iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Part Number: M867-0602-103 2 February 2012
0 Copyright Notice Copyright © 2006 - 2012 Miranda Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATTENTION: Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. By using iControl documentation, you agree to the following terms and conditions: Miranda Technologies Inc. hereby grants permission and license to owners of iControl to use their product manuals for their own internal business use. Manuals for Miranda Technologies Inc.
Table of Contents 1 Introduction to iControl Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Operational Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Introduction to iControl Edge iControl Edge enables television service providers to cost-effectively monitor hundreds of television signals spread across multiple remote locations, using remotely controlled set-top boxes and receiver/decoders. It consists of a suite of existing Miranda products that have been specifically packaged into an off-the-shelf monitoring solution.
Introduction to iControl Edge Operational Overview Customizable elements (e.g. station names, signal paths) are stored in spreadsheets that can be edited using the Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet software. By adding elements to (or removing them from) a spreadsheet, you can dynamically update your monitoring system. Operational Overview The diagram below shows the relationship between the elements of an iControl Edge system, and how they work together to provide real-time monitoring of signals.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide iControl Edge user interface (Application Browser area: Application Selector, Soft Remote, and DVR Info) iControl Edge user interface (probe configuration window, with detailed alarm panel and soft remote) Reference Material The table below contains a list of some of the documentation available with your iControl Edge system. Each device also ships with a set of release notes that contain important information.
Introduction to iControl Edge Reference Material Reference material Part number Description M867-0602-103 iControl Edge Version 1.50 Installation and Setup Guide M867-0700-103 iControl Edge Version 1.50 Operator’s Overview M867-0500-103 iControl Edge Version 1.50 Read Me First M928-9900-100 EdgeVision Version 1.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Densité probe documentation (Continued) Video probe Part number Audio probe Description --- or the following probe --M813-9900-110 HCP-1801HD/SD SDI Control Probe Guide to Installation and Operation M666-9900-100 SCP-1121 Digital Video Control Probe w.
Introduction to iControl Edge Reference Material 6
System Requirements This section lists the iControl Edge system requirements. Hardware Requirements iControl Edge Clients For optimal performance, client platforms should meet the following system specifications: iControl client platforms Memory Processor Operating system Minimum requirement for streaming video and using iCWeb 4 GB RAM Intel Core i3 or better Windows 71 or Windows XP Professional 1. On the Windows 7 platform, it is recommended to use the Java 1.6 runtime environment (update 21).
System Requirements Running Java in Windows2000 Compatibility Mode To run any application in the iControl Edge suite, you must have the following software installed on your PC or laptop: • a Web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer 8.0 or later, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or later) • Java 2 Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.6.0_21. The installer file for the JRE (which includes Java Web Start) can be downloaded by following the Useful Downloads link on the iControl Startup page.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 2. Perform the following sub-steps for each of the above-mentioned files: a) Right-click the file, and then click Properties. The Properties window appears. b) Click the Compatibility tab.
System Requirements Running Java in Windows2000 Compatibility Mode The Compatibility tab appears in focus. c) Select Run this program in compatibility mode for. d) From the list, click Windows 2000. e) Click OK.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Installation and Network Requirements Network Capacity We recommend that you install all iControl Edge devices, as well as any associated equipment, on a dedicated LAN. The quality of service of your iControl Edge system (including streaming bit rate, frame rate, and the number of concurrent users possible) is directly related to the capacity of your network.
System Requirements Network Configuration Table 2-2: Your network settings Device --- SETUP 1 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 2 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 3 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 4 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETU
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 2-2: Your network settings (Continued) Device IP Address Subnet Mask Gateway Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 6 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 7 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 8 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 9 --Application Server EdgeVision devi
System Requirements Network Configuration Table 2-2: Your network settings (Continued) Device GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 11 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 12 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 13 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog --- SETUP 14 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densit
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 2-2: Your network settings (Continued) Device IP Address Subnet Mask Gateway Densité frame GC-100 network adapter --- SETUP 16 --Application Server EdgeVision device Densité frame GC-100 network adapter Allégro-1 Analog 15
System Requirements Network Configuration 16
Installation and Setup iControl Edge is a distributed system, which may entail installing hardware at more than one location. An iControl Edge Application Server is usually installed at each head end, with a number of set-tops and IR network adapters, Densité probes, and an Allégro. This section describes the physical setup of the iControl Edge hardware, as well as the configuration of network settings and other software parameters. Summary Task 1: Preparing to Install an iControl Edge System . . . . . . .
Installation and Setup Preparing to Install an iControl Edge System Key terminology (Continued) Cycling set-top box Within the iControl Edge system, a cycling set-top box is used to automatically cycle through a pre-determined channel list (see "Services Worksheet", on page 99).
