SnapStream Media Enterprise TV Server Service manual

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Enterprise TV Server
Administrator Guide
© 2002-2014, SnapStream Media, Inc.
Revision date: 06/2014

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Table of Contents
I. Settings Overview …………………………………………….………………………….. 4
II. Other information …………………………………………….………………………..... 6
Initial Configuration ………………………..……………………………………….. 6
How Users Connect to SnapStream …………...…………………………………. 6
About Lineups …………………………………………….………………………..... 7
About Video Profiles …………………………………….…………………..……… 7
About Tasks and Workflows …………………………….………….……………... 7
Guidelines for Active Directory Integration ……….….…………………..…….. 8
E-mail Alerts ………………………….………………………………………………. 8
III. FAQ …………………….………………………………………………………..…….….. 9
IV. Technical Specifications ……………………………………………………..……… 11
Power Requirements ………………………………………………….………….... 11
Network Connection ………………………………………………….…………..… 13
Hard Drives …………………….……………………………………………….……. 13
V. Security ………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
Network information ……………………………………………………………….. 14
Antivirus information ……………………………………………………….……… 14
Windows Updates …………………………………………………...……………… 14

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SnapStream Enterprise TV Server Administrator’s Manual
SnapStream Technical Support
877-SNAPSTREAM
[e-mail]
www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/
Overview
SnapStream is a Windows-based appliance for recording television. It is designed to serve PC or Mac
clients over the local network. Your SnapStream installation may be comprised of one or more physical
systems, called “nodes.” An installation with more than one node is referred to as a “cluster.”
In most cases, SnapStream will be largely preconfigured before delivery, and can be operated with
minimal setup. However, changes to system settings can be useful in order for your organization to get
the most out of your server. Some features, such as user settings, are not preconfigured, and must be
configured manually when you receive your server.
SnapStream settings are found in our web interface. To open the web interface, enter the system’s
name or IP address into a web browser. Select Admin for access to the settings pages.

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The default admin page is View Status. This page gives information about clients that are currently
connected, as well as information about the system’s tuners and task processing.
On the left side of the page are links to the other settings pages.
Actions
•Import File: Copy a file from the client computer to the SnapStream Library
•View Log: See status messages generated by SnapStream software
•View Status: See an overview of SnapStream resources
Settings
•Alerts: Default settings for SnapStream TV Alerts
•E-mail: Settings used sending e-mail, including TV Alerts, clip sharing, and warning messages
•Expiration Manager: Options for managing storage space on each node
•Folders: Default folder settings for various purposes; folder creation and management
•Machine: Settings for individual nodes in your SnapStream cluster
•Misc: Various other settings
•Program Guide: Settings for program guide updates and channel lineups
•Recording: Default recording settings
•Search: Settings for search indexing and options for refreshing the index
•Transcoding: Default settings for ShowSqueeze, SnapStream’s transcoding feature
•Tuners: Settings for individual TV tuning devices on each node
•Upload Accounts: Options for configuring YouTube and other accounts for uploading
•Users: Security settings
•Workflows: Options for creating rules that create post-processing tasks automatically

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Other information
Initial Configuration
Standalone systems should usually be preconfigured before delivery. See Getting Started with
SnapStream Software for passwords and setup.
For initial configuration of a multi-system SnapStream cluster, please contact SnapStream support by
calling 877-SNAPSTREAM or e-mailing [e-mail].
How Users Connect to SnapStream
Users can connect to SnapStream by entering the name or IP address of your SnapStream system into
the address bar of a web browser.
The web interface uses a plug-in for playback in a web browser on PC or Mac. The SnapStream Web
Player plug-in will prompt for installation when a user attempts to play back video through the web
interface. The plug-in installs at the user level and does not require administrative permissions. For
specifications and system requirements, see our knowledgebase:
http://www.snapstream.com/support/kb/snapstream-web-player-requirements
If your security policy prohibits users from installing browser plugins, or you would prefer to install the
web player at the system level, please contact SnapStream support for instructions.
For DVD burning through the web interface, we offer a DVD burning plug-in. The latest version can be
downloaded from:
http://www.snapstream.com/download/enterprise/dvd/
Currently, the DVD burning plug-in is available for Windows PCs only. It requires administrative
permissions for installation. Installation requires a product key, which can be found on the document
entitled Getting Started With SnapStream Software.
About lineups
Lineups are lists of channels that are created in SnapStream. Lineups can be managed on the Program
Guide page in the web interface. Two types of lineups can be created from this page:
1. SnapStream.Net lineups. These lineups are tied to your server’s product key on our website
(SnapStream.Net). When you enter your ZIP code, you will be presented with a preset list of available
channel lineups. These lineups are built by our guide data provider and cannot be edited, although you
can choose to hide or display individual channels.
Channels on SnapStream.Net lineups have program guide data.
2. Local lineups. These lineups can be built from scratch a channel at a time in the Web Admin. They
are not tied to our website.
Channels on local lineups do not have program guide data.
If you have an in-house cable feed, you may need to create a custom lineup with program guide data.
To do this, use the Create New Custom Lineup button under SnapStream.Net Lineups. Further
instructions can be located here:
http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/ETV_5_help/html/create_or_edit_custom_lineup.htm

