Apple Mac OS X Server Podcast Producer Administration User Manual V10.5 Admin

2007-09-01

User Manual: Apple Mac OS X Server Mac OS X Server v10.5 - Podcast Producer Administration

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Podcast ProducerAdministration

Mac OS X Server

Podcast Producer

Administration

For Version 10.5 Leopard



Apple Inc.

The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of

Mac OS X Server software may reproduce this

publication for the purpose of learning to use such

software. No part of this publication may be

reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes,

such as selling copies of this publication or for

providing paid-for support services.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the

information in this manual is accurate. Apple Inc.

is not responsible for printing or clerical errors.

Apple

1 Infinite Loop

Cupertino CA 95014-2084

408-996-1010

www.apple.com

The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered

in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the “keyboard”

Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes

without the prior written consent of Apple may

constitute trademark infringement and unfair

competition in violation of federal and state laws.

Apple, the Apple logo, AirPort, AppleScript, FireWire,

iMac, iMovie, iTunes, Mac, the Mac logo, Macintosh,

Mac OS, PowerBook, Power Mac, QuickTime, Xgrid, and

Xserve are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the

U.S. and other countries. Finder is a trademark of Apple

Inc.

Adobe and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems

Incorporated.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Other company and product names mentioned herein

are trademarks of their respective companies. Mention

of third-party products is for informational purposes

only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a

recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with

regard to the performance of these products.

019-0942/2007-09-01

Contents

Preface 7 About This Guide

What’s in This Guide

Using Onscreen Help

Mac OS X Server Administration Guides

Viewing PDF Guides on Screen

Printing PDF Guides

Getting Documentation Updates

Getting Additional Information

Chapter 1 13 Overview of Podcast Producer

How Podcast Producer Works

The Architecture of the Podcast Producer System

Podcast Producer Server

Podcast Capture

The podcast Command-Line Tool

Podcast Producer Agent

Shared File System

Workflows

Xgrid

The Podcast Producer Security Model

Client/Server Communication

Authentication

Xgrid

Publishing

Podcast Producer Customization

Supported Audio and Video Formats

Chapter 2 21 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Hardware and Software Requirements for Podcast Producer

Podcast Producer Agent Computer Requirements

Podcast Server Computer Requirements

Xgrid Size and Bandwidth Considerations

Before You Set Up Podcast Producer

Contents

Starting Required Services

Configuring the DNS Service

Configure Mail

Configuring the Open Directory Service

Creating Required Users

Configuring Web Service

Creating a Group Blog

Configuring Xgrid Service

Configuring QuickTime Streaming Service

Setting Up Podcast Producer

Configuring General Settings

Configuring the Default Workflow Settings

Starting the Podcast Producer Server

Binding a Mac to the Podcast Producer Service

Verifying Your Setup

Chapter 3 31 Managing Workflows

Controlling Access to Workflows in Podcast Capture

Monitoring Workflow Usage

Filtering Workflows

Displaying Workflow Information

Configuring Workflow Properties

Configuring Default Workflow Properties

Configuring Custom Workflow Properties

Chapter 4 37 Managing Cameras

Controlling Access to Cameras in Podcast Capture

Removing Cameras

Filtering Cameras

Chapter 5 39 Customizing Workflows

The Structure of a Workflow Bundle

Global Encodings and Resources

The Structure of a Workflow

Workflow Task Specifications

Property Keys

Task Dependencies

Workflow Commands

Podcast Producer Default Workflows

Blog without archive

Blog

Blog and iTunes with watermark

Blog and iTunes with intro

Contents

Blog and iTunes with intro and effects

Blog and iTunes with intro and effects for tv

iTunes U

iTunes U with intro

Blog with streaming and no archive

Blog with streaming

Blog with streaming and intro

Blog with streaming, intro and effects

Submit for Approval

Customizing Workflows

Tools for Editing Workflows

Modifying Workflow Resources

Adding Custom Properties

Duplicating and Modifying Workflows

Adding Localized Strings

Chapter 6 63 The Podcast Producer Shared File System

Specifying a Shared File System

The Structure of the Shared File System

Using an NFS Shared File System

Chapter 7 65 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

Resource Planning

Manual Submission Systems

Video Recording Systems

Recording Quality

Network Bandwidth

Publishing Systems

Storage

Xgrid Agents

Workflows

Workflow Benchmarking

Deployment Scenarios

Small Deployment

Partially Scalable Deployment

Highly Scalable Deployment

Case Study

Recording System Configuration

Workflow Benchmarks

Recording Schedule

Performance

Summary

Contents

Chapter 8 77 Podcast Producer Command-Line Tools

The podcast Tool

The pcastconfig Tool

The pcastctl Tool

The pcastaction Tool

Chapter 9 79 Monitoring Podcast Producer

Viewing Podcast Producer Logs

Monitoring Movie Transfers

80 Monitoring Xgrid Job Progress

80 Using Xgrid Admin

81 Using the Command Line

Glossary 83

Index 91

Preface

About This Guide

Use this guide to set up and manage Podcast Producer

solutions.

Podcast Producer Administration describes how to set up and manage Podcast Producer

solutions for publish podcasts of lectures, training, or other audio and video projects.

What’s in This Guide

This guide includes the following chapters:

ÂChapter 1, “Overview of Podcast Producer,” introduces Podcast Producer and

describes its architecture and security model.

ÂChapter 2, “Setting Up Podcast Producer,” describes how to get Podcast Producer up

and running.

ÂChapter 3, “Managing Workflows,” provides a high-level overview of workflows and

how to manage them using Server Admin.

ÂChapter 4, “Managing Cameras,” describes how to manage and monitor camera

usage using Server Admin.

ÂChapter 5, “Customizing Workflows,” describes how to customize workflows.

ÂChapter 6, “The Podcast Producer Shared File System,” describes the structure of the

Podcast Producer shared file system.

ÂChapter 7, “Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions,” describes how to plan

the deployment of Podcast Producer solutions.

ÂChapter 8, “Podcast Producer Command-Line Tools,” describes the Podcast Producer

command-line tools.

ÂChapter 9, “Monitoring Podcast Producer,” describes how to monitor and

troubleshoot Podcast Producer issues.

Note: Because Apple periodically releases new versions and updates to its software,

images shown in this book may be different from what you see on your screen.

8 Preface About This Guide

Using Onscreen Help

You can get task instructions onscreen in the Help Viewer application while you’re

managing Leopard Server. You can view help on a server or an administrator computer.

(An administrator computer is a Mac OS X computer with Leopard Server

administration software installed on it.)

To get help for an advanced configuration of Leopard Server:

mOpen Server Admin or Workgroup Manager and then:

ÂUse the Help menu to search for a task you want to perform.

ÂChoose Help > Server Admin Help or Help > Workgroup Manager Help to browse

and search the help topics.

The onscreen help contains instructions taken from Server Administration and other

advanced administration guides described in “Mac OS X Server Administration Guides,”

next.

To see the most recent server help topics:

mMake sure the server or administrator computer is connected to the Internet while

you’re getting help.

Help Viewer automatically retrieves and caches the most recent server help topics from

the Internet. When not connected to the Internet, Help Viewer displays cached help

topics.

Mac OS X Server Administration Guides

Getting Started covers basic installation and initial setup methods for an advanced

configuration of Leopard Server as well as for a standard or workgroup configuration.

An advanced guide, Server Administration, covers advanced planning, installation, setup,

and more. A suite of additional guides, listed below, covers advanced planning, setup,

and management of individual services. You can get these guides in PDF format from

the Mac OS X Server documentation website:

www.apple.com/server/documentation

This guide ... tells you how to:

Getting Started and

Mac OS X Server Worksheet

Install Mac OS X Server and set it up for the first time.

Command-Line Administration Install, set up, and manage Mac OS X Server using UNIX command-

line tools and configuration files.

File Services Administration Share selected server volumes or folders among server clients

using the AFP, NFS, FTP, and SMB protocols.

iCal Service Administration Set up and manage iCal shared calendar service.

iChat Service Administration Set up and manage iChat instant messaging service.

Preface About This Guide 9

Mac OS X Security Configuration Make Mac OS X computers (clients) more secure, as required by

enterprise and government customers.

Mac OS X Server Security

Configuration

Make Mac OS X Server and the computer it’s installed on more

secure, as required by enterprise and government customers.

Mail Service Administration Set up and manage IMAP, POP, and SMTP mail services on the

server.

Network Services Administration Set up, configure, and administer DHCP, DNS, VPN, NTP, IP firewall,

NAT, and RADIUS services on the server.

Open Directory Administration Set up and manage directory and authentication services, and

configure clients to access directory services.

Podcast Producer Administration Set up and manage Podcast Producer service to record, process,

and distribute podcasts.

Print Service Administration Host shared printers and manage their associated queues and print

jobs.

QuickTime Streaming and

Broadcasting Administration

Capture and encode QuickTime content. Set up and manage

QuickTime streaming service to deliver media streams live or on

demand.

Server Administration Perform advanced installation and setup of server software, and

manage options that apply to multiple services or to the server as a

whole.

System Imaging and Software

Update Administration

Use NetBoot, NetInstall, and Software Update to automate the

management of operating system and other software used by

client computers.

Upgrading and Migrating Use data and service settings from an earlier version of

Mac OS X Server or Windows NT.

User Management Create and manage user accounts, groups, and computers. Set up

managed preferences for Mac OS X clients.

Web Technologies Administration Set up and manage web technologies, including web, blog,

webmail, wiki, MySQL, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and WebDAV.

Xgrid Administration and High

Performance Computing

Set up and manage computational clusters of Xserve systems and

Mac computers.

Mac OS X Server Glossary Learn about terms used for server and storage products.

This guide ... tells you how to:

10 Preface About This Guide

Viewing PDF Guides on Screen

While reading the PDF version of a guide onscreen:

ÂShow bookmarks to see the guide’s outline, and click a bookmark to jump to the

corresponding section.

ÂSearch for a word or phrase to see a list of places where it appears in the document.

Click a listed place to see the page where it occurs.

ÂClick a cross-reference to jump to the referenced section. Click a web link to visit the

website in your browser.

Printing PDF Guides

If you want to print a guide, you can take these steps to save paper and ink:

ÂSave ink or toner by not printing the cover page.

ÂSave color ink on a color printer by looking in the panes of the Print dialog for an

option to print in grays or black and white.

ÂReduce the bulk of the printed document and save paper by printing more than one

page per sheet of paper. In the Print dialog, change Scale to 115% (155% for Getting

Started). Then choose Layout from the untitled pop-up menu. If your printer supports

two-sided (duplex) printing, select one of the Two-Sided options. Otherwise, choose

2 from the Pages per Sheet pop-up menu, and optionally choose Single Hairline from

the Border menu. (If you’re using Mac OS X v10.4 or earlier, the Scale setting is in the

Page Setup dialog and the Layout settings are in the Print dialog.)

You may want to enlarge the printed pages even if you don’t print double sided,

because the PDF page size is smaller than standard printer paper. In the Print dialog or

Page Setup dialog, try changing Scale to 115% (155% for Getting Started, which has CD-

size pages).

Getting Documentation Updates

Periodically, Apple posts revised help pages and new editions of guides. Some revised

help pages update the latest editions of the guides.

