Table Of Contents
Creating and Managing Programs
About Programs
Playing Hinted and Nonhinted IP/TV Programs over an ACNS Network
Configuring Multicast IP Addresses for IP/TV Programs
About Live Events
Configuration Requirements for Managed Live Events
Live Stream Interruptions
About Scheduled WMT Rebroadcasts
About TV-Out Programs
About Export Programs
Viewing Programs
Viewing and Modifying API Programs
Previewing a Program
Defining a Program
Creating a Live Program
Choosing a Live Channel
Adding a New Live Channel
Assigning Content Engines and Device Groups
Configuring Live Stream Settings
Configuring Live Stream Settings for a WMT Live Program
Configuring Live Stream Settings for a Cisco Streaming Engine Live Program
Scheduling Live Programs
Creating a WMT Rebroadcast Program
Choosing the Media Files
Assigning Content Engines
Assigning Device Groups
Configuring Streaming Settings
Scheduling WMT Rebroadcast Programs
Creating a TV-Out Program
Enabling the TV-Out Feature
Supported MPEG File Specifications
Selecting Media Files and Overlay Images for Playlists
Adding Media Files to a Playlist
Adding an Overlay Image to a Playlist
Editing a Overlay Image
Assigning an Overlay Image to a Media File
Scheduling TV-Out Programs
Assigning Content Engines to Playlists
Assigning Device Groups to Playlists
Viewing the TV-Out Playback Guide
Creating an Export Program
Selecting Export Channels for Set Top Box Playback
Assigning Content Engines to an Export Channel
Assigning Device Groups to an Export Channel
Viewing Export Playlist Settings
Copying a Program
Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs
Configuring Program Multicast Addresses
Creating and Managing Programs
This chapter explains how to create and manage live, WMT rebroadcast, TV-out, and export programs (for export to set top boxes). It contains the following sections:
•
About Programs
•Viewing Programs
•Defining a Program
•Creating a Live Program
•Creating a WMT Rebroadcast Program
•Creating a TV-Out Program
•Creating an Export Program
•Copying a Program
•Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs
About Programs
A program in ACNS software is defined as a scheduled event in which the content is presented to the end user. Attributes of the program include the start and end time of the program, whether the content is pre-positioned or live, the set of Content Engines assigned to the program, and the streaming server to be used for content delivery.
Program types determine the hardware or software component involved in delivering content to the user. Different program types are:
•Cisco Streaming Engine live
•WMT live
•WMT rebroadcast
•TV-out
•Export (meant for a third-party device such as a set top box)
The Content Distribution Manager GUI allows you to create a program, schedule it, and deliver it over your multicast-enabled ACNS network. Programs can consist of prerecorded video or live events. In the case of live events, ACNS software interoperates with third-party encoders and IP/TV Broadcast Servers to transmit the live stream across the ACNS network.
When creating a program in the Content Distribution Manager GUI, the administrator specifies the following information:
•Streaming server—How the program will be streamed or delivered to the end user
–Cisco Streaming Engine—The event is played from a PC using the Apple QuickTime application or using the IP/TV Viewer application
–WMT server—The event is played using a Windows Media Technologies player
–TV-out device—The event is displayed over a television monitor that is directly connected to the Content Engine
–Exported—The program is exported over HTTP to a set top box
•Media source
–Live stream transmitted from a third-party encoder or an IP/TV Broadcast Server
–Pre-positioned content stored on Content Engines
•Destination
–A set of Content Engines or device groups
–A channel (live or export)
•Delivery method
–Unicast or multicast live events
–Multicast scheduled rebroadcasts
–TV-out or export playlists
•Schedule
–Start time and duration
–Looping forever (enabled or disabled)
–Multiple playback times
–Repeating playback times
•Publishing URL—The URL used to view the program
Playing Hinted and Nonhinted IP/TV Programs over an ACNS Network
Note Hinted files contain hint tracks, which store packetization information that tells the streaming server how to package the media data. The streaming server uses the packetization information in the hint tracks to stream the media data to the network.
The Cisco Streaming Engine supports only hinted files (MOV and hinted MP4 files) for streaming. If you are creating a file-based IP/TV program for streaming over an ACNS network, make sure that you use only hinted files such as those with .mov or .mp4 extensions.
However, you can pre-position IP/TV on-demand programs based on nonhinted files such as .mpg files on Content Engines when IP/TV is integrated with an ACNS network by using the TV-out feature. (See the "Creating a TV-Out Program" section.)
Configuring Multicast IP Addresses for IP/TV Programs
If an IP/TV program that you want to deliver over an ACNS network uses live multicast mode, you must use the same multicast IP address for the audio, video, and SlideCast streams.
This requirement does not apply if the Content Engine used for live splitting is running ACNS 5.1.5 or later software. However, this requirement still applies if the Content Engine is running ACNS 5.1.1 software, even if you are running IP/TV 5.1.5 or later software on IP/TV Program Manager.
About Live Events
Live events are streamed from third-party encoders (such as the Windows Media encoder Version 9 and the QuickTime encoder) or from streaming servers (such as Windows Media Server). The live stream is acquired by the root Content Engine and transmitted to edge Content Engines using unicast. From the edge Content Engines, the live stream is transmitted to end users using either multicast or multicast and unicast live splitting. The live program is available to viewers only during its scheduled times.
Before setting up a live event in the Content Distribution Manager GUI, the administrator must complete the following tasks:
1. Set up the live event on the encoder or streaming server. This task is done externally to the Content Distribution Manager GUI.
2. In the Content Distribution Manager GUI, accept the streaming server's license agreement (WMT or RTSP) on the Content Engines designated to acquire and distribute the stream. (See the "Licensing and Enabling Streaming Servers" section.)
3. Create a live channel (or designate an existing channel as a live channel), assign Content Engines to the live channel, and designate a root Content Engine to acquire the stream. (See the "Creating and Modifying Channels" section.)
After you have completed the preceding tasks, you are ready to define the program and configure the program settings in the Content Distribution Manager GUI. See the "Defining a Program" section. The Content Distribution Manager allows you to define two types of live events based on the streaming server being used:
•WMT live
•Cisco Streaming Engine live
See the "Creating a Live Program" section.
Configuration Requirements for Managed Live Events
If you have channels for live programs configured in your ACNS 5.2 network, make sure that there are no external proxy servers physically located between your ACNS 5.2 receiver Content Engines and your ACNS 5.2 root Content Engine that require proxy authentication. Also, make sure that proxy authentication is not enabled on any receiver Content Engines that might be in the logical, hierarchical path between the root Content Engine and the receiver Content Engine that is going to serve the live stream to the requesting clients. If a live stream encounters any device that requires proxy authentication, the stream will be dropped before it reaches its destination.
If your network is set up with intermediary devices that require proxy authentication, you can work around the problem by configuring rules to bypass authentication on these devices.