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(Note: If you have provided a custom lineup to SnapStream during the ordering process, that lineup
should be pre-loaded.)
Every tuner on your SnapStream must have a lineup associated with it in order to know what channels it
has available. To change the lineup that is associated with a tuner, use the Tuners page in the Admin
section of the web interface.
Only channels that are associated with an enabled tuner will be displayed in the Program Guide. The
Program Guide will list all active lineups simultaneously by channel number (i.e. if two different lineups
have a channel 2 with different callsigns, the Program Guide will display two different entries for channel
2 before listing any channels with higher numbers).
About video profiles
SnapStream provides a variety of preset video profiles in MPEG-2 for creating recordings, and WMV
and H.264 for transcoding. The major difference between video profiles within a format is usually bitrate,
although some other factors, such as Windows Media encoder version or H.264 AVC profile, may differ
as well. These factors can have different effects on the time required for transcoding or on the
compatibility of the transcoded video with third-party software.
Due to the variety of profiles and options available for recording and transcoding, as well as the
variations in quality of television signals, it is difficult to predict how long transcoding operations will take,
or which video profile will be suitable for your use case. Many video profiles are named according to
uses for which they are well-suited, but some experimentation may be necessary in order to find the
right profile.
Note: MPEG-2 settings apply to SD recordings only. The bitrate of HD recordings is set by the encoding
source, and cannot be changed through the SnapStream interface.
About Tasks and Workflows
Post-processing tasks performed by SnapStream include transcoding, clips, SmartChapters
(commercial detection), file tagging, exporting to other locations, uploading to the internet, and other
options. File tagging is performed automatically on every video file and requires no management. Other
tasks can be submitted manually through the Library, or they can be generated automatically using the
Workflows feature.
Workflows are very powerful because they allow a variety of actions to be taken based on different types
of “trigger” events. For example, a Workflow can be set up to automatically create a transcode task
every time a clip is created. Or, a Workflow could be created that would run whenever an HD recording
in the Recordings folder reached 38 days of age that would generate a transcript, transcode the
recording to H.264, delete the original file, export the transcoded file to a folder on a NAS, and then
move the H.264 file to another folder.
Because of the versatility of this feature, it is important to use caution when creating a Workflow and
make sure that the effect that it will have is well-understood. Please feel free to contact SnapStream
support for assistance in using the Workflows feature.
When post-processing tasks are created, either manually or by a Workflow, they are placed in a queue.
This queue can be viewed on the Tasks page.
Information about the status of post-processing on each node is available through System Status in the
Web Admin.

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Guidelines for Active Directory integration
The SnapStream Active Directory integration feature allows users to log in to SnapStream using their
Active Directory or Novell password. Guidelines for AD integration are as follows:
• The server must be added to your domain
• A username and password must be entered in the Security Settings section of the Users page.
The username should be entered as domain\user.
• The username entered in Security Settings must have permission to make queries on the
properties of all users who will be granted access to SnapStream.
• The SnapStream Broker Windows service on the master node must be configured to log in as
the same user who is entered in Security Settings. (Contact SnapStream Support for assistance
with this step)
• When a user attempts to log in, the username can usually be entered without domain
information. For very large domains, it may be helpful to enter the username as domain\user.
Integration with Novell is also available through the same menu.
E-mail Alerts
Your SnapStream can be configured to send warning e-mail notifications when software errors occur.
These alerts are an important tool for catching problems early and maximizing uptime. Please take a
moment to enable warning notifications, on the E-mail page of the Admin console.
E-mail alerts are also available for the SnapStream system’s hard disk array. Please see Hard Drives
on page 14 for information.