ÂTo view new onscreen help topics for a server application, make sure your server or

administrator computer is connected to the Internet and click “Latest help topics” or

“Staying current” in the main help page for the application.

ÂTo download the latest guides in PDF format, go to the Mac OS X Server

documentation website:

www.apple.com/server/documentation

Preface About This Guide 11

Getting Additional Information

For more information, consult these resources:

ÂRead Me documents—important updates and special information. Look for them on

the server discs.

ÂMac OS X Server website (www.apple.com/server/macosx)—gateway to extensive

product and technology information.

ÂMac OS X Server Support website (www.apple.com/support/macosxserver)—access to

hundreds of articles from Apple’s support organization.

ÂApple Training website (www.apple.com/training)—instructor-led and self-paced

courses for honing your server administration skills.

ÂApple Discussions website (discussions.apple.com)—a way to share questions,

knowledge, and advice with other administrators.

ÂApple Mailing Lists website (www.lists.apple.com)—subscribe to mailing lists so you

can communicate with other administrators using email.

12 Preface About This Guide

1Overview of Podcast Producer

This chapter introduces Podcast Producer and describes the

architecture of the Podcast Producer system.

Podcast Producer is a video capture, processing, and publishing system. It is an elegant

solution that automates the process of creating and publishing podcasts of lectures,

training, or other audio and video projects.

How Podcast Producer Works

Podcast Producer does to the production of podcasts what the assembly line did to

automobile production. It automates and streamlines the production of podcasts, as

illustrated in the following figure.

Here’s how the process works:

1The user uses Podcast Capture to remotely record audio or video.

The user can also record audio and video locally, record screen activity, or directly

submit a QuickTime movie to the Podcast Producer server.

2If remotely recording audio or video, the recording system submits the recording to the

Podcast Producer server.

Publishing Servers

Shared File System

Podcast Producer Cluster

(including Xgrid controller/nodes)

2 4

14 Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer

3The Podcast Producer server takes the submission and sends it to an Xgrid cluster to be

processed according to the workflow selected in Podcast Capture. When finished, the

Xgrid cluster publishes the resulting podcasts. The Xgrid cluster also sends

mail notifications to users with instructions on how to access the podcasts.

4Users use iTunes and Safari to access the podcasts and download them to their iPhone,

iPod, or Apple TV devices.

The Architecture of the Podcast Producer System

The following figures illustrates the architecture of the Podcast Producer system.

/usr/bin/pcast

Podcast Capture

Web Server

QTSS Server

Safari

QuickTime Player

Camera Capture

Agent

Mail Server

Podcast Producer

Server

Recordings Caches

Resources

Workflows

Approval

Archive

Podcasts

Streams

submit

query/control/

submit

Xgrid Controller

submit workflow

job

Xgrid Agents

assign tasks

Shared File System

Weblog

iTunes Registry

iTunesU

control sync

iTunes

Mail

iPhoneApple TV iPod

RSS

post

update

post

submit archive/publish

Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer 15

The Podcast Producer system consists of the following main components:

Â“Podcast Producer Server” on page 15

Â“Podcast Capture” on page 15

Â“Podcast Producer Agent” on page 16

Â“Shared File System” on page 16

Â“Workflows” on page 16

Â“Xgrid” on page 17

Podcast Producer Server

The Podcast Producer server is the central point for the administration of a Podcast

Producer solution.

The Podcast Producer server manages camera capture agents, provides access control

and centralized management, and accepts QuickTime movies to be processed on an

Xgrid cluster.

You can use the Podcast Producer server to:

ÂSpecify a shared folder where QuickTime movies are submitted for processing and

where podcasts are stored

ÂSpecify the Xgrid controller to be used for processing QuickTime movies

ÂControl and monitor access to cameras

ÂControl and monitor access to workflows

ÂCustomize workflow properties

Podcast Capture

Podcast Capture (/Application/Utilities) is the application you use to record audio,

video, or screen activity. You can also use Podcast Capture to upload QuickTime movies

for processing by the Podcast Producer server.

Podcast Capture is available on Macs with Leopard and Leopard Server.

For more information about how to use Podcast Capture, see its onscreen help.

The podcast Command-Line Tool

The /usr/bin/podcast command-line tool provides client-side functionality for

recording and submitting QuickTime files. Podcast Capture is a graphical user interface

(GUI) that wraps podcast.

For more information about podcast, see “The podcast Tool” on page 77.

16 Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer

Podcast Producer Agent

The Podcast Producer agent is a daemon controlled by the Podcast Producer server.

The agent is responsible for the recording of audio and video from an attached camera.

After the recording is done, the Podcast Producer agent uses the podcast tool to

upload the resulting QuickTime movie to the Podcast Producer server for encoding and

publishing as a podcast.

Shared File System

The Podcast Producer server requires a shared file system for:

ÂUploading QuickTime movies.

The Podcast Producer agents use the shared file system to upload QuickTime movies

for processing by the Podcast Producer server.

ÂKeeping a cached copy of workflows.

The Xgrid controller uses the workflows stored in the shared file system to process

QuickTime movies.

ÂStoring the generated podcasts.

The Xgrid agents use the shared file system to store the generated podcasts.

The supported shared file systems are Xsan and NFS.

Workflows

Workflows are the heart of the Podcast Producer system. A workflow is a template that

defines a set of customizable Xgrid tasks for encoding and publishing podcasts.

When submitting a QuickTime movie to the Podcast Producer server for processing,

you also specify the workflow to use. Podcast Producer makes the necessary

replacements in the workflow based on the configuration information entered in

Server Admin and sends the workflow as an Xgrid job to the Xgrid controller for

processing.

The Podcast Producer server provides a set of sample workflows that define common

encoding and publishing tasks for encoding and publishing QuickTime movies as

podcasts. However, you can modify these workflows to suit your needs, or you can

create your own workflows.

Each sample workflow defines a set of default properties that you can configure using

Server Admin, as described later in this guide. You can also define new properties in

your custom workflows and use the Podcast Producer server to configure their values.

Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer 17

Xgrid

The Podcast Producer server lets you specify an Xgrid controller for processing

QuickTime movies on one or more Xgrid agents with Leopard.

Using Xgrid agents for processing QuickTime movies allows you to increase the

throughput of the Podcast Producer solution by increasing the number of Xgrid agents.

In addition, using Xgrid allows you to scale your system by increasing the number of

Xgrid agents.

The Podcast Producer Security Model

Podcast Producer is a secure end-to-end solution, as shown in the following illustration.

Shared File System

(owned by Xgrid user)

/Cache

/Resources

/Workflows

/Podcasts

/Streams

/Archive

/Recordings

/usr/bin/pcast

Open Directory

Shared Secret pcastagentd Server Admin

SSLAESSSL Register

shared secret

ClientsServerXgridPublishing

Podcast

Producer

Key Database

Authentication of

users and groups

Xgrid Agents

Xgrid Controller

FTPSSL

Beep/Kerberos

Web Server

QTSS

Mail Server

iTune U

Blog

iTunes Podcast Registry

18 Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer

Client/Server Communication

To protect sensitive information, the podcast command-line tool and Server Admin use

the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to communicate with the Podcast Producer

server. By default, these SSL connections use the server’s default self-signed certificate,

which comes with the server.

For example, when you specify the passwords for Podcast Producer properties in Server

Admin, Server Admin securely passes the passwords to the Podcast Producer server

using SSL. The Podcast Producer server encrypts these passwords and stores them in its

database.

In addition, the Podcast Producer agent (pcastagentd) uses an Advanced Encryption

Standard (AES)-secured tunnel to communicate with the Podcast Producer server. This

tunnel allows the Podcast Producer server to control the Podcast Producer agent at all

times.

When you bind a camera system to Podcast Producer, the podcast command-line tool

creates a shared secret and sends it to the server using SSL. The server encrypts the

shared secret, stores it in its database, and sends back information including the shared

secret to the podcast tool.

The podcast tool stores the information it receives from the Podcast Producer server in

a property list. When started, the Podcast Producer agent uses the shared stored in its

property list to establish an AES-secured tunnel with the Podcast Producer server.

Authentication

The Podcast Producer server uses Open Directory for user and group authentication.

The Podcast Producer server also uses Open Directory to authenticate users and groups

specified in Access Control Lists (ACLs) defined in Server Admin. The Podcast Producer

server stores these ACLs in the same database it uses to store shared secrets and other

sensitive information.

Xgrid

The Podcast Producer server uses the Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP) and

Kerberos to communicate with the Xgrid controller using the xgrid command-line tool.

The Podcast Producer server uses BEEP and Kerberos to authenticate itself to the

Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC). The server uses the standard method to get

Kerberos tickets from the KDC using the Xgrid name and password supplied in Server

Admin.

The Podcast Producer server uses the ticket it gets from the KDC when sending jobs to

the Xgrid controller.

Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer 19

As for the Xgrid agent, it authenticates to the Xgrid controller using BEEP and Kerberos.

However, when communicating with the Podcast Producer server, the Xgrid agent uses

SSL. The Xgrid agent calls the Podcast Producer server to obtain property values and

responses to challenges.

For example, if an Xgrid agent tries to post to a blog, the agent gets back a 401 HTTP

error with a challenge. The agent sends the challenge to the Podcast Producer server

and receives a response, which it passes to the blog to be granted access.

The Podcast Producer server and Xgrid controller must belong to the same Kerberos

realm.

Publishing

In the Podcast Producer security model, Xgrid agents have the proper credentials to

publish podcasts. If an agent is asked to respond to a challenge, as in the case of a

blog, the Xgrid agent can securely obtain the response from the Podcast Producer

server and provide the appropriate response.

Podcast Producer Customization

Podcast Producer is an open system that you can customize to meet your needs:

ÂWorkflows are Xgrid jobs, which you can compose using any text editor.

ÂPodcast Producer leverages Mac OS X technologies like QuickTime and Quartz.

QuickTime provides a rich set of video/audio codecs and is the premier platform for

media data sets. Anything you can do with QuickTime can be done using Podcast

Producer. You can create command-line tools that access QuickTime APIs and use

these tools in workflows.

Quartz is a powerful image composition framework for image manipulation. You can

create tools for adding movie effects and use these tools in Podcast Producer

workflows. An example of such a tool is qc2movie, which ships with Mac OS X v10.5.

This tool is used by some default Podcast Producer workflows and is described in

Chapter 5, “Customizing Workflows.”

ÂAll hosting technology used by Podcast Producer is based on Internet standards like

HTTP, RSS, Podcast, QTSS, and FTP. You can publish content to any hosting server that

supports these standards.

ÂYou can turn virtually any UNIX shell script into an Xgrid job and, therefore, part of a

Podcast Producer workflow.

20 Chapter 1 Overview of Podcast Producer

Supported Audio and Video Formats

Podcast Producer supports the following video formats:

ÂMPEG-4

ÂH.263

ÂH.264

ÂDV NTSC and PAL

In addition, Podcast Producer supports the following audio formats:

ÂAAC (MPEG-4 Audio)

ÂAMR Narrowband

ÂQUALCOMM PureVoice (QCELP)

2Setting Up Podcast Producer

This chapter describes how to set up the Podcast Producer

server.