For example, to enable the formation of the unicast splitting tree and, in turn, enable live broadcasting from all receiver Content Engines, you can specify the following rule on all of the parent Content Engines in the channel:
ContentEngine(config)# rule pattern-list 1 downstream-CE-ipaddress
ContentEngine(config)# rule no-auth pattern-list 1
Live Stream Interruptions
During a WMT live broadcast, any interruption of the live stream that lasts five minutes or longer causes the multicast broadcast to cease for the duration of the currently scheduled period. If the live stream is interrupted for less than five minutes, the broadcast resumes.
Live stream interruptions can be caused by unexpected encoder failures or by an operational restart. If you have early trials scheduled prior to the live event, we recommend that you configure multiple schedules, one for each trial. We also recommend that you start the encoder prior to the scheduled time.
If the live stream stops for more than five minutes and resumes later while the program is still scheduled, you can modify the schedule or any other attribute of the program (such as the description) to trigger a restart of the multicast broadcast. Restarting might take up to five minutes under these circumstances.
This note does not apply to unicast delivery of a WMT live event or to Cisco Streaming Engine live programs.
About Scheduled WMT Rebroadcasts
In a scheduled WMT rebroadcast, pre-positioned content is scheduled to be streamed from edge Content Engines using multicast. To define a program for a rebroadcast event, the administrator must complete the following tasks:
1. Create a content acquisition channel and pre-position the content.
2. Assign media files to the program.
3. Specify the multicast address and port or define a program address pool.
4. Specify the days and times for the rebroadcast.
Note For WMT rebroadcast programs, media can only be selected from one channel. The Content Engines and device groups assigned to the channel are selected automatically when you choose the media files for the program.
The Content Distribution Manager allows you to define a program as a WMT rebroadcast program. (See the "Creating a WMT Rebroadcast Program" section.)
About TV-Out Programs
A TV-out program is a scheduled program that is based on a playlist. A playlist is list of media files and their associated attributes. When you define a TV-out program, you set up a schedule called a playtime. A playlist can have between one and ten different playtimes.
To define a program for TV-out, the administrator must complete the following tasks:
1. Create a content acquisition channel and pre-position the content.
2. Select a content channel to be associated with the program.
3. Specify the days and times for the program to play.
See the "Creating a TV-Out Program" section.
Note For TV-out programs, Content Engines are assigned directly to the program. Content can be acquired from one channel and distributed through a different channel. In other words, the program distribution channel does not have to be the same as the content acquisition channel or channels. To ensure a successful playback, however, the administrator must verify that the media files are pre-positioned on all Content Engines assigned to the program distribution channel.
About Export Programs
An export program is a program that is played across one or more set top boxes (STBs). The administrator selects the media files and image overlays, selects an export channel, and assigns devices to the export channel. The schedule for the playtimes is controlled by the set top box.
See the "Creating an Export Program" section.
Viewing Programs
The Programs window of the Content Distribution Manager GUI lists all of the programs defined in your ACNS network. Programs can be defined through the Content Distribution Manager GUI or through an API.
The Programs window allows you to view scheduled programs by day, week, month, or year. You can sort and filter programs by name, type, or schedule. You can also preview live programs while they are playing.
To view all the programs defined in your ACNS network, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears listing, all the programs that have been defined through either the Content Distribution Manager GUI or the Program API. (See Figure 7-1.)
Figure 7-1 Viewing Programs Defined in the Network
Step 2 Choose the Day, Week, Month, or Year tab to view the playback schedules. Scheduled playlists are listed by start time (initial start time plus any repeat intervals). Times begin with the current device time (current system time plus device time zone offset).
The Unscheduled tab displays all unscheduled programs defined in your ACNS network. The All tab displays all the programs defined in your ACNS network. The Programs window opens to this view by default.
Step 3 Sort columns by clicking the column heading. You can also combine filtering conditions. For example, you can filter only WMT live programs and then choose the Week tab to view the week of November 23 to November 29, 2003. Table 7-1 describes the information that is displayed in this window.
Table 7-1 Programs Window Information
Item
|
Description
|
Tabs
|
|
Day/Week/Month/Year
|
Lists programs based on their schedule. The current day, week, month, or year is displayed by default. You can navigate to the next or previous day, week, month, or year by clicking the back or forward arrows in the date field.
|
Unscheduled
|
Lists only programs with no schedule defined.
|
All
|
Lists all programs. This is the default view.
|
Program Listing Table
|
|
Program
|
Program name, which must be unique to the Content Distribution Manager.
|
Type
|
Program type. Program types are:
•Cisco Streaming Engine live
•Export
•TV-out
•WMT live
•WMT rebroadcast
|
Schedule
|
Describes the schedule. Options are:
•None (the program has no schedule)
•Loop continuously
•Number of playtimes (the number of times that the program is scheduled to be shown)
|
Start Time
|
Program start time in a scheduled view (Day, Week, Month, or Year tab). Lists up to 3 start times if repeat broadcasts are configured.
|
Duration
|
Duration of the program or the looping time in a scheduled view (Day, Week, Month, or Year tab).
|
Viewing and Modifying API Programs
Programs created through APIs are based on a program file. A program file contains the elements that define the schedule, content, and presentation parameters. It is a text file written in XML format, similar to the manifest file. The program file contains most of the program settings and resides on an external server. The Content Distribution Manager obtains the program file, parses it, and saves the program file to the database. The program is automatically updated at intervals by refetching the program file and reparsing it.
In contrast, programs defined using the Content Distribution Manager GUI are not based on a program file; the settings entered in the Content Distribution Manager GUI are saved directly to the database.
Programs created using an API can be viewed in the Content Distribution Manger as read only, and modifications to API programs can be done through the API. You can also edit the API program using the Content Distribution Manager GUI; however, if you choose this option, the information about the API program file is deleted and the program can no longer be modified through the API. A third option is to copy the API program using the Content Distribution Manager copy program feature. The new copy will not contain the program file information and will be treated as a Content Distribution Manager GUI-generated program for the purposes of editing. (See the "Copying a Program" section.)
You can delete any program from the list (whether created through the Content Distribution Manager GUI or through an API) in the Programs window of the Content Distribution Manager GUI.
Previewing a Program
You can preview live programs by live split or by joining a multicast broadcast. Live programs can only be viewed during the scheduled playtime. You can preview WMT rebroadcast programs by joining the multicast broadcast during the scheduled playtime.
To preview a live Cisco Streaming Engine or WMT program or scheduled rebroadcast, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears.
Step 2 Click the Play icon next to the name of a program. A program preview window pops up, displaying the program information with links to view the program.
Note The Play icon only appears while the live program is playing. If a program is not currently playing, you cannot view it.
Step 3 Click the URL reference link for the program. You have the option to choose a multicast or unicast URL reference, if such are defined for the program. A new window with the URL reference opens.
To successfully view the program, you must meet these conditions:
•You must be able to access the client network.
•You must have a WMT plug-in installed to view WMT live programs.
•You must have a QuickTime or IP/TV plug-in installed to view Cisco Streaming Engine live programs.