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FAQ
How can I change the configuration of the tuners?
Open the web interface and navigate to Admin=> Tuners. Tuner settings can be edited from this menu.
How can I set up the server for direct video (non-television) inputs? How can I "lock" tuners to a
particular channel?
For recording content when no guide data is necessary, you will need to create a single local channel
lineup in the web interface under Admin=>Program Guide for each tuner that you would like to do this
with. Make sure that each lineup uses a different channel number. You can then set a tuner to use the
necessary lineup and input type under Admin=>Tuners.
To lock a tuner to a specific channel with guide data, you will need to create a custom SnapStream.net
lineup, by importing the one channel that you would like to lock it to. You can then set a tuner to use the
necessary lineup and input type under Admin=>Tuners.
Specific instructions for some types of tuning configurations can be found in the SnapStream Enterprise
TV knowledgebase, at http://kb.snapstream.com.
Note: In order for some changes to tuner configuration to take effect, the tuner must be disabled and
then re-enabled.
How do I make a recording from a specific TV input?
Enterprise TV does not support setting a recording job to use a specific tuner. In order to enable
recording by tuner, you must create a single-channel lineup for each tuner. See the answer above.
Do I need to install the web player on every single user PC? Where can I find the prerequisites
that are necessary? Is the web player suitable for distribution through Windows Group Policy or
other installation management tool? Is there a Mac-compatible version of the web player?
The SnapStream web player is a browser plug-in that must be installed in order for users to play back
recordings through a web browser. It can be used on both Macs and PCs. Clicking the play button next
to a recording in our web interface will prompt a user to download and install the web player it if they
don’t have it already.
You can find the prerequisites needed for installing the web player here:
http://www.snapstream.com/support/kb/snapstream-web-player-requirements
A walkthrough of installation can be found in our online help file:
http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/etv_5_help/html/thewebplayer.htm
The web player installs at the user level. For this reason, it does not require administrative permissions,
and it is not suitable for distribution through an installation management tool. We recommend allowing
users to manage the installation of the plug-in themselves. However, if administrative installation of the
Web Player is desired, SnapStream Support can provide a suitable installation package.
What video format does the server use? Can I change the video format?
The SnapStream appliance records SDTV and HDTV in MPEG-2 format inside an MPEG-2 transport
stream wrapper. Recording files have the extension .TP or .TS. Due to hardware limitations, this is the
only format in which the server can record. SnapStream's ShowSqueeze utility allows videos to be
transcoded into Windows Media or H.264/MPEG-4 formats for portability and file compression.

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What permissions should I give to my users?
SnapStream comes pre-loaded with five user groups: Administrators, Schedulers, Basic Schedulers,
Live TV Viewers, and Pre-Recorded Viewers. The difference between the profiles of these groups is the
degree to which users assigned to them can impact the activity of other users. For example, Pre-
Recorded Viewers have "read-only" access to the server, whereas Basic Schedulers can create
recordings, but not edit them or change settings. Administrators can change settings that affect the
operation of the entire server.
Permissions can be edited by creating a new group or by editing an existing group. We recommend that
you restrict access to Administration, Scheduling and Editing permissions to trusted users.
Can my users access SnapStream over a Wide-Area Network (WAN)? Over the Internet?
It is possible for users to access SnapStream via web browser from outside the local network, if the
network is configured properly. Playback will be constrained by the effective bandwidth between the
client and the server, and may require changes to the bitrate of recordings (either during encoding or
transcoding), firewall rules, and DNS settings. See our knowledgebase for more information, or contact
SnapStream Support for assistance.
Can I add network-attached storage or a USB hard drive as a video folder?
For our Server systems, network-attached storage can be added as a video folder for additional storage
space. However, note that the amount of data that your system is licensed to index may be limited to the
internal storage of the system, and additional storage beyond that limit will not be indexed. See the
SnapStream knowledgebase for more information on configuring network-attached storage.
The SnapStream SBE is limited to use of the internal storage disks, and network-attached storage
cannot be added to the Library.
For both Server and SBE systems, network-attached storage can be added as an Export location, in
which case data copied to it will not be included in the SnapStream Library, and it will not count toward
the indexing license limit. See the help file for more information on this option:
http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/etv_5_help/html/add_export_location.htm
Unfortunately, due to known performance-related issues with Windows USB drivers, we are unable to
support the use of USB storage with SnapStream at this time.
Should I add the SnapStream server to my domain?
Adding the SnapStream server to your domain should not have any negative impact on the operation of
the software. If you wish to use the Active Directory integration feature or add a UNC path as a video
folder, joining to the domain is necessary.
What is SnapStream.Net for?
SnapStream.Net is SnapStream's server for guide data. It also provides a user account that can be used
to create or edit a custom lineup. It is not necessary to create a SnapStream.Net account in order to use
any of the features of SnapStream.

