ASK THE EXPERTS - DIGITAL MEDIA SUITE

[ciscomoderator]

Welcome to the Cisco Networking  Professionals Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to learn more about the Digital Media Suite and get an update on the new 5.2.x features with Tomas de Leon.  Tomas de Leon is a Technical Leader in the Customer Advanced Engineering Group at Cisco, supporting various emerging technologies through product testing and field trials. He is also a subject matter expert for Cisco in the area of digital media and media processing and assists with network design, documentation, and troubleshooting for critical deployments.  He holds a bachelor of business administration degree in computer information systems and holds CCIE certification #2202 in Routing & Switching.

Remember to use the rating system to let Tomas know if you have received an adequate response.

Tomas might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Our moderators will post many of the unanswered   questions in other discussion forums shortly after the event. This  event  lasts through September 13, 2010. Visit this forum often to view  responses  to your questions and the questions of other community  members.

[Tomas de Leon]

tnpollock,

There is not a SRND specific document for Digital Media Suite.

The are application notes, migration guides, and best practices information

for specific components and features. 

Is there something specific that you are looking for?

Thanks

T.

[tnpollock]

I am looking for a document which cuts through all of the marketing stuff and discusses DMS more in-depth from a technical perspective.  It appears Gary's link may accomplish this.

Appreciate the reply!

[garyb]

Hi.

Does this Cisco-validated network design for DMS answer your questions?

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns819/networking_solutions_program_home.html

[tenaro.gusatu.novici]

Hi there,

it is possible to use built-in WiFi, which is part of new DMP, as an access point?

What I'm trying to say is that I can use my laptop to connect to some access point; still, it is possible (via couple clicks inside my operating system) to change this and my laptop will behave as access point allowing other wireless users to connect to my laptop and maybe proceed to Internet via ethernet cable which is also connected to my machine. Is same available on the DMP?

Best regards,

Tenaro

[panayiotiscy]

Hi Tomas,

Congrats for this thread!

I would like to ask you the following:

What is the expected behaviour of the DMP if the content is played from the local storage on the DMP and all of a sudden the connectivity to the DMM is down for any reason?

What i have experienced here is that the content freezes, but i would have expected not to.

Please elaborate!

Thank you

[Tomas de Leon]

panayiotiscy,

AFAIK, the expected behavior should be that the locally playing asset **should** continue

to play.  I have tested on my DMP-4400G and it does continue to play. 

My initial test was to play the local asset and then pull the ethernet cable on the DMP.

The asset continued to play without issue.  I will try looping the content and see if it

changes over a longer time period and let you know.

What DMP version are your running?

What DMP Model are you testing with?

What were the details of your testing so I can try to replicate here?

What type & format of your content were you running when this occurred?

Also, can you please upload a text file with the output of the "status" mib for

the DMP having issues.

Thanks

T.

[panayiotiscy]

Hi Tomas,

Actually, what really happens on the dmp is that if the content that is stored in the internal memory  includes a dynamic asset (e.g an html ticker) , then by pulling out the network cable then the whole content freezes. If the content are just assets stored in the internal memory then by pulling out the network cable  the content is not affected.

Still, is the 1st case result an expected one?

Thank you

[Tomas de Leon]

I will need to test this scenario and let you know a little later.

Obiviously, since the content is an HTML asset that is

not on the DMP some type of timeout or error will occur

when the network is NOT available for whatever reason.

So my next question to you is does the Ticker freeze or

does then "entire" presentation freezes?

I will let you know what I find out from my testing.

T.

[Tomas de Leon]

I tested your scenario and can reproduce the problem.

The problem appears to be definitely related to the

remote URL asset.

I have filed a CDET (bug) on this issue.

CSCti79413 - Locally Presentation freezes after network connectivity is lost

The DMP is probably working as designed with not playing the

presentation when the remote URL is not present.

That said, the issue needs to be addressed at the DMM or DMP level.

You should have seen a "Warning" in the Deployment status window on the

the DMM.  The warning would have notified you of an INVALID Target (the remote

URL).  That said, the DMD should have not been deployed or that portion

of the DMD presentation omitted.

or

the DMP simply continue to play the locally stored assets in the presentation and

just fail on the remote URL asset.

That is something the DMS Engineering Team will need to decide.

I would as a best practice not include Remote URLs for content on a locally stored presentation.

I hope this helps!

T.

[panayiotiscy]

Let's wait for the DMS engineers then to sort this out.

Thank you

[Tomas de Leon]

Tenaro,

I am sorry, the wireless feature on the Digital Media Player is client based only.

The DMP cannot act like an access point or share it's wireless interface like you

can do with a Mac or a PC..

Information on the wireless connection on the DMP:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/video/digital_media_systems/dmp/user/guide/5_x/5_2_x/network.html#wp1157593

I hope this helps!

Cheers!

T.

[Stoyan Stoitsev]

Hello Tomas,

Is there a recommended web server to use with DMS?

Stoyan

[Tomas de Leon]

Stoyan,

The following comment is from the "Release Notes of DMS 5.2.1"

"Compatibility Limitations with Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)

DMPs that use firmware release 5.2 are compatible with only one version of

Microsoft Internet Information Server. That supported version is IIS 6.0 for

Windows 2003 Enterprise.

If you do not have the supported IIS version but want your DMPs to retrieve

assets from a webserver, we recommend that you use Apache instead of IIS."

Release Notes for Cisco Digital Media Suite 5.2.x

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/video/digital_media_systems/5_x/5_2/dms/release/notes/dms52rn.html#wp103325

I have used the supported version of IIS and Apache with no issues to date.

If this answers your question, Please take time to rate the response.

Thank You!

T.

[Teleplex1]

I'm currently using DMP 4400-G with version 5.2.1 running on the DMM and the DMPs.  My question is that when we try and use the canned transitions  in the DMD they do not run smoothly on the DMPs.  I see that there is a bug report on this, CSCtg92808 and the listed workaround " use the no effect option" is not really a workaround.  Is this something that is or will be corrected in future upgrades?

[Tomas de Leon]

Alan,

Some things to try:

- Make sure Caching is enabled on the DMP

- Try using a "All Media Type" Playlist instead of the Slideshow.

  There will be no transition effect but the performance may be better

  an then you can play with the preload buffer value in the playlist and

  maybe this will help.

- Make sure video failover is disabled.

- And try deploying the slideshow or playlist presentation to the DMP.

  Store it locally and the try playing the presentation to see if there are improvements.

As for future releases, as you mentioned there are some transition issues, The DMS
Engineering team is always trying to make the user\DMS experience better so I am

sure the team will be working on improvements for each upcoming release.  Please

keep monitoring the DMS site on www.cisco.com for upcoming announcements and

features...

If this answers your question, Please take time to mark this

discussion answered & rate the response.

Thank You!

T.