The instructions in this chapter assume that you have installed and configured

Mac OS X Server v10.5. For instructions on setting up Mac OS X Server, see Getting

Started (included on the Mac OS X Server v10.5 installation disc and downloadable at

www.apple.com/server/documentation/).

Hardware and Software Requirements for Podcast Producer

This section describes the hardware and software requirements for providing Podcast

Producer services.

For more information about estimating hardware and software requirements, see

“Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions” on page 65.

For more information about minimum system requirements and other Podcast

Producer topics not covered in this guide, visit the Mac OS X Server Support website at

www.apple.com/support/macosxserver.

Podcast Producer Agent Computer Requirements

Following is a list of the minimum hardware and software requirements for the Mac

used to capture video:

ÂMac OS X v10.5

Â20 GB of free disk space

ÂNetwork connectivity (100 Mbps)

Podcast Server Computer Requirements

Following is a list of the minimum requirements for the Mac running the Podcast

Producer service:

ÂA Mac with Mac OS X Server v10.5

ÂNetwork connectivity (100 Mbps)

22 Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Xgrid Size and Bandwidth Considerations

Following is a list of issues to consider when deciding the size of the Xgrid and the

amount of bandwidth needed to process QuickTime movies:

ÂNumber of recording systems and manual submissions

ÂType of workflows to be used

The type of workflow used determines the time needed to complete the processing

and publishing of podcasts. Also, the type of workflows used determines how many

tasks can be performed in parallel.

ÂA typical recording day schedule for each recording system and manual submission

ÂNumber of uploading Macs

ÂNumber of compute nodes in the grid

Note: All Xgrid agent computers must have a graphics card that supports Quartz

Extreme.

Before You Set Up Podcast Producer

The instructions in this section assume that you have chosen the Advanced

Configuration option to set up your server. If not, convert your server to an advanced

configuration. For information about converting your server to an advanced

configuration, see Server Administration.

Starting Required Services

Before you configure the services required to set up Podcast Producer, start them. If

DNS, Mail, Open Directory, QuickTime Streaming, Web, and Xgrid services are already

available on your network, you do not need to start them.

To start required services:

1Launch Server Admin and connect to the server you want to configure.

A sheet appears notifying you that no services are configured on the server.

2Click Choose Configured Services.

3Select the following services:

ÂDNS

ÂMail

ÂOpen Directory

ÂPodcast Producer

ÂQuickTime Streaming

ÂWeb

ÂXgrid

4Click Save.

Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer 23

Configuring the DNS Service

Use the instructions in this section to configure the DNS service.

To configure the DNS service:

1Launch Server Admin and connect to the server you are configuring.

2From the list of computers and services on the left, select DNS.

3Click Zones.

4Click Add Zone > Add Primary Zone (Master).

5Click the new zone (its name is example.com.).

6In the Primary Zone field, replace example.com with pcast.private.

7In the Nameservers field, double-click the ns entry and replace ns with server.

8In the Mail Exchangers field, click the Add button (+) and complete the following:

aIn the Hostname field, enter server.

bIn the Priority field, enter 10.

9Click Add Record > Add Machine (A).

10 Expand the pcast.private. zone by clicking the triangle to its left.

aIn the Machine Name field of the first machine entry, enter server.

bSet the server’s IP address to 10.0.0.1.

cIn the Machine Name field of the first machine entry, enter client.

dSet the client’s IP address to 10.0.0.10.

11 Click Save.

12 Start the service by clicking Start DNS.

13 To make sure that DNS is running, ping server.pcast.private and client.pcast.private

using Network Utility or from the command line.

Configure Mail

The Podcast Producer service requires Mail service to send notification mails.

To configure Mail service:

1In Server Admin, select Mail from the list of computers and services.

2Go to the General tab in the Settings pane.

3Enable SMTP.

4Click Save.

5Start Mail service.

24 Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Configuring the Open Directory Service

Follow the steps in this section to configure the Open Directory service.

To configure the Open Directory service:

1In Server Admin, select Open Directory from the list of computers and services.

2Click Settings.

3Click General.

4Click Change.

5Click Open Directory Master, then click Continue.

6Enter an administrator username and password for the Open Directory master domain

(record these for later), then click Continue.

7Verify that you have the correct Kerberos realm and search base and click Continue.

8Review settings, then click Continue.

9When a message appears notifying you that service configuration is complete, click

Close.

10 Click Overview and verify that Kerberos is running.

Creating Required Users

Use Workgroup Manager to create the user accounts required by Podcast Producer.

To create the required users:

1Launch Workgroup Manager (in /Application/Server) and log in to the system hosting

the Open Directory service.

2Confirm that the Viewing directory is /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1.

3Click the lock icon (upper-right corner).

4Enter the administrator username and password for the Open Directory master

domain.

5Click Authenticate.

6Create the following users and assign each a password (to create a user, click New User

in the toolbar):

Âpcastadmin: Allow this user to administer this server. Also assign this user a mail

address by clicking Info, clicking the (+) button for the email field, and entering the

mail address (pcastadmin@server.pcast.private). If Web service is running on a

different server, make sure this user is also an administrator on the Web server.

Âpcastxgrid: Set the home folder for this user to /var/empty.

Âpcastuser: Enable mail for this user (by clicking Mail and then clicking Enabled). Also,

give this user a mail address (pcastuser@server.pcast.private). To assign the user a

mail address, click Info, click the (+) button for the email field, and enter the mail

address.

Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer 25

Configuring Web Service

Follow the steps in this section to configure Web service.

To configure Web service:

1In Server Admin, select Web from the list of computers and services.

2Click Sites and select the default site (empty domain name).

3Click Web Services and select Wiki and blog.

4Click Save.

5Start the Web service by clicking Start Web.

Creating a Group Blog

Some workflows require a group blog to post podcasts to.

To create a group blog:

1Open Directory (in /Applications/Utilities).

2Choose Directory > Preferences and make sure Authentication is set to Password; then

close the Preferences window.

3Click (+) (bottom left) and choose New Group.

4Enter the administrator username and password for the Open Directory master

domain, then click OK.

5Replace Untitled Group with Podcasts.

6Click (+).

7From the People and Groups window, drag the pcastadmin and pcastuser users to the

member list of the Podcasts group.

8Close the People and Groups window.

9Click Save.

10 Click Ownership and set the Owner and Contact fields to pcastadmin.

11 Click Services.

12 Select Wiki and Blog (Calendar and Mailing list web archive options are not required).

13 Click Save and quit Directory.

14 Verify that you can access the following URL when logging in as pcastuser:

http://server.pcast.private/groups/podcasts

Important: To ensure that subscribe-to-podcast links in notification emails work,

enable podcasting for the group blog. Go to http://server.pcast.private/groups/

podcasts and log in as an administrator user. Click Settings in the Admin menu. Click

the edit (pencil) button (upper right). Select “Create a podcast for this group’s weblog,”

then give the podcast an iTunes category. Click Save.

26 Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Configuring Xgrid Service

Follow the steps in this section to configure the Xgrid service.

Important: The Xgrid service must be fully Kerberized.

To configure the Xgrid service:

1In Server Admin, select Xgrid from the list of computers and services.

2Click Overview.

3Click Configure Xgrid Service (bottom right), then click Continue.

4Select Host a Grid and click Continue.

5Provide the administrator username and password for the Open Directory master

domain and click Continue.

6Confirm the configuration settings and click Continue.

7Click Close.

The Service Configuration Assistant will quit.

Important: Use the Service Configuration Assistant as indicated above to configure

Xgrid to use Kerberos for all types of authentication. To avoid making configuration

mistakes, do not try to manually configure Xgrid for Kerberos authentication.

8Verify that Xgrid service is running and that Xgrid has configured a Controller and

Agent using Kerberos.

Configuring QuickTime Streaming Service

This section describes how to configure the QuickTime Streaming service.

To configure the QuickTime Streaming service:

1In Server Admin, select QuickTime Streaming from the list of computers and services.

2Click Start QuickTime Streaming.

Setting Up Podcast Producer

To start providing Podcast Producer services, you must do the following:

ÂConfigure the Podcast Producer general settings.

ÂConfigure the Podcast Producer default workflow properties.

ÂStart the Podcast Producer service.

Configuring General Settings

You can use Server Admin to configure the Podcast Producer general settings.

Â“Specifying a Shared File System”

Â“Specifying an Xgrid Controller”

Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer 27

Specifying a Shared File System

Podcast Producer lets you specify a shared folder that Podcast Capture and Xgrid

agents can use for uploading QuickTime movies and podcasts. The shared folder can

reside on the server where Podcast Producer is running or it can reside on another

server.

To specify a shared folder:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click General.

5In the Shared File System field, click Choose.

6Navigate to the folder and click Choose.

The path to the shared folder appears in the Shared File System field.

7Click Save.

Specifying an Xgrid Controller

Podcast Producer uses the Xgrid controller specified in the General pane of the Podcast

Producer service to send Podcast Producer workflow jobs.

To specify an Xgrid controller:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click General.

5In the Xgrid Controller field, enter the hostname of the Xgrid controller.

6In the Xgrid User Name field, click Choose User.

7In the Users and Groups window, click Users.

8From the Users and Groups window, drag a user into the Xgrid User Name field.

9In the Xgrid User Password filed, enter the Xgrid user’s password.

10 Click Save.

Important: Xgrid agents must be bound to the same Open Directory server used by

Podcast Producer. Xgrid agents must also be Kerberized in the same realm used by

Podcast Producer. In addition, Xgrid agents must have access to the Podcast Producer

shared file system.

28 Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Configuring the Default Workflow Settings

You can use Server Admin to configure a set of default workflow properties.

To configure default workflow properties:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click Properties.

5Click the triangle next to Default Properties to display the properties.

6Set properties as follows:

To post to iTunes U, enter the appropriate iTunes U values.

For more information about configuring default properties, see “Configuring Default

Workflow Properties” on page 33.

Starting the Podcast Producer Server

You use Server Admin to start the Podcast Producer server.

To start the Podcast Producer server:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Start Podcast Producer.

To stop the Podcast Producer server, click Stop Podcast Producer.

Property Value

Administrator Short Name pcastadmin

Group Short Name podcasts

Group Administrator User pcastadmin

Group Administrator Password pcastadmin’s password

Approval Email List List of mail recipients of podcast approval requests (for example,

editor@example.com, producer@example.com)

Audience Email List List of mail recipients of new podcast announcements (for example,

joe@example.com, jane@example.com, freshmen@example.com)

Audience SMS List List of SMS recipients of new podcast announcements (for example,

5552121234@sms_text_host.com, 4442121235@sms_text_host.com)

Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer 29

Binding a Mac to the Podcast Producer Service

After setting up the Podcast Producer service, you can bind the Macs you want to use

for remotely recording audio and video to the Podcast Producer service using the

Podcast Capture application.

To bind a Mac to the Podcast Producer service:

1If you are using an external video camera, make sure the camera is connected to your

Mac via FireWire and is turned on.

2Open the Podcast Capture application (in /Applications/Utilities).

3When prompted, enter a valid username and password.

4Choose Podcast Capture > Local Camera Settings.

5Click the lock and authenticate if necessary.

6From the Video Source pop-up menu choose a local camera.

7Verify that you see a preview of the camera’s video.

8From the Microphone pop-up menu choose the audio source.

