documentation

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viii

Preface

Chapter 1

Server Overview

VBrick's EtherneTV VOD-W Server has been integrated with the EtherneTV family of products including the EtherneTV Portal Server, MPEG-1/2/4 streaming encoders, and the EtherneTV STB. The EtherneTV VOD-W delivers stored MPEG assets as unicast streams across an Ethernet network. The EtherneTV VOD-W is built on a Dell hardware platform as detailed in the following tables. Other features include the ability to schedule asset playback, asset searching, user and system statistics, and more. The EtherneTV Portal Server is required to gain the full benefits of the EtherneTV VOD-W server and is sold separately.

In order to set up the EtherneTV Portal Server, follow the directions in the EtherneTV Portal Server Admin Guide. Once the ETV portal server is setup and configured, you can access video on the EtherneTV VOD-W server through the ETV Portal Server web interface. VBrick uses its own software-based components to decode streams on the desktop. There is no client-side software to install. The EtherneTV Portal Server automatically downloads components to your desktop PC the first time you access to the system.

Topics in this chapter

Server Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Server Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Server Description

The VBrick VOD-W servers provide interactive, on-demand playback of standards-based, high-quality video that is stored on the server with a variety of methods. The VOD-W servers are a basic component in the VBrick's EtherneTV solution and work seamlessly with the EtherneTV Portal Server. They ingest and stream unicast and multicast streams in the following formats:

•MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 RTSP unicast

•MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 multicast

Server Models

Although VBrick currently supports all of the server models shown in shown in Table 1, VBrick has transitioned to Dell 1950/2950 servers and all new systems shipped after the date of this publication will be either 1950 or 2950 devices. VBrick will continue to provide support for all 1850/2850 series models. Contact VBrick Support Services or your authorized reseller for more information about upgrade options.

VOD-W Admin Guide

Table 1. VOD-W Server Models

Model	Hardware	Max Throughput	Max Users

VOD-50W	Dell PowerEdge 1850	50 Mbps	50

	Dell PowerEdge 1950

VOD-125W	Dell PowerEdge 2850	125 Mbps	125

	Dell PowerEdge 2950

VOD-300W	Dell PowerEdge 2850	300 Mbps	300

	Dell PowerEdge 2950

Table 2. VOD-W Server Specifications

Model	Operating System	O/S Drives		Internal Content Drives

VOD-50W	Win Server 2003	1	Drive	1	Drive
	Web Edition

VOD-125W	Win Server 2003	2	Drives RAID1	4	Drive Hardware RAID5
	Web Edition

VOD 300-W	Win Server 2003	2	Drives RAID1	4	Drive Hardware RAID5
	Web Edition

Server Compatibility

The VOD-W servers are compatible with the following VBrick devices:

•VBrick EtherneTV Portal Server – v3.1.0 or later (see note below).

•VBrick Set Top Box – v3.7.2 or later.

•VBrick Decoders – MPEG-1/MPEG-2 via Multicast; MPEG-4 via RTSP.

Note The secure web interface to the Portal Server and the secure URL features require Portal Server 4.2.1 or higher, as does automatic streaming to Internet clients over HTTP.

System Requirements

The VOD-W server has been tested to provide the specified performance (50, 125, or 300 Mbps) with no additional software installed. Be aware that the installation of virus scanners or security software that consume system I/O resources may have an adverse impact on streaming performance. These components are not tested by VBrick and you should test the VOD-W for performance and reliability after installing them. If additional programs are installed, it may be necessary to re-install the VOD software and the database in order to restore proper operation. Contact VBrick Support Services for more information.

External Storage

Although VBrick currently supports all of the external storage devices shown in shown in Table 3, VBrick has transitioned to PowerVault MD1000 storage devices and all storage shipped with servers after the date of this publication will be MD1000 devices. VBrick will

2	© 2008 VBrick Systems, Inc.

Server Overview

continue to provide support for all PowerVault 220S models. Contact VBrick Support Services or your authorized reseller for more information about upgrade options.

The external storage arrays shown in Table 3 are compatible with VOD-W servers to increase video storage or to backup existing content. If the VOD-W server you purchased from VBrick included external storage, the storage array was installed and configured before delivery to your site. As shown below, each external storage array has 5–15 drives and provides up to 4.5 TB of storage. You can add additional storage as necessary; if you are adding storage to an existing system, see Adding Storage to 1850/2850 Servers on page 55 or Adding Storage to 1950/2950 Servers on page 67.