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 3-1: Traditional hardware setup for iControl Edge (without EdgeVision) Functionality Network Operations Center (NOC) Each peripheral site Monitoring and control 1 × Application Server 1 × Application Server Signal probing, alarming, thumbnails n × Densité frames Cycling set-top box n × Global Caché GC-100 network adapters (IC-STB-CTL) Video stream source 1 × Allégro-1 Analog system (if remote monitoring taking place at this location) Table 3-2:
Installation and Setup Preparing to Install an iControl Edge System Four rubber pads (when used as a table-top device) AC secure wire clips If applicable, make sure the following items have been shipped with your GC-100 network adapters: Global Caché GC-100 network adapters (one for each set of 6 set-top boxes to be controlled) One AC power supply unit and AC cord Six IR emitter cables Six stick-on shields If applicable, make sure the following items have been shipped with your Densité frames:
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: Densité devices ship with some pre-configured alarm settings that must be changed for proper operation of your iControl Edge system (see "Configuring the Probing Features", on page 59). Before making any such changes, please refer to the documentation specific to each device (see "Reference Material", on page 3). You will need a PC or laptop that can connect to certain iControl Edge devices using a crossover Ethernet cable or via a network switch.
Installation and Setup Preparing a PC for Configuring the Application Server Task 3: Preparing a PC for Configuring the Application Server You will use a client PC to configure the new Application Server. The client PC must have network settings that will allow it to communicate with an iControl Application Server in its default state.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide The Local Area Connection Status window appears. 4. Click Properties. The Local Area Connection Properties window appears.
Installation and Setup Configuring TCP/IP Settings of a Client PC Running Windows 7 5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties. The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window appears. 6. Take note of the PC’s current settings. 7. Click Use the following IP address. 8. The default IP address of each new iControl Application Server is 10.0.3.6. On the client PC, type an address in the same range (e.g. 10.0.3.10) in the IP address field. 9.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 10. Click OK to apply these settings. 11. In the Local Area Connection Properties window, click OK. 12. Close the Network and Sharing Center control panel. Note: Remember to return the PC to its original network settings once you have finished configuring the iControl Application Server. Configuring TCP/IP Settings of a Client PC Running Windows XP Professional To configure TCP/IP settings of a client PC running Windows XP Professional 1.
Installation and Setup Configuring the Application Server Configuring TCP/IP settings on a PC running Windows XP. 6. Take note of the PC’s current settings. 7. The default IP address of each new iControl Application Server is 10.0.3.6. On the client PC, type an address in the same range (e.g. 10.0.3.10) in the IP address field. 8. The default subnet mask of each new iControl Application Server is 255.255.0.0. On the client PC, type 255.255.0.0 in the Subnet mask field.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Sample workflow: Configuring the Application Server 1. Connect to the Application Server from a client PC or laptop (see page 27). 2. Ensure that the client PC or laptop has the correct version of the Java Runtime Environment installed (see "Installing Java", on page 30). 3. Log on to the Application Server’s Webmin utility (see page 30). 4. Configure the Application Server’s network settings (see "Configuring the Network", on page 32). 5.
Installation and Setup Connecting to the Application Server Note: The default IP address and subnet mask settings for the Application Server when shipped from the factory are shown on a sticker on the top cover of the chassis above the front-panel power switch. The factory default is 10.0.3.6. 2. Open a browser window on the client PC or laptop. 3. In the address bar, type 10.0.3.6.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Ethernet Port Labeling on the R210 and R310 Application Servers The physical Ethernet ports on the backs of the Dell PowerEdge R210 and R310 are labeled as Gb1 and Gb2. The physical (cabling) port called Gb1 corresponds to logical (Webmin) port eth0. Likewise, the physical port called Gb2 corresponds to logical port eth1.
Installation and Setup Installing Java Installing Java In the course of using iControl Edge, certain software modules (e.g. iC Web) may be downloaded from the Application Server to your client PC or laptop. To run any of these iControl applications, you must have the Java 2 Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on your PC or laptop. The installer is available from the Application Server itself. To install the Java 2 Runtime Environment on your PC or laptop 1.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide The Login to Webmin page appears. 3. Type your user name and password. By default, these are: • Username: miranda • Password: icontrol 4. Click Login. The iControl Webmin page appears.
Installation and Setup Configuring the Network Configuring the Network When configuring your network you must configure host addresses, DNS client, Gateway, and network interfaces in the proper sequence. To configure the network 1. Specify the DNS settings to be used by your Application Server (see "Specifying DNS Client Settings", on page 33). 2. Configure your host addresses (see "Configuring Host Addresses", on page 34). 3.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Specifying DNS Client Settings The Domain Name Service (DNS) is a type of directory service that translates host names to IP addresses and vice versa. For the most part, Application Servers and other devices on an iControl network rely on IP addresses, and so DNS is not usually needed.
Installation and Setup Configuring Host Addresses (Continued) Search Domains Click Listed, and then type a list of all the domains where you wish to have the Application Server look for DNS services (one line per domain). You should type at least your own local domain name (e.g. miranda.com). 5. Click Save. Note: Clicking Save does not update the Application Server with the new configuration.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 2. Click the IP address of the Application Server (10.0.3.6 in the example screen shown above). The Edit Host Address page appears. 3. In the IP Address box, type the IP address you would like to give to this Application Server. 4. In the Hostnames box, make sure the listed host name is the correct one, and then (if required) type one or more other names that will refer to this IP address.
Installation and Setup Specifying a Network Gateway REQUIREMENT Before beginning this procedure, make sure you have navigated to the Network Configuration page of Webmin (see page 29). To specify a network gateway to be used by the Application Server 1. On the Network Configuration page, click Routing and Gateways. The Routing and Gateways page appears. 2. Select eth0 from the Interface list in the Default routes area. 3.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: Clicking Save does not update the Application Server with the new configuration. To apply your changes, you still need to click Apply Configuration on the Network Configuration page or restart the system through Webmin (see "Restarting the System and Verifying the Configuration", on page 39). 8. Return to the Network Configuration page by clicking the Return arrow at the bottom of the Routing and Gateways page.