9In the Camera Name field enter the name of the camera.

Because Podcast Producer uses the name you enter in this field to identify and control

access to the camera, you should enter a unique, meaningful name to help the Podcast

Producer administrator and Podcast Capture users better identify and determine the

location of the camera. For example, instead of using a name like Camera7, use a name

like Camera007-Eng. Building/Room 304.

10 In the Server field enter the fully qualified name of the Podcast Producer server (for

example, server.pcast.private) or the IP address of the server.

11 Click Bind to bind the camera to the Podcast Producer server.

12 Enter your Podcast Producer administrative credentials and click OK.

30 Chapter 2 Setting Up Podcast Producer

Verifying Your Setup

You can verify your setup by uploading a QuickTime movie for processing by your

Podcast Producer server.

To verify your setup:

1On a Mac running Mac OS X v10.5 and connected to the same network that your

Podcast Producer server is connected to, launch Podcast Capture (in /Applications/

Utilities).

2Log in to the Podcast Producer server as pcastuser.

3Select File and choose the QuickTime movie you want to submit to the Podcast

Producer server for encoding and publishing.

4From the Workflow pop-up menu, select a workflow and give the movie a title and

description.

5Click Publish.

6To monitor the progress of your submission, use Xgrid Admin.

For more information about Xgrid Admin, see the Xgrid Administration guide.

You should receive a mail notification after your video is ready to be viewed.

3Managing Workflows

This chapter describes how to manage workflows and

configure their default and custom properties in Server

Admin.

Workflows are an essential part of Podcast Producer. Learning how to manage

workflows and how to configure their properties allows you to streamline the podcast

generation process and make the best use of your computing resources.

Controlling Access to Workflows in Podcast Capture

Podcast Producer server lets you specify which workflows users can see (and which are

allowed to be used) in Podcast Capture and the podcast command-line tool.

To control access to a workflow:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Workflows.

4Select a workflow in the Workflow list.

5To restrict access to the workflow, click “Allow access to workflow name for the following

users and groups.”

6Click the (+) button to add users and groups to the list of users and groups that can

access the selected workflow.

In the Users and Groups window, click Users and drag one or more users to the list.

In the Users and Groups window, click Groups and drag one or more groups to the list.

To delete users and groups from the list, select them and click (-).

7Click Save.

You can also select multiple workflows and configure their access control settings at

the same time.

To allow all users and groups to see the selected workflows in Podcast Capture, click

“Allow access to workflow name for all users and groups.”

32 Chapter 3 Managing Workflows

Monitoring Workflow Usage

You can use the Workflows pane of the Podcast Producer service to see the last time a

workflow was used and by whom.

To monitor workflow usage:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Workflows.

The Last Used column shows the last time a workflow was used. The Last Used By

column shows the short name of the user who last used the workflow.

Filtering Workflows

You can use the search field in the Workflows pane of the Podcast Producer service to

specify a search criteria for listing workflows.

To filter workflows:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Workflows.

4To search for workflows by keywords, from the Search pop-up menu, choose Workflow

and enter the keywords.

Only workflows whose names contain the specified keywords appear in the list.

5To search for workflows by filename, from the Search pop-up menu, choose Workflow

File Name and enter the name of the workflow file.

Only the workflow whose file name is specified in the Search field appears in the list.

6To list the workflows that were last used by a particular user, from the Search pop-up

menu, choose Last Used By and enter the short name of the user.

Displaying Workflow Information

You can display information about a workflow using its corresponding information

button.

To display workflow information:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Workflows.

4Select a workflow in the Workflow list.

5Click the information button.

Chapter 3 Managing Workflows 33

The Workflow Information window appears. This window displays information about

the workflow, including the workflow’s filename and location on the Podcast Producer

server, a description of what the workflow does, and any notes that were added to the

workflow file.

Configuring Workflow Properties

Server Admin allows you to configure default and custom workflow properties.

Â“Configuring Default Workflow Properties” on page 33

Â“Configuring Custom Workflow Properties” on page 35

Configuring Default Workflow Properties

You can use Server Admin to configure a set of default workflow properties, which are

used by all Podcast Producer workflows that ship with Mac OS X Server version 10.5.

The following table describes these properties.

Property Name Description

Administrator Short Name The short name of an admin user that Podcast Producer sends

automatic mail notifications to.

Approval Email List Workflow approval request mail is sent to this address.

Approval Folder Content files requiring workflow approvals are stored in this

folder.

Archive Root The path to the folder in the Podcast Producer shared file system

where the Podcast Producer server stores backup copies of

uploaded QuickTime movies.

Audience Email List A list of mail recipients of new podcast announcements from the

Podcast Producer.

Audience SMS List A list of SMS recipients of new podcast announcements from the

Podcast Producer.

Exit Video Path The path to a QuickTime movie in the shared file system to add at

the end of podcasts.

Group Short Name The short name of the group that receives blog announcements

about new podcasts from Podcast Producer.

Groups Administrator Password The password of the administrator group specified by Group

Short Name.

Groups Administrator Username The short name of the administrator user who is the group’s

owner and can post blogs on behalf of normal users. This user

must also be an administrator on the system running the Web

service used by Podcast Producer to post blogs.

Groups Web Server URL The base URL of the web server where group blog

announcements about new podcasts are published.

34 Chapter 3 Managing Workflows

Intro Transition Duration The transition duration (in seconds) between the introduction

video and the main content.

Introduction Video Path The path to a QuickTime movie in the shared file system to add at

the beginning of a podcast.

iTunes U Posting Credentials The credentials of a user that can post content to an institution’s

iTunesU site.

iTunes U Shared Secret The communications secret shared between an institution and its

iTunes site.

iTunes U Site URL The URL of the iTunes site to post podcasts on.

iTunes U Tab ID The ID of the table view of the iTunes site where podcasts are

posted.

Notification Language The language used when sending mail and blog announcements

about new podcasts.

Organization The name of the organization to be added to the introduction

video.

Postflight Script Path The path to a script on the shared file system to run as the last

script in a workflow.

Preflight Script Path The path to a script on the shared file system to run as the first

script in a workflow.

QTSS URL The base URL of the QuickTime Streaming Server used to stream

new podcasts.

Quartz Composer Filter The name of the Quartz Composer filter used by workflows for

applying filtering compositions to podcasts.

Quartz Composer Introduction

Transition

The name of the Quartz Composer transition used by workflows

that apply transition compositions between the introduction

video and the main content.

Quartz Composer Exit Transition The name of the Quartz Composer transition used by workflows

that apply transition compositions between the main content

and the exit video.

QuickTime Streaming Media Root The QuickTime Streaming Server media folder on the shared file

system where podcast streams are stored.

SMTP Server The hostname of an SMTP mail server used by workflows to send

mail notifications.

Watermark Image The path to an image on the shared file system used by

workflows that apply watermarks to podcasts.

Web Document Root The web server root folder on the shared file system where new

podcast streams are published.

Web URL The base URL of the web server where podcasts are published.

Property Name Description

Chapter 3 Managing Workflows 35

To configure default workflow properties:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click Properties.

5Click the triangle next to Default Properties to display the properties.

6To change the value of a property, double-click the property’s value and enter a new

value.

7Click Save.

Configuring Custom Workflow Properties

You can modify the sample Podcast Producer workflows and define customizable

properties. You can then add the properties to the list of Custom Properties in Server

Admin and change their values as needed.

Adding Custom Workflow Properties

You can use Server Admin to add custom workflow properties.

To add a custom workflow property:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click Properties.

5Click the triangle next to Custom Properties to display the custom properties.

6Click the (+) button to add a custom property.

7Double-click the name field of the property and enter its name.

8Double-click the value field of the property and enter its value.

9Click Save.

36 Chapter 3 Managing Workflows

Deleting Custom Workflow Properties

You can use Server Admin to delete custom workflow properties.

To delete custom workflow properties:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click Properties.

5Click the triangle next to Custom Properties to display the custom properties.

6Select the property to delete and click the (-) button.

7Click Save.

Modifying Custom Workflow Properties

You can use Server Admin to modify custom workflow properties.

To modify custom workflow properties:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Settings.

4Click Properties.

5Click the triangle next to Custom Properties to display the custom properties.

6To change the value of a property, double-click the property’s value and enter a value.

7(Optional) To encrypt a property, click the property’s checkbox.

8Click Save.

4Managing Cameras

This chapter describes how to manage and monitor camera

usage.

The Podcast Producer server allows you to control and monitor camera usage.

Â“Controlling Access to Cameras in Podcast Capture” on page 37

Â“Removing Cameras” on page 38

Â“Filtering Cameras” on page 38

Controlling Access to Cameras in Podcast Capture

The Podcast Producer server lets you specify which cameras users can choose in

Podcast Capture.

To control access to a camera:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Cameras.

4Select a camera in the Cameras list.

5To restrict access to the camera, click “Allow access to camera name for the following

users and groups.”

6Click the (+) button to add users and groups to the list of users and groups that can

access the selected camera.

In the Users and Groups window, click Users and drag users to the list.

In the Users and Groups window, click Groups and drag groups to the list.

To delete users or groups from the list, select them and click (-).

7Click Save.

You can also select multiple cameras and simultaneously configure their settings.

To allow all users and groups to see the selected camera in Podcast Capture, click

“Allow access to camera name for all users and groups.”

38 Chapter 4 Managing Cameras

Removing Cameras

The Podcast Producer server lets you remove cameras from the list of cameras in Server

Admin.

To remove a camera:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Cameras.

4Select a camera in the Cameras list.

5Click Remove Camera.

6Click OK.

Filtering Cameras

You can use the search field in the Cameras pane of the Podcast Producer service in

Server Admin to specify a filtering or search criteria for listing cameras.

To filter cameras:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Cameras.

4To search for cameras by keywords, from the Search pop-up menu, choose Camera and

enter the keywords.

Only the cameras whose names contain the specified keywords appear in the list.

5To list cameras that were last used by a specific user, from the Search pop-up menu,

choose Last Used By and enter the short name of the user.

6To list cameras based on their status, from the Search pop-up menu, choose Status and

enter the name of the status.

5Customizing Workflows

This chapter describes workflows and shows you how to

customize or create your own.

The workflows that ship with Mac OS X Server v10.5 are examples of the type of back-

end processing you can perform on input QuickTime files.

Before you customize workflows, make sure you understand how workflows work.

The Structure of a Workflow Bundle

A workflow is a self-contained bundle that stores all files needed by the workflow.

By default, workflows are stored in the /System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows

folder. However, Podcast Producer also checks for workflows in /Library/

PodcastProducer/Workflows. If the same workflow is present in both folders, Podcast

Producer uses the workflow in the /Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows folder.

The reason for giving precedence to workflows in /Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows

is that workflows in /System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows can be overwritten

without warning during a software update.

Important: To protect your modifications from being overwritten by the system during

a software update, do not store your customized workflows in the /System/Library/

PodcastProducer/Workflows folder. Instead, copy the contents of the /System/Library/

PodcastProducer/ folder to the /Library/PodcastProducer/ folder and make your

changes there.