Defining a Program
When you define a new program, you must choose one of the following program types:
•Cisco Streaming Engine live
•Export
•TV-out
•WMT live
•WMT rebroadcast
After you have completed the following initial configuration, proceed to the section corresponding to the specific program type you are defining.
To define a program, follow these steps:
Step 1 In the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears.
Step 2 Click the Create a new Program icon in the taskbar. The Adding New Program window appears. (See Figure 7-2.)
Figure 7-2 Adding New Program Window
Step 3 Enter a unique name for the program in the Name field.
Step 4 Choose the type of program you are creating from the Type drop-down list.
Step 5 If you wish the program to be automatically deleted from the Content Manager GUI 24 hours after its scheduled end time, check the Auto Deletion check box. This option only applies to live programs.
Step 6 If you wish, enter a description of the program in the Description field.
Step 7 For TV-out programs, check the Shuffle check box if you want media files to be played in random order. If left unchecked, media files are played in the order listed.
Step 8 For TV-out programs, check the Graceful Exit check box if you want the program to continue playing to the end of the current media file when the program schedule ends. This avoids ending the program in the middle of a media file.
Step 9 Click Submit to save your program definition.
You have defined the type of program that you want to configure. Proceed to the section for configuring that type of program.
•To configure Cisco Streaming Engine live and WMT live programs, see the next section, "Creating a Live Program."
•To configure WMT rebroadcast programs, see the "Creating a WMT Rebroadcast Program" section.
•To configure TV-out programs, see the "Creating a TV-Out Program" section.
•To configure set top box programs, see the "Creating an Export Program" section.
Creating a Live Program
A live event can be defined as a WMT live program or it can be defined as a Cisco Streaming Engine live program. To program a live event, define the program following the steps in the previous section ("Defining a Program") and choose Cisco Streaming Engine Live or WMT Live from the Type drop-down list. Now you must choose a live channel. Proceed to the next section, "Choosing a Live Channel."
Choosing a Live Channel
To choose a live channel, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon of the program for which you want to select a live channel. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Select Live Channel. The Selecting Live Channel for Program window appears. (See Figure 7-3.)
Figure 7-3 Selecting Live Channel for Program Window
This window lists all the live channels in the system.
Step 4 Click the radio button next to the name of the live channel that you want to associate with the program. Only one live channel can be associated per program.
Step 5 Click Submit to save this setting.
Adding a New Live Channel
If you wish to add a new live channel to associate with your live programs, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Selecting Live Channel for Program window (see Figure 7-3), click the Create a new Live Channel icon in the taskbar. The Adding New Live Channel window appears. (See Figure 7-4.)
Figure 7-4 Adding New Live Channel Window
Step 2 The Name field is automatically populated with a unique channel name. If you wish to change the name given by default, enter a unique name for the channel in this field.
Step 3 Choose a predefined content provider from the Content Provider drop-down list or choose None, which is the default. (See the "Creating and Modifying Content Providers" section.)
Step 4 Choose a predefined website from the WebSite drop-down list. (See the "Creating and Modifying Websites" section.)
Note For WMT live programs, the origin server for the live channel's website should be the root Content Engine DNS name or IP address.
Step 5 Click Submit to save the live channel settings.
Step 6 To deselect a channel, click the Clear button.
After you have associated a live channel with the program, you need to assign Content Engines, device groups, or both to the associated live channel and choose a root Content Engine. Proceed to the next section, "Assigning Content Engines and Device Groups."
Assigning Content Engines and Device Groups
The Content Engine and device group assignment windows are only available from the Contents pane after you have associated a live channel with a program.
To assign Content Engines to the live channel, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a live WMT or Cisco Streaming Engine program. If this program is associated with a live channel, the Live Channels Assignments option appears in the Contents pane.
Step 3 Choose Live Channels Assignments > Assign Content Engine. The Content Engine Assignments for Live Channel window appears.
Step 4 To make batch Content Engine assignments, click the Assign all Content Engines icon in the taskbar, or click the Remove all Content Engines icon.
Step 5 To make individual assignments, click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to the name of an individual Content Engine.
Step 6 Choose a root Content Engine from the Root CE drop-down list in the task bar.
Step 7 Click Submit to save the assignments.
To assign device groups to the live channel, follow these steps:
Step 1 From Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a live WMT or Cisco Streaming Engine program. If this program is associated with a live channel, the Live Channels Assignments option appears in the Contents pane.
Step 3 Choose Live Channels Assignments > Assign Device Groups. The Device Group Assignments for Live Channel window appears.
Step 4 To make batch device group assignments, click the Assign all Device Groups icon in the taskbar, or click the Remove all Device Groups.
Step 5 To make individual assignments, click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to the name of an individual device group.
Note For information on creating device groups, see the "Creating and Modifying Device Groups" section.
Step 6 Choose a root Content Engine from the Root CE drop-down list in the taskbar.
Step 7 Click Submit to save the assignments.
You are now ready to configure the source URL for the live event as well as the unicast and multicast publishing URLs for the event. Proceed to the next section, "Configuring Live Stream Settings."
Configuring Live Stream Settings
In this section, you will configure the source URL as well as the unicast and multicast publishing URLs for the live event.
Note For WMT live programs, URLs of the form mms://<root CE>/<program_name> (which are used to enable unicast delivery to end clients) must be transparently intercepted by WCCP or must be explicitly configured to use an MMS proxy before they can be served by a Content Engine. Such MMS URLs cannot be delivered directly to the root Content Engine.
Configuring Live Stream Settings for a WMT Live Program
To configure live stream settings for a WMT live program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a live WMT program.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Live Streaming. The Streaming Settings for Program window appears. (See Figure 7-5.)
Figure 7-5 Streaming Settings for a WMT Live Program
Step 4 In the Live Source URL field, enter the URL of the origin WMT encoder or Windows Media Server using the following format:
http:// WMTencoder:port
For encoder failover, you can specify more than one encoder. Separate live source URLs in the list using a semicolon (;).
For example:
http://encoder_1:8080;http://encoder_2:8080
Step 5 If the program requires unicast transmission, check the Enable Unicast Delivery to Client check box. check box. If a live channel has been associated with the program, a unicast URL is automatically generated and appears in the Unicast URL Reference field. The URL should follow this format:
mms://OS-fqdn-of-live-channel/programName
Step 6 To enable multicast delivery, check the Enable Multicast Delivery to Client check box. If a live channel has been associated with the program, a multicast URL is automatically generated and appears in the Multicast URL Reference field. The URL should follow this format:
http://ce_ipaddress/programName.nsc
Note Although the GUI indicates that you can use the Content Router FQDN or the Content Engine IP address or hostname, we strongly recommend that you do not use the Content Router FQDN for the multicast URL reference.
Step 7 If you enabled multicasting, you must enter the multicast address and the port number. The address range is 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. The port number range is 1 to 65535. These values must be unique within the system.
