Hero Hms 5000 Usermanual v6.5 v4

HERO / HMS
User Manual
Document Version 6.5

September 2017
Copyright 2017 Media Excel, Inc.
The use of this document is limited to HERO/HMS Licensees Only
All rights reserved
Proprietary Rights Notice
The HERO/HMS software are copyright © 2000-2013 Media Excel, Inc.
You may not print, copy, reproduce, modify, distribute or display this work in hard copy, electronic, or
any other form, in whole or in part, by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior writ-
ten consent of Media Excel, Inc., except as expressly authorized in this Agreement.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Portions of this product are:
Copyright © Adobe (http://www.adobe.com)
Copyright © ISO MPEG Audio Subgroup Software Simulation Group (http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/)
Copyright © ISO MPEG Video Subgroup Software Simulation Group (http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/)
Copyright © European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) (http://www.etsi.org)
Copyright © 3rd Generation Partnership Project (http://www.3gpp.org)
Copyright © The Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org)
Copyright © FFMpeg Project (http://www.ffmpeg.org).
Copyright © FAAC/FAAD Project (http://www.audiocoding.com)
Copyright © Net-SNMP Project (http://www.net-snmp.org)
Copyright © NuSOAP Project (http://sourceforge.net/projects/nusoap/)
Copyright © GPAC Project (http://gpac.sourceforge.net)
Copyright © MP4v2 Project (http://code.google.com/p/mp4v2)
Copyright © Mongoose Project (http://code.google.com/p/mongoose/)
Copyright © Curl Project (http://curl.haxx.se)
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................... iii

Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................ 6
1.1 Scope ................................................................................................................ 6
1.2 Audience .......................................................................................................... 6
1.3 Organization ..................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 2: Overview ................................................................................ 8
2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Hardware .......................................................................................................... 9
2.3 Inputs ................................................................................................................. 9
 2.3.1 Uncompressed Audio/Video Inputs ............................................................................................ 9
 2.3.2 Compressed Audio/Video Inputs ................................................................................................. 9
2.4 Encoding/Transcoding .................................................................................. 10

 2.4.1 Pre-processing .......................................................................................................................... 11
 2.4.2 Encoding ................................................................................................................................... 12
2.5 Outputs ............................................................................................................ 13

 2.5.1 MPEG-2 TS over UDP/IP, Apple HLS or TS files ...................................................................... 13
 ™
2.5.2 Adobe Flash/RTMP or F4V files .............................................................................................. 13
 ™
2.5.3 Microsoft Smooth Streaming ................................................................................................... 14
 2.5.4 CIP-based MP4 Segments ........................................................................................................ 14
2.6 Management .................................................................................................. 14

 2.6.1 HERO User Interface................................................................................................................. 14
 2.6.2 HMS User Interface ................................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 3: Hardware .............................................................................. 16

3.1 Package Contents ......................................................................................... 16
3.2 Unpacking ...................................................................................................... 16
3.3 Installation ....................................................................................................... 16
3.4 Front Panel ...................................................................................................... 17
iii HERO / HMS

 3.4.1 HERO Front Panel .................................................................................................................... 17
 3.4.2 HMS Front Panel ....................................................................................................................... 17
 3.4.3 Front Panel Configuration Utility ................................................................................................ 17
3.5 Cable Connections ........................................................................................ 19

 3.5.1 HERO Rear Panel ..................................................................................................................... 19
 3.5.2 HMS Rear Panel ....................................................................................................................... 19
3.6 Technical Characteristics .............................................................................. 19

 3.6.1 Chassis...................................................................................................................................... 19
 3.6.2 Power Consumption .................................................................................................................. 20
Chapter 4: HERO / HMS Architecture .................................................... 21

4.1 Introduction..................................................................................................... 21
 4.1.1 HERO ........................................................................................................................................ 21
 4.1.2 HMS .......................................................................................................................................... 22
 4.1.3 HERO / HMS Hierarchy ............................................................................................................. 23
4.2 Network Configuration................................................................................... 24

