Windows Media Services FAQ
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Last Updated: March 2007
This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about Microsoft Windows Media Services 9 Series. If you do not find an answer to your question in this FAQ, try the following resources:For more detailed information about Windows Media Services 9 Series, see Windows Media Services Help. To access Help, start Windows Media Services, and then press F1. To download the Help file as a Microsoft Word document, see Help Documentation for Windows Media Technologies.
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Getting Help. Questions about where to get more information.
General Issues
Networking and Content Delivery
Creating and Encoding Content for Streaming
Planning Network Capacity
Getting Help
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General IssuesWhat's new in Windows Media Services 9 Series?Windows Media Services was redesigned to make the server more flexible, unify the core components, and simplify the administrative process. These are some of the changes in Windows Media Services 9 Series:
MMS rollover. If clients that support the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) connect to a server running Windows Media Services 9 Series using a URL that starts with a Microsoft Media Server (MMS) URL moniker (for example, mms://server_name/file_name.wma), they use protocol rollover to stream the content using RTSP for the optimal streaming experience. Clients that support RTSP include Windows Media Player 9 Series or later and other players that use the Windows Media Player 9 Series ActiveX control.
Earlier versions of Windows Media Player and other players that do not support RTSP can still connect to the server by using a URL with an mms:// prefix. However, automatic protocol rollover from MMS to MMS with User Datagram Protocol (UDP)-based or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)-based transports (MMSU or MMST), or even Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), may occur as the client and server negotiate the best streaming protocol to provide the optimal streaming experience.
To make sure that your content is always available to clients that connect to your server by using a URL with an mms:// prefix:
The Windows Media Services service. The Windows Media Services service replaces the four separate services that comprised Windows Media Services versions 4.0 and 4.1: Windows Media Monitor Service, Windows Media Program Service, Windows Media Station Service, and Windows Media Unicast Service.
Expanded use of plug-ins. Windows Media Services 9 Series increases the number of ways that you can customize and configure the server through an expanded plug-in architecture.
Expanded use of publishing points. Publishing points simplify and improve upon the functionality that was formerly provided by using a combination of programs, streams, and stations.
Flexible server-side playlists. Every publishing point (including on-demand publishing points) can stream content from a playlist. Each item in the playlist has a set of independent attributes that you can specify to meet your particular needs. Playlists can even be modified during a broadcast, allowing you to respond to situations without having to interrupt your stream.
Flexible event architecture. In previous versions of Windows Media Services, external events were available only through station and unicast Microsoft ActiveX objects. In this version, events are available internally through server interfaces, as well as externally through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) events.
Fast Streaming. In previous versions of Windows Media Services, content was streamed at a constant bit rate to the clients. Fast Streaming capabilities in Windows Media Services 9 Series allow for a combination of streaming, downloading, and caching to provide the best user experience.
Improved packet resend logic. In previous versions of Windows Media Services, packet resend requests from clients could only be fulfilled for the last two seconds of content. In this version, 10 seconds of data is stored in the server buffer, allowing for better error correction and stream quality.
Server-based content repacketization. In previous versions of Windows Media Services, the server could only stream data packets as defined by the stream format. In this version, server administrators can set the optimum packet size for streaming in their environment, and the server can reallocate data to stream packets based on that property setting. This optimization is only applicable when streaming content using UDP packets and RTSP (RTSPU).
IPv6 support. This version Windows Media Services has support for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) addressing.
IGMPv3 support. Support for Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) version 3 helps prevent problems that occur when multiple broadcast servers use the same multicast IP address. This feature requires that the clients connecting to the multicast stream are running Windows Media Player 9 Series.
What's new in Windows Media Services 9 Series in Windows Server 2003 (SP1?)The following are some of the changes in Windows Media Services 9 Series beginning in Windows Server 2003 (SP1):
Absolute Playlist Time. Adds the server-side playlist timing value wallclock, which can be used to automate broadcast schedules by assigning real-world clock values in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to attributes in server-side playlists.