Table 3. VOD-W External Storage Device Specifications

Model	Hardware	Servers	Interface	Raw Capacity	Drives

ES3	Dell PowerVault 220S	1850/2850	SCSI	1 TB	7

ES4	Dell PowerVault 220S	1850/2850	SCSI	2 TB	14

ES5	Dell PowerVault MD1000	1950/2950	SAS	1.5 TB	5

ES10	Dell PowerVault MD1000	1950/2950	SAS	3 TB	10

ES15	Dell PowerVault MD1000	1950/2950	SAS	4.5 TB	15

Table 4. VOD-W External Storage RAID Type

Model	Hardware	RAID Type

VOD-50W	Dell PowerEdge 1850	Software Striped

	Dell PowerEdge 1950	Hardware RAID5

VOD-125W	Dell PowerEdge 2850	Hardware RAID5

	Dell PowerEdge 2950	Hardware RAID5

VOD-300W	Dell PowerEdge 2850	Hardware RAID5

	Dell PowerEdge 2950	Hardware RAID5

Server Software

All server software and licenses are pre-installed by VBrick. If, for some reason, you ever need to reinstall the software, use the Dell recovery CDs to reinstall the Windows Server 2003 Web Edition operating system and the VOD-W Server Software CD to restore the VOD-W content server and other components (see Reinstalling the VOD-W Software on page 47 for details). Each VOD-W server has the following software pre-installed.

•Windows Server 2003 Web Edition with Service Pack 2.

•Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE).

•Internet Information Services (IIS).

•ASP.NET.

•QuickVideo Content Server application.

VOD-W Admin Guide

VOD-W Product CD

Use the VOD-W Server Product CD if you ever need to reinstall the content server and other components. It also includes this VOD-W Server Admin Guide in searchable HTML format.

Technical Support

If you can't find the information you need from the documentation or your reseller, you can contact VBrick Support Services on the web. The Support Services website has downloads, FAQs, documentation, support guidelines, and an on-line form you can use to submit questions. VBrick will make every effort to answer your technical questions in 24 business hours or less.

4	© 2008 VBrick Systems, Inc.

Server Overview

VOD-W Admin Guide

6	© 2008 VBrick Systems, Inc.

Chapter 2

Getting Started

Topics in this chapter

Installing the VOD-W Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Configuring Secure Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Post Configuration Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Installing the VOD-W Server

The installation of the QVOD server is straightforward. Please make sure that your QVOD dongle key is attached to the USB port of your designated server before proceeding with installation. When you purchase a QuickVideo OnDemand Server, a dongle key and a corresponding license file with the proper settings are included in your package. This dongle key needs to be attached to the USB port of the server machine to enable video streaming through the server. The license file regulates the maximum video streaming throughput and the maximum number of simultaneous video streams. For example, if you purchase a 125 Mbps license key, the maximum video throughput from the server will be limited to 125 Mbps and the maximum number of simultaneous users accessing the server will be limited to 125. Unpack the server and connect the cables as described below. As noted, all software and licenses are pre-installed.

TTo install the server onsite at your location:

Step 1. Unpack the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Step 2. Connect the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Step 3. Configure the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 4. Configure the ETV Portal Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 5. Verify the Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Step 1. Unpack the Server

Each shipment comes with:

•A complete EtherneTV VOD-W (including external storage if purchased).

•All power cords and cables.

•Rack mount kit.

•This EtherneTV VOD-W Server Admin Guide.

•Product CD case with these items:

•VBrick VOD-W Server Software CD.

•VBrick VOD-W Server License CD.

•USB dongle key corresponding to the license file.

•EULA (End User License Agreement).

VOD-W Admin Guide

Step 2. Connect the Server

Note The following steps explain how to connect Dell PowerEdge 1950/2950 servers. To connect 1850/2850 servers, refer to the previous version of this manual that was shipped with those servers. To view all VBrick product documentation, go to www.vbrick.com/support/documentation

TTo set up the VOD-W server:

1.Connect the monitor, keyboard, dongle, mouse, and network cables as described below.

