9 Installing and Configuring Transcoders

This chapter describes installing and configuring transcoders for DIVArchive and includes the following information:

• Transcoder Overview

• Upgrading from Telestream Vantage 5.0 and Earlier

• Installing Telestream Vantage

• Configuring DIVArchive and Transcoders

  • Installing the Telestream License

  • Preparing a Mount Point for Linux-based Actors

  • Configuring the Transcoder and Actor on a Single Computer

  • Configuring the Transcoder and Actor on Separate Computers

• Configuring Telestream Vantage

  • Creating the Output Path

  • Creating a Minimum Vantage Workflow

  • Creating a Complex Vantage Workflow

• Configuring Transcoders

• Configuring Sources and Destinations

Transcoder Overview

The following instructions are directed toward servers running the Windows Server 2012 R2 SP1 operating system. Linux-based Actors only support Telestream Vantage for transcoding operations.

Upgrading from Telestream Vantage 5.0 and Earlier

Upgrading from 5.0 or earlier releases of Vantage requires uninstalling and reinstalling the Vantage software. Refer to the Vantage 6.3 Installation Guide for details on the uninstall procedure.

Installing Telestream Vantage

Oracle recommends that no anti-virus software is installed on the Vantage servers. Use the following procedure to install Vantage 6.3:

1. Download the Vantage 6.3 release from Telestream.

2. If you are uncertain of how to install the software, refer to the Quick Start Instructions in the downloaded file.

3. Install .NET 3.5 SP1, if not already installed, on the host computer that will be running the Vantage Database server.

4. Install QuickTime 7.6.9 if not already installed.

5. Install the Desktop Experience option. This is located in the Server Manager under Features.

6. Install the VantageDatabaseSetup_SQL2008_4.2.286.100451.exe, accepting the default settings.

7. Execute the Vantage_6.3_Setup.exe.

8. Select the Install Product(s) option.

9. Ensure the following options are selected:

   • Transcode/Transcode Pro

   • Web Applications

   • Workflow Portal Application

   • Vantage Domain Database

10. Enable any other options required for your installation.

11. Complete the installation.

Installing the Telestream License

Use the following procedure to install the Telestream license after the software is installed:

1. launch the Vantage Workflow Designer.

2. If you are prompted to select a Domain, select the local computer.

3. If you are prompted for a Category click Cancel (for now).

4. Click File, and then Add/Update License.

Vantage is now installed and you can continue with configuring it to work with DIVArchive.

Oracle recommends importing sample workflows in the Vantage Workflow Designer. You can view a demonstration at http://www.telestream.net/vantage/demos.htm.

Configuring DIVArchive and Transcoders

The following instructions identify the configuration of DIVArchive and transcoders to enable operation together. Starting with DIVArchive 7.3, it is no longer required to have Actor installed on the same computer as the transcode service.

A transcoder is no longer coupled to a single Actor. You select the transcoder after you select the Actor. Therefore, you no longer define a LOCAL transcode Actor as a destination. A LOCAL Actor destination is dynamically and temporarily (only in memory, not stored in the database) created for the Actor that you chose as part of resource selection. The Actor column was removed from the Transcoders area in the Configuration Utility.

The transcoder server and cache location is now embedded in the Working Directory on the Edit Transcoders Entry screen in the following format:

[actor:actor_name,actorPath:actor_transcoder_cache_path,transcoder:trancoder_ip_address],cifs://user_name:password@\\transcoder_cache_ip_address\transcoder_cache

For example:

[actor:actor_001,actorPath:/tmp/vantagecache,transcoder:10.145.40.81],cifs://user:password@\\10.145.40.81\VantageIn

The following rules apply:

• The order of the actor, actorPath, and transcoder settings is important. The order of the parameters must be actor, followed by actorPath, and finally followed by transcoder.

• Multiple transcoders are not supported for Flip Factory. They are only supported for Vantage.

• Linux-based Actors only support Telestream Vantage for transcoding operations.

• If the transcoder parameter is not specified with the transcoder IP address, a local address of 127.0.0.1 is assumed.

  For example:

  [actor:actor_001_std,transcoder:127.0.0.1],d:\diva\local
  

• If the actor parameter is not specified with an Actor name, the transcoder is presumed to not be mapped to a specific Actor.

• The transcoder_cache folder is the location where both the Actor and Vantage use to perform the entire transcode operation. Because Vantage runs in the Windows platform, a CIFS formatted UNC path that is Windows compatible represents the transcoder_cache share folder. Vantage will use this path for transcoding.

• If the actorPath parameter is not specified, Actor will use the same CIFS formatted UNC path.