Advanced Fast Start. Adds to the Fast Start capabilities in Windows Media Services by allowing the Player to begin playing content when its buffer receives a minimum amount of data, further reducing the amount of time a user has to wait to begin receiving the stream.
Advanced FF/RW. Improved fast-forward and rewind ("trick mode") functionality for the video portion of encoded files stabilizes network bandwidth availability by smoothing the rate at which data is sent. Potential server performance bottlenecks are reduced because the server must read less presentation data from the source content disk, while delivering a seamless experience to clients.
Broadcast Auto-Start. Broadcast publishing points can now be configured to begin running automatically whenever the Windows Media server starts.
Encoder failover. New URL modifiers have been added to allow the use of redundant encoders or other alternate content sources, which increases the reliability of the source content. If the primary encoder fails or is stopped, you can configure Windows Media Services to pull content from an alternate encoder or other content source after a specified period of time by using URL modifiers in the path to the primary encoder.
noRecede. This new media definition attribute for Windows Media playlist files specifies whether the previous function is enabled in Windows Media Player when a media element plays. You can use this attribute to prevent users from skipping to the previous element in a playlist.
Play While Archiving. Archived files can now be made available for on-demand requests or rebroadcast even before the broadcast that is being archived has finished.
Should I upgrade to Windows Media Services 9 Series in Windows Server 2003 (SP2)?Windows Media Services 9 Series does not contain any new features in Windows Server 2003 (SP2); however, we recommend that you upgrade to Windows Server 2003 (SP2) for the latest updates and security enhancements to the current Windows Server 2003 operating system. Windows Server 2003 (SP2) tightens security of your Windows Media server and improves its performance and reliability.
What are the software and hardware requirements?Windows Media Services 9 Series is available as an optional component in Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and x64-based version of these operating systems. Some features, including multicast content delivery, are not available when Windows Media Services is used with Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition. Additional features are only available in Windows Server 2003 (SP1) or later. For more information about the features in Windows Media Services 9 Series, see Decide which version of Windows Server is right for you.
To determine the minimum requirements for your system, see the System Requirements.
How do I install Windows Media Services?Windows Media Services 9 Series is available as an optional component of Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; and x64-based version of these operating systems. To install the Windows Media Services service, do the following:Start the Configure Your Server Wizard (click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Configure Your Server Wizard). In the Configure Your Server Wizard, on the Server Role page, select the Streaming Media Server server role. Finish the wizard.
The Configure Your Server Wizard installs the following required subcomponents of the Windows Media Services service:Windows Media Services. This service allows you to stream digital media content to clients over an intranet or the Internet. Windows Media Services snap-in. This snap-in enables you to manage and configure Windows Media Services using Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
The following optional Windows Media Services service subcomponents are not installed when you use the Configure Your Server Wizard:Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web. This subcomponent provides support for remote, browser-based administration of your Windows Media server. Multicast and Advertisement Logging Agent. This subcomponent enables you to record statistics from clients that connect to content through a Web server.
To install the optional subcomponents, do the following:Open Add/Remove Windows Components (click Start, point to Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then in Add or Remove Programs, click Add/Remove Windows Components). In the Windows Components Wizard, in the Components list, click Windows Media Services, and then click the Details button. On the Windows Media Services dialog box, in the Subcomponents of Windows Media Services list, select the check boxes for the optional Windows Media Services subcomponents that you want to install. Finish the wizard.
How do I upgrade Windows Media Services?To upgrade to Windows Media Services 9 Series, you must upgrade your operating system from either Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 or Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition; or an x64-based version of one of these operating systems. If your server is running Windows Media Services version 4.1, Windows Media Services 9 Series is installed automatically when you upgrade to the Windows Server 2003 operating system.
How do I set up a Windows Media server?If you installed Windows Media Services for the first time, the server is set up with a basic configuration, which includes a default on-demand publishing point and a sample broadcast publishing point. You can use this default configuration or create your own configuration to stream live and on-demand content through unicast streaming or to stream live or on-demand content through multicast streaming (if you installed Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition or Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition).