40 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Global Encodings and Resources

Podcast Producer uses the following folders to store global encodings and resources

available to all workflows:

Â/System/Library/PodcastProducer/Encodings

Â/System/Library/PodcastProducer/Resources

The following figure shows the contents of a workflow bundle:

The following table describes the contents of a workflow bundle:

Element Description

Info.plist Contains information about the workflow bundle, including the name of the

workflow as it appears in Server Admin and in the workflow’s description.

(Name and description strings are localizable.)

LICENSE Contains the terms for using the workflow.

Resources Contains all local resources used by the workflow. Global workflow resources

are stored in /System/Library/PodcastProducer/Resources.

version.plist Contains workflow version information.

Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows 41

The following table describes the contents of the Resources folder:

The Structure of a Workflow

A workflow template is a property list (plist) containing tasks that Xgrid agents must

execute. A workflow consists of the following first-level elements:

Element Description

Compositions Stores the Quartz compositions referenced by the workflow.

.lproj folders Contain the localizable strings used in the workflow. For example, en.lproj

contains the English strings used in the workflow.

InfoPlist.strings Contains the name and workflow descriptions that appear in Server Admin.

Localizable.strings Contains the localizable strings used in the workflow.

Images Contains images used by the workflow.

Movies Contains movies used by the workflow.

template.plist The workflow template that specifies the tasks to execute and the order of

execution.

Templates Contains templates used by the workflow. By default, this folder contains a

mail template and a template for posting to blogs. If your custom workflows

use special templates, store them in this folder.

Tools Contains command-line tools used by the workflow.

Element Description

artConditions

artSpecifications

These elements allow you to score Xgrid jobs. You can tell the Xgrid

controller to run certain jobs on certain Xgrid nodes and to prefer

certain Xgrid nodes.

For more information about these elements and how to configure

them, see the Command-Line Administration guide or the xgrid

man page.

name This entry specifies the name of the Xgrid job.

When the Podcast Producer server receives a job submission, it

replaces the value of this key ($$Xgrid Job Name$$) in the

corresponding workflow with a name it assigns to the job before

sending it to the Xgrid controller.

notificationEmail This key specifies the mail address the Podcast Server uses to notify

the administrator about the status of workflow jobs submitted to

the Xgrid controller.

Podcast Producer replaces the value of this key ($$Administrator

Email Address$$) with the administrator’s mail address before

sending the job to the Xgrid controller.

taskSpecifications This is the most important entry. It specifies the tasks to be

executed by Xgrid agents.

42 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Workflow Task Specifications

The taskSpecificiations entry consists of one or more task specifications, as shown in

the following example. In this example, the taskSpecifications section lists 20 tasks. The

name of the first task is annotate, the name of the second task is archive, and so on.

Each task represents a UNIX shell script command and consists of the following

elements:

Element Description

arguments Lists the arguments required by the command.

command Specifies the command to run (including the path).

dependsOnTasks (Optional) Lists the tasks that must be completed before this command runs.

Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows 43

For example, the encode_wifi task runs the following command after the preflight task

is completed:

/usr/libexec/podcastproducer/tasks/pcastaction encode

--basedir=$$Base Directory$$

--input=$$Content File Basename$$-final.mov

--output=$$Content File Basename$$-wifi.mp4

--encoder=h264_hint_server

When Podcast Producer receives a job submission, it replaces the $$ property keys in

the workflow template with the corresponding values before sending the job to the

Xgrid controller.

Property Keys

Workflow templates use keys (strings enclosed by “$$” ) to represent default and

custom workflow properties.

Podcast Producer defines a set of default properties that are used by the workflows

that ship with the product. In addition, Podcast Producer allows you to define custom

properties for use in your custom workflows. You can modify the values of properties

and create new properties in Server Admin.

When Podcast Producer receives a job submission from Podcast Capture, the Podcast

Producer server replaces the property keys in the specified workflow with the

appropriate values defined in Server Admin before submitting the Xgrid job for

processing.

For example, the Podcast Producer server replaces the $$Group Short Name$$ key with

the value of the Group Short Name default property you defined in Server Admin.

Important: Podcast Producer also uses protected property keys (strings enclosed by

“##”) in some workflows. For example, Podcast Producer replaces ##Groups

Administrator Username:Groups Administrator Password## with a one-time password

for authentication challenges. Protected property keys are intended for use by Podcast

Producer and should not be modified.

Default Property Keys

To represent a default property in workflow templates, Podcast Producer encloses the

name of the property as it appears in Server Admin by “$$” characters. For example, the

Archive Root property appears as $$Archive Root$$ in workflows.

Podcast Producer does not store passwords in the workflow template because the

workflow jobs are XML files and are not encrypted.

Instead, the Podcast Producer server encrypts and stores the passwords you enter in

Server Admin in a special database for maximum protection, as described in “The

Podcast Producer Security Model” on page 17.

44 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Server-Generated Property Keys

The Podcast Producer server replaces the following property keys with the appropriate

values.

Property Key Matching Property Name

$$Administrator Email Address$$ The mail address of the Podcast Producer administrator.

$$Administrator Full Name$$ The full name of the Podcast Producer administrator.

$$Base Directory$$ The base directory that Podcast Producer creates for

storing submitted recordings (for example,

<Shared_File_System>/Recordings/<UUID>).

$$Content File Basename$$ The name of the submitted recording.

$$Content File Extension$$ The name of the file extension of the submitted

recording.

$$Content File Name$$ The combination of Basename and Extension. For

example, if Content File Basename is MyMovie and

Content File Extension is .mov, Content File Name is

MyMovie.mov.

$$Date_YYYY-MM-DD$$ The date of the workflow submission.

$$Global Resource Path$$ The same as $$Workflow Resource Path$$ except that it

refers to <Shared File System>/Caches/Resources.

$$Podcast Producer URL$$ The URL of the Podcast Producer server.

$$Server UUID$$ The UUID of the Podcast Producer server.

$$Shared Filesystem$$ The top level of the shared file system.

$$Title$$ The title of the workflow job submission specified in

Podcast Capture or podcast.

$$User Email Address$$ The mail address of the user who submitted the job.

$$User Full Name$$ The full name of the user who submitted the job.

$$User Home Directory$$ The home directory path of the user submitting the job.

$$User ID$$ The ID of the user who submitted the job.

$$User Short Name$$ The short name of the user who submitted the job.

$$Workflow Bundle Path$$ The path to the top level of the workflow bundle on the

shared file system (for example, <Shared File System>/

Caches/Workflows/Blog.pwf).

$$Workflow Resource Path$$ The path to the workflow’s Resources folder.

$$Xgrid Job Name$$ The name that Podcast Producer assigns to the job it

submits to the Xgrid controller.

Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows 45

Task Dependencies

A workflow task specification can specify one or more tasks as dependencies. This helps

the Xgrid controller determine the order of task execution.

The following illustration shows an example of task dependencies.

In this example, The unpack task won’t run until the preflight task completes

successfully. Also, the template_mail task won’t run until iTunesU_ipod and

iTunesU_mp4_audio_high tasks complete successfully.

In addition to specifying the order of task execution, task dependencies help the Xgrid

controller determine which tasks can run in parallel. In the above example, the tasks at

the same level (for example, the encode_ipod and encode_mp4_audio_high tasks) can

be run in parallel if two Xgrid agents are available.

preflight

unpack

archiveannotate

encode_ipod

iTunesU_ipod

template_mail

mail

postflight

encode_mp4_audio_high

iTunesU_mp4_audio_high

46 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Workflow Commands

Podcast Producer provides a rich set of workflow commands or tasks that you can use

in custom workflows. However, you can always write your own commands or use

commands from third parties.

The following is a description of the pcastaction commands you can use in workflows.

You can also use the qceffect command to export the specified Quartz Composer

composition to the input movie by adding a track containing this composition.

For more information about the pcastaction command, see the Command-Line

Administration guide.

Command Description

pcastaction annotate Adds annotations to the input movie.

pcastaction approval Submits content for approval.

pcastaction archive Archives the input movie at the specified location.

pcastaction encode Encodes the input movie using the specified codec.

pcastaction iTunes Instructs the iTunes store to check the specified RSS feed for new

episodes.

pcastaction iTunesU Posts the input video at the specified iTunes U tab.

pcastaction groupblog Posts to a group’s wiki blog.

pcastaction mail Sends a notification mail to the specified user using the mail

template in the workflow’s Resources/Templates folder.

pcastaction merge Merges two movies with a fade transition between them.

pcastaction preflight Runs the preflight script (System/Library/PodcastProducer/

Resources/Tools/preflight_script) with the specified arguments.

pcastaction postflight Runs the postflight script (System/Library/PodcastProducer/

Resources/Tools/postflight_script) with the specified arguments.

pcastaction publish Publishes the input file to a web or QTSS server.

pcastaction shell Runs the specified shell script with the specified arguments.

pcastaction template Processes a web or mail template into a localized content block to

be used in mail or web postings.

pcastaction title Adds the supplied title to the input video.

pcastaction unpack Unpacks folder archives prior to running the main part of any

workflow.

pcastaction watermark Superimposes the specified image as a watermark over the input

video.

Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows 47

Podcast Producer Default Workflows

Podcast Producer ships with the following workflows:

Â“Blog without archive,” as described on page 48

Â“Blog,” as described on page 49

Â“Blog and iTunes with watermark,” as described on page 50

Â“Blog and iTunes with intro,” as described on page 51

Â“Blog and iTunes with intro and effects,” as described on page 52

Â“Blog and iTunes with intro and effects for tv,” as described on page 53

Â“iTunes U,” as described on page 54

Â“iTunes U with intro,” as described on page 55

Â“Blog with streaming and no archive,” as described on page 56

Â“Blog with streaming,” as described on page 57

Â“Blog with streaming and intro,” as described on page 58

Â“Blog with streaming, intro and effects,” as described on page 59

Â“Submit for Approval,” as described on page 60

As mentioned earlier in this guide, these workflows are provided as examples. If these

workflows meet your needs, you can use them without modifications. However, for

some workflows you’ll need to replace the sample resources that come with Podcast

Producer (for example, the intro and exit video) with your own resources.

To customize workflows, see “Customizing Workflows” on page 60.

48 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Blog without archive

The “Blog without archive” workflow (/System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows/

Blog without archive.pwf) encodes the submitted QuickTime movie to video and audio

iPod formats, publishes the results to a group’s blog, and sends an announcement mail

to users with instructions on how to access the published content.

The following illustration shows the order of task execution and task dependencies in

the workflow.

preflight

unpack

annotate

encode_audio

publish_audio

encode_ipod

publish_ipod

encode_iphone

publish_iphone

template_groupblog

groupblog

template_mail

mail

postflight

encode_iphone_cellular

Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows 49

Blog

The Blog workflow (/System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows/Blog.pwf) archives

and annotates the submitted QuickTime movie. Then this workflow encodes the

annotated movie to video and audio iPod formats, publishes the results to a group’s

blog, and sends an announcement mail to users with instructions on how to access the

published content.

