Usage Guidelines
Typically, users create programs using the Content Distribution Manager by defining programs in the manifest file or by using the Program API. The show programs command output displays the program type, the channel with which the program is associated, the current status of the program, and the next time that the program will start next and end.
A program in the 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 that are shown in the output of the show programs command are as follows:
- Cisco Streaming Engine live
- Cisco Streaming Engine rebroadcast
- WMT live
- WMT rebroadcast
- TV-out
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, the 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
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Cisco Streaming Engine—The event is played from a PC using the Apple QuickTime application or using the IP/TV Viewer application
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WMT server—The event is played using a Windows Media Technologies player
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TV-out device—The event is displayed over a television monitor that is directly connected to the Content Engine
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Exported—The program is exported over HTTP to a set top box
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Live stream transmitted from a third-party encoder or an IP/TV Broadcast Server
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Pre-positioned content stored on Content Engines
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A set of Content Engines or device groups
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A channel (live or export)
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Unicast or multicast live events
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Multicast scheduled rebroadcasts
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TV-out or export playlists
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Start time and duration
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Looping forever (enabled or disabled)
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Multiple playback times
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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.
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 the ACNS 5.1.5 software and later releases. However, this requirement still applies if the Content Engine is running the ACNS 5.1.1 software, even if you are running IP/TV 5.1.5 and later releases on IP/TV Program Manager.
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.
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.
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. 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
Configuration Requirements for Managed Live Events
If you have channels for live programs configured in your ACNS 5.3 network, make sure that there are no external proxy servers physically located between your ACNS 5.3 receiver Content Engines and your ACNS 5.3 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 5 minutes or longer causes the multicast broadcast to stop for the duration of the currently scheduled period. If the live stream is interrupted for less than 5 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 5 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 5 minutes under these circumstances. This setting does not apply to unicast delivery of a WMT live event or to Cisco Streaming Engine live programs.
Scheduled Rebroadcasts
In a scheduled rebroadcast, the 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 rebroadcast programs, the 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 or as a Cisco Streaming Engine rebroadcast.
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.
Note
For TV-out programs, Content Engines are assigned directly to the program. The content can be acquired from one channel and distributed through a different channel. 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.