If you are upgrading from Windows Media Services 4.1, the existing configuration is moved over to the new version of Windows Media Services through a process called migration. Much of the previous configuration is migrated over to this version, such as on-demand publishing points. However, Windows Media Services 9 Series contains design improvements and features that were not available in Windows Media Services version 4.1, and several elements of the previous configuration must be modified to work in the new environment. Before you can set up Windows Media Services, you may need to change some of the elements of the existing configuration manually. For more information about the migration process, see Upgrading to Windows Media Services 9 Series.
Can I use Windows Media Services on a domain controller?You can run Windows Media Services on a server that is also acting as a domain controller. If you want to make an existing Windows Media server configuration act as a domain controller as well, keep the following in mind:
If the domain controller is the first domain in a new forest, Windows Media Services accounts and settings are migrated as expected.
If the domain controller is creating a new tree in an existing forest, all local user accounts and settings are deleted, and Windows Media Services will not able to stream content. To resolve this issue, do the following:After you install Microsoft Active Directory on the server, create a new user account that is a member of the Guests group. On the Windows Media server, disable the WMS Anonymous Authentication plug-in. Configure the properties of the WMS Anonymous Authentication plug-in to use the new user account you created in step 1. Enable the WMS Anonymous Authentication plug-in. Stop and then restart the Windows Media Services service.
Why can't I start Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web?You might not be able to start Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web for the following reasons:Why can't Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web display the server list?Under certain circumstances, the security settings for Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web do not allow you to administer multiple servers. In these cases, you can only administer the local server. You may not be able to administer multiple servers if your Internet browser is not Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) capable. SSL enables secure communication over the Internet by using encryption. If the browser does not use the SSL security method, the remote server communications may be vulnerable to interception.
In addition, you may not be able to administer multiple servers if your user account was authenticated using only NTLM authentication. NTLM authentication uses your network logon credentials and is not as secure as direct server authentication.
Why can't I connect my Windows Media server to the Windows Media technologies that were included in Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 (SP4)?Windows Media Services 9 Series can use HTTP to connect to Windows Media Services version 4.1 and Windows Media Encoder version 4.1 that were released with Windows 2000 Server or to the versions of those technologies that were subsequently made available for download from the Windows Media Technologies Web site. (Windows Media Services 9 Series does not support the Media Stream Broadcast Distribution (MSBD) protocol.)
Windows Media Services 9 Series cannot connect to versions of Windows Media technologies prior to those released with Windows 2000 Server. In addition, you cannot use Windows Media Services version 4.1 to distribute streams from a server running Windows Media Services 9 Series.
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Networking and Content DeliveryWhat protocols can I use to stream to Windows Media Player?The following table identifies which streaming protocols can be used to deliver digital media content, depending upon the version of Windows Media Player and the version of Windows Media Services that you are using.
| Windows Media Services version 9.5 (Windows Server 2008 family) | Windows Media Services versions 9.0 and 9.1 (Windows Server 2003 family) | Windows Media Services version 4.1 (Windows 2000 Server family) |
|---|
Windows Media Player for Windows Vista
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player 11
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player 10
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player 9 Series
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0/1.1
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player for Windows XP or earlier
| HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player Mobile
| HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Player for Mac
| HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| Windows Media Components for QuickTime
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| RTSP
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
| MMS
HTTP 1.0
Multicast
|
 Note
The MMS streaming protocol was deprecated beginning in Windows Media Services 9 Series version 9.0 so that support for MMS streaming is restricted to Windows Media Player for Windows XP or earlier. Support for the MMS streaming protocol was removed beginning with Windows Media Services 9 Series version 9.5. To support the widest range of streaming Players, you should use the MMS URL moniker (mms://) in the connection URL to your streaming content (for example, mms:// Server_Name/ File_Name.wma). The MMS URL moniker allows all connecting Players to use protocol rollover to stream the content using the optimal streaming protocol.