Installation and Setup Configuring the Ethernet Interface Note: This page shows the current settings for the eth0 interface, which are the factory default values if you are configuring this port for the first time. 3. Click Static, and then type the fixed IP address you would like to use for this Application Server. Notes • Make sure you type the IP address exactly as it is on the Edit Host Address page (see step 3 of "Configuring Host Addresses", on page 34).
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Notes • Clicking Save does not update the Application Server with the new configuration. To apply your changes, you still need to click Apply Configuration on the Network Configuration page or restart the system through Webmin (see "Restarting the System and Verifying the Configuration", on page 39). • The Application Server’s eth0 port is set to auto-negotiate, full duplex mode by default. This setting should not be changed.
Installation and Setup Restarting the System and Verifying the Configuration The Bootup and Shutdown page appears. 2. At the bottom of the Bootup and Shutdown page, click Reboot System. The Application Server restarts with the network parameters you have established. 3. Verify that the Application Server is connected to your local LAN via an Ethernet cable plugged into the eth0 port.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 4. Restore the previous network settings on the PC or laptop that were used to configure the Application Server (see "Preparing a PC for Configuring the Application Server", on page 22). 5. Verify that the Application Server is available on your network. From a workstation on the same subnet, open a browser window and type the IP address of the newly-configured Application Server. You should see the iControl Startup page.
Installation and Setup Connecting the Cables to the EdgeVision Device EdgeVision Installation Workflow (Continued) 6. View status and configure options (see page 50. 7. Using the EdgeVision Configurator, configure how the feeds connect to the inputs and define the Streaming parameters (including to which interface (MGMT or DATA) the streams are to be sent). You can also select which alarms to use to monitor the feed and what triggers them (see "Launching EdgeVision Configurator", on page 53). 8.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Connector cables and plugs (Continued) Cable Connector Type Input Plug Standard/Optional SDI Connector Not supplied HDMI Optional (2m) S/PDIF Optional (3m) Updating the Software You can update the EdgeVision device’s software using the EdgeVision home page. The software updates the device’s operating system.
Installation and Setup Launching EdgeVision Admin The EdgeVision Update Application appears. Note: Before the file is uploaded to the device, the updater verifies that the file is in the correct format. If the file is valid, the upload process begins. If the file is not valid, the upload is halted and the following message appears at the bottom of the dialog box: ERROR: Input file has incorrect format 3.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 2. Click EdgeVision Admin to launch the EdgeVision Admin Web page. LED Status Legend LED color Definition Green The feature is currently active and is operational. Yellow The feature is currently active, but has low importance errors. Red The feature is currently active but is in error.
Installation and Setup Defining the Network Parameters LED Status Legend (Continued) LED color Definition Gray The feature is currently offline. Black Alarm exists, but has been disabled at the source. Some devices have the ability to deactivate certain alarms on the hardware itself, resulting in these alarms appearing black.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 4. In the System Name field, type the name of the device as it will appear on the network, EdgeVision Configurator, and EdgeVision Player. You can use up to eight ASCII characters (no brackets, spaces, or tildes allowed). 5.
Installation and Setup Adding EdgeVision Devices to the iControl Lookup Locations Lists Synchronization parameters (Continued) Parameter New date Definition Enter the current date for the device. This field only appears if you disable the NTP synchronization feature. New time Enter the current time for the device. This field only appears if you disable the NTP synchronization feature. 8. Click Save when done. 9. If you are ready to activate these changes on the device, click Apply settings.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide The iControl Lookup Locations page appears. 3. Enter the IP address and name for each EdgeVision device in the Application Server Lookup Locations list. Click Add after entering eaching IP address. iControl Lookup Locations page (boxes for new entries for Application Server list circled) 4. Enter the IP address and name for each EdgeVision device in the GSM Lookup Locations list. Click Add GSM after entering each IP address.
Installation and Setup Viewing the Status and Configuring the Options iControl Lookup Locations page (boxes for new entries for GSM locations list circled) Viewing the Status and Configuring the Options You can also use the EdgeVision Admin page to view the current status of the Inputs on the current device, as well as configure the options on the Inputs. To view the status of the Inputs 1. Using the device’s IP address, access the EdgeVision page in a Web browser. The EdgeVision home page appears. 2.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Restart Input Restart device Refresh fields Toggle panel Detail of drop-down panels on Status and options page Note: If you clicked another link and do not see the above panels, you can click the Status and options link to display them. 3. Click the Status and options link. A set of drop-down panels appears for the device and the Inputs that reside in it. You can hide or display these panels using the Toggle button.
Installation and Setup Viewing the Status and Configuring the Options Health status fields Status field Definition Fan A/B status Displays the current operational status of the cooling fans inside the EdgeVision device. Frame revision Displays the version number of the chassis that contains the hardware for the EdgeVision device. Hardware revision Displays the revision number for the hardware in the EdgeVision device.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Input status fields Input status field Definition Analog audio device power down status For debug purposes only. Analog video device power down status Digital audio device power down status Firmware major version Firmware minor version FPGA major version FPGA minor version HDMI device power down status SDI device power down status Video presence Displays the the format detected on the input (ex. SDI525). 6.