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Technical specifications
Power Requirements
All SnapStream servers are equipped with dual hot-swap power supplies that are both
redundant and load-balancing. A single unit may be replaced without a system power-down. They also
support auto detection of 100-240V and 50-60Hz power.
Below are the server configurations and their respective power consumption statistics.*
Storage
Level Chassis Size Total Number of Drives Power Supply Idle Draw
Watts
Idle
Draw
Amps
Load
Draw
Watts
Load
Draw
Amps
Power
Off
Draw
3 TB 3U 7 Dual 920 Watts 116 .96 193 1.59 11 W
6 TB 3U 11 Dual 920 Watts 154 1.28 222 1.88 11 W
9 TB 3U 16 Dual 920 Watts 184 1.54 251 2.1 11 W
12 TB 3U 11 Dual 920 Watts 165 1.38 231 1.93 11 W
18 TB 3U 16 Dual 920 Watts 202 1.69 265 2.2 11 W
24 TB 3U 11 Dual 920 Watts 179 1.49 248 2.08 11 W
27 TB 3U 16 Dual 920 Watts 224 1.85 293 2.5 11 W
36 TB 3U 16 Dual 920 Watts 224 1.85 293 2.5 11 W
Best Practices for power management
Minimal Configuration
Each system power supply unit plugged into an ‘uninterrupted power supply’ (UPS) or ‘battery backup
unit’ (BBU.) Protection provided for single system power supply unit failure and minor power outages
or failures.
Better Configuration
Each system power supply unit plugged into a separate UPS or BBU. Protection provided for single
system power supply unit failure, power outages, and single UPS/BBU failure.

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Best Configuration
Each system power supply unit plugged into its own UPS/BBU, each of which is powered by separate,
independent circuits. Protection provided for single system power supply unit failure, power outages,
single UPS/BBU failure, and single facility circuitry failure.
UPS VA Recommendations
When deciding on UPS hardware, it is important to choose a solution with the appropriate VA
rating. This rating allows you to calculate the prospective uptime of a server in the event of a power
failure, based on the power draw of the system. For specific advice on choosing a UPS unit, we
recommend that you contact your preferred hardware vendor and provide the power draw
specifications contained in this document.
Heat
The heat output of your SnapStream appliance will vary directly with the number of hard disks that are in
use. The chart below shows approximate heat output by storage capacity.*
Storage
Level Chassis Size Draw Consumed
@ Idle
Draw
Consumed
@ Load
Thermal
Output
@ Idle
Thermal
Output
@ Load
3 TB 3U 116 Watts 193 Watts 395.79 BTU/h 656.81 BTU/h
6 TB 3U 154 Watts 222 Watts 525.45 BTU/h 757.46 BTU/h
9 TB 3U 184 Watts 251 Watts 629.17 BTU/h 856.41 BTU/h
12 TB 3U 165 Watts 231 Watts 563.66 BTU/h 788.17 BTU/h
18 TB 3U 202 Watts 265 Watts 689.22 BTU/h 904.18 BTU/h
24 TB 3U 179 Watts 248 Watts 609.38 BTU/h 846.18 BTU/h
27 TB 3U 224 Watts 293 Watts 764.29 BTU/h 999.72 BTU/h
36 TB 3U 224 Watts 293 Watts 764.29 BTU/h 999.72 BTU/h
*NOTE: During system startup, power draw and heat output may temporarily reach levels of up to 150%
of the Load figures noted in these tables.