Why can't Windows Media Player stream content from my server by using MMS?In some cases, a Player that does not support MMS streaming (such as Windows Media Player 11) may be unable to stream your content for one of the following reasons:The Player successfully selected an alternate streaming protocol during protocol rollover, but the Windows Media server that is hosting your content does not have the control protocol plug-in for the selected streaming protocol (either RTSP or HTTP) enabled. Note that the WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol plug-in that manages HTTP streaming is disabled by default in Windows Media Services. For more information, see "Control Protocol Category" in Windows Media Services Help. The Player successfully selected an alternate streaming protocol during protocol rollover, but the Windows Media server cannot deliver the content through your firewall. For more information about opening ports on your firewall for the streaming protocols that might be selected during protocol rollover (either RTSP or HTTP), see Firewall Information for Windows Media Services 9 Series. The Player cannot use protocol rollover to select an alternate streaming protocol because streaming protocols and proxy settings are not configured correctly on the Network tab in the Player. For more information, see "Setting network options" in Windows Media Player Help.
Note
To support the widest range of streaming Players, you should use the MMS URL moniker (mms://) in the connection URL to your content (for example, mms:// Server_Name/ File_Name.wma). The MMS URL moniker allows all connecting Players to use protocol rollover to stream the content using the optimal streaming protocol. For more information, see What protocols can I use to stream to Windows Media Player?
How do I configure Windows Firewall for streaming on Windows Server 2003?If you install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (SP1) with Windows Media Services, the necessary exception for Windows Media Services is not created automatically in Windows Firewall. A server administrator must open Windows Firewall ports manually by doing the following:Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Windows Firewall. On the Exceptions tab, click Add Program. In the Add a Program dialog box, click Browse. In the Browse dialog box, navigate to %systemroot%\system32\windows media\server. Click WMServer.exe, and then click Open.
Note
If you are running Windows Server 2003 (SP2), the necessary exception for Windows Media Services is created automatically in Windows Firewall; therefore, this procedure is not required. To perform this procedure, you must be logged in as a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. On Windows Server 2003, Windows Firewall is turned off by default and the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service is disabled by default. You might have to start the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing service if you try to perform this procedure and you have never started Windows Firewall. Windows Firewall is not included in the original release of the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
For more information, see Understanding Windows Firewall Exceptions.
What file formats can I stream using Windows Media Services?A server running Windows Media Services 9 Series can stream the following file types:Windows Media Audio (WMA) Windows Media Video (WMV) Advanced System Format (ASF) MP3 Windows Media playlist (WSX)
The content must meet the minimum supported content length of the player to ensure reliable playback. The minimum supported content length for Windows Media Player 9 Series or later or a player that uses the Windows Media Player 9 Series ActiveX control is 5 seconds. The minimum supported content length for earlier versions of Windows Media Player is 30 seconds.
Note
Windows Media Services cannot use the intelligent streaming feature to stream MP3-formatted files. You can add JPEG-encoded images as interstitial advertisements in a Windows Media playlist for unicast streaming.
How do I prevent unauthorized access to my content?Windows Media Services 9 Series includes authentication and authorization plug-ins that work together to grant clients access to unicast streams. Authentication plug-ins validate user credentials, and authorization plug-ins control access to the content. If you enable one of the authorization plug-ins but you do not enable one of the authentication plug-ins, unicast clients cannot connect to the server.
Clients do not connect to the server to receive a multicast stream; therefore, you cannot use the plug-ins to control access to a multicast. To control access to a multicast stream, you must place the multicast information file (a Windows Media metafile with an .nsc file name extension that contains information the client needs to decode the stream) in a shared file location and then associate an access control list (ACL) with the multicast information file. If you use an announcement file to distribute the multicast information file, you can associate an ACL with the announcement file instead.
Why can't clients stream some of my MP3 files?Windows Media Services cannot stream multiple-bit-rate (MBR) MP3 files. If the MP3 file was encoded by using a multiple bit rate, it will not play back as expected when it is streamed from a Windows Media server.