Installation and Setup Installing & Configuring Densité Systems 2. Click EdgeVision Configurator. EdgeVision Configurator opens. Task 6: Installing & Configuring Densité Systems IMPORTANT: Perform this task only if you are NOT installing an EdgeVision for the purposes of probing signals. Densité modules housed in your Densité frames process video and audio signals from settop boxes and relay monitoring data and alarms to the iControl Edge Application Server.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Installing Densité Frames To install a Densité frame 1. Install the housing frame directly into a standard 19in rack using 4 standard rack-mounting screws. 2. Fit all received Densité series cards and rear panels into the frame, referring to the Densité Housing Frame Guide to Installation and Operation for detailed instructions (see "Reference Material", on page 3). 3.
Installation and Setup Enabling Densité Manager Services The Miranda Setup page appears. 3. Click the iControl logo next to iControl services monitoring and configuration tool. The Miranda Monitoring page appears.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Miranda Monitoring page (Densité Manager Service circled) 4. Find the row corresponding to the Densité Manager service. 5. In the Start/Stop/Restart column, select the Auto check box, click the Start option button, and then click Apply at the bottom of the page. Note: If you need to increase the number of Densité Managers, select the appropriate number for your purposes from the list at the bottom of the page, before clicking the Apply button next to it.
Installation and Setup Adding Densité Communicator Services 3. In the Densite Manager window, click Add. 4. In the Target Information window, type the Densité frame’s IP address and a descriptive name for the new Densité Communicator service. 5. Click OK.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide The new Densité Communicator will be started and added to the list. The Application Server will query the corresponding Densité frame, and any devices (e.g. cards) it discovers will be displayed in the iControl Navigator window. 6. Repeat this procedure until you have added Communicator services for every Densité frame in your iControl Edge configuration.
Installation and Setup Enabling Audio Level Meters Example of a control panel showing Thumbnail settings Enabling Audio Level Meters The procedure below is an example showing how to enable the appropriate audio level meter on HCP-1801 cards. Some steps may vary, depending on your actual card model. Refer to the documentation that shipped with the card you wish to configure (see "Reference Material", on page 3). To enable audio level meters 1.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Example of a control panel showing RALM settings Configuring Alarm Settings To configure relevant alarms on a Densité probe 1. In iControl Navigator, select the Densité card you wish to configure. 2. On the View menu, click Show control panel, to open the card’s control panel. 3. Enable and configure all relevant alarms (e.g. video black and freeze, audio silence and overload).
Installation and Setup Configuring Alarm Settings Example of a control panel showing enabled video black alarm settings 4. Click Alarm config. The Alarm Configuration window for this Densité probe opens. 5. In the Log events column, clear the first check box to disable all event logging for this probe. This will avoid filling the event log with irrelevant entries. 6. For each alarm you enabled for this card, set the appropriate overall and GSM contribution.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Alarm configuration example 7. Once all relevant alarms are enabled and configured for this card, click Copy to other cards. The Copy to other cards window appears, displaying a list of all cards of the same type. 8. For each card to which you wish to copy the current alarm configuration, select the corresponding check box. 9. Select the All check box at the top of the column to select all the available cards. 10.
Installation and Setup Installing & Configuring GC-100 Network Adapters The Profile copy for card window appears, with the current card identified under Copy profile from. All other cards of the same type are listed under Copy profile to. 14. For each card to which you wish to copy the current profile, select the corresponding check box in the Select column. 15. Select Select All at the top of the column to select all the available cards.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide GC-100 IR service Select Auto Click Start 5. In the Start/Stop/Restart column, select the Auto check box, click the Start option button, and then click Apply at the bottom of the page. Task 8: Installing Set-Top Boxes A number of set-top boxes will typically be controlled from cycler services on the Application Server via an EdgeVision unit or GC-100 network adapters.
Installation and Setup Power Cycling (through TCP/IP) a Set-Top Box 2. Connect an RCA cable to the appropriate audio connectors from the back of your set-top box to the back of the appropriate audio probe in your Densité frame (refer to the documentation for your specific set-top box model and Densité probe).
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide The Allégro is the component of the iControl Edge system that provides a streaming solution for remote monitoring. The Allégro encodes and transmits video and audio streams in real time with low latency, making them available to multiple clients simultaneously via IP. It is designed for continuous, autonomous operation, and is entirely integrated into the iControl Edge environment.
Installation and Setup Accessing the Allégro Accessing the Allégro The Allégro has a built-in Web-based management utility. This utility is available as soon as the system is powered up, and can be used to configure the system using a Web browser on any PC or laptop, provided the PC or laptop can reach the Allégro’s IP address. To access the Allégro system 1.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Allégro System Status page 3. Click Configuration under the System heading in the bottom part of the navigation bar. The System Configuration page appears. 4. Click Edit Join Locations. The Join Locations page appears.