Alternatively, the multicast address and port can be automatically selected from the program address pool, if one has been defined. (See the "Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs" section.) To automatically choose the multicast address and port, click the Auto Select button.
Step 8 In the Multicast TTL field, specify the multicast Time To Live (number of hops). The default is 15 hops.
Step 9 Click Submit to save the settings.
Configuring Live Stream Settings for a Cisco Streaming Engine Live Program
The two major differences between Cisco Streaming Engine live program streaming settings and WMT live program streaming settings are:
•Cisco Streaming Engine live programs can have more than one live stream (audio, video, and slides). Each stream requires a unique multicast address and port.
•Publishing multicast and unicast URLs for Cisco Streaming Engine Live programs cannot be autogenerated. The URLs point to meta files (sdp) that are generated and reside on an external server controlled by the administrator.
To configure live stream settings for a Cisco Streaming Engine Live program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a live Cisco Streaming Engine program.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Live Streaming. The Streaming Settings for Program window appears. (See Figure 7-6.)
Figure 7-6 Streaming Settings for a Cisco Streaming Engine Live Program
Step 4 In the Origin Server SDP File URL field, enter the URL for the SDP file generated on the encoder.
Step 5 If you wish to enable unicast, enter a unicast URL in the Unicast URL Reference field, using the following format:
rtsp://source_hostIP or FQDN/path/filename.sdp
Step 6 To enable multicast delivery, check the Enable Multicast Delivery to Client check box.
Step 7 In the Multicast URL Reference field, enter the source URL using the following format:
http://source_hostIP or FQDN/path/filename
Step 8 In the Multicast TTL field, specify the multicast Time To Live (number of hops). The default is 15 hops.
Step 9 Define at least one live stream.
a. Enter the stream source server IP address in the Source Server field.
b. Enter the root Content Engine port number in the Root CE Port field.
You can define up to 10 different live streams for each program.
Step 10 To add a new live stream, click the Add New Live Stream button.
Step 11 Enter the multicast address and port for each live stream defined. The address range is 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. The port number range is 1 to 65535. These values must be unique within the system.
Alternatively, the multicast address and port can be automatically chosen for each stream from the program address pool, if one has been defined. (See the "Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs" section.) To automatically choose the multicast address and port, click the Auto Select button.
Step 12 Click Submit to save the settings.
You have completed live stream configuration. You must now set the playtimes for the program. Proceed to the next section, "Scheduling Live Programs."
Scheduling Live Programs
Each live program can have up to 10 different playtimes scheduled. The program start time can be specified in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), which is the same as Greenwich mean time (GMT), or in the Content Engine local time. The program is broadcast from all Content Engines simultaneously; local Content Engine time may differ based on the time zone settings of the device.
To schedule a live program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a live program.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Schedule. The Scheduling Program window appears.
Step 4 Click the Add a new Playtime icon (See Figure 7-7.)
Figure 7-7 Scheduling Program Window—Adding a New Playtime
Step 5 Enter a start date and time for the program. By default, the playtime starts at the current time and lasts 1 hour.
Step 6 Choose either UTC or CE(s) Local Time from the drop-down list. The default is UTC.
In general, a live event should be based on UTC time for successful delivery across time zones. However, if all Content Engines are located in the same time zone, the program can use local Content Engine time.
Step 7 Enter the duration of the program. The duration can be configured in minutes, hours, or days.
Step 8 Choose whether or not to repeat the program. If you choose to repeat the program, choose how often to repeat it.
•Do Not Repeat—Configures a one-time live event.
•Repeat Every—Configures the program to repeat every so many days, hours, or minutes.
•Repeat Weekly—Configures the program to repeat at the same hour on the days that you choose.
Step 9 Click Submit to save the settings.
Creating a WMT Rebroadcast Program
You define a scheduled WMT rebroadcast program in the Content Distribution Manager GUI when you choose WMT Rebroadcast as the program type. (See the "Defining a Program" section.) After you define the program as a WMT rebroadcast program, you are ready to choose the media files that you want to include in the program. Proceed to the next section, "Choosing the Media Files."
Choosing the Media Files
In this section you define a series of media files to be played during your scheduled rebroadcast program. You define the media file playlist by performing the following tasks in the Content Distribution Manger GUI:
1. Choose the content channel
2. Perform a content query based on search criteria
3. Select media that has replicated on the root Content Engine
4. Define an ordered list of the selected media files
To choose media files for playback, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of a WMT rebroadcast program.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Select Media. The Selecting Media Files for Program window appears. (See Figure 7-8.)
Figure 7-8 Selecting Media Files for WMT Rebroadcast Program
Step 4 Choose a content channel from the list by clicking the radio button next to the name of the channel.
Step 5 Click the Show Media in Selected Channel button. The Media File Selection pane appears. (See Figure 7-9.)
Figure 7-9 Media File Selection Pane
Step 6 Search the channel for the media files that you want to add to the playlist by entering the search criteria in the Criteria field. Use an asterisk (*) to match zero or more characters, or a question mark (?) to match exactly one character. For example, use "*.mpg" for all files with the suffix "mpg," and "file?.mpg" to match file1.mpg, file2.mpg, and so on. Click Use Criteria. All media files in the selected channel that match the criteria appear.
Step 7 Check the Pick check box next to each media file that you want to add to the playlist and click the Add Media button. The media file is added to the bottom of the list in the Media Files in Program pane on the right.
Step 8 In the right pane, use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to move a media file up or down one position in the list. Unless you check the Shuffle check box in the Playlist Information window, files are played in the order in which they are listed.
Note that the Up Arrow and Down Arrow are only displayed if the list of media files in the playlist is sorted by position. If you sort the media files alphabetically, for example, then the arrows do not appear.
Step 9 To remove a media file from the list, check the Pick check box next to the file and click the Remove Media button.
Note Media for a WMT rebroadcast program can only be chosen from a single channel. If you choose media files from different channels, a warning message appears, and all previously chosen media files are erased.
Step 10 Click Submit to save the playlist.
You have chosen a content channel for the program, and you have also chosen the media files from that channel that you want to add to the program playlist. You are now ready to assign Content Engines or device groups from the channel to the program. Proceed to the next section, "Assigning Content Engines."
Assigning Content Engines
For WMT rebroadcast programs, media can only be selected from one channel. The Content Engines and device groups assigned to that channel are selected automatically when you choose the media files for the program. If at a later time you add new Content Engines or device groups to the channel, you must manually add the new Content Engines (individually, or as a device group, or both) to the program.
To assign new Content Engines to the WMT rebroadcast program that you are creating, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon for the WMT rebroadcast program that you want to modify. The Modifying Program window for the WMT rebroadcast program that you are working on appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Assign Content Engines. The Assignment of Content Engine of Channel to Program window appears. (See Figure 7-10.)
Figure 7-10 Assigning Content Engines to the WMT Rebroadcast Program
Note If you have not chosen a channel and added media files to the program from the channel, this window does not appear. Instead, you see the Content Engine Assignments for Program window, which directs you choose your media files first.