• An actorPath parameter must be specified if you use a Linux Actor for transcoding with Vantage Transcoder as follows:

  [actor:actor_name, actorPath:actor_path,transcoder:trancoder_ip_address],cifs://username: password@\\transcoder_cache_ip_address\transcoder_cache
  

• Because UNC paths are not accessible by Linux, the Actor will be unable to read from or write to the transcoder_cache folder. In this scenario, you must provide an alternate path to the Actor using the actorPath parameter. The path is a configured mount point enabling the Linux Actor to transfer content to and from an SMB network share (transcoder cache).

• The original method of configuring a transcoder to a local Actor is still supported for legacy purposes

• The original method of configuring Local Sources/Destinations tied to Actors is still supported so legacy configurations will continue to function.

Preparing a Mount Point for Linux-based Actors

Linux-based Actors must have access to the transcoder cache folder through a local mount point. Use the following procedure to create a mount point to the remote transcoder cache:

1. Open a terminal window and execute the id command to confirm that you are logged in under the same user account that runs the Actor (typically diva) as follows:

   [diva@Linux018 actor]$ id
   

   The response will look similar to the following. Confirm the User ID (uid) and Group ID (gid), and use these values in the mounting operation. In the example they are both 1000.

   uid=1000(diva)gid=1000(diva) groups=1000(diva),10(wheel),30(tape),54321(oinstall),54322(dba) context=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023
   

2. Execute the following command to create your local mount point directory (for example, /tmp/vantagecache). You may need to log in as the root user depending on where the directory is located.

   mkdir /tmp/vantagecache
   

3. Execute the following command to create a local mount point (for example, /tmp/vantagecache) to the network share of the transcoder cache. Enter the appropriate share authentication information including the user_id#, group_id#, remote_transcoder_cache_ip_address, and remote_transcoder_cache_path.

   mount -t cifs -o username={user_name},password={password},uid={user_id#},gid={group_id#} //transcoder_cache_ip_address/remote_transcoder_cache_path /tmp/vantagecache
   

4. Set the actorPath parameter to /tmp/vantagecache when configuring the transcoder settings.

The following sections describe general transcoder configuration.

Configuring the Transcoder and Actor on a Single Computer

Use the following procedure to configure Vantage transcoders when the Actor is on the same computer as the transcode service:

1. Create a cache folder on the Actor computer. For a Vantage transcoder you could use M:\VantageCache.

2. Add the transcoder in the DIVArchive Configuration Utility. with the following settings:

   • Transcoder Type: vantage

   • Working directory: M:\VantageCache

   • Leave the remaining options at the default settings.

3. Open the DIVArchive Configuration Utility.

4. Navigate to the Transcoders frame on the System tab.

5. Ensure that the DIVArchive Transcoder configuration's Simul Transcodes value is less than or equal to the corresponding Vantage Session Limit value.

6. Open the Vantage Management Console.

7. Click Services in the left navigation tree.

8. Locate the transcoder you are configuring in the right frame and then right-click the transcoder name.

9. Select Enter Maintenance Mode from the context menu.

10. Click Service Limits on the Setup tab in the bottom frame.

11. Confirm the Session Limit and the Target Resource Usage parameters are set correctly for your environment, and adjust as necessary.

Configuring the Transcoder and Actor on Separate Computers

Use the following procedure to configure Vantage when the Actor is on a different computer than the Vantage Transcode service:

Caution:

The cache folder must be located on a computer accessible by the Vantage SDK computer through a shared Windows path.

1. Create a cache folder on the remote computer. In the example M:\VantageCache is used.

2. In Windows, share this folder on the network and set the required access credentials.

3. Authorize the Vantage transcoder to access the shared Vantage Cache folder.

4. Open the Vantage Management Console on the Vantage SDK computer.

5. Navigate to the Settings & Options screen using the left navigation tree.

6. Click the Authorization tab.

7. Add a new entry with the Username, Password, and Folder. For example, \\10.145.50.81\VantageCache is the Windows UNC path for the shared Vantage Cache folder.

8. Open the DIVArchive Configuration Utility.

9. Navigate to the Transcoders frame on the System tab.

10. Add the transcoder to the DIVArchive Configuration Utility with the following settings:

    • Transcoder Type: vantage

    • Set the Working Directory as follows:

      • Use a CIFS UNC path pointing to the IP address of the Vantage Cache computer. Include the required authentication information for the shared Vantage Cache folder.

      • Include the path to the shared Vantage Cache folder.

      • If the Actor is Linux-based, you must set the mount point to enable the Actor to access the Vantage Cache. Set the actorPath parameter to point to the mount point.

      • If the Vantage Cache is located on a different computer than the Vantage SDK service (different IP address), you must tell the Actor the IP address where the transcoder service is located. Set the transcoder parameter to point to the address of the Vantage SDK service computer.

