Webcast Encoder URL update - Release Notes

[chapmanjec]

Update Friday morning 0745 Mountain:

Even after I disabled piHole here at home (holy cow, the unfiltered Internet is an advertising cesspool), no joy. Normal DNS is google at 8.8.8.8.

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MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ 
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ traceroute  rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake2.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org
traceroute: unknown host rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake2.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ 
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ ping rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake2.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org
ping: cannot resolve rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake2.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org: Unknown host

Then tried entering this address at http://www.isitdownrightnow.com:

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https://www.isitdownrightnow.com/lehiutahgatewaystake2.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org.html

Their reply:
"It is not just you. The server is not responding..."

Question for @bartj: Does this machine I'm trying to hit exist all the time, or does it only spin up during scheduled broadcasts? If the former, I'll schedule another temp event and try again.


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EDIT: I built a test meeting and let enough time pass that it's in pre-buffer stage. Still can't connect, at least from home.

Note, the address changed from earlier: ...gatewaystake2 to ...gatewaystake0.

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MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ ping rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake0.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/169P
ping: cannot resolve rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake0.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/169P: Unknown host
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ 
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ traceroute rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake0.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/
traceroute: unknown host rtmp://lehiutahgatewaystake0.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ 

[studerje]

i just did some testing and found that indeed, the hostnames do not resolve until the there is an active event in progress.
i setup a test event, and as soon as that event started the pre-buffer, i could ping and resolve the hostname.
Looking that the DNS TTL for the records, they have a 1 minute 55 second ttl, which explains why they're not resolvable when an even isn't running.

[chapmanjec]

Thanks studerje. Looks like I can ping my test machine now as well. I'll cruise over to the building later today and confirm with proper gear. When my pre-buffer first turned on, DNS had obviously not propagated through.

[It's always DNS]

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MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ 
MACHINE:~ johnchapman$ ping lehiutahgatewaystake0.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org
PING mhw-20-159542.westus.cloudapp.azure.com (13.91.224.131): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 13.91.224.131: icmp_seq=0 ttl=52 time=31.953 ms
64 bytes from 13.91.224.131: icmp_seq=1 ttl=52 time=29.552 ms

[GDGudmundson]

The static RTMP URL's and media servers are created on the fly for each event and are removed at the end of the event. The media server is build 30 minutes before the pre-buffer time. For sacrament meeting type events that is 50 minutes (20 minute pre-buffer) and for all other non-test types 75 minutes (45 minute pre-buffer). For test events it is 40 minutes (10 minute pre-buffer).

The DNS CNAME entry that maps the hostname for static RTMP URL to the host name of the media server is created at the start of the pre-buffer. You won't be able to ping the media server hostname until the media server has been built and won't be able to ping the static RTMP hostname until the start of the pre-buffer. When pinging those hostnames you should only use the hostname (example: myorg0.mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org). The TTL for the CNAME records is set to 5 minutes (300 seconds).

The static RTMP URL hostname that gets map to the media server hostname is based on the Encoder URL selected when the event was scheduled. If you had an event scheduled before we made this change the event will use the media server based RTMP URL and stream name like it did before the change.

[russellhltn]

Unless something has changed, the only DNS supported on a church network is the one provided by the network. Other DNS should be blocked due to how the filtering works. If you do somehow use a different DNS, that could delay getting the proper information.

[GDGudmundson]

The DNS is working in meetinghouses as long as the encoder is using the DNS provided by the church network. We did discover an issue that was keeping some events from being able to be encoded to. We have deployed a fix. Thanks for your feedback and patience!

[pete.arnett]

We could not reach the servers assigned for webcasting.  
Summary: The commands Tracert and NSlookup can not find the webcast servers.
Servers:
o Teradek VidiU rtmp://MHW-5-155798.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com/169P
o New Encoder URLs  rtmp://boyntonbeachfloridastake1.mhwebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/169P
....

Thanks to Bart and others.

Summary:
The webcast servers are virtual and can not be pinged, tracert or nslookup until the event is live.

The Default URL is different from the Encoder URLs.
If you are using OBS, check the event to see which encoder was used during the event setup and only use that URL.

[GDGudmundson]

The Default URL is not different than the others but an Encoder URL that we created for each unit to use if you had not created any Teradek's in the previous version. You can use the default if you like. For all encoders you should use the RTMP URL and stream name that is in the setup dialog for your event. That will be the settings for the Encoder URL you selected when scheduling the event.

[clark.danielw]

I have been trying for months to get the Remote XML Configuration working with my Teradek, with the meetings starting and the broadcast not starting. I was hoping with the static URL's and the release notes that this would be different. I have tried every combination today to get it to work (short of factory reset of the Teradek) with the same results. Is there anyone who has found tricks to get this to work, or run into the same issues I have. I would post more information about what I am seeing or running into, but I am not sure what to say besides the Meetings start, and the Teradek stays in ready mode, but if I use the manual configuration it all works just fine.

[russellhltn]

I have been trying for months to get the Remote XML Configuration working with my Teradek, with the meetings starting and the broadcast not starting.

I'm not sure, but I believe you have to boot up the Teradek AFTER the pre-buffer time for the meeting starts.

Then, when the Teradek reaches out for information, it's provided that link and will start streaming. If the Teradek was powered up before that time, it won't get the link and it may not keep re-trying.