In addition, if the MP3 file content is too short, the server may not be able to stream the file to Windows Media Player. To ensure reliable rendering, the content must meet the minimum supported content length of the player to ensure reliable playback. The minimum supported content length for Windows Media Player 9 Series or later or a player that uses the Windows Media Player 9 Series ActiveX control is 5 seconds. The minimum supported content length for earlier versions of Windows Media Player is 30 seconds. Content that is shorter than this minimum length may not render completely or at all.
Why can't clients display the artist or track information for my MP3 files?Windows Media Services does not support the ID3v2 header format that is used to store this information in MP3 files. However, this does not prevent you from streaming MP3 files.
Why are some of the Windows Media Player playback controls unavailable?Windows Media Player or a player that uses the Windows Media Player ActiveX control has several playback controls, including Fast-Forward, Rewind, Pause, and Skip. All of these controls are not available in all streaming scenarios. The following factors affect which controls are available when Windows Media Player is streaming content:
Windows Media Player version. The playback controls are not supported by certain versions of the Player. These playback controls are only supported by Windows Media Player 9 Series or a player that uses the Windows Media Player 9 Series ActiveX control.
Publishing point type. The content is streamed from a broadcast publishing point. These controls may be available when content is streamed from an on-demand publishing point, depending on the content source.
Content source. The content is live content streamed from an encoder or a remote publishing point.
Indexing. The content is not indexed. Content can be indexed during the encoding process or after the content has been encoded.
noSkip attribute. The noSkip attribute in the Windows Media playlist is set to True.
How can I find out if clients are having difficulty accessing my content?Logs are extremely valuable for determining the effectiveness of your streaming media broadcast. Whenever you create a publishing point, you should enable the appropriate logging plug-in so you can analyze the successes and failures of your broadcast. A careful review of the logs after a broadcast can often reveal not only what problems have occurred and when, but also a possible solution.
The following log file entries are typically the most helpful when trying to identify a client-side problem:
x-duration. This is the amount of time that the client rendered the stream. If the time in this field is less than the overall length of the content, the client may have been dropped.
c-status. These are codes that describe the client connection status. Certain common connection problems appear in this field.
avgbandwidth. This is the average bandwidth of the connection. If it is lower than the bit rate of the stream from the server, the client may have experienced reduced bandwidth capacity.
c-bytes. This is the number of bytes received by the client. If this number differs from the number of bytes sent by the server (sc-bytes), then packet loss occurred.
c-pkts-lost-client. This is the number of packets that were not delivered to the client.
c-buffercount. This is the number of times the client buffered the stream. A high value may indicate bandwidth problems.
For more information about how log files are used to identify streaming problems, see Windows Media Services 9 Series Help.
How can I tell if the client did not receive all the data streamed from the server?When the client does not receive all of the data streamed from the Windows Media server, the result is known as "packet loss." Packet loss may be caused by network congestion, router problems, and so on. Packets are also considered to be lost if they arrive too late for the client to play them on time.
You can monitor the log files to determine if any packets were lost, where the loss occurred, and if any of the lost packets were recovered. The following log file fields may help you determine if packet loss occurred:
s-pkts-sent. This is the number of content packets sent by the server to a connected client. This field contains a hyphen (-) in remote cache client logs from a cache/proxy server and in multicast log files.
c-pkts-received. This is the number of packets from the server that were received correctly by the client on the first try. Packets that are not received correctly on the first try can be recovered if they are resent through the UDP protocol. Packets that are not recovered through UDP resend are considered lost in the network.
c-pkts-lost-client. This is the number of lost packets that were not recovered at the client layer through error correction or at the network layer through UDP resends. These packets are sent by the Windows Media server but never played by the client.
c-pkts-lost-net. This is the number of packets lost at the network layer. The client may be able to recover these packets if error correction is enabled.
c-pkts-lost-cont-net. This is the maximum number of continuously lost packets at the network layer. A high value indicates bad network conditions with long periods of time during which the client received no packets.
c-resendreqs. This is the number of client requests for new packets. This field contains a zero unless the client is using UDP resend.
c-pkts-recovered-ECC. This is the number of packets lost at the network layer that were repaired and recovered at the client layer because error correction was enabled. Error correction is the only means of packet recovery for multicast streams. Packets repaired and recovered at the client layer are equal to the difference between c-pkts-lost-net andc-pkts-lost-client.
c-pkts-recovered-resent. This is the number of packets recovered because they were resent through UDP. The value does not include TCP or UDP packets. This field contains a zero unless the client is using UDP resend.
