VBrick Systems VOD-W Server VBrick User Manual v4.2.3

VBrick v4.2.3 VOD-W Server

EtherneTV VOD-W Video on Demand Server

Admin Guide

August 21, 2008 4410-0167-0003

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.

in some

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.

VOD-W v4.2.3 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

Contents

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

iv Contents

9. Adding Storage to 1950/2950 Servers

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

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

VOD-W Admin Guide v

vi Contents

VOD-W v4.2.3 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

Getting Started

Server Administration

Monitoring the Server

Ingesting Content

Troubleshooting

Reinstalling the Software

Adding Storage to 1850/ 2850 Servers

Adding Storage to 1950/ 2950 Servers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

explains how to connect and configure external storage devices 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 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, including the latest updates, go to

VOD-W Admin Guide vii

Enter. The search results will return pages that have all of the

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

Courier bold fixed-width font is used for user input in scripts, code examples, or keyboard

is used for scripts, code examples, or keyboard commands.

commands.

This bold black font is used to strongly emphasise important words or phrases.

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

User input in text is displayed in this bold sans serif font.

Italics are used in text 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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VOD-W Server Release Notes

VOD-W Server Admin Guide

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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

Chapter 1

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 reseller for more information about upgrade options.

or your authorized

VOD-W Admin Guide 1

Tab l e 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

Web Edition

VOD-125W Win Server 2003

Web Edition

VOD 300-W Win Server 2003

Web Edition

1 Drive 1 Drive

2 Drives RAID1 4 Drive Hardware RAID5

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

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 Adding Storage to 1950/2950 Servers

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

on page 67.

on page 55 or

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 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 3

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.

Server Overview

VOD-W Admin Guide 5

Getting Started

Topics in this chapter

Installing the VOD-W Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

Post Configuration Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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.

Chapter 2

T To 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 7

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

T To 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.

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 9

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

T To configure the static IP address of the server machine in Windows

1. Go to

2. Then click on

3. Click on

Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Local Area Connection.

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

Use the following IP address and enter the values provided by your system

on page 17).

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

T To 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.

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:

T To manually sync the VOD-W server with the ETV Portal Server

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

Assignments > Assign VOD Polling Interval

2. Click

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

Global Settings > Global

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.

T To 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.

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

QVOD Server

to launch the QVOD Server Console.

5. In the navigation pane on the console, click on Sessions

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.

http://portalserveripaddr) in the address bar.

Start > Program > QuickVideo OnDemand Server > Monitor

to view playback data for the

VOD-W Admin Guide 11

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.

T To 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

3. Right-click the default web site and click

4. Select the

5. Click the

Directory Security tab.

Edit... button under Authentication and access control.

Default Web Site.

Properties.

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

T To 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

3. Right-click the default web site and click

4. Select the

5. Click on the

6. Click

7. Select

8. If the

Directory Security tab.

Server Certificate... button to launch the Server Certificate Wizard.

Next on the Welcome dialog box.

Assign an existing certificate and click Next.

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

10. Check

128-bit encryption

11. Click

Edit... under Secure communications.

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

. Click OK.

Apply and OK and you are done configuring SSL encryption with an existing

certificate.

Default Web Site.

Properties.

2. Getting a New Certificate

T To get a new certi ficate

1. Click

2. Select

3. Select

4. Type a descriptive name for the certificate in the

5. Type an organization name (e.g. VBrick) in the

VOD-W Admin Guide 13

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

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

certificate

in the

to remove the certificate first, and then restart the procedure.)

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

Name field, type a bit length for the key

Bit length field, and then select Next.

Organization field and type an

Remove the current

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.)

7. Enter the appropriate information in the

locality

fields, and then select Next.

Country/Region, State/Province, and City/

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

T To 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

4. Select the

5. Select

6. Select

Directory Security tab Server Certificate to launch the Web Server Certificate Wizard 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

Next.

click

8. Examine the certificate overview, click installed on the VOD-W.

9. Click

10. Check

11. Click

Edit... under Secure communications.

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

128-bit encryption

Apply and OK.

. Click 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.

Properties.

Next, and then click Finish. A certificate is now

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 following and others:

• 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.

on page 18). The supported configurable parameters include the

Getting Started

VOD-W Admin Guide 15

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

Chapter 3

Server Configuration Used for initial configuration or when

adding storage. You must reboot the server after any configuration changes. See Configuring the Server

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

Monitor QVOD Server Use to view status of various server

functions.

on page 18.

on page 39.)

Local or with Remote Desktop Connection.

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

T To launch a Remote Desktop Connection

1. From a remote computer, go to

Remote Desktop Connection

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

3. Enter a valid window.

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

User name and Password and click OK. This launches a Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop Connection utility.

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications >

Connect.

VOD-W Admin Guide 17

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.

T To 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

Monitor QVOD Server

3. To launch the configuration utility, go to

4. To launch the ingestion utility, go to

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

Start > All Programs > QuickVideo OnDemand Server >

Start > Control Panel > InfoValue Quick Video.

Start > All Programs > QuickVideo OnDemand Server >

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

T To launch the server configuration utility

1. Go to

Start > Control Panel > InfoValue Quick Video.

Start > Shutdown > Restart.

Streaming IP IP address of the Content Server. Use the drop down menu to select

the appropriate IP address or use

Auto.

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 Tunneling using port

The port used for HTTP tunneling. Default = 8000. Must not 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

Storage Path

to select the additional storage to be added. Click

to launch the Add Storage Path window. Click Browse

Add to add the

Add

new storage.

File Path Location of the content server log files. If not specified, the default

log path

Server\Logs

C:\Program Files\InfoValue\QuickVideo Content

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.

T To configure for HTTP tunneling on the VOD-W Server

1. In the Configuration Utility, go to the

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.

T To configure for HTTP tunneling on the Portal Server

1. Open the Portal Server Admin console, go to

VoD/FTP Servers

2. Configure the same

, and select the VOD-W server you wish to configure.

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).

QVOD tab and check Support HTTP Tunneling

Global Settings > Servers > Add/Modify

VOD-W Admin Guide 19

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

the Portal Server

with the specified port number. Then configure the VOD-W to use

Web Service Port (HTTP) on

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.

T To 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

3. On the

4. Check the

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

Advanced tab, click on Transport Setup and then Custom.

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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Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual