- Preface
- Product Overview
- Network Design
- Getting Started
- Configuring the VDS
- System Monitoring
- System Reporting
- System Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Creating Bulk Configuration Files
- BMS Communication
- SNMP MIB and Trap Information
- Using the TV VDS Streamer Application Monitoring Tool
- Engineering Access Level Pages
- CDDM Management Utility
- Software Licensing Information
- VDS-TV Tunables
- Installation, Upgrade, and Downgrade via YUM
- Configuring for Port Resiliency
Cisco VDS-VR Software 4.1 Configuration Guide
- Updated:
- December 14, 2015
Chapter: System Maintenance
- User Access
- Server Maintenance
- Restarting the Services
- Content Manager
- Software Maintenance
- Manuals
System Maintenance
This chapter explains how to perform common administrative tasks including, updating system software, restarting services, and shutting down the Vault and Streamer servers. This chapter covers the following topics:
Note
If Virtual Video Infrastructure (VVI) with split-domain management is enabled, the CDSM pages associated with the Vaults and Caching Nodes display only on the VVI Manager (VVIM), and the CDSM pages associated with the Streamers display only on the Stream Manager. For more information, see Virtual Video Infrastructure.
Note You must have read/write privileges to perform the functions described in this chapter.
Many of the functions discussed in this chapter involve rebooting a VDS server. Rebooting a Vault server does not interrupt stream services, but causes current ingests to fail. If your VDS does not have stream failover, rebooting a Streamer without offloading it interrupts all stream services. If possible, you should perform functions that require a system restart during times when the least number of users are actively connected to your system.
User Access
Login authentication is used to control user access and configuration rights to the CDSM. Login authentication is the process by which the CDSM verifies whether the person who is attempting to log in to the CDSM has a valid username and password. If the local database is used, the person logging in must have a user account created on the CDSM. If an external server is used, the user account information is stored in an authentication database, and the CDSM must be configured to access the particular authentication server (or servers) where the database is kept.
Each user is assigned an access level. The VDS provides the following levels of user configuration rights:
- Read only access provides access to the monitoring capabilities, reports, and user manuals.
- Read/write access provides the ability to change the configuration settings and monitor all aspects of the system. In addition, a user with read/write access can perform software upgrades, restart servers, and restart services in a VDS.
- Master access has all the privileges of the read/write level and can add, delete, and change the level of access of the other users.
- Engineering access is primarily used for initializing the VDS at the time of installation and for VDS diagnostics. After your VDS has been configured, you should not require a user with engineering access level for day-to-day operations.
There is one built-in user, “admin,” that has master user capabilities. This is the only user that exists on a new system.
If you are using RADIUS or TACACS+ for login authentication, make sure the configuration is correct and the server is operating correctly. If RADIUS or TACACS+ is not configured correctly, or if the RADIUS or TACACS+ server is not online, then the users may be unable to log in to the CDSM.
Local Database User Password Encryption
Passwords are not stored as clear text in the local database. They are stored using Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), which includes a salt that is randomly generated for increased security. When a user logs in to the CDSM, SHA-1 is used to generate the hashed version of the user password, including the randomly generated salt, which is then sent for authentication. If the hashed version stored in the database matches what the user entered, the user is allowed access to CDSM; otherwise, access is denied.
CDSM User Login Checks
System checks are performed on the CDSM during the user login process and during access to the CDSM GUI. If any one of the checks does not pass, access to the CDSM is denied and an error message is displayed with information on which check failed.
Table 7-1 describes the system checks that are performed during the user login process and during user access to the CDSM.
If the checks described in Table 7-1 all pass, the user is authenticated and if authentication is successful, the following checks are performed:
1. If the Force Password Change check box is checked for the user account, then the user is navigated to the Edit User page and the user is forced to change the password.
2. If the Password Expiration Reminder interval has started, the user is navigated to the Edit User page and notified that the password is about to expire. The user can, however, ignore the reminder and continue without changing the password.
Adding Users
The VDS provides one built-in user, “admin,” that has master level access and cannot be deleted. The master user can add additional users with different levels of access.
To add a user, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Users > Add User. The Add User page is displayed.
Step 2 Fill in the fields as described in Table 7-2 .
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Login ID. A user name may have up to 25 characters. Any 7-bit characters from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) character set are allowed. |
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Password associated with the user login name. The password must be at least 5 characters. The maximum is 20. |
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Passwords are validated for complexity; To override the password complexity validation, check the Override Password Check check box. The Override Password Check is not available when the user password is changed for the currently logged in user. |
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Choose the appropriate access level from the drop-down list. See the beginning of User Access, for descriptions of the access levels. |
Step 3 Click Add User to add this user.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Add User—Force Password Change
When a new user is added, the Force Password Change attribute for the user is checked. When the user logs in to the CDSM for the first time, the Edit User page is displayed and the user is forced to change the password.
Note When changing the password, browser-saved passwords may be requested to be changed.
During a password change, the new password is validated for complexity based on the Password Complexity Rules set on the System Authentication page. The password complexity check can be overridden if the change password is performed by a user with Master-level access and the Override Password Check check box is checked. The Override Password Check check box is available on the Add Users page and the Edit Users page if the user has Master-level access.
Editing User Settings
The Edit User page is used to update the user settings.
Note Only users with Master-level access can change the access level, delete a user, and configure the user-level account settings.
To edit the user settings, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Users > Edit User. The Edit User page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Action drop-down list, choose one of the following:
Step 3 From the User Name drop-down list, choose a user name.
Step 4 The fields that are available are based on the Action selected. Table 7-3 describes the fields associated with each Action.
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Password associated with the user login name. The range is 5 to 20 characters. |
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Passwords are validated for complexity; To override the password complexity validation, check the Override Password Check check box. The Override Password Check is not available when the user password is changed for the currently logged in user. |
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Choose the appropriate access level from the drop-down list. See the beginning of User Access, for descriptions of the access levels. |
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When the Lock Account on Failed Login check box is checked, the user is locked out of the CDSM GUI if the number of failed login attempts exceeds the allowed number of failed attempts configured in the System Authentication page. This setting overrides the Lock Account on Unsuccessful Login setting on the System Authentication page. |
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To lock a user out of the CDSM GUI, check the User Account Locked check box. |
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To force a password change for the user, at the next login, check the Force Password Change check box. If this check box is checked, the user is taken to the Edit User page at the next CDSM GUI login and must initiate a password change. |
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Maximum number of concurrent sessions allowed for this user. |
Step 5 Click Submit to save the changes.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Deleting a User
To delete a user from the list of users, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Users > Edit User. The Edit User page is displayed (Figure 7-1).
Step 2 From the Action drop-down list, choose Delete User.
Step 3 From the User Name drop-down list, choose a user.
Step 4 Click Submit to delete the user.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Viewing User Settings
To view all user settings, you must log in with master access level. Choose Maintain > Users > View Users. The View Users page is displayed.
Changing User Default Settings
The User Default Settings page allows you to specify your settings for the Media Scheduler or Playout Scheduler pages so that each time you log in to the CDSM, your settings are recalled. If you have master level access, you can specify the settings for all users.
For more information about the Media Scheduler, see Configuring the Media Scheduler.
To change the default settings for a user, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Users > User Default Settings. The User Default Settings page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Select User drop-down list, choose a user. The User Default Settings page refreshes and displays the user settings (Figure 7-1).
Figure 7-1 User Default Settings Page
Step 3 Enter the settings as appropriate. See Table 7-4 for descriptions of the fields.
Step 4 In the Input Channels Displayed on the Media Scheduler section of the page, check the check boxes for the channels you want to schedule, or check the Select All check box to choose all channels.
Step 5 If you have master level access and you want to apply the user default settings of this page to all users, check the Apply To All Users check box.
Step 6 Click Save to save the changes.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Configuring System Authentication Settings
The System Authentication page is only visible to users with Master-level access. The System Authentication fields apply system wide to all users of the CDSM GUI. Table 7-5 describes the System Authentication fields.
As an example, if the Password Expiration Interval is set to 6 months (180 days) and the Password Expiration Reminder is set to 15 days; then 15 days before the password expires, the user is taken to the Edit Users page where a message is displayed stating the password is soon to expire. The message also includes the number of days the current password is active before it expires. The user has the option to change the password or continue without changing the password.
If the password expires, the user cannot log in to the CDSM. A Master-level user can change the user password and unlock the user account. Anytime the user password is changed by the Master-level user, the Force Password Change check box is checked and the next time the user logs in to the CDSM, the user is taken to the Edit Users page and is forced to change the password. The user is not able to access any of the other CDSM GUI pages until a password change has occurred.
Password Complexity Rules
Password Complexity Rules apply to any password change performed by the user. These rules can be overridden by Master-level users when the Override Password Check check box is checked on the Add Users page or the Edit Users page.
Configuring User Authentication
The VDS software offers the following database options for maintaining user authentication data:
- Local database (located on the CDSM)
- RADIUS server (external database)
- TACACS+ server (external database)
The User Authentication page displays the configuration settings of the Authentication Protocol, which is configured through the cdsconfig script. The user authentication settings consist of choosing an external access server (TACACS+ or RADIUS) or the internal (local) CDSM authentication database for user access management, and setting the challenge key and timeout. The default is to use the local database for authentication. The cdsconfig script prompts you for the primary and backup external access server configuration. If the CDSM does not get a response from the primary server within the timeout period, the backup server is contacted.
Note The CDSM does not cache user authentication information. Therefore, if an external server is used, the user is reauthenticated against the Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server or the Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+) server each time a user logs in to the CDSM. If the authentication is successful, a user session is created and is used to grant access to the different pages of the CDSM GUI. The session is destroyed when the user logs out of the CDSM. To prevent performance degradation caused by many authentication requests, install the CDSM in the same location as the RADIUS or TACACS+ server, or as close as possible to it, to ensure that authentication requests can occur as quickly as possible.
Server Maintenance
The Server Maintenance pages provides the ability to offload and shutdown a server for maintenance, and to restart a server without shutting it down. The Server Maintenance pages include the following:
- Restarting a Server
- Shutting Down a Server
- Offloading a Server
- Upgrading the VDS Software
- Setting System Thresholds
Restarting a Server
Restarting a Vault or Streamer server while there are still active ingests and streams causes the current ingests and streams to fail.
Restarting a server briefly shuts down the unit, then restarts it using the installed version software image. This action does not power off the unit.
To restart a server, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Server Restart. The Server Restart page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP/Name drop-down list, choose the IP address or nickname of the server and click Display. The server type and ID, as well as the array ID, are displayed.
Step 3 From the Restart drop-down list, choose Yes and click Submit.
Shutting Down a Server
Shutting down a Vault or Streamer server while there are still active ingests and streams causes the current ingests and streams to fail.
Shutting down by simply powering off the unit using the chassis power button is not recommended, as this may result in corruption of the configuration information, including system status when the shutdown occurred.
Shutting down and restarting using the CDSM is the recommended procedure. The Server Shutdown shuts down and powers off the selected unit.
To shut down and power off a server, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Server Shutdown. The Server Shutdown page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP/Name drop-down list, choose the IP address or nickname of the server and click Display. The server type and ID, as well as the array ID, are displayed.
Step 3 From the Shutdown drop-down list, choose Yes and click Submit.
Offloading a Server
The Server Offload page lets you set a server to Online or Offline. When a server is offline, the server is configured to reject new provisioning; that is, new ingests are not allowed on a Vault and new streams are not allowed on a Streamer and existing streams are moved to another Streamer gracefully.
If HTTP is used as the cache-fill protocol between Caching Nodes and Streamers and the Caching Node hosting the locate port is set to Offline, then a backup or available Caching Node in the same Cache Group becomes the primary host of the locate port. If a backup or available Caching Node is set to Offline, the state is changed from backup or available to not usable. This failover scenario is similar to the Setup and Control server failover scenario for Streamers, in that all servers in the same group advertise their availability to act as the primary with a backup taking over as primary if the primary becomes unavailable because of offline status, losing connectivity, or failure.
The Vault or ISV has two options for setting a server to offline:
The Offline (No Ingest) option enables the Vault or ISV to continue handling cache-fill requests and mirroring activities, but the server does not participate in any new content ingests. The Offline (No Ingest & Fill) option stops all cache-fill requests and any new content ingests, but the server still participates in mirroring activities.
Note The protocoltiming log file only displays the “WARNING: Server is going OFFLINE” message when the Offline (No Ingest & Fill) option is selected for Vaults.
The Offline (No Ingest) option for Vaults does not take the Vault completely offline, the Vault still participates in mirroring and cache-fill traffic; therefore, the server going offline message is not displayed in the protocoltiming log. The TRICKLE_DOWN file is used to determine the state of the Vault for the Offline (No Ingest) option.
To set a server to offline, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Server Offload. The Server Offload page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP/Name drop-down list, choose the IP address or nickname of the server and click Display. The server type, server ID, array ID, and current status of the server are displayed.
Step 3 In the New Server Status drop-down list, select the appropriate setting and click Submit.
After setting a server to offline, current traffic activity can be monitored, and when the server offline is complete, the software can be updated. To view activity on a Vault server, see Monitoring Content Objects. To view activity on a Streamer, see Monitoring Stream Objects. If the server is an ISV, verify that activity is completed for both content objects and stream objects before updating the software.
Note The Server Status setting is persistent through a system reboot.
Server Offload—Online
After the software upgrade or maintenance is complete, you need to set the server to online so that the server can again participate in the system.
To set a server to online, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Server Offload. The Server Offload page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP/Name drop-down list, choose the IP address or nickname of the server and click Display. The server type and ID, as well as the array ID, are displayed.
Step 3 In the New Server Status drop-down list, select Online and click Submit.
Vault Decommissioning
The Server Offload page offers the ability to gracefully decommission a Vault from the system. Content on the Vault is moved to other Vaults during the decommission process so that no content is lost.
The process of decommissioning a Vault requires that the Vault first be put into Offline (No Ingest & Fill) mode. After the Vault is offline the option to decommission is listed in the Server Offload page.
To decommission a Vault, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Server Offload. The Server Offload page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP drop-down list, select the IP address or nickname of the Vault and click Display.
Step 3 From the New Server Status drop-down list, select Offline (No Ingest & Fill).
Step 4 Click Submit. The Current Server Status displays “Offline For Ingest & Fill.”
Note Before continuing, make sure the Vault has been offloaded by checking the protocol timing log.
Step 5 From the New Server Status drop-down list, select Decommission. The Decommission option is only displayed when the Vault is in the “Offline For Ingest & Fill” state.
Step 6 Click Submit. The Current Server Status displays “Decommission (Inactive).”
After the decommissioning starts the Current Server Status displays “Decommission (Active).”
When the decommissioning is complete the Current Server Status displays “Decommission (Completed)” and the Shutdown button is displayed.
Step 7 Click Shutdown to shut down the services running within CServer and completely isolate the Vault from the VDS.
After the decommission is complete, the Vault is isolated from the VDS. If the Vault is rebooted, it has the state of “Offline (No Ingest & Fill). The Vault entries in the database and.arroyorc remain intact. To remove the Vault entries from the database and.arroyorc file, the avsdb and statsd processes must be restarted, which impacts the serviceability of the system. Removal of a Vault from the database and.arroyorc file should be performed during a maintenance window.
Upgrading the VDS Software
The Software Upgrade page offers the ability to upgrade the VDS servers (Vault, Caching Node, and Streamer) remotely through the CDSM GUI. Before upgrading any of the VDS servers, first upgrade the CDSM/VVIM. If your system has redundant CDSMs/VVIMs, upgrade the secondary CDSM/VVIM followed by the primary CDSM/VVIM.
Manually upgrading each VDS server is still supported.
The Software Upgrade page offers the option to upgrade all VDS servers in the system, VDS servers in a specific group (Stream Group, Vault Group, Cache Group, or SSV Group), or a specific VDS server in a specific group.
Remote Software Upgrade Workflow
The Remote Software Upgrade feature performs the following tasks:
1. Sends parameters set in the CDSM GUI or through the Web Services API to the VDS server.
2. Logs in to the VDS server using the credentials specified in the parameter settings and copies the new cdsinstall script, the.bin image file, and the required libraries.
3. Runs the new cdsinstall script on the VDS server, which performs the following tasks:
a. Copies ISO image file from specified location. If the file is already present, this step is skipped.
b. Backs up the essential configuration files
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth()
Output of the ifconfig -a command to a new file (/root/ifconfig_< system_date >
Note A backup of the /arroyo/db/DATADIR and /arroyo/test is not performed.
c. Performs the pre-upgrade checks.
d. Backs up existing software image.
e. Performs the upgrade process.
4. Sends the upgrade status to statsd by writing into the /tmp/.upgrade_status file.
After upgrading the software on the VDS server, restart the server by logging in to the Linux operating system on the server as user root and enter the reboot command. After the VDS server has rebooted, set the server to online (Maintain > Servers > Server Offload).
Configuring the Software Upgrade Settings
Before upgrading the software, perform the following tasks:
1. Download the Cisco VDS software file and copy it to the server that will be accessed during the upgrade (this could be “Local Image,” which is the VDS server that is being upgraded).
For information on getting the Cisco VDS-VR (formerly TV VDS) software file, see the Cisco TV VDS 3.5 Installation, Upgrade, and Maintenance Guide.
2. Offload each VDS server you want to upgrade (Maintain > Servers > Server Offload).
To configure the software upgrade settings, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Software Upgrade. The Software Upgrade page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, select one of the following options:
FTP, SCP, and HTTP are the possible protocols used to get the software file from the server used to store it. Local Image is selected when the software image file was downloaded to the VDS servers that are being upgraded.
Step 3 In the Image Location field, enter the location of the software file. For FTP, SCP, and HTTP, the format is I P_address ::/ absolute_path /:: filename. For Local Image, the format is / absolute_path /:: filename.
The Deployment Type field is informational only and displays the environment (ISA or RTSP) of the VDS.
Step 4 From the Select Servers to Upgrade drop-down list, select All or the server group of the VDS servers you want to upgrade.
Note Only the server groups (Vault Group, Cache Group, Stream Group, and SSV Group) of the VDS servers that were offloaded are listed.
The Off Load Servers List is populated with the VDS servers that were offloaded and are part of the group selected in the Select Servers to Upgrade.
Step 5 To select a VDS server for software upgrade, click the VDS server and click the right-arrow button. To select multiple VDS servers, hold down the Shift key while selecting each VDS server. To select all VDS servers, click the double right-arrow.
To deselect a VDS Server, click the VDS server in the Servers to Upgrade list and click the left-arrow button. To deselect multiple VDS servers, hold down the Shift key while selecting each VDS server. To deselect all VDS servers, click the double left-arrow.
Step 6 Click Next. A Username and Password is listed for each VDS server IP address.
Step 7 Enter the Username and Password for each VDS server that has “root” login credentials.
If more than one VDS server is being upgraded the Use the Same Credentials for all Servers check box is displayed. If all the VDS servers have the same login credentials, you can check the Use the Same Credentials for all Servers check box.
Software Upgrade Status
To view the status of the software upgrade or to cancel a software upgrade, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > Software Upgrade Status. The Software Upgrade Status page is displayed listing all the VDS servers that have been scheduled for a software upgrade.
The Status column displays the current status of the software upgrade for each VDS server. If the status is red, move the mouse pointer over the red box to get more information about the failure.
Step 2 If the status is Scheduled or Failure, the option to cancel the upgrade is available. To cancel a scheduled or failed software upgrade for a VDS server, check the Cancel check box and click Cancel Upgrade. To cancel all scheduled software upgrades, click the Check ALL check box and click Cancel Upgrade.
Step 3 If the status is a green box, the software upgrade was successful. After upgrading the software on the VDS server, restart the server (Maintain > Servers > Server Restart) and set the server to online (Maintain > Servers > Server Offload).
Setting System Thresholds
The System Thresholds page allows you to set thresholds for loss and usage of the VDS resources, as well as enable or disable monitoring of the VDS services. The Performance Parameters section of the page has threshold values; the System Services section of the page enables or disables monitoring of the specific services. To view the system services monitored, see Services Monitor. Table 7-6 lists each threshold in the Performance Parameters section, and where each threshold is monitored.
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The Network indicator box on System Health |
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The Disk indicator box on System Health |
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To set the system thresholds and enable or disable the system services, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Servers > System Thresholds. The System Thresholds page is displayed (Figure 7-2).
Figure 7-2 System Thresholds Page
Step 2 Enter the threshold settings and enable or disable the services as appropriate.
Step 3 Click Submit to save the settings.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
To restore the default settings, click Restore. The default values are shown in a separate column on the page.
Restarting the Services
Each server runs services that allow the server to function with other components in the VDS. Services are not automatically restarted each time there is a configuration change. If you need to restart a service, the Services Restart page provides this option. This action does not power cycle the unit. Table 7-7 describes the different services.
To restart a service, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Services. The Services Restart page is displayed.
Step 2 From the Server IP/Name drop-down list, choose the IP address or nickname of the server and click Display. The server type and ID, as well as the array ID, are displayed.
Step 3 Select the check box next to each service you want to restart and click Submit.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Content Manager
The Content Manager page allows deletion of multiple content objects.
Note The Content Manager page is part of the TV Playout feature and is displayed only if TV Playout feature is enabled. For more information, see Playout Scheduler.
To delete multiple content objects, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Services > Content Manager. The Content Manager page is displayed with the 100 most recent ingests listed.
The first text box and Display button provide access to the details of a completed ingest object and takes you to the Monitor > System Level > Completed Ingests page. Enter the first character of the content object name in the text box. A drop-down list of content objects is displayed. If there are more than 25 content objects that start with that first character you entered, you are prompted to continue entering the next character of the content object name or click Display. After you click Display, the Completed Ingest page is displayed with the details of the selected content object.
Step 2 To display a list of content objects, use one of the following methods:
– Most Recent Ingests (max 100) —Lists the 100 most recent completed ingests sorted by ingest date.
– List All Contents —Lists all completed ingests sorted by content name. This option is available only if the number of completed ingests is less than 100.
– Content Status (Damaged Only) —Lists status information only for damaged completed ingests.
After you perform one of these methods, a list is displayed. The list of content objects can span several pages. To view the next page, click the page number. The content name, file size, duration, and date the object was ingested are displayed.
Step 3 Check the Delete check box next to each content object you want to delete, and click Delete.
Note It takes approximately four seconds to ensure the content is deleted from the entire system and the CDSM GUI displays the change before the next delete task is triggered. If a large number of content objects are selected for deletion, the time to complete the operation increases.
Software Maintenance
The Software Maintenance pages provides the ability to view the VDS software, upload an electronic program guide (EPG) file, generate server IDs and group IDs for Video Virtualization Infrastructure (VVI), and perform a clean-up on the system. This section covers the following topics:
- Viewing the Software Version and Server Information
- Configuring the TV Playout Application
- Importing a TV Playout Schedule
- Upgrade Status of the TV Playout Application
- Uploading an EPG File
- Identifying Server IDs and Group IDs for VVI with Split-Domain Management
- System Cleanup
Viewing the Software Version and Server Information
To view the VDS software version and server information, choose Maintain > Software > Software Version. The Software Version page is displayed. From the Server IP drop-down list, choose a server IP address or nickname and click Display. The following information is displayed:
Configuring the TV Playout Application
The Application Configuration page allows you to choose the Streamers participating in streaming content for the TV Playout application, and to choose how the Streamers participate. The following applications are configurable:
Note The Application Configuration page is part of the TV Playout feature and is displayed only if TV Playout feature is enabled. For more information, see Playout Scheduler.
The Streamers, or ISVs, chosen for the TV Playout application participate in an active-standby relationship, or an active-active relationship.
In an active-standby relationship, one server acts as the authority and all streams initiate from this server. The other servers participating in streaming for the TV Playout application only take over when the active server goes offline.
In an active-active relationship, all servers participating in the TV Playout application, stream the content at the same time.
To configure the Barker Stream and Playout Schedule applications, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Software > Application Configuration. The Application Configuration page is displayed (Figure 7-3).
Figure 7-3 Application Configuration Page
Step 2 Choose the Stream Delivery Mode.
Active-Standby— All streams initiate from one server (active). The other servers (standby) only take over when the active server goes offline.
Active-Active —All servers stream the content at the same time.
Note Stream Failover must be disabled if the Stream Delivery Mode is set to Active-Active. Stream Failover must be enabled if the Stream Delivery Mode is set to Active-Standby. For more information on setting Stream Failover, see Stream Failover Support.
Step 3 For Active-Active, check the check box next to each server participating in each application.
Step 4 Click Submit to save the settings.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Importing a TV Playout Schedule
The Playout Importer page can be used to upload a Playout file, containing the Playout Scheduler data from another VDS, into the Playout Scheduler of this VDS. The Playout file is an XML file.
Note The Playout Importer page is part of the TV Playout feature and is displayed only if the TV Playout feature is enabled. For more information, see Playout Scheduler.
To import a Playout file, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Software > Playout Importer. The Playout Importer page is displayed.
Step 2 In the Playout Export Location text box, enter the full path and filename, or click Browse to locate the file using the Browse window.
Step 3 When importing a Playout file, each channel is checked for an existing playout schedule, if there are conflicts, the setting in the Action on Import field is used to decide how to handle the conflict.
Select Preserve existing schedules, to preserve the existing playout schedule when a conflict is identified. Select Overwrite existing schedules, to overwrite the existing playout schedule.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Upgrade Status of the TV Playout Application
When upgrading the VDS-VR (formerly CDS-TV) software from Release 1.5.4.6, there are some steps that must be followed before any configuration changes can occur. The Playout Upgrade Status page tracks the status of these steps. Clicking the Status of each step takes the user to the page that needs to be modified. (For the link to work on the first one, the user needs to have Engineering-level access.)
Additionally, the Alarms table displays an alarm stating the playout upgrade is incomplete.
Note The Playout Upgrade Status page is part of the TV Playout feature and is displayed only if the TV Playout feature is enabled. For more information, see Playout Scheduler.