Step 4 Click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to as many Content Engines as you want to assign to the program and click Submit. A green tick mark appears next to the assigned Content Engine.
Step 5 To unassign a Content Engine that has been assigned to the program, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the assigned Content Engine and click Submit.
Assigning Device Groups
To assign a new device group to the WMT rebroadcast program that you are creating, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon for the WMT rebroadcast program that you want to modify. The Modifying Program window for the WMT rebroadcast program that you are working on appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Assign Device Groups. The Assignment of Device Groups of Channel to Program window appears.
Note If you have not chosen a channel and added media files to the program from the channel, this window does not appear. Instead, you see the Device Group Assignments for Program window, which directs you choose your media files first.
Step 4 Click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to as many device groups as you want to assign to the program and click Submit. A green tick mark appears next to the assigned device group.
Step 5 To unassign a device group that has been assigned to the program, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the assigned device group and click Submit.
Configuring Streaming Settings
To configure streaming settings for a scheduled WMT rebroadcast program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon for the WMT rebroadcast program that you want to modify. The Modifying Program window for the WMT rebroadcast program that you are working on appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Streaming. The Streaming Settings for Program window appears.
Step 4 In the Multicast URL Reference field, enter the source URL using the following format:
http://ce_ipaddress/programName.nsc
Note Although the GUI indicates that you can use the Content Router FQDN or the Content Engine IP address or hostname, we strongly recommend that you do not use the Content Router FQDN for the multicast URL reference.
Step 5 Enter the multicast address and the port number. The address range is 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. The port number range is 1 to 65535. These values must be unique within the system.
Alternatively, the multicast address and port can be automatically chosen from the program address pool, if one has been defined. (See the "Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs" section.) To automatically choose the multicast address and port, click the Auto Select button.
Step 6 In the Multicast TTL field, specify the multicast Time To Live (number of hops). The default is 15 hops.
Step 7 Click Submit to save the settings.
Scheduling WMT Rebroadcast Programs
To schedule a WMT rebroadcast program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon for the WMT rebroadcast program that you want to schedule. The Modifying Program window for the WMT rebroadcast program that you are working on appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Schedule. The Scheduling Program window appears.
Step 4 If you want the playlist to play in a continuous loop, click the Loop Playback Continuously radio button and click Submit.
Note The Loop Playback Continuously radio button toggles with the Schedule Playback radio button. These options are mutually exclusive; you can choose one option or the other.
Step 5 To schedule playback times for the playlist, click the Schedule Playback radio button. The window refreshes and the Playtimes control window appears. You can schedule up to ten playback times per playlist.
Note No two playback times for a single playlist can have the same start time.
Step 6 To add a playtime (that is, the time a playback is scheduled to occur), click the Add a New Playtime icon, which is in the Playtimes header (see Figure 7-7). A new playtime selection is added to the list, and the Playtime Editor pane appears. Configure the playtime by entering the necessary information in the appropriate fields. To save the playtime, click Submit.
Step 7 To remove an existing playtime, click the Delete icon that is next to the playtime selection you want to remove. The playtime is removed from the schedule.
Step 8 To edit an existing playtime, click the Edit icon next to the scheduled playtime that you want to change. Change the schedule and playback options as necessary. Table 7-2 explains the fields under the Editing Playtime heading.
Note The dates and times that are entered and displayed are observed according to the local times on the Content Engine.
Table 7-2 Playlist Schedule Settings
Schedule Setting
|
Description
|
Start Playback on
|
Local time that the playlist starts playing. This field is required.
|
Playback Once and Stop
|
Playlist is played only once and is stopped.
|
Loop for
|
Playlist repeats for the specified duration.
|
Do Not Repeat
|
Playback occurs only once and does not repeat.
|
Repeat Every
|
Playback repeats every so many minutes, hours, or days according to the interval specified (for example, every 10 minutes).
|
Repeat Weekly at <start time> on selected days
|
Playback repeats weekly at the local time indicated in the Start Playback on fields.
|
Repeat Forever1
|
Playback schedule runs indefinitely.
|
Repeat Until1
|
Playback schedule runs until the date and time that you set.
|
Step 9 Click Submit.
Creating a TV-Out Program
A TV-out program uses a Content Engine equipped with an MPEG decoder card to play back the media files. You can combine media from multiple channels in the playlist and add image overlays to media files in TV-out programs. Before you create a TV-out program, you must first enable the TV-out feature on the Content Engine and designate the format of the signal output.
Enabling the TV-Out Feature
Content Engines that are equipped with an integrated Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoder can convert digital media into analog TV signals. These Content Engines play media files using National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) or Phase Alternation Line (PAL) video signals and can thus play video directly to a TV monitor for applications such as kiosks, cable TV systems, and video walls.
Before you create a TV-out program, you must first enable the TV-out feature on the Content Engine that delivers the program. Enabling the TV-out feature will succeed only if supported audio and video hardware can be detected on the Content Engine. Autodetection of audio and video supported hardware occurs when you enable TV-out. You also need to designate the TV signal output format that is used when delivering content from a TV-out enabled Content Engine to a TV monitor.
To enable the TV-out feature on a Content Engine and designate the format of the signal output, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Devices > Devices.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of the Content Engine that you want to enable for TV-out.
Step 3 In the Contents pane choose Streaming/Caching > TV-out. The TV-out Settings for Content Engine window appears. Table 7-3 describes the corresponding global configuration CLI commands.
Step 4 Check the TV-out Enable check box to enable the TV-out feature.
Step 5 Choose a TV signal output format (ntsc or pal) from the TV-out Signal drop-down list.
Step 6 Click Submit to save the settings.
Step 7 To disable TV-out, uncheck the TV-out Enable check box and click Submit. Disabling TV-out unloads the TV-out driver and stops all associated software.
Table 7-3 GUI Fields and Corresponding CLI Commands
GUI Field
|
Command
|
TV-out Enable (checked)
|
tvout enable
|
TV-out Enable (unchecked)
|
no tvout enable
|
TV-out Signal
|
tvout signal {ntsc | pal}
where ntsc is the NTSC standard and pal is the PAL standard. NTSC is the default.
|
Supported MPEG File Specifications
Table 7-4 lists the supported MPEG file specifications for TV-out enabled devices.
Table 7-4 MPEG File Specifications
Specification
|
Description
|
MPEG stream type
|
MPEG-1 system stream
MPEG-2 program stream
MPEG-2 transport stream
|
MPEG video
|
MPEG-1—4:2:0 Constrained Parameter Bitstream
MPEG-2—4:2:0 Main Profile (MP) at Main Level (ML)
|
MPEG audio
|
Layers 1 and 2 at 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 49 kHz
|
Data rate
|
Up to 15 Mbps
|
Video resolution
|
NTSC
352 x 240 at 30 frames per second (fps)
352 x 480 at 30 fps
480 x 480 at 30 fps
544 x 480 at 30 fps
704 x 480 at 30 fps
720 x 480 at 30 fps
PAL
352 x 288 at 24 fps
352 x 576 at 24 fps
480 x 576 at 24 fps
544 x 576 at 24 fps
704 x 576 at 24 fps
720 x 576 at 24 fps
|
Selecting Media Files and Overlay Images for Playlists
The Content Distribution Manager GUI lets you assemble a series of media files from different channels to create a playlist. The media is then played on any video-out enabled device according to the defined order in the playlist. You can associate one overlay image with each playlist. The user sees this image displayed in a determinable screen location when the playlist it is associated with is playing. Overlay images are useful for displaying logos.
