Streambox StreamOn Server Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL FAQ
Q: Is Streambox Server different from a Cloud server?
Q: Where does the Server run?
Q: If a session runs out of time will it stop?
Q: Can a session be extended or re-started?
Q: What is Broker?

NETWORK FAQ
Q: Why use different ports or a range of ports?
Q: How does the Server use the ports?
Q: Is it very bad if two sessions share a port?
Q: What if multiple encoders are sending streams to Streambox Server?

TROUBLESHOOTING FAQ
Q: How can I capture log files?
Q: Error message "Broker Service Not available"
Q: The server shows an incoming stream, but no session is indicating the incoming.
Q: On the stream that is coming in, the metadata and session ID shown don’t match any sessions.

GENERAL FAQ

Q: Is Streambox Server different from a Cloud server?

A: Yes; Streambox Server is a software product, to be run on hardware that is owned, operated, and maintained by the customer company and is not a shared service with other Streambox customers. In other words, it’s a dedicated server software instead of a service.


Q: Where does the Server run?

A: The Server application can be run locally on some PC or Mac hardware, or the Cloud using e.g. an AWS EC2 virtual machine. (For the Beta period, only AWS installs are allowed.)


Q: If a session runs out of time will it stop?

A: No; the stream will continue as normal for clients connected to the stream, but it won’t allow clients to start a new connection to the stream.


Q: Can a session be extended or re-started?

A: No, but re-creating the session soon after can often result in the same session codes being used.


Q: What is Broker?

A: Broker is an online asset managed by Streambox which connects to both the Streambox Server and Decoders/Media Payers to negotiate the connections between clients and Server. Both Server and all clients must be able to connect to Broker.streambox.com (107.23.6.109) in order for the Server’s Sessions to work.


NETWORK FAQ

Q: Why use different ports or a range of ports?

A: Encoders sending streams through Streambox Server must send on different ports. With respect to clients/viewers connecting, spreading the streams over multiple ports will improve server and stream performance, and so it’s best to assign different port ranges to different sessions when possible. We recommend that the users set up their sessions so ports don’t overlap. However, if overlap occurs, the server will still function.


Q: How does the Server use the ports?

A: The server sends its own IP and port information to Broker, and Broker assigns the ports used by incoming client connection requests. If you specify for example the range 1770-1775 for a session, Broker will auto assign a port ID for each client connection request, using a port in the 1770-1775 range.


Q: Is it very bad if two sessions share a port?

A: No, but the server has to work harder and it may result in poorer performance, depending on the current load on the server machine.


Q: What if multiple encoders are sending streams to Streambox Server?

A: Each encoder should be set to stream to a different port number.


TROUBLESHOOTING FAQ

Q: How can I capture log files?

A: Log into the unix shell on your StreamOn Server and run the following commands (which will generate a logfile in the /tmp folder):

cd /tmp
journalctl -u lightserver --since '2 hours ago' >2hrbinlog.log

This will create a log file for the StreamOn service (called 'lightserver') for the last 2 hours
/tmp/2hrbinlog.log

You can change time range or length of the log as follows:

  1. Absolute Date and Time:
  • --since "2024-08-01 12:00:00": Logs since August 1st, 2024, at noon.
  • --until "2024-08-12 23:59:59": Logs until August 12th, 2024, at 11:59 PM.
Relative Time:
  • --since "3 days ago": Logs from three days ago until now.
  • --since "1 hour ago": Logs from one hour ago until now.
Named Time Periods:
  • --since "yesterday": Logs from the beginning of the previous day.
  • --since "today": Logs from the beginning of the current day.
  • --since "tomorrow": This would start from midnight tomorrow, but it’s more common with --until.
  • --since "midnight": Logs since the last midnight (start of the current day).
Other Relative Terms:
  • --since "-1h": Logs from the last hour.
  • --since "-2days": Logs from the last two days.
Boot Time:
  • --since "boot": Logs since the most recent boot.

For further information, read documentation on the journalctl command.

Q: Error message "Broker Service Not available"

A: One possible reason is that Ubuntu Certificate was not updated There is a Chroma update package available to remedy this: ca-certificates_20210119~16.04.1.sb1_all.deb This will be part of 2023.x update.

Another possible reason is that the Streambox Server cannot connect to the Broker server (broker.streambox.com). Check network connectivity.

Q: The server shows an incoming stream, but no session is indicating the incoming.

A: Most likely the encoder user accidentally failed to click the Apply button when setting the metadata.

Q: On the stream that is coming in, the metadata and session ID shown don’t match any sessions.

A: Most likely the encoder user accidentally failed to click the Apply button when setting the metadata.