Uploading an EPG File
The EPG File Upload page can be used to upload an electronic program guide (EPG) file into the VDS for use with the Media Scheduler. The EPG file is an XML file.
Note The EPG File Upload page is part of the Media Scheduler feature. For more information, see Media Scheduler.
Before you can upload an EPG file, you need to enter the channel information. See Configuring Input Channels for more information.
To upload an EPG file, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Software > EPG Upload. The EPG File Upload page is displayed.
Step 2 Enter the full path and filename in the EPG File Location field, or click Browse to locate the file using the Browse window.
Step 3 After the full path and filename of the EPG File is entered, click Upload.
To clear the fields and start over, click Reset.
Identifying Server IDs and Group IDs for VVI with Split-Domain Management
When using CCP Streamers in a VVI with split-domain management, it is mandatory that all group IDs and server IDs be unique for each server in the system. To assure this, the VVIM manages all the identifiers, and the Stream Managers get a range of group IDs and server IDs from the VVIM and uses them for the Streamers it manages.
Table 7-8 lists the CDSM GUI ID names and maps them to the CServer names in the setupfile and.arroyorc files.
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Generating Server IDs and Group IDs from the VVIM
The Configuration Generator page is used to generate group IDs and server IDs for the Stream Managers. When the Stream Manager contacts the VVIM during the initial configuration using the cdsconfig script, the VVIM generates the IDs, sends them to the Stream Manager, and populates the table on the Configuration Generator page. This is done by an HTTP GET request over port 80.
If the Stream Manager is unable to contact the VVIM during the initial configuration, the cdsconfig script prompts the Stream Manager administrator to contact the VVIM administrator for the server ID. The VVIM administrator would then go to the Configuration Generator page to generate the IDs for the Stream Manager.
For HTTP streamers, if the Stream Manager is unable to reach the VVIM, either because port 80 is not open for communication or because of some other connectivity reason, the Stream Manager administrator can contact the VVIM administrator for the needed information. This information consists of the following:
Using the Configuration Generator page, the VVIM administrator can look up the group ID and server ID ranges, and if necessary generate them. The VVIM administrator can provide the beginning group ID for the Stream Groups, which the Stream Manager administrator enters on the Stream Groups Setup page, if prompted to do so.
The Cache Group information is contained in an XML file, called CacheGroupsConfig.xml. The VVIM administrator can click the Download link to view the CacheGroupsConfig.xml file, and right-click the Download link to save the XML file locally. This XML file can be sent to the Stream Manager administrator and the Stream Manager can upload it through the Cache Group Locator page.
To generate new IDs or view the existing IDs, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Software > Configuration Generator. The Configuration Generator page is displayed (Figure 7-4).
Figure 7-4 Configuration Generator Page
Step 2 In the Stream Domain Name field, enter the name of the Stream Manager that you are generating IDs for.
Step 3 In the Stream Manager IP field, enter the IP address of the Stream Manager that you are generating IDs for.
Step 4 Click Generate New IDs.
Configuration Generator Table
The table on the Configuration Generator page lists the Stream Domain Name, Stream Manager IP address, and the ID ranges assigned for each Stream Manager.
Stream Group ID Range and Server ID Range
Sometimes the group IDs and Server IDs show as “not generated” in the table. To generate the IDs, click the Not Generated text in the Stream Group ID Range column. A dialog box is displayed asking if you want to generate the IDs now. Click OK.
The IP address of the Stream Manager is not included in the table on the Configuration Generator page until the Stream Manager is configured using the CDSM Setup page. It is possible that the Stream Manager IP address failed to be captured, in which case the entry is displayed as “Not Captured.” Click the Not Captured link to enter the IP address manually. A text box is displayed with an Update icon (plus sign) and a Cancel icon (X).
Setup IDs are only used in RTSP environments that have split-domain management and are using CCP Streamers. The VVIM only generates two setup IDs for each Stream Domain. A setup ID is used to identify the Setup server in a Stream Group. The Setup and Control servers are configured for each Stream Group on the Control/Setup IP page. See Configuring the Control and Setup IPs for more information. If the Stream Manager uses the two allotted setup IDs, it contacts the VVIM for a new set of setup IDs. If the connection between the Stream Manager and VVIM fails, the Stream Manager administrator contacts the VVIM administrator for the IDs. The new setup IDs can be generated by clicking the Generate new Setup ID range icon in the Setup ID Range column.
Note CCP Streamers are not supported in a VVI split-domain management for RTSP environments.
