There are two administrative interfaces for Windows Media
Services: the Windows Media Services snap-in for Microsoft
Management Console (MMC) and Windows Media Services Administrator
for the Web, a Web-based administration interface that uses Active
Server Pages (ASP) hosted by Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS).
The Windows Media Services user interfaces are divided into two
parts: the console tree on the left and the details pane on the
right. The console tree is organized as a hierarchy composed of
group, server, and publishing point items. The information
displayed in the details pane changes based on the item you click
in the console tree.
If you click a server or a publishing point in the console tree,
the details pane displays tabs that enable you to monitor and
configure your server or publishing point. If you click a group or
the Troubleshooting item in the console tree, the details
pane shows a summary of relevant statistics for that item. The
details pane has a row of buttons at the bottom that you can use to
perform administrative tasks.
In addition to the console tree and details pane, the Windows
Media Services snap-in also has four wizards to help you create
publishing points, wrapper playlists, and announcement files.
Working with the console tree
The console tree can contain the following items:
Servers. When you install Windows Media Services, your
computer becomes the default Windows Media server. If you want to
administer more than one Windows Media server using Windows Media
Services, you can add additional servers to the console tree.
Groups. If you are administering several Windows Media
servers using the Windows Media Services snap-in, you can manage
them more effectively by organizing them into groups. Each group
should contain servers that need to be monitored and controlled
together. A server can be a member of more than one group, if
necessary.
Troubleshooting. You can use the troubleshooting feature
to identify problems or potential problems in your server
operation. The Troubleshooting item provides a list of the
most recent events and error messages that have
occurred since the Windows Media Services service was started.
Cache/Proxy Management. Cache/proxy servers significantly reduce the
latency of your digital media content as well as the load on the
origin server. When you click the Cache/Proxy Management
item in the console tree, the details pane displays a page
containing information about plug-ins and other tools that can help
you manage your cache/proxy servers.
Publishing Points. You can click the Publishing
Points item to display a list of the names and statistics for
all the publishing points hosted by a server. Each server can have
one or more associated publishing points. By clicking an individual
publishing point in the console tree, you can control and analyze
the publishing point's activity by using the corresponding tabs in
the details pane. A publishing point can operate by using one of
two different methods: on-demand and broadcast. Each method
provides the user with different types of content control and
playback.
Working with the details pane
The details pane is the area of the interface used to perform
tasks and monitor the operation of Windows Media servers. The
contents of the details pane changes depending on the item you
click in the console tree.
The details pane typically consists of several tabs. Each tab
provides you with information and server management capabilities
specific to certain aspects of server operation. The buttons at the
bottom of the tab enable you to perform common server tasks.
Working with groups of servers
Each administrative interface handles the administration of
multiple servers differently. The following list describes the
differences:
Windows Media Services snap-in. Multiple servers or
groups can be added to or removed from the console tree. To
administer a server, expand the server item in the console tree and
click an item in the server list in order to view its statistics or
configure its settings in the details pane. Both server and
publishing point groups are available.
Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web. On the
Security Settings page that appears when Windows Media Services
Administrator for the Web first starts, click Administer a list
of Windows Media Servers. When the Administrator page opens,
you can see the list of servers that are controlled by Windows
Media Services Administrator for the Web. You can use the Add
Server and Remove Server buttons to manage the list of
servers. To administer a server, click a server listed on the
server list page to display that server's administration page. To
administer a different server, you must return to the server list
page. For security reasons, you must use an authentication method
other than NTLM that supports delegation in order to administer
multiple Windows Media servers.
Working with wizards
In the Windows Media Services snap-in, four wizards are
available to help you perform complex tasks. Each wizard takes you
through a step by step process that helps you understand the
operations you are performing.
Add Publishing Point Wizard. This wizard helps you
choose a content source and a distribution method. It can also help
you create a playlist, log files, and archive files. If you do not
want to use the wizard to create a publishing point or you want to
include advanced features in your publishing point, you can use the
Add Publishing Point (Advanced) command instead.
Create Wrapper Wizard. This wizard helps you add
advertising or other content to the start and end of your unicast
broadcast.
Unicast Announcement Wizard. This wizard helps you
create an announcement file which can be used by unicast clients to
access your publishing point. You can also use the wizard to create
a simple Web page with an embedded link to your publishing
point.
Multicast Announcement Wizard. This wizard helps you
create an announcement file and a multicast information file that
clients can use to connect to your multicast stream.
Cache/Proxy Management, multicast streaming and
the Multicast Announcement Wizard 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.
Note