Adding Media Files to a Playlist
To add media files to a playlist, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing playlists listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program to which you want to add media files.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Media and Overlays. The Selecting Media Files for program window appears. (See Figure 7-11.) The left pane displays channels and the right pane displays media files currently in the program playlist. You can add more media files to the playlist.
Figure 7-11 Selecting Media Files for Program Window
Step 4 In the left pane, choose the channel whose media files you want to display. Click Show Media in Selected Channel.
Step 5 Search for the channel's media files by entering the search criteria in the Criteria field. Use an asterisk (*) to match zero or more characters, or a question mark (?) to match exactly one character. For example, use "*.mpg" for all files with the suffix "mpg," and "file?.mpg" to match file1.mpg, file2.mpg, and so on. Click Use Criteria. All media files in the selected channel that match the criteria appear.
Step 6 Check the check box next to each media file that you want to add to the playlist. Click Add. The media file appears in the right pane at the bottom of the list.
Step 7 In the right pane, you can use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to move a media file up or down one position in the list. Unless you check the Shuffle check box in the Playlist Information window, files are played in the order in which they are listed.
Note that the Up Arrow and Down Arrow are only displayed if the list of media files in the playlist is sorted by position. If you sort the media files alphabetically, for example, then the arrows do not appear.
Adding an Overlay Image to a Playlist
Note For CE-507AV and CE-560AV models, overlay images must be Windows bitmap files with 16 colors. They must have 4 bits per pixel and must be less than 64 KB in size. The width of the image (in pixels) must be divisible by 8. Before associating an overlay image, open the image file in an image editor and view its properties to make sure that it meets the above requirements.
Note For CE-510 and CE-565 models, overlay images must be bitmap files with either 16 or 256 colors. They must have 4 or 16 bits per pixel, and must be less than 128 KB in size. The width of the image (in pixels) must be divisible by 8. Before associating an overlay image, open the image file in an image editor and view its properties to make sure that it meets the above requirements.
To add an overlay image to a playlist, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing playlists listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program to which you want to add an overlay image. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Media and Overlays. The Selecting Media Files for program window appears. (See Figure 7-11.) The left pane displays channels and the right pane displays media files currently in the program playlist.
Step 4 In the Channels pane (on the left), choose the channel whose media files you want to display. Click Show Media in Selected Channel.
Step 5 Search for the channel's media files by entering the search criteria in the Criteria field. Use an asterisk (*) to match zero or more characters, or a question mark (?) to match exactly one character. For example, use "*.mpg" for all files with the suffix "mpg," and "file?.mpg" to match file1.mpg, file2.mpg, and so on. Click Use Criteria. All media files in the selected channel that match the criteria appear.
Step 6 In the left pane, check the Pick check box next to the media file that you want to use as an overlay image and click Add Overlays.
The Selecting Media Files for program window becomes the Selecting Overlays for program window. The right pane refreshes and becomes the Overlay Images in Program pane. The media file that you added as an overlay appears in the right pane at the bottom of the list of overlay images.
Step 7 Click Submit.
Editing a Overlay Image
To edit an overlay image, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing playlists listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program for which you want to edit an overlay image. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Media and Overlays. The Selecting Media Files for program window appears. (See Figure 7-11.) The left pane displays channels and the right pane displays media files currently in the program playlist.
Step 4 In the Selecting Media Files for program window, click Edit Program Overlays. A list of overlay images for the selected media file appears in the Overlay Images in Program pane (on the right).
Step 5 In the Overlay Images for Program pane, click the Edit icon next to the overlay image that you want to edit. The Overlay Settings for Playlist pane appears and contains the image name and the channel from which it was obtained.
Step 6 You can edit the parameters of the overlay image by specifying and adjusting its location on the TV-out or set top box monitor, specifying the overall opacity of the image, and choosing whether you want one color to be transparent. If desired, you can remove the entire overlay by clicking Remove Overlay.
For a description of overlay image parameters, see Table 7-5.
Table 7-5 Overlay Image Parameters
Image Parameter
|
Description
|
Name
|
Name of the overlay. A default name is given to each overlay. You can change the default name, but you cannot remove the name. The name must be a valid XML name; that is, it can contain alphanumeric characters and underscores and must be unique.
|
Set as Default Overlay
|
Specifies whether this overlay is the default overlay for this playlist. Each playlist can have only one default overlay.
|
Placement
|
Specifies where the overlay image should appear on the TV-out or STB monitor. Your options are upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right, and center.
|
Height Offset
|
Adjusts placement along the vertical axis. The valid range is from -40 to 40 pixels.
-40 = Moves the image to the lowest possible position on the display.
40 = Moves the image to the uppermost position on the display.
|
Width Offset
|
Adjusts placement along the horizontal axis. The valid range is from -60 to 60 pixels.
-60 = Moves the image to the left-most possible position on the display.
60 = Moves the image to the right-most possible position on the display.
|
Opacity
|
Adjusts the opacity of the overlay image. The valid range is from 0 to 15.
0 = Renders the image completely opaque.
15 = Renders the image nearly transparent.
|
Transparent Color
|
Enables or disables the use of transparent color. When checked, the color of the pixel in the lower left corner of the image is transparent over the entire image. When a transparency-enabled image is placed over a video, the background color of the overlay image is not visible against the video playing behind it. This is useful if you want to use a nonrectangular image as your overlay.
|
Step 7 Click Submit.
Assigning an Overlay Image to a Media File
To assign an overlay image to a media file, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing playlists listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program that you want to edit. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 From the Modifying Program window, choose Assign overlays from the Contents pane. The Assigning Overlay to Media window appears. (See Figure 7-12.)
The left pane displays a list of overlay images in the playlist and the right pane displays media files in the program. The default overlay in the left pane is highlighted. Note that you cannot remove the default overlay.
Figure 7-12 Assigning Overlay to Media Window
Step 4 Click the radio button next to the overlay that you want to associate with a media file or files.
Step 5 In the Media Files in Program pane, check the check box next to the media file or files to which you want to associate the overlay.
Step 6 Click Submit.
Scheduling TV-Out Programs
Note You can only set playback schedules for playlists that are played over TV-out enabled devices.
To set automatic playback schedules for TV-out playlists, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing playlists listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program that you want to schedule. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 From the Modifying Program window, follow Step 3 through Step 9 in the "Scheduling WMT Rebroadcast Programs" section.
