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Event ID 333 — Unicast Streaming

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can configure Unicast Streaming plug-ins in Windows Media Services to enable the distribution of content using unicast streaming, the default method by which a Windows Media server delivers content. A unicast stream is a one-to-one connection between the server and a client, which means that each client receives a distinct stream and only those clients that request the stream receive it. It offers the benefits of interactivity between a player and server, easier setup, and multiple-bit-rate (MBR) streaming capability. However, the number of users that are able to receive unicast streams is limited by content bit rate and the speed of the server network. For more information, see Delivering content as a unicast stream.

Event Details

Product: Windows Media Services
ID: 333
Source: WMServer
Version: 9.5
Symbolic Name: WMS_EVMSG_PROXY_ACCESS_DENIED
Message: The proxy server '%1' is blocking Windows Media server access to clients.

Resolve

Disable UDP packet transmission

To disable UDP packet transmission:

  1. On the Windows Media server, open Windows Media Services. To open Windows Media Services, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Media Services.
  2. In the console tree, click the Windows Media server.
  3. In the details pane, click the Properties tab, and then select the Show all plug-in categories check box.
  4. In Category, click Unicast streaming.
  5. In Plug-in, right-click WMS Unicast Data Writer, and then click Properties.
  6. In the WMS Unicast Data Writer Properties dialog box, on the General tab, clear the UDP check box.
  7. Click OK to save the changes.

Note: After you turn off UDP packet transmission in the plug-in, clients that try to receive UDP transmissions through network components that are not UDP-enabled may experience latency during the protocol rollover process. For more information, see About Protocol Rollover.

Verify

To verify that the unicast stream can be delivered to clients, test the stream by using Windows Media Player:

  1. If you want to test the stream by using Windows Media Player on the computer that is running Windows Media Services, you must install Desktop Experience. For more information, see Installing Desktop Experience.
  2. On the Windows Media server, open Windows Media Services. To open Windows Media Services, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Media Services.
  3. In the console tree, click the publishing point that hosts the stream that you want to test.
  4. In the details pane, click the Announce tab, and then, in Connect to a unicast stream, note the value of the URL that a client can use to access the content.
  5. Start Windows Media Player on a computer that can access the stream, and enter the URL that you noted in the previous step.
  6. Using the Player controls, test the control functionality of the content stream. Broadcast streams can use the Start and Stop commands. On-demand streams can use the Start, Stop, and Pause commands, and the Seek bar.
  7. Test all the available streaming protocols. A unicast stream will try to connect by using the MMS protocol, but will switch to the RTSP protocol if network conditions or the Player version requires it. The HTTP protocol is not active unless the WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol plug-in is enabled. For more information, see About data transfer protocols.
  8. Allow the stream to play for a representative period of time and check that the stream quality is sufficient for the type of content and the capabilities of the equipment.

Note: If some members of your expected audience will access the stream from outside your network firewall, your testing scenario should include that condition. For more information about the firewall configuration for Windows Media Services, see Firewall Information for Windows Media Services.

Note: To ensure that your content can reach all your clients without delays or interruptions, perform network load tests by using Microsoft Windows Media Load Simulator to determine the maximum capacity of your server, and then make the appropriate adjustments to the Limits properties in Windows Media Services that specify the Windows Media server performance boundaries. A streaming media network that has been correctly planned and configured will improve response time, data throughput, content availability, and reduce the data error rate. To estimate the server requirements that are necessary to ensure that your transmission does not exceed the capabilities of your server, network, or audience, see Capacity planning.

Unicast Streaming

Streaming Media Services