Installation and Setup Configuring the Allégro 5. Type the new IP address and host name of the Application Server, and then click Add Location. 6. Click Configuration under the System heading in the navigation pane, and then click Edit GSM Locations in the main pane. The GSM Location page appears. 7. Type the new IP address and host name of the Application Server, and then click Add GSM. 8. Click Configuration under the Streaming Encoder heading in the left pane.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Streaming Encoder Configuration page (Video/Audio) 9. In the Video section, make sure Enabled is set to Yes. 10. In the Video section, select the encoding, frame rate, and video quality as follows: Parameter Recommended value Encoding MVC3 -- 640 × 480 Frame rate 15 (or less) Video quality 9.0 11. In the Audio section, make sure the Enabled setting is Yes. 12. In the Audio section, set Encoding to MAC2‐44100 samp./sec, 16 bit, stereo. 13. Click Apply.
Installation and Setup Configuring the Allégro 15. In the Encoding section, make sure the Deinterlace setting is No. 16. Click Apply. 17. Click TCP/IP settings in the right panel. The TCP/IP settings page appears.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 18. Type the new IP address, network mask, and default gateway address in the corresponding boxes, and then click Apply. Configuring Allégro Streaming Relays In an iControl Edge configuration, operators typically monitor audio/video streams from several remote locations at once. Having each remote Allégro send a stream to multiple operators over a WAN can result in performance problems.
Installation and Setup Configuring Allégro Streaming Relays You can access the top level of your PC’s file system from this menu You can access the root level of the Application Server’s file system from this menu 3. On the Application Server side, navigate to /usr/local/movies/permanent. 4. On the Files menu, point to New, and then click File. A window appears, prompting you for a file name. 5. Type a name, and then click OK.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: The file name must match one of the names specified in the Devices tab of the configuration spreadsheet (see "Devices Worksheet", on page 86). For example, if this streaming relay corresponds to the device Allegro1 in the spreadsheet, the file should be named ALLEGRO1.sdp. 6. Type (or copy and paste) the following into the new file: • v=0 • c=IN IP4 127.0.0.
Installation and Setup Configuring Allégro Streaming Relays Click here 13. On the Streaming Encoder Configuration page, click Network. Click here 14. On the Network page, type the Application Server’s IP address in the Destination host box.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 15. Type the appropriate port number in the Destination port base box (this number must match what is specified in the ALLEGRO.sdp file for this Allégro frame). 16. Click Apply. 17. Restart the Allégro. 18. Repeat step 11 to step 17 for each Allégro in the iControl Edge configuration. 19. Restart iControl on the Application Server.
Installation and Setup Managing the iControl Edge Configuration Files 4. Type exit, and then press Enter to close the PuTTY command line window. Task 11: Managing the iControl Edge Configuration Files Two or more configuration spreadsheets are used to specify the network, audio channel, video channel and associated information for your iControl Edge network. The first spreadsheet, Locations.xls, is used to specify the physical locations (i.e. head ends) in your network.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide If you have other models of set-top boxes, you will need to create custom configuration files based on a template that is also located on the application server. Notes • Predefined configuration files for the GC-100 have a .conf file extension, and are located on the Application Server (under var/tomcat4/webapps/icw/sites/EDGE/Config). • Customized configuration files must be uploaded to /usr/local/iControl/bin/conf/GC100.
Installation and Setup Capturing IR Codes from Remote Control Units 4. Select the configuration file template (setTopModelTEMPLATE.conf), and then drag it to a convenient location on your PC. A confirmation window may appear. 5. Click Copy to continue. 6. Once the download has completed, close the main WinSCP window. If prompted, click OK to close the application. You have successfully downloaded a copy of the configuration file template.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: The IR Learner Utility and more information are available from the Support Documents and Files section of Global Caché’s Web site. See http://www.globalcache.com/support/support_docs.html. To capture IR signals from the remote control unit associated with a specific settop box model 1. Open a copy of the configuration file template in a text editor (e.g. Notepad). 2. Connect the GC-IRL IR Learner serial device to a serial port on your PC or laptop. 3.
Installation and Setup Downloading the iControl Edge Configuration Spreadsheets Downloading the iControl Edge Configuration Spreadsheets The iControl Edge configuration spreadsheets reside on the Application Server. They can be downloaded for editing to a client PC or laptop with the Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet software installed. You can use any suitable file transfer application (WinSCP, for instance) to download the spreadsheets.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 4. Select the spreadsheet files (typically Locations.xls and EDGE.xls), and drag them to a convenient location on your PC or laptop. A confirmation window may appear. 5. Click Copy to continue. 6. When you are done, close the main WinSCP window. 7. If prompted, click OK to close the application.
Installation and Setup Locations Spreadsheet Locations Spreadsheet When you open the Locations.xls file, you will see that it contains two worksheets, corresponding to the Locations and Version tabs at the bottom of the Excel window. The Locations worksheet contains data describing each of the remote locations that are part of your iControl Edge system. The Version worksheet determines how the Devices spreadsheets will be parsed throughout the system.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide (Continued) Column LONG NAME Description The full name of the location. Will be displayed above the Detailed Signal Analysis area, and as a tooltip. Optional. IP IP address of the Application Server at this location. Mandatory. HOSTNAME Host name of the Application Server at this location. Must match the name specified under HOSTNAME for the Application Server, in the Devices worksheet for this location. Case sensitive. Mandatory.