    • Leave the remaining options at the default settings.

    The following is an example Working Directory entry:

    [actorPath:/tmp/vantagetest,transcoder:10.145.40.81],cifs://user:pass@\\10.145.40.81\VantageCache
    

Configuring Telestream Vantage

The following sections describe only the configuration for the Vantage transcoder.

Creating the Output Path

Use the following procedure to create the output path in Vantage:

1. Open the Vantage Management Console and connect to the local computer.

2. In the left navigation tree, navigate to Workflow Design Items, Variables, Create New Variable.

3. Use the menu list to set the Select the variable type parameter to Path.

4. Click OK.

5. At the bottom of the screen, update the Name field to OutputPath.

6. Click the Save icon to save the variable.

Creating a Minimum Vantage Workflow

Use the following procedure to create the minimum Vantage workflow. First, you create the workflow and link the Receive and Flip together as follows:

1. Open the Vantage Workflow Designer.

2. Create a New Category.

   In the example the Name is TESTMINWorkflow.

   Note:

   No spaces or special characters are allowed in the category name.

3. Create a New Workflow and enter a name for it in the Enter a name field.

4. Select the Category for the workflow from the Select a category for the new workflow list.

5. Optionally, you can enter a description in the Enter a description field if desired.

6. If desired, set the number of hours for the workflow to expire, and select the Expire after check box.

7. Click OK to save the workflow.

8. Click the Common icon, and the click Receive.

9. Click the Transcode icon, and then click Flip.

10. To link the Receive and Flip together, click the Receive yellow dot and drag it to the Flip yellow dot.

Next, you configure the Flip options as follows:

1. Right-click Flip to configure the Flip options. For this example a media file is being configured using the following settings:

   • Encoder: Apple 3GP

   • Input media file nickname: Original

   • Output media file nickname: Mobile

2. Expand the Output Location section.

3. Select the Path option, and then enter, or browse, to select the output path (for example, E:\VantageStore).

4. Use the menu list to select the Collision Resolution. This identifies what the software will do if there is an existing file in the output path with the same file name. Initially set the Collision Resolution field to Overwrite.

5. Click Save to save the configuration.

Next, you configure the Receive options as follows:

1. Right-click Receive to configure the Receive options.

2. Click the Media Files list and choose Vantage Proxy.

3. Click Save to save the changes.

When you are finished, click Release to enable DIVArchive to use the workflow.

Creating a Complex Vantage Workflow

This Vantage complex workflow example was created for documentation purposes; however it has not been tested with actual media files. Use the following procedure to create the complex Vantage workflow:

1. Open the Vantage Workflow Designer.

2. Navigate to File, and then create a New Category. For this example the Category created is named TESTComplex.

3. Navigate to File, and then Import Workflow.

4. Browse and select C:\Program Files (x86)\Telestream\Vantage\Samples\Analysis\Smart SD and HD Transcoding.xml.

5. Specify the category created in Step 2.

6. Oracle recommends changing the Workflow Name to match the Category. No spaces or special characters are allowed.

7. Delete the Watch and replace it with Receive.

8. Configure Receive and set MediaFiles to Original.

9. Link Receive with Identity.

10. Delete Deploy.

11. Configure both Flip Factories.

    • Change the Output Location to Path and then enter, or browse, to select the output path.

    • Change the Collision Resolution to Overwrite.

12. Click Release to enable DIVArchive to use the workflow. In this example, the workflow should look like the following figure.

    
    

Configuring Transcoders

Create a new Vantage transcoder as described in previous section.

Set the Working Directory to either a local folder, or a path on a remote system. You can only set a remote path for Vantage. If you are setting a path to a remote system, a CIFS UNC path with the appropriate authentication credentials must be specified. The IP address specified in the UNC path must point to the remote computer running the Vantage SDK service.

Configuring Sources and Destinations

Use the following procedure to configure a source or destination for use with transcoders:

1. Open the DIVArchive Configuration Utility.

2. Navigate to the Sources and Destinations frame on the System tab.

3. Create a LOCAL Source/Destination for the Actor using the following parameters:

   • Source Name: use the same name as the Actor name

   • IP Address: leave this field empty

   • Source Type: LOCAL

4. Configure the destination to include the following transcode options along with any other required Connect Options:

   • -tr_names {TRANSCODER_NAME}

   • -tr_restore_format {WORKFLOW_NAME}

   Note:

   The auto format option is only valid for Telestream and Bitscream.

For this example the Connect Options field is populated similar to the following:

-login diva -pass diva -tr_names vantage_001 -tr_restore_format TESTMINWorkflow