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This section provides an overview of the methods you can use and properties you can modify to configure a publishing point. Details about individual items and how to configure them are provided through links to other areas of Windows Media Services Help.
A publishing point is the portal through which a client connects to receive a stream. The source is the location of the content that a client can receive from a publishing point. You can assign any of several different types of sources to a publishing point, such as a file, a directory of files, a content playlist, or a live stream from an encoder.
Dynamic content sources can be created for use with Windows Media Services. A dynamic source is typically a playlist created by a client-side agent and used with an on-demand publishing point. For more information about dynamic sources, see Using dynamic sources.
The range of content sources can be expanded further through the use of custom data source plug-ins. The Windows Media Services SDK enables you to create and customize data source plug-ins to suit your needs.
On the Properties tab, you can change property settings and add plug-ins that modify how a publishing point streams content. Publishing point properties affect the way the publishing point operates, while plug-ins can add functionality to the publishing point. Windows Media Services includes several of the most commonly used plug-ins as part of the installation. Additional plug-ins can be created by using the Windows Media Services SDK or can be obtained from third-party vendors. For more information about the standard properties and plug-ins that are included with Windows Media Services, see About properties and plug-ins.
Logging can be enabled on a publishing point to capture usage information on clients connecting to unicast and multicast streams. Logs can be used for several different purposes, including advertiser feedback, troubleshooting, and subscriber billing. To log data about unicast clients, the WMS Client Logging plug-in is enabled. Multicast logging is provided by the Windows Media Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) extension (wmsiislog.dll). For more information, see Logging data and events.
You can control access to a publishing point by configuring and enabling one or more security-related plug-ins. The authentication and authorization plug-ins have the most direct effect on publishing point security, but there is a wide range of additional measures you can take to improve the security of your publishing point. You can also control access by placing limits on client connections. By limiting certain aspects of streaming behavior (such as the number of client connections or the bandwidth used for each client), you can also limit the effect that a malicious attack will have on your publishing point performance.