Installation guide

How Flash Media Server 3.5 works
Flash Media Server solutions have both a server-side and a client-side architecture. e client
experienceisdeployedasaSWForAIRle,createdineitherFlashorFlex.Clientsrunwithina
webbrowser(FlashPlayer),mobiledevice(FlashLite3),orasadesktopapplication(AdobeAIR).
AclientcouldalsobeanotherFlashMediaServerorAdobeColdFusion®8,AdobeFlashMedia
LiveEncoder,orlicensedthird-partytechnologythatcanstreamorcommunicatewithFlash
Media Server. e server manages client connections and security, reads and writes to the
server’s le system, and performs other tasks.
e client is the initiator of the connection to the server. When connected, the client can
communicatewiththeserverandwithotherconnectedclients.Clientsconnecttoinstances of
applications;forexample,achatapplicationmayhavemanyrooms.Eachroomisaninstance
of the chat application. Multiple instances of an application can be running simultaneously.
Eachapplicationinstancehasitsownuniquenameandprovidesuniqueresourcestoits
connected clients.
Flash Media Server communication protocol (RTMP)
Flash Media Server communicates with its clients using the Adobe patented RTMP over
TransmissionControlProtocol(TCP),whichmanagesatwo-wayconnection,allowingtheserver
tosendandreceivevideo,audio,anddatabetweenclientandserver.InFlashMediaServer3.5,you
alsohavetheoptiontousestrongerstreamsecuritywithencryptedRTMP(RTMPE).RTMPEis
easytodeployandfasterthanusingSecureSocketLayer(SSL)forstreamencryption.RTMPE
is just one of the robust new security features in Flash Media Server 3.5.
ere are ve congurations of RTMP with Flash Media Server 3.5:
• RTMP—Standard,unencryptedRTMP.edefaultportis1935.Ifaportisnotspecied,the
client attempts to connect to ports in the following order: 1935, 443, and then via RTMPT on
port80.Port1935isaregisteredIANAport.
• RTMPT—RTMP“tunneled”overHTTP.eRTMPdataisencapsulatedasvalidHTTPdata.
edefaultportis80.
• RTMPS—RTMPsentoveranSSL.SSLenablessecureTCP/IPconnections.FlashMediaServer
nativelysupportsbothincomingandoutgoingSSLconnections.edefaultportis443.
• RTMPE—EnhancedandencryptedversionofRTMP.RTMPEisfasterthanSSL,anddoesnot
requirecerticatemanagementasSSLdoes.IfyouspecifyRTMPEwithoutexplicitly
specifying a port, the Flash Player scans ports, just as it does with standard RTMP, in the
followingorder:1935,443,80,and80(RTMPTE)(supportedwithFlashPlayer9,0,115,0or
later;AdobeAIR;andAdobeMediaPlayer).
• RTMPTE—Encryptsthecommunicationchannel,tunnelingoverHTTP.edefaultportis80
(supportedwithFlashPlayer9,0,115,0orlater;AdobeAIR;andAdobeMediaPlayer).ekey
benetsoverSSL(RTMPS)areperformance,easeofimplementation,andlimitedimpacton
server capacity.
Utilizing the appropriate RTMP type, Flash Media Server can send streams through all but the
most restrictive rewalls, and help protect rights-managed or sensitive content from piracy.
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