The following illustration shows the order of task execution and task dependencies in

the workflow.

preflight

unpack

annotate archive

encode_audio

publish_audio

encode_ipod

publish_ipod

encode_iphone

publish_iphone

template_groupblog

groupblog

template_mail

mail

postflight

encode_iphone_cellular

50 Chapter 5 Customizing Workflows

Blog and iTunes with watermark

The “Blog and iTunes with watermark” workflow (/System/Library/PodcastProducer/

Workflows/Blog and iTunes with watermark.pwf) archives the submitted recording. It

also annotates and adds a watermark to the recording. Then, it encodes the recording

to video and audio iPod formats. Finally, it publishes the resulting podcasts to the

group’s blog, notifies the iTunes podcast directory of the new episode, and sends an

announcement mail to users with instructions on how to access the podcasts.

The following illustration shows the order of task execution and task dependencies in

the workflow.

unpack

watermark

preflight

annotate

Archive

Caches

Podcasts

Recordings

Streams

Web/Wiki/Weblog

QTSS Server

64 Chapter 6 The Podcast Producer Shared File System

The following table describes the elements of the Podcast Producer shared file system.

Using an NFS Shared File System

The Podcast Producer server requires the ability to run the chown and chmod commands

as root on the shared file system. However, by default NFS is configured to map the

root user to the nobody user.

To use an NFS shared file system, configure NFS to map root to root.

For more information about configuring NFS, see File Services Administration.

Element Description

Approval The Approval folder stores content that requires approval.

Archive The Archive folder stores copies of the submitted or processed recordings for

archival purposes.

Caches The Caches folder stores any file that Podcast Producer needs to process a workflow

submission.

When you set up Podcast Producer, the shared file system does not include this

folder. This folder is created. only after the first workflow submission.

The Podcast Producer server keeps the contents of the Caches folder in sync with

the corresponding contents of the /Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows and /

System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows folders on the system running the

Podcast Producer.

When synchronizing these folders, Podcast Producer checks the

/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows folder first. If the folder does not contain the

files it needs, it checks the /System/Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows folder.

Podcast Producer copies any global resources required by submitted workflow jobs

from the /System/Library/PodcastProducer/Resources folder on the Podcast

Producer server’s Mac.

Podcasts The Podcast folder is where Podcast Producer stores the finished podcasts.

Recordings The recordings folder stores the submitted QuickTime movie recordings. These

QuickTime movies remain in this folder until the corresponding workflow job is

completed successfully.

Streams The Streams folder stores the QTSS streams produced by Podcast Producer.

7Deploying Scalable Podcast

Producer Solutions

This chapter describes how to plan the deployment of

Scalable Podcast Producer solutions.

Podcast Producer is designed for scalability. However, several factors determine how

easy it is to scale your system and whether it is feasible. This chapter discusses the

different scalability aspects and provides planning tips.

Resource Planning

Depending on your application, setting up Podcast Producer can require a serious

investment in computing, storage, and network resources, as shown in the following

illustration.

External network

Internal network

Recording systems

Manual submission

systems

Podcast Producer Server

Xgrid agents Publishing servers

Podcast Producer

Shared File System

66 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

Manual Submission Systems

You use manual submission systems to upload QuickTime movies using Podcast

Capture or the podcast command-line tool.

These systems do not need to be dedicated systems because Podcast Capture is

available in Mac OS X v10.5. Users with systems running Mac OS X v10.5 can upload

video content using their systems.

Any system capable of running Mac OS X v10.5 with enough hard disk space can be

used for a manual submission system.

Video Recording Systems

Video recording systems are dedicated systems running Mac OS X v10.5 with a video

camera connected to them. A typical video recording system is a headless Mac Mini

with 40 to 60 GB of free hard disk space. These systems are remotely controlled by

other systems using Podcast Capture or podcast.

For example, a professor could use Podcast Capture to start and stop recording on the

video-recording Mac from the podium computer, which could be a MacBook. You can

even write a small web application to non-Mac podium systems to control the

video-recording Macs.

The number of video-recording systems depends on your needs. For example, a school

might have a requirement that every classroom be equipped with a video-recording

system.

Although deciding the number of systems might be a matter of policy, keep in mind

the cost of acquiring and maintaining these systems. In addition, consider the impact

on your network when all these systems start uploading recorded content.

Recording Quality

A very important factor to consider when planning a Podcast Producer deployment is

the recording quality.

The recording quality you choose has an impact on the following:

ÂStorage requirements for the recording system

ÂStorage requirements for Podcast Producer’s shared file system

ÂNetwork traffic

ÂProcessing power

Although you can’t use Server Admin or Podcast Capture to specify the recording

quality, you can instead use the podcast --presets command. For more information

about using podcast to specify recording quality, see the Command-Line Administration

guide.

Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions 67

Recording at the Best Quality

Recording audio, video, or screen activity at the Best quality results in large QuickTime

files, which require more resources to store, upload, and process. Recording video at

the Best quality (DV) generates 13 GB/h. Screen recording at the Best quality can result

in even bigger files because the screen resolution can be much higher than the DV

resolution.

For example, a 2-hour recording at the Best quality requires more than 26 GB of free

hard disk space on the recording system. In addition, while the first recorded movie is

being uploaded, your recording system must have enough disk space to store a second

recording or more. Otherwise, you can’t use the recording system until the first movie

has uploaded successfully.

To overcome this limitation, you can customize your recording systems to be

connected to an Xsan system so that recordings are directly stored on the Xsan system,

which provides greater storage capacity that is scalable.

Also, if the uploaded movies must be archived on the Podcast Producer’s shared file

system, your storage needs will increase drastically as the number of submissions

increases.

In addition, the traffic on your network will increase when recording at the Best quality.

At 1 Gbit/s, it takes about 3.5 minutes to upload a 26 GB movie, assuming the network

has enough bandwidth to support additional traffic. However, if the upload speed is

100 Mbit/s, the upload time is about 36 minutes under ideal circumstances. Consider

the impact on the network if you have several systems uploading large files at the

same time. Your network might not be able to handle such a load.

Recording at a lower Quality

As shown in the previous section, recording at the Best quality can require a significant

expenditure in computing and networking resources. This is why many organizations

prefer recording at a lower quality.

By default, Podcast Capture (and podcast) record at the Better quality (H.264 single-

pass live recording at 1 GB/h for video).

The advantage of recording at this quality is that it significantly improves the efficiency

of your system without compromising quality. The Better quality is almost identical to

the Best quality, but the difference in size is significant, especially if you plan to use

multiple recording systems on a daily basis.

The other big advantage of recording at the Better quality is that after a movie is

uploaded, the Podcast Producer system can process and publish a high-quality podcast

in a short period of time. The encoding of a 1-GB movie takes much less time than the

encoding of a 13-GB movie.

68 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

If quality is not an issue, you can record at the Good quality, which results in even

smaller files.

Network Bandwidth

When planning Podcast Producer deployment, consider using a private 1 GB/s network

for submitting QuickTime movies to the Podcast Producer server. Doing so provides

faster upload speed and shields the main network from traffic slowdowns when

multiple systems are uploading content at the same time.

Also consider controlling the upload bandwidth at the switch level to prevent the

network from being overwhelmed.

Publishing Systems

Although you can use one server to provide Podcast Producer services, including Web,

Mail, and other services for users to access podcasts, consider using dedicated servers

for publishing podcasts for increased reliability and better performance.

Also consider using proxy servers (for example, a proxy server for every building’s

network) to improve the scalability of your system.

Take into account the size of the podcasts or movies that your workflows will generate.

The size of the podcasts helps you determine the number of servers you need and how

much network bandwidth to allocate.

For example, the average file size for 1 hour of video encoded for iPod is 250 MB and

for Apple TV is 800 MB. If you plan to serve iPod and Apple TV podcasts at an average

of 400 MB per user to 1,000 users per day, you’ll need servers to handle about

390 GB/day of throughput. You also need to factor in the cost per GB.

Storage

Ideally, you should use RAID arrays and Xsan to provide a scalable high-availability,

high-performance storage solution for your Podcast Producer system.

In very small deployments, you can use the Podcast Producer server’s hard drives for

storing podcasts. However, in medium to large deployments, your storage needs can

grow very large, requiring terabytes of hard disk space.

Also, the more Xgrid servers you have in your Podcast Producer system, the more data

communication bandwidth you’ll need. This is why Xsan is an ideal solution because it

provides the necessary bandwidth to process the data.

Xgrid Agents

When planning your Podcast Producer solution, you’ll need to figure out how many

Xgrid agents you should deploy to provide adequate computing power and to

maximize efficiency.

Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions 69

To determine the number of Xgrid agents needed, test the workflows you’ll be using

and come up with benchmarks. In many workflows, only few tasks take most of the

processing power. In addition, not all tasks can be run in parallel. More Xgrid agents

does not always mean better performance.

Although it might take few tries to get your system configuration right, you can always

add Xgrid agents when needed to address increased computational needs.

Workflows

Workflows are very important in planning the deployment of a Podcast Producer

solution. They dictate what resources will be needed and whether a deployment is

feasible.

Workflows determine how submitted QuickTime movies are processed. The more

processing the movies require, the more computing power and resources you’ll need.

Although workflows allow you to perform batch processing for QuickTime movies,

you’ll need to plan your workflows based on the resources available to you.

For example, you might choose to create simplified workflows that produce only audio

podcasts of conference presentations. Also, you can create workflows that do not

archive the submitted QuickTime movies to save storage.

Workflow Benchmarking

When you design a workflow, test the workflow and establish benchmarks to help you

plan your deployment.

Design your workflows to maximize the use of Xgrid agents and increase efficiency.

When benchmarking workflows, identify the bottleneck tasks, those that consume

most of the CPU cycles available to the workflow.

Deployment Scenarios

This section discusses common deployment scenarios and describes their scalability.

Small Deployment

A small deployment is a kind of all-in-one deployment. This type of deployment is

suitable for testing or for small organizations with limited computing resources and

limited podcasting needs.

In a small deployment, your Podcast Producer solution can consist of the following:

ÂOne or more recording systems

ÂA Podcast Producer server, which also provides storage and publishing services

70 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

This type of system is not easily scalable. To scale it up, you’ll need to do the following:

ÂReconfigure your Podcast Producer settings

ÂMigrate the data from the old shared file system to a new one

ÂPossibly update your workflows to take advantage of additional processing power

ÂPossibly reconfigure your publishing services

Partially Scalable Deployment

The minimum configuration for a scalable deployment is the following (assuming that

DNS, Mail, Open Directory, and Web services are already available):

Â1 Xserve server with Podcast Producer

Â1 Xgrid system (controller and agent)

Â1 Metadata Controller (MDC) and 1 RAID array for the Xsan system

In this configuration, you set up the metadata within the data storage pool using

RAID 5 and leave two drive modules as hot spares, as shown here.

This configuration allows you to scale the computing elements easily by adding new

Xserve systems with Xgrid agent enabled and Xsan component installed.

However, the storage element in this configuration does not scale because the

metadata is set up within the data storage pool. This configuration optimizes the

maximum usage of storage space on one RAID array but does not provide the highest

scaling flexibility.

To scale the storage element of this configuration, you’ll first need to migrate the data

from the old RAID array to a new system where the storage area network (SAN)

metadata pool and the SAN data pool are separate. Then, you can add logical unit

numbers (LUNs) to the storage pool to increase the storage size and get better

performance. You’ll also need to reconfigure your Podcast Producer shared file system

settings.

This configuration is a good starting point for organizations that do not have all the

resources needed for a highly scalable deployment. It should handle a good amount of

Xgrid nodes before slowing the entire system.

