To configure a multicast stream from a broadcast publishing point

1. In the console tree, click the broadcast publishing point from which you want to multicast content. If the publishing point is started, click Stop.
2. In the details pane, click the Properties tab.
3. In Category, click Multicast streaming.
4. In Plug-in, click WMS Multicast Data Writer, and then click the Properties button.

   The WMS Multicast Data Writer Properties dialog box appears.

5. In Destination multicast IP address and port,specify the parameters for the multicast distribution by using the following settings:
   • IP address. Type the multicast IP address.
   • Port. Type the port on the Windows Media server through which the multicast will be streamed.
   • Time-to-live (TTL). Enter the number of routers that your multicast can pass through (sometimes referred to as the number of "hops") before expiring on the network.
6. Select the Enable unicast rollover check box to allow clients to connect to a server to receive the content, and then do one of the following:
   • To allow this publishing point to stream its content by using the Unicast Data Writer plug-in, click Use this publishing point.
   • To redirect unicast client connection requests to an alternate publishing point, click Use other publishing point, and then type the URL of the publishing point; for example, rtsp://unicast_server/publishing_point.
7. Click the Advanced tab. If you have multiple network interface cards on your server, in IP address of the network interface card to multicast from, click the appropriate IP address.
8. In Logging URL, type the URL to the Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) directory; for example, http://server_name/scripts/wmsiislog.dll, where server_name is the name of the Internet Information Services (IIS) computer.
9. Click OK to apply your configuration to the plug-in, and then click the Enable button to use the plug-in on the publishing point.
10. To create a multicast announcement, click the Announce tab, and then click Run Multicast Announcement Wizard.
11. To start your publishing point, in the console tree, click the publishing point. In the details pane, click the Monitor tab, and then click Start.

Notes

• If you selected the Enable unicast rollover check box, verify that the publishing point you are rolling over to is set to Allow New Connections.
• If you specified a logging URL, you are not required to have the wmsiislog.dll file on the same computer as the Windows Media server; however, wmsiislog.dll must be installed in a directory that can be accessed from the Web.
• Clients must use an announcement to connect to a multicast stream. If clients use a URL, they are connecting by using unicast.
• Multicast streaming and the WMS Multicast Data Writer plug-in are available only if Windows Media Services 9 Series is running on the following editions of the operating system: Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. If you are running Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition, these features are not supported.

Related topics

• About publishing point types
• Controlling unicast connections to a publishing point
• Announcing content
• Testing a stream
• To allow unicast connections to a publishing point
• Setting up a broadcast