Note that values for all log fields do not include TCP or UDP packets.
When packets are lost during the streaming or archiving process, the WMS Archive Data Writer plug-in posts a warning message to the Troubleshooting tab in Windows Media Services to report the amount of loss. The plug-in must be enabled for the warning to be sent. If the content stream being received by your server is interrupted by packet loss for a period greater than two seconds, the WMS Archive Data Writer plug-in stops archiving and begins archiving to a new file when the incoming stream resumes. The presence of several small archive files indicates that packet loss is occurring during your broadcast.
Can I stream content from a Web server?You can stream Windows Media-based content either from a Web server or a server running Windows Media Services 9 Series; however, a Web server is not designed specifically for streaming Windows Media-based content. If you decide to stream content from a Web server, see Streaming Methods: Web Server vs. Streaming Media Server to learn about the differences in the way the content is delivered, which can affect the playback quality.
How do I set up Windows Media Services and IIS to use the HTTP protocol on the same server?If you do want to set up Windows Media Services to stream content by using HTTP on a Web server running IIS, both services will try to bind to port 80. You can avoid this conflict by changing the port Windows Media Services uses for HTTP streaming:In the Windows Media Services snap-in, click the server for which you want to change the port allocated for HTTP streaming. In the details pane, click the Properties tab. In Category, click Control protocol. In Plug-in, click WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol, and then click Properties. If you have more than one IP address available on your server, in IP address, click Allow selected IP addresses to use this protocol, and then click the specific IP addresses you want to use from the list. In Port selection, click Use other port, and then type the port number you want to use in the space provided. HTTP port numbers can range from 1 to 65535. In the details pane, in Plug-in, click WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol. Click Enable to make the HTTP protocol available for streaming content from your server. Have the network administrator open the corresponding port on the network firewall.
As an alternative, you can create multiple IP addresses on a single network interface card and then assign separate port 80 addresses to these IP addresses. You must then configure Windows Media Services and IIS to bind to different IP address/port 80 combinations by doing the following:Open the folder %systemroot%\System32\Windows Media\Server\Admin\MMC. Double click WMSHttpSysCfg.exe. In the Windows Media Services HTTP Sys Configuration dialog box, in IP Address, type the IP address you want the HTTP.sys driver to use, and then click Add. Restart HTTP.sys and IIS by either restarting the computer or typing net stop http /y && iisreset at the command prompt. To verify that IIS only binds to the newly added IP addresses, type netstat at the command prompt. In the Windows Media Services snap-in console tree, click the server for which you want to enable HTTP streaming. In the details pane, click the Properties tab. In Category, click Control protocol. In Plug-in, click WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol, and then click Properties. In IP address, click Allow selected IP addresses to use this protocol, and then click the specific IP addresses you want to use from the list. Do not select the addresses that were added in step 3. Click OK to apply the change. In the details pane, in Plug-in, click WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol. Click Enable to make the HTTP protocol available for streaming content from your server.
Why do ISA clients have trouble connecting to my server using the MMS protocol?The default port that the MMS protocol uses is 1755. Some Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server clients may have trouble connecting to this port because ISA uses different connection criteria for ports above 1023.