Assigning Content Engines to Playlists
Note You can only assign TV-out enabled Content Engines to playlists using the Content Distribution Manager.
To assign a TV-out enabled Content Engine or a group of Content Engines to a playlist, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing programs listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the TV-out program to which you want to assign a Content Engine. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 From the Modifying Program window, choose Assign Content Engines in the Contents pane. The Content Engine Assignments for Playlist window appears. (See Figure 7-13.)
Figure 7-13 Content Engine Assignments for Playlist Window
Step 4 Click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to as many Content Engines as you want to assign to the playlist and click Submit. A green tick mark appears next to the assigned Content Engine.
Step 5 To unassign a Content Engine that has been assigned to the playlist, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the assigned Content Engine and click Submit.
Assigning Device Groups to Playlists
You can assign one or more device groups to a playlist. A device group is a set of devices that share common qualities and capabilities and can be assigned to one or more channels. Some common qualities might include disk capacity, distribution minimum bandwidth, or routing properties. One channel can have many device groups assigned to it.
Device groups are assigned through the Content Distribution Manager GUI. When a channel is created, additional groups are added, or a device group assignment changes, devices in the group are notified of their assignment to the associated channel. Each device can subscribe to more than one channel.
To assign a device group to a playlist, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing programs listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the program to which you want to assign a device group. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 From the Modifying Program window, choose Assign Device Groups in the Contents pane. The Device Group assignments for Playlist window appears. (See Figure 7-14.)
Figure 7-14 Assigning Device Groups to Playlists Window
Step 4 Click the Assign icon next to as many device groups as you want to assign to the current playlist and click Submit. A green tick mark replaces the blue cross mark.
Step 5 To remove device groups from the playlist, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the device groups that you want to remove and click Submit.
Viewing the TV-Out Playback Guide
You can view a playback guide that displays playlists by date for a selected Content Engine. Playback schedules can be viewed by day, week, month, or year.
To view the TV-out playback guide, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Devices > Devices. The Content Engines window appears with a current list of
Content Engines.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the Content Engine whose playback guide you want to view.
Step 3 Choose Streaming/Caching > TV-out Playback Guide from the Contents pane. The TV-out Playback Guide for Content Engine window appears. (See Figure 7-15.)
Figure 7-15 Playback Guide for Content Engine Window
Step 4 Choose the Day, Week, Month, or Year tab to view the playback schedules. Scheduled playlists are listed by start time (initial start time plus any repeat intervals). Times begin with the current device time (current system time plus device time zone offset).
Creating an Export Program
You create an export program when you want to play the program using a set top box. A set top box is a device capable of taking information from a network interface using IP and displaying it on a monitor attached to a video interface (digital-to-analog conversion).
To play video over a set top box, you must complete the following tasks:
1. Define a program as an export program— Defining a Program)
2. Create a playlist by selecting media files and overlay images—Selecting Media Files and Overlay Images for Playlists
3. Configure an export channel to export the playlist to the set top box—Selecting Export Channels for Set Top Box Playback
Selecting Export Channels for Set Top Box Playback
Note You can only create and use export channels for playlists that are played over set top boxes.
To create an export channel for a playlist to be played over an set top box, follow these steps:
Step 1 Choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears with existing programs listed.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the export program for which you want to create an export channel. The Modifying Programs window appears.
Note You must choose a playlist listed as Export in the Type column for the Select Export Channel link to appear as a choice in the Contents pane.
Step 3 Choose Select Export Channel from the Contents pane. The Selecting Export Channel for program window appears. All current export channels already in the system are listed. (See Figure 7-16.) If a channel has already been associated with the current playlist, it appears at the top of the channel column and its radio button is checked.
Figure 7-16 Selecting Export Channel for Program Window
Step 4 To add a new export channel, click the Create a new Export Channel icon. The Adding New Export Channel window appears. (See Figure 7-17.)
Figure 7-17 Adding New Export Channel Window
Step 5 Enter the export channel name in the Name field or use the default channel that is displayed. The export name must follow this naming convention: export_playlist name.
Step 6 Choose a content provider from the Content Provider drop-down list. All previously configured content providers in the system are displayed.
Step 7 From the Website drop-down list, choose a website that contains the playlist file you want to export. All websites mapped to the content provider chosen in the previous step are displayed.
The playlist file URL should have the following format: http://<website_fqdn>/playlists/<playlistName>.xml.
The playlist file does not exist on the origin server and only maps to the routed FQDN.
Step 8 In the Channel Quota field, enter the amount of disk space (in megabytes) that the export channel will use. The default is 5 megabytes.
Step 9 Click Submit. The Selecting Export Channel for program window appears.
Step 10 Check the radio button next to the export channel that you wish to associate with the current playlist.
Step 11 Click Submit. The Export Channel Assignments link appears in the Contents pane.
•Choose Export Channel Assignments > Assign content engines to assign Content Engines to the export channel. (See the "Assigning Content Engines to an Export Channel" section.)
•Choose Export Channel Assignments > Assign device groups to assign device groups to the export channel. (See the "Assigning Device Groups to an Export Channel" section.)
Step 12 To disassociate an export channel from the current playlist, check the radio button next to an associated channel and click the Clear button. Then click Submit. This causes the current playlist to no longer be distributed with the selected export channel.
Assigning Content Engines to an Export Channel
You can assign Content Engines to export channels using the Content Distribution Manager GUI.
To assign Content Engines to an export channel (which has been associated with export-type playlists), follow these steps:
Step 1 Complete Step 1 through Step 11 in the previous section. (See the "Selecting Export Channels for Set Top Box Playback" section.)
If you have exited the Content tab, you can return to the Content Engine assignment window as follows:
a. From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears.
b. Click the Edit icon next to the name of the export program to which you want to assign a Content Engine. The Modifying Program window appears.
c. In the Contents pane, choose Export Channel Assignments > Assign content engines. The Content Engine Assignments for Export Channel window appears, displaying the unreserved and total disk space in the cdnfs partition. Content Engines can be added to the channel from more than one location. A list of the Content Engines in all locations to which they have been assigned appears.
Note If you have not selected an export channel, the Export Channel Assignments link will not appear in the Contents pane.
Step 2 Click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to the name of the Content Engine that you wish to associate with the export channel. Alternatively, you can click the Assign all Content Engines icon in the taskbar to perform a bulk addition of all Content Engines in various locations to the export channel.
Step 3 Click Submit to add the Content Engines to the export channel. A green tick mark appears next to the assigned Content Engine when you click submit.
Step 4 You can perform the following additional tasks while in this window (Content Engine Assignments for Export Channel):
•Remove Content Engines
To remove Content Engines, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the name of the Content Engine that you want to remove from the export channel. Alternatively, you can click the Unassign all Content Engines icon in the taskbar to perform a bulk removal of all Content Engines from the selected export channel.
Click Submit to remove the Content Engines from the export channel. The list of Content Engines in the export channel shows a blue cross mark next to the name of the removed Content Engine.