Metadata

and data Hot spare

Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions 71

Highly Scalable Deployment

The perfect minimum setup that gives you maximum flexibility for scaling the

computing and storage element for your Podcast Producer solution is the following

(assuming that DNS, Mail, Open Directory, and Web services are already available):

Â1 Xserve server with Podcast Producer

Â1 Xgrid system (controller and agent)

Â1 MDC and 2 RAID arrays for the Xsan system

In this configuration you set up the metadata separately from the data storage pool

using RAID 1, and you use RAID 5 for the data storage pool with three drive modules as

hot spares, as shown here.

To scale your solution, just add very new Xgrid and RAID systems as needed.

Case Study

To better understand the importance of planning and the resource demands of a

Podcast Producer solution, this section discusses a sample deployment.

This case study takes the following into consideration:

ÂNetwork bandwidth

ÂContent uploading

ÂTypical recording-day schedule with different workflow benchmarks

In addition, this case study provides charts to illustrate the results of the study.

Note: The charts in this section were generated by a special tool developed by Apple

engineers. The numbers in these charts are based on established benchmarks for a set

of custom workflows. These numbers may not apply to your setup.

Hot spareDataMetadata

72 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

Recording System Configuration

The Podcast Producer system discussed in this case study has the following

configuration for recording video:

Â4 recording systems (no manual submission systems) to record and upload content

ÂA default network bandwidth of 100Mbit/s from the recording systems to the

Podcast Producer server

ÂA recording quality of H.264 (1 GB/h)

Workflow Benchmarks

This sample deployment uses four workflows. The following table lists the benchmarks

established for these workflows after testing them:

The Ratio column in the table lists the ratio of recording time to processing time. For

example, if the recording time is 1 hour, a ratio of 150% means that it takes 1.5 hours to

produce and publish the podcast. The CPUs column lists the number of CPUs (not

systems) required by the workflow for best performance. The In column lists the size

per hour of the recorded movie and the Out column lists the per hour size of the

resulting podcasts.

Workflow Description Ratio CPUs In (MB/h) Out (MB/h)

1 This workflow takes in a 720x576 movie (less

than 90 minutes long) and produces three

podcasts:

ÂAAC Audio

ÂiPod video (H264)

ÂHigh-quality video (H264/native resolution)

100% 2 250 500

2 This workflow is the same as workflow 1

except that it takes in a movie more than 90

minutes long.

150% 2 250 500

3 This workflow takes the same input and

generates the same output as workflow 1, but

also generates additional podcasts.

100% 4 250 1,050

4 This workflow is the same as workflow 3

except that it takes in a movie more than 90

minutes long.

150% 4 250 1,050

Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions 73

Recording Schedule

A typical recording day (from 7 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) for this case study is illustrated below.

The numbers in the colored cells represent the workflow being used. In this example,

workflow 1 is used to record the first sessions in all rooms, workflow 2 is used for

recording the following sessions in all four rooms, and so on.

The colored cells help you see the recording pattern.

Performance

With one system for uploading the recorded movies to the shared file system and three

Xgrid nodes, this section describes the performance of the system.

Daily Data Upload

The following chart illustrates the daily upload times.

In this case, the size of recorded movies and the spacing of recording times allows for a

smooth uploading pattern of 15 minutes per submission.

106

110

112

114

89101112123456

1111

2222

3333

4444

Room Recording Times ( in Half Hour Increments)

74 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

CPU Usage

The following chart illustrates the CPU usage pattern when using three Xgrid nodes.

In the chart above, the blue line shows the instant computing need if unlimited

computing resources were available. The orange line shows the actual CPU usage

based on the number of Xgrid nodes available. In this case, there are three Xgrid nodes,

each with four CPUs.

As show in the chart above, at 3:00 in the morning, all workflows completed and all

content was published.

Note: From a mathematical point of view, the area under the blue line is equal to the

area under the orange line.

If the number of Xgrid nodes is now four (16 CPUs), the performance will improve as

shown in the following chart.

Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions 75

However, using only two Xgrid nodes will do the job if fast delivery of content is not

required, as shown in the following chart.

As indicated in the chart, all podcasts will be available six days after the recording

started.

The choice of how many Xgrid nodes to use depends on delivery time requirements

and cost.

Storage Usage

The following shows the required Xsan setup for an academic year (40 weeks) to

accommodate the recording schedule used in this case study:

ÂUploaded data per day: 8,500 MB

ÂProcessed data per day: 35,700 MB per day

The estimated total storage need for 40 weeks is 8,840,000 MB, or about 8.6 TB.

Summary

Based on this case study, the following factors play a big role in the planning and

deploying of a Podcast Producer solution:

ÂNumber of recording and manual submission systems

ÂType of workflows to be used

ÂTypical recording-day schedule for each recording and manual submission system

ÂEstimated time to complete a workflow job under best conditions

ÂNumber of Xgrid nodes and number of CPUs that can be used in parallel

ÂRequired delivery time and system optimization needed to meet requirements

ÂRequired Xsan storage

ÂRequired Xsan bandwidth per Xgrid agent to ensure that tasks execute at full speed

ÂRequired network bandwidth

76 Chapter 7 Deploying Scalable Podcast Producer Solutions

8Podcast Producer

Command-Line Tools

This chapter describes Podcast Producer command-line tools.

Podcast Producer command-line tools provide you with the flexibility you need to

customize Podcast Producer for your needs. This chapter provide a high-level overview

of these commands.

For more information about the Podcast Producer command-line tools, see the

Command-Line Administration guide or the corresponding man page.

The podcast Tool

The /usr/bin/podcast tool provides complete scriptable control over Podcast Producer

client-side functionality. It allows you to perform any function that Podcast Capture

offers, and more. For example, you can use podcast for listing and setting audio, video,

and screen recording quality.

The following are ways in which you can take advantage of the podcast tool:

ÂWrapping the podcast tool.

You can wrap the podcast tool to add a layer of functionality.

For example, you can write a GUI application that authenticates users and provides

only one option for starting and stopping screen recording.

ÂCreating Podcast Producer widgets.

For example, you can create a widget for viewing Podcast Producer presets.

ÂScheduling recording jobs.

You can create cron jobs to automate the recording and submission of audio and

video content to the Podcast Producer server.

For example, you can write a cron job to record lectures. You can also write cron jobs

for submitting daily Podcast Producer jobs after 11:00 p.m.

78 Chapter 8 Podcast Producer Command-Line Tools

The pcastconfig Tool

This is the server configuration command-line tool (/usr/bin/pcastconfig). It provides

all the functionality offered by the Podcast Producer service in Server Admin.

The pcastctl Tool

Use the /usr/sbin/pcastctl tool to start, stop, and restart the Podcast Producer server

or agent. Also use this tool to display the status of running daemons.

The pcastaction Tool

The /usr/bin/pcastaction tool is used in workflows and provides a rich set of

commands for processing and producing audio and video podcasts.

For example, the pcastaction watermark command imposes a watermark image on

the input video. Also, the pcastaction encode command outputs an encoded version

of the input file.

9Monitoring Podcast Producer

This chapter describes how to monitor and troubleshoot

Podcast Producer issues.

Podcast Producer provides several ways for monitoring Podcast Producer activity.

Viewing Podcast Producer Logs

You can use the Logs pane of the Podcast Producer server to view Podcast Producer

logs.

The logs help you monitor and troubleshoot Podcast Producer issues. You can even

write scripts that look for certain log entries to alert you of possible issues.

Podcast Producer provides the following logs:

To view Podcast Producer logs using Server Admin:

1Open Server Admin.

2In the Computers and Services list, select Podcast Producer.

3Click Logs.

4From the View pop-up menu, choose the log to view.

Log Description

Podcast Producer Server Log Records Podcast Producer server (pcastserverd) activity.

Podcast Producer Server Error Log Records error messages generated by the Podcast Producer

server.

Podcast Producer HTTP Access Log Records all requests processed by the Apache server

instance (httpd) used by Podcast Producer.

Podcast Producer HTTP Error Log Records HTTP error messages generated by Podcast

Producer’s httpd instance.

Podcast Producer Application Log Records external HTTP requests to the Podcast Producer

server.

80 Chapter 9 Monitoring Podcast Producer

Monitoring Movie Transfers

Podcast Capture users can monitor the progress of movie submissions to the Podcast

Producer server using the Transfers window, as described in the onscreen help for

Podcast Capture.

You can also look at the system log on the Podcast Producer server for Podcast

Producer uploader entries.

Monitoring Xgrid Job Progress

The Podcast Producer server sends a notification message when a Podcast Producer

Xgrid job completes successfully, but you may want to actively monitor the progress of

an Xgrid job.

Using Xgrid Admin

To actively monitor Xgrid job progress, use Xgrid Admin. Xgrid Admin shows you the

progress of Xgrid jobs and whether they succeeded or failed, as shown in the following

figure.

In the figure above, Xgrid Admin shows that the job titled History 1, which was

submitted by Anne Johnson, has been completed. The text between parentheses is the

name of the workflow selected by her in Podcast Capture before submitting the job.

Also in the figure, Xgrid Admin shows that the job submitted by John Clark is still

running and is about 40% done. This job has 22 tasks and is currently using 12.40 GHz

of CPU power.

Chapter 9 Monitoring Podcast Producer 81

In addition to monitoring job progress, you can use Xgrid Admin to see the status of

Xgrid agents, as shown below.

For more information about Xgrid Admin, see Xgrid Administration and High

Performance Computing.

Using the Command Line

You can use the Xgrid command-line tool to monitor Podcast Producer Xgrid job

progress.

For example, when the Podcast Producer server submits a job to the Xgrid controller,

an entry similar to the following appears in the Podcast Producer Server Log:

Thu Aug 23 13:20:33 -0700 2007 -- Wrote Xgrid job batch file: /var/pcast/

server/xgrid_jobs/9A93EA1B-1A59-43DE-B786-1537EC0CD479_job.xml

This entry tells you that the Podcast Producer server created an Xgrid job file based on

a workflow template and stored it in the /var/pcast/server/xgrid_jobs/ directory.

Following this entry is another entry indicating the job number:

Thu Aug 23 13:20:34 -0700 2007 -- Kicked off Xgrid Job: 594 for Podcast

Producer Job: 598

In this example, the job’s ID is 594.

82 Chapter 9 Monitoring Podcast Producer

You can then use the Xgrid command-line tool to find out the results of running the

tasks specified in the job using the job’s ID, as in the following example:

$ xgrid -h private.example.com -auth Kerberos -job results -id 594

Page created at: http://private.example.com/groups/podcasts/blog/68912

Running /Volumes/Podcast/Caches/Resources/Tools/preflight_script

You can even narrow the Xgrid job’s status results to show a specific task:

$ xgrid -h private.example.com -auth Kerberos -job results -id 594 -tid

groupblog

Page created at: http://private.example.com/groups/podcasts/blog/68912

In this example, the output indicates that the groupblog task created a page at the

specified URL.

