VBrick Systems Maximize Streaming Efficiency with VBrick's Push and Pull Options

Introduction

Push Reflecting from a Windows Media Server

The VBrick WM Appliance can push its Windows Media stream to a Microsoft Windows Media Server or to a RealNetworks Helix Server which can then reflect the stream to players or other servers using any of the protocols supported by the server.

TTo reflect a pushed stream through a Windows Media or Helix server:

Create a broadcast publishing point on the Windows Media or Helix Server and configure it for a "Push" source. In the WM Appliance Configuration: Encoder > Push options configure the VBrick to push the stream to the publishing point on the server or to a copy of the publishing point on the server. When the appliance push is active, the server makes the stream available to players or other servers via unicast and/or multicast, based on the configured publishing point options on the server. The Push feature is useful in cases where it is advantageous to have the VBrick send to the server instead of having the server request from the VBrick (for example when the encoder is behind a firewall and the server is not). For more information, see Creating Publishing Points on page 48.

Pull Reflecting

For pull reflecting, the reflector is simply configured to act as a client that pulls the stream from the source. A VBrick Reflector—either in the dedicated reflector model (9190-0200-

xxxx)or in the encoder/reflector model (9190-4200)—can pull from a VBrick Encoder, a Microsoft Encoder, or it can pull live or stored content from a Microsoft Server.

Table 3. Typical Pull Reflecting URLs

Pull Reflector Type	URL
VBrick Reflector pull URL for pulling an	http://vbrick_ipaddress:8080/vbrickvideo1
HTTP stream from another VBrick:
Pull from an .asx file served from a	http://ipaddress/vbs1http.asx
VBrick or any HTTP server:
Pull from a Microsoft Encoder:	http://microsoft_encoder_Ipaddress:port
Pull from a broadcast publishing point on	http://microsoft_server_Ipaddress/LiveStream
a Microsoft Server:
Pull from an on-demand publishing point	http://microsoft_server_Ipaddress/videofolder/
on a Microsoft Server:	storedvideo.wmv
Pull from a dynamically-generated or	http://myserver.com/findURL.dll?myplaylist
load-distributed publishing point that
redirects the client to an .asx file or a WM
HTTP stream:

TTo reflect a pulled stream through a Windows Media or Helix server:

Create a broadcast publishing point on the Windows Media or Helix Server and use the

VBrick HTTP URL (i.e. http://172.22.113.9:8080/vbrickvideo1) as the source of the

publishing point. The server requests the stream from the VBrick via HTTP and makes the stream available to players or other servers via unicast and/or multicast based on the configured publishing point options on the server. For more information, see Creating Publishing Points.

VBrick WM Appliance Admin Guide 7