Generating a Server ID from the Stream Manager
The Server ID Generator page is used to generate a server ID for a Streamer that is being added to the VVI, but is unable to communicate with the Stream Manager. During the initial configuration, the Streamer contacts the Stream Manager and requests a server ID. If the Streamer is unable to contact the Stream Manager, the cdsconfig script displays a prompt to contact the Stream Manager administrator for a server ID. The Stream Manager administrator would then go to the Server ID Generator page to generate a server ID for the Streamer.
Note The Server ID Generator page is available only on the Stream Manager when VVI and Content Storage are enabled in an ISA environment. For more information, see Content Storage and Virtual Video Infrastructure.
There is a range of server IDs, 1 to 1000, that are reserved for Vaults and Caching Nodes. It is the responsibility of the VVIM administrator to make sure the server IDs are unique among all Vaults and Caching Nodes in the VVI. The VVIM reserves a group of 250 server IDs for each Stream Domain (for example, 1001-1250, 1251-1500, and so on).
To generate a server ID for a Streamer, do the following:
Step 1 Choose Maintain > Software > ID Management. The Server ID Generator page is displayed; including the System ID Settings, which consist of the following:
Step 2 Click Generate New ID. The new server ID is displayed in the Server ID field.
System Cleanup
The System Cleanup page allows you to clean up any errors that may have accumulated on your system. When errors occur, they are added to the Alarms table. See Alarms Table for more information and other alarms and alerts that link to other CDSM pages.
The following errors and situations are monitored and registered in the Alarms table if found and linked to the System Cleanup page:
- Orphaned server IDs
- Multiple or duplicate Cache Locate IP addresses
- Out of range Group IDs
- ServerMap and StatMap inconsistencies
- Extra or incorrect SERVERMAP15 entries
The System Cleanup page displays a Fix All option if there are no errors found for the Cache Locate IP addresses (either Multiple or Duplicate). If Multiple or Duplicate Cache Locate IP addresses errors are found, then the Fix All option is not displayed until these are resolved, because they require user input as to which entry to keep and which entry to remove.
Orphaned Server IDs occur when servers are removed from the CDSM without first removing them from the groups they belong to (for example, Vault Group or Stream Group). This leaves a reference in the groupmap table to the server ID that is no longer valid, which means the group can no longer be edited through the CDSM GUI.
Multiple or Duplicate Cache Locate IP Addresses
The CDSM GUI checks and validates user input to prevent multiple locate entries in the VDS server setupfile files; this is an additional check for multiple or duplicate Locate IP addresses. The Locate IP address is used in VVIM systems with HTTP as the cache-fill protocol. The procedures are different between multiple and duplicate Locate IP addresses:
- Duplicate Locate IP Addressees—Two or more identical entries in the control IP map table for a single Cache Group, having the same group ID, locate IP, and locate subnet IP. If this has occurred, select any one of the entries for removal, and the CDSM automatically reduces the number of entries to one.
- Multiple Locate IP Addresses—More than the required single-entry for a Cache Group, and the entries are not identical in that they have differing IP addresses or subnets. If this has occurred, select the entries you want removed.
Sometimes the CDSM is configured as a legacy system with Stream Groups and Vault Groups, only later to find that it was incorrectly configured and needs to be changed to a VVIM or Stream Manager. This creates Stream Group map table entries that use the incorrect group ID range with no method of removing them from the CDSM GUI because the configuration pages for groups correctly filters out the incorrect group IDs from the drop-down lists. The Out of Range Group IDs check cleans up these groups.
SERVERMAP and STATMAP Inconsistencies
When adding a large number of VDS servers to a CDSM, mistakes can be made with regard to the.arroyorc file found on each VDS server (for example, incorrect group ID [array ID] or IP address). This can lead to incorrect entries in the server STATMAP table. Additionally, servers that are not removed correctly can also leave an incorrect entry in the server STATMAP table. The server STATMAP table is used to generate the System Monitor content and errors in it can lead to display issues and incorrect states being displayed.
Extra or Incorrect SERVERMAP Entries
If the CDSM is reconfigured or reinstalled for a different type of VDS (legacy or VVI) and the CDSM is not properly wiped clean, there could be residual entries in the SERVERMAP15 table and STATMAP table that do not apply to the current configuration.
Manuals
To view the manual, choose Maintain > Manuals. The Manual page is displayed. Click the link to the manual. The manual is displayed by means of the Acrobat Reader plug-in for your browser.
Tip To download the manual to your computer, right-click the link of the manual and save the manual to a location on your hard drive for later viewing.
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