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Chassis dimensions
Equipment RU Dimensions (L x W x H)
SnapStream Server 3u 25.5” x 17.2” x 5.2”
SnapStream HD/SDI Node 1u 14.5” x 17.2” x 1.7”
SnapStream Transcode Node 1u 14.5” x 17.2” x1.7”
Clustering Switch 1u 14.4” x 17.4 x 1.73”
Blonder Tongue HDE-2H-QAM 1u 21” x 19” x 1.75”
Drake DSE24 1u 19” x 14.5” x 1.75”
Network connection
SnapStream systems has two ethernet adapter ports, but these ports are not bridged. A server's
maximum network connection speed is 1Gb/s, which is available from either ethernet adapter port alone.
If you have multiple SnapStream systems configured in a cluster, they must all be connected to a single
1Gb managed switch.
TV Signal
For best results, we recommend an RF TV signal of between +5 and -5dB, for both HD and SDTV.
Hard Disk Drives
All servers are configured with a fault-tolerant RAID 5 storage array, operated by an LSI PCIe RAID
controller. The administrative interface for the RAID controller can be reached through the MegaRAID
shortcut on the server’s desktop. Click on the machine name and log in with the Windows password,
which can be found in the document Getting Started with SnapStream Software.
The SnapStream Enterprise TV Server's boot drive is configured in RAID 1 (mirroring), also through the
LSI RAID controller.
IMPORTANT: Failure of one of the RAID array's storage drives is the most common hardware issue
experienced by users of the Enterprise TV Server. Because the array is fault-tolerant, you should not
experience any loss of data or system instability due to a drive failure. However, this also means that it
is possible for drive failures to go undetected if the server is allowed to run unmonitored. For this
reason, the RAID controller's administrative interface provides an automatic e-mail alert system. To
configure these alerts, open the MegaRAID manager and go to Tools=> Configure Alerts. Please take a
moment to configure these e-mail alerts so that any problems that arise can be detected and addressed
in a timely manner.
In the event of a drive failure, please contact SnapStream Enterprise Support for an RMA at 877-
SNAPSTREAM or through our web form at
http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/contact.asp
Your server may have one or more hot spare drives, which will be indicated on the server’s front panel
by a flashing red light. The flashing light is a normal indication of a hot spare, and does not indicate a
problem.
Please note that fault-tolerant storage is not a substitute for data backup. We recommend backing
up any critical data to a safe location. SnapStream Media does not guarantee the integrity of your data.

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Security
Network information
Required Ports
Ports 80 and/or 443 The SnapStream Web Interface can be hosted as non-ssl (80) and/or ssl
(443). The system administrator can choose to disable port 80 through the IIS Administration Tool on
the SnapStream Server.
Ports 9090-9093 Used for communication between SnapStream Cluster Nodes and between the
Cluster and Clients
Port 9190 Used for programs written around the SnapStream API such as the Mac Web Player and
DVD Burn Plugin.
Port 9999 Used for file access communication on both nodes and clients.
Guide Data
In order for the server to download program guide data, it must have access to port 443 on the following
websites:
•snapstream.net (64.9.150.141)
•wsdl.snapstream.net (64.9.150.144)
•partners.snapstream.net (64.9.150.143)
Please note that these IP addresses are subject to change without notice. For this reason, we
strongly recommend whitelisting the DNS name rather than the IP address.
Antivirus Information
The Enterprise TV Server is compatible with most common antivirus solutions. However, in order to
prevent conflicts, the following locations MUST be excluded from on-access virus scans
•C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SNAPSTREAMTVDB
•C:\Program Files (x86)\SnapStream Media
•All internal storage drives (drive letters D-G)
•C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\SnapStream Media\SnapStream
TV (In some cases, this location may vary depending on the configuration of your system.
Please contact SnapStream Support for more information.)
\
Windows Updates
SnapStream servers are shipped with automatic Windows updates disabled, in order to avoid
unattended reboots and maintain a known operating system environment. SnapStream recommends
following your IT department’s recommendations on Windows updates. In the unlikely event that a
Windows update causes a conflict with SnapStream software, we will notify users as soon as possible.