•Designate a root Content Engine for the export channel
To designate a root Content Engine for an export channel, choose a Content Engine from the Root CE drop-down list in the taskbar. If there are no Content Engines assigned to the channel, no choices appear in the Root CE drop-down list.
Assigning Device Groups to an Export Channel
You can assign device groups to an export channel with which export-type programs have been previously associated. To assign device groups to an export channel, follow these steps:
Step 1 Complete Step 1 through Step 11 in the "Selecting Export Channels for Set Top Box Playback" section.
If you have exited the Content tab, you can return to the Device Group assignment window as follows:
a. From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs. The Programs window appears.
b. Click the Edit icon next to the name of the export program to which you want to assign a device group. The Modifying Program window appears.
c. In the Contents pane, choose Export Channel Assignments > Assign device groups. The Device Group Assignments for Export Channel window appears, displaying a list of the device groups with their minimum unreserved cdnfs disk space.
An asterisk (*) under the Note column denotes that there is no free space available to be assigned to this channel. A double asterisk (**) under the Note column denotes that Content Engines associated with this device group have been already assigned to this channel.
Note If you have not selected an export channel, the Export Channel Assignments link will not appear in the Contents pane.
Step 2 Click the Assign icon (blue cross mark) next to the name of the device group that you wish to associate with the export channel. A green tick mark appears next to the assigned device group when you click Submit. Alternatively, you can click the Assign all Device Groups icon in the taskbar to perform a bulk addition of all device groups in various locations to the export channel.
Step 3 Click Submit to add the device groups to the export channel.
Step 4 You can perform the following additional tasks while in this window (Device Group Assignments for Export Channel):
•Remove device groups
To remove device groups, click the Unassign icon (green tick mark) next to the name of the device group that you want to remove from the export channel. Alternatively, you can click the Unassign all Device Groups icon in the taskbar to perform a bulk removal of all device groups from the selected export channel.
Click Submit to remove the device groups from the export channel. The list of device groups in the export channel shows a blue cross mark next to the name of the removed device group.
•Designate a root Content Engine for the export channel
To designate a root Content Engine for an export channel, choose a Content Engine from the Root CE drop-down list in the taskbar. If there are no Content Engines assigned to the channel, no choices appear in the Root CE drop-down list.
Viewing Export Playlist Settings
You can view the export-type playlists configured on a Content Engine. Set top boxes (STBs) directly connect to these Content Engines to download the playlists and play the media files added to the playlist. For the STBs to function properly, both the playlist file and the playlist content (media files and overlay images) must be available on the particular Content Engine. The STBs download the playlist file using the URL http://<website_fqdn>playlists/<playlistName>.xml.
Export playlists are displayed for a Content Engine only if Content Engines have been assigned to the export channel associated with the export playlist.
To view the export playlists configured on a Content Engine, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Devices > Devices. The Devices window appears.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the Content Engine for which you want to view the associated export playlists. The Modifying Content Engines window appears.
Step 3 In the Contents pane, choose Streaming/Caching > Export Playlists. The Export Playlists for Content Engine window appears.
The playlist name, number of media files, number of overlay images in the playlist, length of the playlists, and playlist file URLs are displayed. Table 7-6 describes the fields in this window.
Table 7-6 Export Playlists for Content Engine—Field Descriptions
Field Name
|
Description
|
Playlist
|
Name of the export playlist associated with the export channel associated with this Content Engine
|
Titles
|
Number of media files added to the playlist
|
Length
|
Number of overlay images assigned to the media files in the playlist
|
Overlays
|
Total playtime of the playlist in hh:mm:ss
|
Playlist File URL
|
URL of the playlist file, which is of the syntax http://<website_fqdn>/playlists/<playlistName>.xml
|
Copying a Program
The program copy feature allows you to create a copy of an existing program and then modify a subset of attributes, thus eliminating the need to reenter all the program settings each time you create programs with similar characteristics.
When you copy a program, a duplicate of the program is created and saved to the database. Any changes that you make to the new copy of the program do not affect the original program and vice versa. Note, however, that if multicast is configured, the multicast address and port cannot be copied. These parameters must be unique across the system. If a program address pool is configured, these parameters can be automatically selected by the system. A notification message alerts you when a new multicast address and port have been selected for a new copy of an original program.
To create a copy of an existing program, follow these steps:
Step 1 From the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Programs.
Step 2 Click the Edit icon next to the name of the program that you want to copy. The Modifying Program window appears.
Step 3 In the taskbar, click the Copy Program icon. You are prompted to confirm your decision. Click OK. The window refreshes, displaying ProgramName_dup in the Name field.
Step 4 Edit any program information that you want to change. (See the "Defining a Program" section.)
Note You cannot change the program type.
Step 5 Click Submit to save your program definition.
Step 6 Edit any of the other program properties found in the Contents pane, such as the program schedule, playlist, or device assignments. (See the appropriate sections in this chapter for configuration information.)
Managing Multicast Addresses for Programs
The Content Distribution Manager manages multicast addresses used for programs. Each Content Engine assigned to a program uses a multicast address for broadcasting. The Content Engine determines which multicast address to use based on the program data. A set of multicast addresses can be specified either in the Program API or by using the Content Distribution Manager. When a program requires a multicast address, the Content Distribution Manager associates one of the addresses with the program. Addresses are allocated for the life of a program. Programs can be configured with an autodelete feature that frees up program addresses automatically about 24 hours after a program schedule is complete.
Note For more information about the Program API, refer to the Cisco ACNS Software API Guide, Release 5.x publication.
Configuring Program Multicast Addresses
When you configure a pool of addresses for programs, ACNS software ensures that none of these addresses are currently in use by any multicast clouds. When the user requests a specific address or a set of addresses to be used for a program, ACNS software issues only those addresses that have not been configured for multicast clouds and are not used by any existing programs. Users receive an error message if no multicast address is associated with the imported program file, if no addresses are available to be configured from the pool, or if the multicast pool has not been configured.
Note If you create a program and specify a set of multicast addresses in the program file, it is not necessary to configure a pool of addresses using the Content Distribution Manager GUI. The pool of multicast addresses is required only if you have not specified the addresses to be used for multicasting in the program file.
To configure a pool of multicast addresses to be used for programs, follow these steps:
Step 1 In the Content Distribution Manager GUI, choose Content > Program Addresses. The Program Multicast Addresses window appears. (See Figure 7-18.)
Figure 7-18 Program Multicast Addresses Window
Step 2 In the Start Address field, specify the first multicast IP address in the pool.
Step 3 In the End Address field, specify the last multicast IP address in the pool.
Step 4 In the TTL field, specify the Time To Live (number of hops) for all addresses configured in the pool.
Step 5 Click Submit to save your settings. The multicast addresses are included in the database record for the program when it requests an address.
The list of multicast addresses that have been currently configured for specific programs is displayed in the Multicast Address column. The User Specified column displays true if the user has already specified the particular address for a program.