Installation and Setup Devices Spreadsheet Note: With the current version of the iControl Edge package, all locations within a distributed system must have configuration spreadsheets based on the same iControl Edge version. To update the Model attribute in the Version worksheet 1. Open the Locations spreadsheet in Excel, and then click the Version tab. 2. On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then click Unprotect Sheet to make the worksheet editable. Note: By default, there is no password. 3.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide • PDUs • Set-top boxes Devices worksheet (part 1) Devices worksheet (part 2) This worksheet also includes a section where virtual devices are defined. A virtual device is an abstract concept, that associates a physical Densité card to a cycler profile. The last section at the bottom of this worksheet is the Cycler section where the necessary cycler profiles are configured.
Installation and Setup Devices Worksheet Table 3-3: Devices worksheet contents Area • APPLICATION SERVER Column ** Two asterisks (**), with no spaces, are positioned in the first column to indicate rows to be ignored, such as rows containing column headers, or intended for future use.1 ID The unique indentifier for the device. This ID is used to reference the device within and between spreadsheets. • DENSITE • ALLEGRO (STREAMER) • PDU • CARD (PHYSICAL Mandatory.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 3-3: Devices worksheet contents (Continued) Area Column Description CARD (PHYSICAL PROBE) DENSITE ID ID of the associated Densité frame (e.g. DENSITE1). EDGEVISION INPUT (IR CONTROLLER / PHYSICAL PROBE / STREAMER) EDGEVISION ID ID of the EdgeVision device associated with a particular EdgeVision Input port.
Installation and Setup Devices Worksheet Table 3-3: Devices worksheet contents (Continued) Area Column DVRTUNER (IR CONTROLLER) RECORD DURATION Description Maximum time during which the associated DVR will record a video stream after an error is detected. Default value is 60 seconds. ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE GC100 IR PORT The electronic program guide related to the macros.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide b) In the NAME column, in the same row, specify this Densité frame’s host name (see "Configuring Densité Services", on page 55). c) In the APP SERVER ID column, in the same row, specify the ID of the associated Application Server for this Densité frame. 4. In the ALLEGRO (STREAMER) area, perform the following sub-steps for each Allégro device: IMPORTANT: Do not deviate from the default values for TYPE (ALLEGRO), or ENABLE (YES).
Installation and Setup Devices Worksheet IMPORTANT: Do not deviate from the default values for TYPE (GC100), ENABLE (YES), and PORT (4998). a) In the ID column of the first blank row, specify an ID string for the GC-100 network adapter. Note: The ID for each GC-100 network adapter across the entire iControl Edge configuration should be unique (e.g. GC1001, GC1002, etc.). b) In the IP column, in the same row, specify this GC-100 network adapter’s IP address.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: The unit name is retrievable from the EdgeVision Admin page. 10. If you are using one or more EdgeVision devices in your setup, in the EDGEVISION INPUT (IR CONTROLLER / PHYSICAL PROBE / STREAMER) area, perform the following sub-steps for each input port of each EdgeVision device: IMPORTANT: Do not deviate from the default value for TYPE (EDGEVISION_INPUT).
Installation and Setup Devices Worksheet Note: The ID for each DVR across the entire iControl Edge configuration should be unique (e.g. DVR1, DVR2, etc.). b) In the IR CONTROLLER PORT column, in the same row, specify the IR controller input port associated with this DVR. c) In the ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE column, in the same row, specify the JavaScript function prefix of the recording macro associated with this DVR (see "Retrieving a DVR’s Recording Macro Prefix", on page 95).
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Notes • A cycle consists of two phases: the settling phase, and the listening phase (polling period). • Alarms are actively monitored during the listening phase only. When an alarm condition is detected - if it lasts at least for the duration specified - then it is counted as a single occurrence. • The specified duration should be less than the polling period minus the settling time. • The number of occurrences can span more than one cycle.
Installation and Setup Paths Worksheet 4. Identify the function associated with your DVR. 5. Take note of the name of the function. The prefix is the function name without the macros() ending. In this case, it is Explorer3250HD.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide IMPORTANT: System behavior If, in the MANUAL PATHS (PHYSICAL) area, the ACTUAL VIDEO PROBE ID and ACTUAL AUDIO PROBE ID cells are left blank, the alarm panel of the Detail Viewer displays a snapshot of alarm states from when the service was last cycled. If, instead, probe IDs are specified, a probe populates the alarm panel in real time.
Installation and Setup Paths Worksheet Table 3-4: Paths worksheet contents (Continued) Area Column MANUAL PATHS (PHYSICAL) ACTUAL VIDEO PROBE ID Description Unique ID of a video probe, as specified on the Devices worksheet. Case sensitive. Mandatory in cycling paths. Optional in manual paths. ACTUAL AUDIO PROBE ID Unique ID of an audio probe, as specified on the Devices worksheet. Case sensitive. Mandatory in cycling paths. Optional in manual paths.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Services Worksheet The Services worksheet is used to define the services or channels assigned to a path: Services worksheet (part 1) Services worksheet (part 2) Table 3-5, below, describes the worksheet contents: Table 3-5: Services worksheet contents Column Description ** Two asterisks (**), with no spaces, are positioned in the first column to indicate rows to be ignored, such as rows containing column headers, or intended for future use.
Installation and Setup Services Worksheet Table 3-5: Services worksheet contents (Continued) Column CH NUMBER Description The channel number associated with the service. Used by the GC-100 service and in the remote control area for tuning set-top boxes to this channel. SHORT NAME The short name of the service (e.g. call letters).