Figure 1. VOD 50W (Dell 1950 – Rear View)

Figure 2. VOD 125/300W (Dell 2950 – Rear View)

2.If rack mounting the unit, mount the VOD-W server in the rack, using the rack mount kit provided.

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Getting Started

3.Connect the VOD-W server to the network by plugging the 10/100/1000 BaseT Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port 1 on the rear of the unit.

4.Connect the monitor cable to the blue video port (front or rear) on the VOD-W server. Turn the monitor on.

5.Connect a mouse and keyboard to any available USB ports (front or rear) on the VOD-W server.

6.Insert the dongle key (included in the Product CD case) in any available USB ports (front or rear). It will illuminate when the unit is powered on.

7.Plug the VOD-W server into a power source, using the power cords provided. (All VOD servers have redundant power supplies, each with its own cord.)

8.Turn the VOD-W server's main power on by pressing the power switch at the front of the unit.

Figure 3. VOD 50W (Dell 1950 – Front View)

Figure 4. VOD 125/300W (Dell 2950 – Front View)

9.The VOD-W server will boot and automatically load using the default settings. Wait 5–8 minutes for the unit to fully power up. As new hardware is attached (for example a keyboard and mouse) the operating system will automatically find and install the drivers.

VOD-W Admin Guide

Step 3. Configure the IP Address

You need to configure the IP address as explained below on both the server machine and in the QVCS application. When done, be sure to reboot the machine before configuring the server in the ETV Portal Server. VBrick strongly recommends that you use a static IP address rather than a dynamically-configured DHCP. The use of a DHCP server creates a number of issues when the IP address changes. For example clients configured to point to the VOD-W server's IP address may need to be re-configured. Also, the ETV Portal Server is configured to use the IP address of the VOD-W server so the Portal Server configuration will have to change. You can configure the IP address by connecting a monitor to the VGA port on the server or by using a remote connection (see Using a Remote Desktop Connection on page 17).

TTo configure the static IP address of the server machine in Windows:

1.Go to Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Local Area Connection.

2.Then click on Properties and double-click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

3.Click on Use the following IP address and enter the values provided by your system

administrator for IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway.

4.Click OK when done.

5.Optional. If you wish to configure secure communications between the Portal Server and the VOD-W, see Configuring Secure Communications on page 12.

Step 4. Configure the ETV Portal Server

The VOD-W server must be configured in VBrick's ETV Portal Server before it is recognized as part of the ETV system

TTo configure the VOD-W server in ETV Portal Server:

1.Launch ETV Portal Server and login as an administrator.

2.Go to Global Settings > Servers and select VOD W from the dropdown list.

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Getting Started

3.Enter the IP or Domain, Server Description (optional), FTP User Name (default =

vbrickuser) and FTP Password (default = vbrickuser).

4.Accept the default Publishing Point parameters and click Add when done.

This completes the Portal Server Configuration. However in order to verify the installation as explained below, you must sync the VOD-W server with the ETV Portal server as follows:

TTo manually sync the VOD-W server with the ETV Portal Server:

1.Launch the ETV Portal Server admin tool and go to Global Settings > Global

Assignments > Assign VOD Polling Interval.

2.Click Sync Now. Do not change anything else and exit when done.

Step 5. Verify the Installation

Use the following sequence of steps to verify the VOD-W server is installed properly and can communicate with the ETV Portal Server. If you can use the ETV Portal Server to launch a video stored on the VOD-W Server, you have tested connectivity and verified the installation. For more information about ETV Portal Server, see the ETV Portal Server Admin Guide.

TTo verify the installation:

1.Ping the IP address of the VOD-W server from any PC in the same network.

2.Launch an ETV Portal Server client. (Open a browser and enter the ETV Portal Server hostname or IP address (e.g. http://portalserveripaddr) in the address bar.

3.Go to Browse Video Library and launch any video in the Demo folder. The video should display in the preview window.

4.On the VOD-W server, go to Start > Program > QuickVideo OnDemand Server > Monitor

QVOD Server to launch the QVOD Server Console.

5.In the navigation pane on the console, click on Sessions to view playback data for the video you just launched. Important: You must view the Session Manager while playback is in progress. If the video ends, no data will be shown.

6.Verify that the Host Name IP address matches the computer from which you launched the video. If the IP address matches and a DataRate is shown, you have verified connectivity between the VOD-W server and the ETV Portal server.