You can correct this problem by configuring the WMS MMS Server Control Protocol plug-in to change the port to which the MMS protocol binds. Alternatively, you can create a file called Wspcfg.ini and save it to the folder named %systemroot%\Windows\System32\Windows Media\Server. The file should contain the following text:
[WMServer]
LocalBindTcpPorts=1755
LocalBindUdpPorts=1755
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Creating and Encoding Content for StreamingWhat is the difference between encoder push and encoder pull?To accommodate the widest possible range of streaming conditions, a server running Windows Media Services 9 Series can receive content from an encoder by using two different methods: push and pull.
When an encoder "pushes" content to Windows Media Services, the encoder controls the Windows Media server and the broadcast stream. The encoder can also create a new publishing point on the server and set the publishing point to delete itself when the broadcast is finished. To use the encoder to push a broadcast to a Windows Media server, the encoder administrator must have the Windows Media server name, the URL of the server, and all of the necessary permissions to access the server. Encoder push is useful for live encoding scenarios and in situations in which you must maintain control of the broadcast at the content source.
When Windows Media Services "pulls" the content from an encoder, the server connects to an encoder stream that is already in progress. Encoder pull is useful if a publishing point is set to start when the first client connects to the content or if the Windows Media server is separated from the encoder by a firewall. In an encoder pull configuration, the encoder must already be started and encoding content before the Windows Media server can connect to it. The server publishing point must use the encoder URL as its content source.
Is there a way to enhance performance when streaming content from an encoder?If you are using live content from an encoder as part of a playlist, your clients may experience latency while the server buffers the encoder content. In addition, the server must create a new connection to the encoder each time a client switches to the live content stream, increasing network congestion.
To prevent these problems and improve network and client-side performance, you can create an additional publishing point on your server that operates as an intermediary between your main publishing point and the encoder. This setup results in improved performance because the server maintains a single connection to the encoder regardless of the number of clients streaming the content. You can create this publishing point by doing the following:Create two identical broadcast publishing points. Configure the first publishing point to receive content from the encoder. Start the publishing point. Configure the second publishing point to reference a playlist. Add a media element to the playlist that receives content from the first publishing point. Use lpp://publishing_point_1 as the source of the media element (where publishing_point_1 is the name of the publishing point you configured in step 2). Use the second publishing point to stream the content to your clients.
I have audio/video content that I want to stream. Who can host it for me?Contact a Windows Media 9 Series Premier Certified Hosting Provider These companies can provide content hosting services as well as a range of specific services, including application development, content encoding, or authoring. Each provider has committed to full implementation of Windows Media Services 9 Series and has undergone rigorous testing.
Who can convert my videotapes and stream them from the Web for me?Contact a member of the Microsoft Windows Media Service Provider program. These members have demonstrated their ability to provide solutions to capture, encode, and deliver digital media content by using Windows Media technologies.
How do I convert taped audio or video or digital media files into content that Windows Media Services can stream?There are a wide variety of digital media file formats, but Windows Media Services cannot stream all of them. In certain cases, you may need to convert your digital media files into a compatible format before they can be streamed. Windows Media Encoder 9 Series is a powerful production tool that can convert both live and prerecorded audio and video into Windows Media files or streams. You can use the encoder to capture audio or video from devices installed on your computer and then convert the captured content to a Windows Media file for distribution. For more information about Windows Media Encoder, see the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series Web page.
How do I create audio and video to stream with Windows Media Services?Windows Media technologies are ideal for content developers who want to produce Windows Media-based audio and video content for streaming media and download-and-play applications. Whether you are a content producer creating digital media content or a developer looking to add support for the latest Windows Media technologies to your application, see the Audio Production Web page and the Video Production Web page to find solutions that fit your needs.
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Planning Network CapacityWhy are unicast clients experiencing excessive buffering?If clients are experiencing excessive buffering, the Windows Media server may be serving too many simultaneous connections. Due to hardware limitations, a Windows Media server can only transmit a limited number of streams at one time. Servers that are overloaded often lose data, interrupt transmissions, and drop clients. Alternatively, the server may be exceeding the bandwidth capacity of the network. The network may have a weak point or a failure, or it may not have been designed to transfer the amount of data that your clients require.