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide To define the services at this location 1. Click the Services tab. 2. For each service, specify a unique ID, the associated channel number, a short name, and a long name. Note: The short names appear on the Channel Selector buttons. On a typical system, the Channel Selector buttons can fit approximately 8 characters. Longer names may appear truncated. 3. Insert a description (using HTML tags where appropriate), and specify the logo file name. 4.
Installation and Setup Alarms Worksheet The Alarms worksheet defines which alarms will be monitored by your system. Table 3-6, below, describes the worksheet contents: Table 3-6: Alarms worksheet contents Column Description ** Two asterisks (**), with no spaces, are positioned in the first column to indicate rows to be ignored, such as rows containing column headers, or intended for future use.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 3-6: Alarms worksheet contents (Continued) Column Description ALARM TYPE The type of alarms (TEXT, STATUS). LEVEL Specifies whether the alarm belongs to the Device or Service category. An alarm set to the SERVICE level is visible in the service’s alarm panel, and its state contributes to the overall alarm status for this service. The service’s button color in the Channel Selector area represents this overall alarm status.
Installation and Setup Config Worksheet Table 3-7: Config worksheet contents Key blinkWhenUnacknowledged Description Default value is NO. Setting this value to YES causes new alarms to blink in the monitoring application page. Operator has to acknowledge individual alarms to stop the blinking. If ackAudibleAlarm is enabled, the operator can click Acknowledge to acknowledge all alarms at once.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Table 3-7: Config worksheet contents (Continued) Key Description smtpUsername The sending user’s e-mail user ID. Optional. smtpPassword The sending user’s e-mail password. Optional. emailRecipient The recipient user’s e-mail address. Mandatory when e-mail notification is enabled. emailSender The sending user’s e-mail address. Optional. emailSubject The desired Subject line of the e-mail. Optional.
Installation and Setup Configuring Spreadsheet Inheritance Configuring Spreadsheet Inheritance REQUIREMENTS Make sure you meet the following conditions before beginning this procedure: • You have downloaded the Locations.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 8. Click the Config tab. 9. In the KEY column, type inheritance. 10. In the VALUE column, type YES. 11. Save the spreadsheet and upload it to the head-end Application Server (see page 110). 12. Perform the following sub-steps for each instance of Densité Manager you would like to manage from your head-end Application Server: a) Open the Configuration spreadsheet of the hub Application Server. b) Click the Devices tab.
Installation and Setup Confirming Inheritance Configuration is Successful f) Upload the spreadsheet to the head-end Application Server (see page 110). 13. Restart the head-end Application Server. Confirming Inheritance Configuration is Successful REQUIREMENT Before beginning this procedure, make sure you have opened iControl Edge (see "Launching the iControl Edge Web Site", on page 112). To confirm you have successfully configured inheritance 1.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 2. Select the new or modified configuration files (.conf) on your PC or laptop, and then drag them to the GC100 directory on the Application Server. 3. Close WinSCP. You have successfully uploaded the configuration files for your GC-100 Network Adapter. Uploading Custom Logo Files Your iControl Edge system ships with a set of predefined logo files located under /var/tomcat4/webapps/icw/sites/EDGE/images/Logo on the Application Server.
Installation and Setup Uploading the iControl Edge Configuration Spreadsheets 2. Select the custom logo files (GIF or PNG) on your PC or laptop, and then drag them to the Logos directory on the Application Server. 3. Close WinSCP. See also For more information about logo files, see "Services Worksheet", on page 99.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 3. Close WinSCP. You have successfully uploaded your modified configuration spreadsheets. Restarting the General Status Manager (GSM) Services Once you have uploaded the modified iControl Edge Configuration Spreadsheets, you must restart iControl’s General Status Manager (GSM) services, and refresh the iControl Edge Web page for the changes to take effect. To restart iControl’s GSM services 1. Log on to Webmin (see "Logging on to Webmin", on page 30). 2.
Installation and Setup Launching the iControl Edge Web Site The Miranda Monitoring page appears. 4. In the Start/Stop/Restart column, select Restart, for all General Status Manager (GSM) services listed on the page, and then click Apply at the bottom of the page. a. Select Restart b. Click Apply You have successfully restarted the GSM services and applied the settings contained in your modified Configuration Spreadsheets.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: The iControl Edge Web site can be accessed from any PC or laptop on the same network as the Application Server. iControl Edge offers several pre-configured versions of its main Web page. Choose either a dual-screen or a single-screen layout, with the appropriate resolution for your client PC or laptop. To launch the iControl Edge Web site 1.
Installation and Setup Launching the iControl Edge Web Site A few seconds later, the iControl Web browser window appears. 3. On the File menu, click Open Site. 4. In the Open site window that appears, type the Application Server’s IP address. 5. In the Select site window, double-click EDGE.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide Note: You may see other versions of the EDGE Web site. These are backups of previous versions that were saved when updating the Web site, and could be useful should you need to revert to an older version. 6. In the Select page window, double-click the desired home page. For instance: • Home.mpf, if you have two 1600 × 1200 monitor • HomeEDGE4.mpf, if you have a 4-input head-end and two 1600 × 1200 monitor • Home1280x1024.