VOD-W Admin Guide

Configuring Secure Communications

Use this optional functionality to protect communication between the Portal Server and VOD-W. The Portal Server controls the VOD-W over a web service communications interface. Starting with Portal Server v4.2.1, there are two ways to protect communication between the Portal Server and VOD-W:

•Basic authentication – this method uses the FTP username and password configured on the VOD-W. See "Changing the Default FTP Password" in the VOD-W Release Notes for instructions on how to configure this user name and password on the VOD-W and on the Portal Server. The VOD-W challenges the Portal Server for login information and the Portal Server responds.

•SSL encryption – communication between the VOD-W and Portal Server is encrypted using a certificate installed on the VOD-W.

Basic Authentication

Basic authentication (without SSL encryption) passes passwords in an easily discovered format. SSL encryption is recommended if you wish to protect communications between the Portal Server and VOD-W.

TTo enable basic authentication:

1.From the VOD-W Server, start the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2.Expand the server name and select the Default Web Site.

3.Right-click the default web site and click Properties.

4.Select the Directory Security tab.

5.Click the Edit... button under Authentication and access control.

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Getting Started

6.Make sure Enable anonymous access is not checked.

7.Under Authenticated access, check Basic authentication (password is sent in clear text)

and uncheck other boxes.

SSL Encryption

Since you are managing both the VOD-W and the Portal Server, you know you can trust the VOD-W and you can use any certificate to encrypt communications. You may already have a certificate installed that you can use.

1. Checking for an Installed Certificate

TTo check for an installed certificate:

1.From the VOD-W Server, start the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

2.Expand the server name and select the Default Web Site.

3.Right-click the default web site and click Properties.

4.Select the Directory Security tab.

5.Click on the Server Certificate... button to launch the Server Certificate Wizard.

6.Click Next on the Welcome dialog box.

7.Select Assign an existing certificate and click Next.

8.If the Select a certificate list is not empty, there is a certificate on the VOD-W you can use (you can use this one or you can get a new a certificate as explained below.) Select a certificate, and click Next three times and Finish to install.

9.Then click Edit... under Secure communications.

10.Check Require secure channel (SSL). For more secure encryption, also check Require

128-bit encryption. Click OK.

11.Click Apply and OK and you are done configuring SSL encryption with an existing certificate.

2. Getting a New Certificate

1.Click < Back to choose a different method of obtaining a certificate.

2.Select Create a New Certificate and then select Next. (If Create a New Certificate is

unavailable, the certificate has probably been installed already. If that is the case, skip the rest of these steps, and go to 4. Installing a New Certificate from a Certificate Authority. If you want to create new certificate for the VOD-W, select Remove the current certificate to remove the certificate first, and then restart the procedure.)

3.Select Prepare the request now, but send it later and then select Next.

4.Type a descriptive name for the certificate in the Name field, type a bit length for the key

in the Bit length field, and then select Next.

5.Type an organization name (e.g. VBrick) in the Organization field and type an organizational unit (such as Sales Department) in the Organizational unit field, and select

Next. (This information will be placed in the certificate request, so make sure it is accurate. The Certificate Authority will verify this information and will place it in the certificate.)

6.In the Common name field, type a common name, and then select Next. (Important: The common name is one of the most significant pieces of information that ends up in the certificate.)

VOD-W Admin Guide

7.Enter the appropriate information in the Country/Region, State/Province, and City/ locality fields, and then select Next.

8.Enter a file name for the certificate request. The file contains information similar to the following:

------BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST ------

MIIDZjCCAs………

------END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST ---------

This is a Base 64 encoded representation of the certificate request. The request contains the information entered into the wizard and also your public key and information signed with your private key.

9.Select Next. The wizard displays a summary of the information contained in the certificate request.

10.Select Next and select Finish to complete the request process.

3. Submitting a Certificate Verification Request

If a CA-signed Certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (such as VeriSign or Thawte) is going to be purchased, the certificate request can now be sent to a CA for verification and processing. After the certificate response is received from the CA, the installation process can continue on the VOD-W. You can also generate your own certificate rather than using a certificate authority.

4. Installing a New Certificate from a Certificate Authority

TTo install the certificate on the VOD-W:

1.Start the Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS) Manager.

2.Expand the server name and select the web site for which the certificate will be installed.

3.Right-click the web site and then select Properties.