You can also view Xgrid job status as in the following example:

$ xgrid -h private.example.com -auth Kerberos -job attributes -id 594

{

jobAttributes = {

activeCPUPower = 0;

dateNow = 2007-08-23 13:34:01 -0700;

dateStarted = 2007-08-23 12:22:52 -0700;

dateStopped = 2007-08-23 13:23:10 -0700;

dateSubmitted = 2007-08-23 12:22:52 -0700;

jobStatus = Finished;

name = "History 1 by Anne Johnson (Blog and iTunes with intro and

effects)";

percentDone = 100;

taskCount = 22;

undoneTaskCount = 0;

};

}

For more information about using the Xgrid command-line tool, see Command-Line

Administration.

Glossary

AFP Apple Filing Protocol. A client/server protocol used by Apple file service on

Macintosh-compatible computers to share files and network services. AFP uses TCP/IP

and other protocols to communicate between computers on a network.

address A number or other identifier that uniquely identifies a computer on a network,

a block of data stored on a disk, or a location in a computer memory. See also IP

address, MAC address.

administrator A user with server or directory domain administration privileges.

Administrators are always members of the predefined “admin” group.

alias Another email address at your domain that redirects incoming email to an

existing user.

Apple Filing Protocol See AFP.

automount To make a share point appear automatically on a client computer. See also

mount.

bit A single piece of information, with a value of either 0 or 1.

Bonjour A protocol developed by Apple for automatic discovery of computers,

devices, and services on IP networks. This proposed Internet standard protocol is

sometimes referred to as “ZeroConf.” For more information, visit www.apple.com or

www.zeroconf.org. To see how this protocol is used in Mac OS X Server, see local

hostname.

client A computer (or a user of the computer) that requests data or services from

another computer, or server.

command line The text you type at a shell prompt when using a command-line

interface.

command-line interface A way of interfacing with the computer (for example, to run

programs or modify file system permissions) by entering text commands at a shell

prompt.

84 Glossary

daemon A program that runs in the background and provides important system

services, such as processing incoming email or handling requests from the network.

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A protocol used to dynamically distribute

IP addresses to client computers. Each time a client computer starts up, the protocol

looks for a DHCP server and then requests an IP address from the DHCP server it finds.

The DHCP server checks for an available IP address and sends it to the client computer

along with a lease period—the length of time the client computer may use the

address.

directory Also known as a folder. A hierarchically organized list of files or other folders,

or probably both.

directory domain A specialized database that stores authoritative information about

users and network resources; the information is needed by system software and

applications. The database is optimized to handle many requests for information and to

find and retrieve information quickly. Also called a directory node or simply a directory.

DNS Domain Name System. A distributed database that maps IP addresses to domain

names. A DNS server, also known as a name server, keeps a list of names and the IP

addresses associated with each name.

DNS domain A unique name of a computer used in the Domain Name System to

translate IP addresses and names. Also called a domain name.

DNS name A unique name of a computer used in the Domain Name System to

translate IP addresses and names. Also called a domain name.

domain Part of the domain name of a computer on the Internet. It does not include

the Top Level Domain designator (for example, .com, .net, .us, .uk). Domain name

“www.example.com” consists of the subdomain or host name “www,” the domain

“example,” and the top level domain “com.”

domain name See DNS name.

Domain Name System See DNS.

drop box A shared folder with privileges that permit other users to write to, but not

read, the folder’s contents. Only the owner has full access. Use only AFP to create drop

boxes. When a folder is shared using AFP, the ownership of an item written to the folder

is automatically transferred to the owner of the folder, thus giving the owner of a drop

box full access to and control over items put into it.

everyone Any user who can log in to a file server: a registered user or guest, an

anonymous FTP user, or a website visitor.

Glossary 85

export In the Network File System (NFS), a way of sharing a directory with clients on a

network.

file server A computer that serves files to clients. A file server may be a general-

purpose computer that’s capable of hosting additional applications or a computer

capable only of serving files.

file system A scheme for storing data on storage devices that permits applications to

read and write files without having to deal with lower-level details.

File Transfer Protocol See FTP.

FTP File Transfer Protocol. A protocol that enables computers to transfer files over a

network. FTP clients using any operating system that supports FTP can connect to a file

server and download files, depending on their access privileges. Most Internet browsers

and a number of freeware applications can be used to access an FTP server.

group A collection of users who have similar needs. Groups simplify the administration

of shared resources.

guest user A user who can log in to your server without a user name or password.

home directory A folder for a user’s personal use. Mac OS X also uses the home

directory, for example, to store system preferences and managed user settings for

Mac OS X users.

host Another name for a server.

host name A unique name for a server, historically referred to as the UNIX hostname.

The Mac OS X Server host name is used primarily for client access to NFS home

directories. A server determines its host name by using the first name available from

the following sources: the name specified in the /etc/hostconfig file

(HOSTNAME=some-host-name); the name provided by the DHCP or BootP server for

the primary IP address; the first name returned by a reverse DNS (address-to-name)

query for the primary IP address; the local hostname; the name “localhost.”

Internet Generally speaking, a set of interconnected computer networks

communicating through a common protocol (TCP/IP). The Internet (note the

capitalization) is the most extensive publicly accessible system of interconnected

computer networks in the world.

Internet Protocol See IP.

IP Internet Protocol. Also known as IPv4. A method used with Transmission Control

Protocol (TCP) to send data between computers over a local network or the Internet. IP

delivers packets of data, while TCP keeps track of data packets.

IP address A unique numeric address that identifies a computer on the Internet.

86 Glossary

IP subnet A portion of an IP network, which may be a physically independent network

segment, that shares a network address with other portions of the network and is

identified by a subnet number.

Kerberos A secure network authentication system. Kerberos uses tickets, which are

issued for a specific user, service, and period of time. Once a user is authenticated, it’s

possible to access additional services without retyping a password (this is called single

sign-on) for services that have been configured to take Kerberos tickets. Mac OS X

Server uses Kerberos v5.

LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A standard client-server protocol for

accessing a directory domain.

Line Printer Remote See LPR.

local hostname A name that designates a computer on a local subnet. It can be used

without a global DNS system to resolve names to IP addresses. It consists of lowercase

letters, numbers, or hyphens (except as the last characters), and ends with “.local” (e.g,

bills-computer.local). Although the name is derived by default from the computer

name, a user can specify this name in the Network pane of System Preferences. It can

be changed easily, and can be used anywhere a DNS name or fully qualified domain

name is used. It can only resolve on the same subnet as the computer using it.

LPR Line Printer Remote. A standard protocol for printing over TCP/IP.

Mac OS X The latest version of the Apple operating system. Mac OS X combines the

reliability of UNIX with the ease of use of Macintosh.

Mac OS X Server An industrial-strength server platform that supports Mac, Windows,

UNIX, and Linux clients out of the box and provides a suite of scalable workgroup and

network services plus advanced remote management tools.

mount (verb) In general, to make a remote directory or volume available for access on

a local system. In Xsan, to cause an Xsan volume to appear on a client’s desktop, just

like a local disk.

Network File System See NFS.

network interface Your computer’s hardware connection to a network. This includes

(but isn’t limited to) Ethernet connections, AirPort cards, and FireWire connections.

NFS Network File System. A client/server protocol that uses Internet Protocol (IP) to

enable remote users to access files as though they were local. NFS exports shared

volumes to computers according to IP address, rather than user name and password.

Glossary 87

nfsd daemon An NFS server process that runs continuously behind the scenes and

processes read and write requests from clients. The more daemons that are available,

the more concurrent clients can be served.

Open Directory The Apple directory services architecture, which can access

authoritative information about users and network resources from directory domains

that use LDAP, NetInfo, or Active Directory protocols; BSD configuration files; and

network services.

open source A term for the cooperative development of software by the Internet

community. The basic principle is to involve as many people as possible in writing and

debugging code by publishing the source code and encouraging the formation of a

large community of developers who will submit modifications and enhancements.

oplocks See opportunistic locking.

opportunistic locking Also known as oplocks. A feature of Windows services that

prevents users of shared files from changing the same file at the same time.

Opportunistic locking locks the file or part of the file for exclusive use, but also caches

the user’s changes locally on the client computer for improved performance.

owner The owner of an item can change access permissions to the item. The owner

may also change the group entry to any group in which the owner is a member. By

default the owner has Read & Write permissions.

password An alphanumeric string used to authenticate the identity of a user or to

authorize access to files or services.

pathname The location of an item within a file system, represented as a series of

names separated by slashes (/).

permissions Settings that define the kind of access users have to shared items in a file

system. You can assign four types of permissions to a share point, folder, or file: read/

write, read-only, write-only, and none (no access). See also privileges.

print queue An orderly waiting area where print jobs wait until a printer is available.

The print service in Mac OS X Server uses print queues on the server to facilitate

management.

port A sort of virtual mail slot. A server uses port numbers to determine which

application is to receive data packets. Firewalls use port numbers to determine whether

data packets are permitted to traverse a local network. “Port” usually refers to either a

TCP or UDP port.

privileges The right to access restricted areas of a system or perform certain tasks

(such as management tasks) in the system.

88 Glossary

process A program that has started executing and has a portion of memory allocated

to it.

protocol A set of rules that determines how data is sent back and forth between two

applications.

QTSS QuickTime Streaming Server. A technology that lets you deliver media over the

Internet in real time.

QuickTime A set of Macintosh system extensions or a Windows dynamic-link library

that supports the composition and playing of movies.

QuickTime Streaming Server See QTSS.

queue An orderly waiting area where items wait for some type of attention from the

system. See also print queue.

server A computer that provides services (such as file service, mail service, or web

service) to other computers or network devices.

share point A folder, hard disk (or hard disk partition), or CD that’s accessible over the

network. A share point is the point of access at the top level of a group of shared items.

Share points can be shared using AFP, Windows SMB, NFS (an “export”), or FTP

protocols.

short name An abbreviated name for a user. The short name is used by Mac OS X for

home directories, authentication, and email addresses.

single sign-on An authentication strategy that relieves users from entering a name

and password separately for every network service. Mac OS X Server uses Kerberos to

enable single sign-on.

SLP DA Service Location Protocol Directory Agent. A protocol that registers services

available on a network and gives users easy access to them. When a service is added to

the network, the service uses SLP to register itself on the network. SLP/DA uses a

centralized repository for registered network services.

TCP Transmission Control Protocol. A method used along with the Internet Protocol

(IP) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet. IP

takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, and TCP takes care of keeping

track of the individual units of data (called packets) into which a message is divided for

efficient routing through the Internet.

ticket, Kerberos A temporary credential that proves a Kerberos client’s identity to a

service.

Transmission Control Protocol See TCP.

Glossary 89

UDP User Datagram Protocol. A communications method that uses the Internet

Protocol (IP) to send a data unit (called a datagram) from one computer to another in a

network. Network applications that have very small data units to exchange may use

UDP rather than TCP.

UID User ID. A number that uniquely identifies a user within a file system. Mac OS X

computers use the UID to keep track of a user’s directory and file ownership.

URL Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a computer, file, or resource that can be

accessed on a local network or the Internet. The URL is made up of the name of the

protocol needed to access the resource, a domain name that identifies a specific

computer on the Internet, and a hierarchical description of a file location on the

computer.

USB Universal Serial Bus. A standard for communicating between a computer and

external peripherals using an inexpensive direct-connect cable.

User Datagram Protocol See UDP.

user ID See UID.

user name The long name for a user, sometimes referred to as the user’s “real” name.

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