Installation and Setup Launching the iControl Edge Web Site Supported monitor resolutions Resolution 1280 × 1024 1600 × 1050 1600 × 1200 1680 × 1050 1920 × 1080 1920 × 1200 Single / 16-player dual monitoring area 8-player monitoring area 4-player monitoring area 1 screen Home_1280x1024 HomeEDGE8_1280x1024 HomeEDGE4_1280x1024 2 screens Home_1280x1024x2 HomeEDGE8_1280x1024x2 HomeEDGE4_1280x1024x2 1 screen Home_1600x1050 HomeEDGE8_1600x1050 HomeEDGE4_1600x1050 2 screens Home_1600x105
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 9. Alternatively, right-click in a blank area between elements on the Web page (e.g. between thumbnails, or between the banner and the monitoring area), and then click Toggle total full screen (or Toggle full screen). The complete monitoring Web page appears in full screen mode.
Installation and Setup Launching the iControl Edge Web Site iControl Edge single-screen Web page in full screen mode. 10. If you set this site as your home page, you will not need to go through the selection steps described above any more. Note: To set this site to open by default, click Set home page on the Tools menu. The next time you open iControl Web, this iControl Edge Web page will appear by default.
Troubleshooting If you encounter problems with your iControl Edgesystem, you should begin your troubleshooting by verifying that the client PC and the Application Server are networked correctly to the other devices that are part of your system. Verifying Device Connectivity One way of verifying that the client PC and the Application Server are networked correctly to the other devices that are part of your system is to use an SSH client such as PuTTY to ping them from the Application Server.
Troubleshooting Verifying Device Connectivity where AAA.BBB.CCC.DDD is the Allégro system’s IP address (e.g. 10.0.3.7). A message similar to the following should appear: Reply from AAA.BBB.CCC.DDD: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=62 9. If the ping command is successful, stop the ping by pressing Ctrl+C. 10. If the message does not appear within a second, stop the ping by pressing Ctrl+C, and then verify that the device is powered up, properly cabled, and that its IP address is correctly configured. 11.
Installing PuTTY PuTTY is an open-source terminal emulator application that supports the SSH protocol. It can be used to establish an SSH connection with Miranda Application Servers. Installing PuTTY PuTTY is available from your Application Server’s Useful Downloads page. To install PuTTY on your client PC or laptop 1. Open an Application Server’s Startup Page in a Web browser. 2. On the iControl Startup page, click Useful Downloads. 3.
Installing PuTTY Establishing an SSH Connection with an Application Server 4. When prompted, save the file to your desktop, or some other location on your PC or laptop. Establishing an SSH Connection with an Application Server To establish an SSH connection with the Application Server 1. Browse to the PuTTY executable file on your PC or laptop, and then open it. Note: If Windows prompt you about the application’s signature, click Yes. The PuTTY Configuration window appears.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 2. In the Session panel, specify your Application Server’s IP address or host name, make sure that SSH is the selected connection type, and then click Open. Note: If the PuTTY Security Alert window appears, click Yes to close it. A command line window appears, prompting you for a user name. Note: Application Servers are configured by default with the user name miranda and the password icontrol, but these may have been changed by your system administrator. 3.
Installing PuTTY Ending a PuTTY Session 124
Using WinSCP WinSCP (Windows Secure copy) is an open source SFTP and FTP client for Microsoft Windows. Its main function is secure file transfer between a local and a remote computer. It can be used (in place of the Webmin File Manager) to copy files to and from Application Servers. Installing WinSCP To install WinSCP on your PC 1. Open an Application Server’s Startup page in a Web browser. 2. Click Useful downloads. 3. Click WinSCP.
Using WinSCP Installing WinSCP 4. When prompted, click Save File to save the WinSCP installer to your PC. 5. When the download is complete, open the executable file. If a security warning appears, click Run. 6. When prompted, select a language, and then click OK. 7. When the WinSCP Setup Wizard appears, click Next.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 8. When the License Agreement appears, click Next. 9. In the Setup type window, select Typical installation, and then click Next.
Using WinSCP Installing WinSCP 10. When the Initial user settings window appears, select Norton Commander interface, and then click Next. 11. When the Ready to install window appears, click Install to continue.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide 12. Select Yes, restart the computer now, and then click Finish. Logging on to an Application Server from WinSCP To log on to the Application Server 1. Open WinSCP. The WinSCP Login window appears. 2. Type the Application Server’s IP address in the Host name box, and specify your user name and password.
Using WinSCP Logging on to an Application Server from WinSCP Notes • The default logon accounts are: • default IP address: 10.0.3.6 • default user name: miranda, root • default password (for both miranda and root): icontrol • The miranda and root accounts both have suitable permissions for most applications. However, for some specific purposes such as configuring streaming relays for an Allégro (see "Configuring Allégro Streaming Relays", on page 73), you will need to be logged on as user root. 3.
iControl Edge Installation and Setup Guide You can access the top level of your PC’s file system from this menu You can access the root level of the Application Server’s file system from this menu 131
Using WinSCP Logging on to an Application Server from WinSCP 132
Contact Us! Miranda Technical Support For technical assistance, please contact the Miranda Technical Support center nearest you: Americas Office hours: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Asia 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (EST) 1-800-224-7882 +1 514 335 1614 support@miranda.com Office hours: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Europe, Middle-East, Africa, UK China Office hours: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Telephone: E-mail: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (GMT) + 44 118 952 3444 + 44 118 952 3401 asiatech@miranda.