4.Select the Directory Security tab

5.Select Server Certificate to launch the Web Server Certificate Wizard

6.Select Process the pending request and install the certificate and then click Next.

7.Enter the path and file name of the file that contains the response from the CA, and then click Next.

8.Examine the certificate overview, click Next, and then click Finish. A certificate is now installed on the VOD-W.

9.Click Edit... under Secure communications.

10.Check Require secure channel (SSL). For more secure encryption, also check Require

128-bit encryption. Click OK.

11. Click Apply and OK.

Note The default FTP server also transmits user names and passwords in an easily discovered form. The topic "Using Secure FTP" in the Portal Server Admin Guide explains how to install and configure secure FTP.

Post Configuration Steps

No additional configuration is required after installation and once you have completed the steps up to this point you are good to go. However, if you subsequently need to change the IP address or default storage path for example, use the server configuration utility (see Configuring the Server on page 18). The supported configurable parameters include the following and others:

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Getting Started

•Server IP address.

•Storage path.

•Log file configuration parameters.

•Maximum number of simultaneous ingestion sessions.

•Ingestion process timeout period.

•Secure RTSP URL enable and password.

•HTTP tunneling enable and port.

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Chapter 3

Server Administration

Topics in this chapter

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Configuring the Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Manually Ingesting Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Monitoring the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Backup and Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Overview

There are three utility applications on the VOD-W server. As explained below, you can access these utilities locally by connecting a monitor to the VGA port or with a Remote Desktop Connection.

Utility	Description	Access Method

Server Configuration	Used for initial configuration or when	Local or with
	adding storage. You must reboot the server	Remote Desktop
	after any configuration changes. See	Connection.
	Configuring the Server on page 18.

Ingest Content	For use by VBrick Support Services only.
	All VOD-W users should use ETV Portal
	Server to add content to the server. (See
	Ingesting Content on page 39.)

Monitor QVOD Server	Use to view status of various server
	functions.

Using a Remote Desktop Connection

To connect to the VOD-W server you can attach a monitor directly to the VGA port on the server or you can use the Windows Remote Desktop Connection utility.

TTo launch a Remote Desktop Connection:

1.From a remote computer, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications >

Remote Desktop Connection.

2.Enter an IP address or select from the dropdown list and click Connect.

3.Enter a valid User name and Password and click OK. This launches a Remote Desktop window.

4.The procedure to launch each utility is explained below in Using a Direct Connection.

VOD-W Admin Guide

Using a Direct Connection

You can access the three utilities described above by connecting a standard monitor to the VGA port on the VOD-W server.

TTo launch the utilities using a direct connection:

1.Connect a monitor to the VGA port on the VOD-W server.

2.To launch the monitor utility, go to Start > All Programs > QuickVideo OnDemand Server >

Monitor QVOD Server.

3.To launch the configuration utility, go to Start > Control Panel > InfoValue Quick Video.

4.To launch the ingestion utility, go to Start > All Programs > QuickVideo OnDemand Server >

Ingest Content.

Configuring the Server

This section is provided as an overview of the Product Configuration utility. Once the server is up and running you will seldom need to make configuration changes. However in the event that you do need to make a change, you must reboot the server before the changes are applied.

Launching the Configuration Utility

Note All changes to the QVOD page on the Configuration Utility (including, for example, changes to the Storage Path) require a reboot before the changes are applied. To

reboot, go to Start > Shutdown > Restart.

TTo launch the server configuration utility:

1.Go to Start > Control Panel > InfoValue Quick Video.

Streaming IP	IP address of the Content Server. Use the drop down menu to select
	the appropriate IP address or use Auto.

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		Server Administration


	Management IP	Always select Auto. Management IP address of the VOD Server. For
		a single host VOD Server, the Management IP is the same as the
		Streaming IP.

	Support RTSP	The port used for RTSP interleaving. Default = 554. Do not change.
	Interleaved using port

	Support HTTP	The port used for HTTP tunneling. Default = 8000. Must not
	Tunneling using port	conflict with port used for web service communication. See note
		below.

	Storage Path	Always set to D:\Content. Use the Browse button to change the
		path. If the new folder does not exist, it will be created for you.

	Add Storage Path	The system can support multiple storage locations. Click Add
		Storage Path to launch the Add Storage Path window. Click Browse
		to select the additional storage to be added. Click Add to add the
		new storage.