There are several ways to solve this problem. You can implement any or all of these solutions to ease the data transfer load on your server or network:
Set limits on your server. You can configure the server to limit the number of client connections and the amount of bandwidth used so that the server and network capacities are not exceeded.
Create a server cluster. You can use a server cluster to make a group of Windows Media servers work together to stream content. Although clients connect to the cluster using a single URL, all of the servers share the streaming load to reduce the load on an individual server.
Add distribution servers. You can disperse the streaming load over the entire network by using distribution servers at points in the network where streaming demand tends to be highest. This can dramatically improve streaming performance because the distance between the server and client is reduced.
Implement a cache/proxy system. You can enable another company's cache/proxy plug-in to your server to provide cache and proxy support. Using a cache/proxy server is an easy way to conserve bandwidth, decrease network-imposed latency, and offset the load on the origin server. Network bandwidth is minimized because only one connection from the origin server is required to upload content to and receive information from the cache. Network latency is decreased because a client can receive content from a nearby cache/proxy server more quickly than it could if it had to traverse the network or the Internet to receive content from the origin server. Additionally, the load on the origin server is offset because fewer clients are connecting directly to the origin server.
Modify your streaming media content. You can lower the bandwidth requirements of your content by encoding it using different settings.
Note that if you want to test how your server performs when experiencing different client loads, you can download Windows Media Load Simulator 9 Series from the Windows Media Web site.
How can I tell how much network bandwidth my Windows Media server will use?You can estimate the required network capacity by using the following equation:
Required network capacity = Content bit rate x audience volume
To estimate the average content bit rate, divide the size of the file you are streaming by the playback time in seconds. For example, a 2 megabyte (MB) digital media file represents about 16,000,000 bits. If the content is about 1 1/2 minutes in length, the streamed content has an average bit rate of 180 kilobits per second (Kbps).
To estimate the audience volume, determine the highest number of concurrent users during a streaming event. For example, your company may plan to offer online training to all of its 10,000 employees over the local area network. Past training performance indicates that a maximum of five percent of the employees are likely to access the training at any given time. Therefore, the network must be capable of reliably delivering the content to 500 concurrent users.
For more information about capacity planning, see Windows Media Services 9 Series Help.
How many users can simultaneously view content streamed from a server running Windows Media Services?The maximum number of concurrent users depends on the server configuration and the distribution method (unicast stream or multicast stream). The actual capacity varies from computer to computer. As a general rule, a Windows Media server with a single 233 megahertz processor and 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM can serve up to 1,000 28.8 kilobits per second (Kbps) unicast streams. Because multicast streaming requires only one stream from the Windows Media server, an unlimited number of users can connect simultaneously to the single stream.
If I want to stream content to more than 1,000 simultaneous users, what hardware do I need?For large-scale deployments of Windows Media Services, try making one or more of the following modifications to your streaming media system:Upgrade from a single-CPU server to a multiple-CPU server. Install additional network interface cards, or upgrade the existing network interface card to support a higher bandwidth network connection. Add additional servers running Windows Media Services to your streaming media system and use Network Load Balancing to distribute the server load. Distribute cache/proxy servers throughout the network and implement a content replication program to distribute content closer to the clients and relieve some of the demand on the origin servers. Set the network switches that will be processing streaming media requests and transmissions to full duplex mode to maintain an uninterrupted information flow.
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Getting HelpWhere can I find the documentation that comes with Windows Media Services?Windows Media Services includes detailed Help documentation. A downloadable version of that documentation is available from the Windows Media 9 Series Web site.
Is there a software development kit (SDK) for Windows Media Services 9 Series?Yes. The Windows Media 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK) provides the tools that developers need to build their own solutions on this powerful new platform. For more information, see the Windows Media 9 Series SDK page.
Is there a discussion group or newsgroup for Windows Media Services users?Yes. There are many ways to interact and connect with other Windows Media Services users online, including e-mail discussion lists and newsgroups. For more information about how to participate, see the Windows Media Community page.
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