	File Path	Location of the content server log files. If not specified, the default
		log path C:\Program Files\InfoValue\QuickVideo Content
		Server\Logs will be used.
	Number of Files	Default = 7.

	Maximum Size	Size of each file size. Default = 1024 KB.

	Log Level	Content Server log level. Default = 99.

Using HTTP Tunneling

HTTP tunneling is often used as a means for communicating from network locations with restricted connectivity, for example behind firewalls or proxy servers. To enable HTTP tunneling on the VOD-W you must specify the port that will be used for tunneling and the maximum number of tunneled streams allowed. HTTP tunneling must be configured on both the VOD-W Server and on the Portal Server.

TTo configure for HTTP tunneling on the VOD-W Server:

1.In the Configuration Utility, go to the QVOD tab and check Support HTTP Tunneling

using port.

2.Configure the tunneling port on the VOD-W. Default = 8000. In typical application, port 80 is used for HTTP tunneling. By default, the Portal Server and the VOD-W communicate over port 80. Therefore if you select port 80 as the tunneling port you must also reconfigure the web service communications port (see Changing the Web Service Communication Port on page 20).

3.Click on the VbPortal tab and configure the maximum number of tunneled streams. VBrick recommends a maximum of 50 streams for all servers.

TTo configure for HTTP tunneling on the Portal Server:

1.Open the Portal Server Admin console, go to Global Settings > Servers > Add/Modify VoD/FTP Servers, and select the VOD-W server you wish to configure.

2.Configure the same HTTP Tunneling Port (see screenshot below) used on the VOD-W. Default = 8000. This port must match the port configured in Step 2 above.

3.Check Supports HTTP Tunneling? (see following screenshot).

VOD-W Admin Guide

Note The Portal Server and the VOD-W communicate using a web service configured to use port 80 by default. If you choose to tunnel over port 80, you must use a different port for the web service communication. To specify a different port for the web service communication (for example 8080), configure the Web Service Port (HTTP) on the Portal Server with the specified port number. Then configure the VOD-W to use this same port for the web service as described below.

Configuring a Macintosh for Tunneled Streams

You may need to perform certain configuration steps on a Macintosh before you can use QuickTime to view streams tunneled over HTTP from a VOD-W server.

TTo configure QuickTime for tunneled streams:

1.Launch QuickTime on a Macintosh and click on the Apple QuickTime player to set focus on the task bar at the top of the screen.

2.Click QuickTime Player in the task bar and go to QuickTime Preferences.

3.On the Advanced tab, click on Transport Setup and then Custom.

4.Check the Port ID used for the HTTP Transport Protocol. The Port ID must match the HTTP Tunneling Port set on the Portal Server for the VOD-W server (default = 8000). If necessary, get this port number from your system administrator. See the Portal Server Admin Guide for more information.

Changing the Web Service Communication Port

The Portal Server and the VOD-W communicate using a web service configured to use port 80 by default. If you choose to tunnel over port 80, you must use a different port for the web service communication.

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Server Administration

TTo change the port used for web service communication between the Portal Server and VOD-W:

1.Open IIS (go to Start > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS)

Manager).

2.Select the web site for the web service from the tree on the left (go to ComputerName >

Web Sites > Default Web Site).

3.Right-click on Default Web Site and select Properties.

4.On the Web Site tab, change the TCP port to match the port configured on the Portal Server (80 in the example above).

Advanced Options

Maximum Sessions	Do not change except as directed.

Session Timeout	Do not change except as directed.

Block Size	Do not change except as directed.

Transfer Rate	Do not change except as directed.

CPU usage during	This setting can speed ingestion time. Do not change except as
Ingest	directed.

Time To Live	Default = 31. Use the default except as directed. The QuickVideo
	OnDemand Server can also be used as a multicast source.

Note The VOD-W Server requires a license file and a matching dongle key. If either is missing, you will get a popup error message after a reboot. To reinstall the license file, see Reinstalling the Software on page 47.

Adding External Storage

If you purchased a system with external storage, the storage is configured and shipped with the VOD-W server—no additional configuration is required. If you are adding external storage at a later date, see Adding Storage to 1850/2850 Servers on page 55 or Adding Storage to 1950/2950 Servers on page 67 for instructions.

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