 4.2.1 Setup ......................................................................................................................................... 24
 4.2.2 Design Considerations - Best Practices .................................................................................... 29
4.3 HMS Configuration ......................................................................................... 29

 4.3.1 Auto-discovery Utility ................................................................................................................. 30
 4.3.2 Configuration Tab Overview ...................................................................................................... 33
 4.3.3 Audio Presets ............................................................................................................................ 33
 4.3.4 Video Presets ............................................................................................................................ 35
 4.3.5 Channels ................................................................................................................................... 39
 4.3.6 Roles ......................................................................................................................................... 60
 4.3.7 Devices...................................................................................................................................... 61
 4.3.8 Groups....................................................................................................................................... 65
 4.3.9 Watch Folders ........................................................................................................................... 67
 4.3.10 Tasks ....................................................................................................................................... 68
4.4 Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 70

 4.4.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 70
 4.4.2 Group Monitor View ................................................................................................................... 70
 4.4.3 Device Monitor .......................................................................................................................... 71
 4.4.4 Event Viewer ............................................................................................................................. 77
 4.4.5 HMS Settings ............................................................................................................................ 77
Chapter 5: Management ....................................................................... 83
iv HERO / HMS
5.1 HERO Stand-Alone Management ................................................................. 83
5.2 SNMP................................................................................................................ 84
 5.2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 84
 5.2.2 HMS SNMP ............................................................................................................................... 84
 5.2.3 HERO SNMP............................................................................................................................. 87
Chapter 6: High Availability ................................................................... 91

6.1 Overview ......................................................................................................... 91
 6.1.1 HERO / HMS HA Architecture ................................................................................................... 91
 6.1.2 HERO/HMS Failover ................................................................................................................. 92
6.2 ASI/SDI Matrix Integration ............................................................................. 93

 6.2.1 Architecture ............................................................................................................................... 93
 6.2.2 Deployment ............................................................................................................................... 95
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting & Support .................................................. 96

7.1 Troubleshooting Guide .................................................................................. 96
7.2 Contacting Technical Support ...................................................................... 98
Appendix A: MP4 segment output specification ................................. 99
Appendix B: Replace Source Automation.......................................... 103
Appendix C: LDAP Integration ............................................................. 105
Appendix D: Network Configuration ................................................... 106
Appendix E: Aspect Ratio Adaptation ................................................ 109
Appendix F: Change Log ..................................................................... 113
Appendix G: Tech-Notes ..................................................................... 114
v HERO / HMS
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of the scope and target audience of Media Excel HERO / HMS User
Manual.
1.1 Scope
This guide covers the installation, configuration and troubleshooting information regarding Media Excel
HERO video encoding/transcoding appliance and HMS management appliance.
This guide also covers the HERO VS virtual platform, where no physical appliance is provided by Media
Excel, but instead HERO and HMS software is installed on a private or commercial cloud provider.
rd
This guide does not cover SDKs and/or APIs related to the integration of HERO / HMS with 3 party
applications. Those are part of Media Excel’s HERO / HMS API/SDK packages.
1.2 Audience
This guide is addressed to the following audience:
 Technical/Operations Managers
 Rack Installation / Cabling Staff
 Audio / Video Streaming Engineers
 NOC / Operations Engineers
 Support & Maintenance Staff
1.3 Organization
The manual is organized in the following chapters:
 Chapter 2: Overview of HERO / HMS Appliances

 Chapter 3: Hardware Installation
 Chapter 4: HERO / HMS Architecture and Usage
 Chapter 5: Management & SNMP
 Chapter 6: High Availability and Redundancy Configuration
 Chapter 7: Troubleshooting and Support Guide
 Appendix A: MP4 Segment Output Specification
 Appendix B: Replace Source Automation
 Appendix C: LDAP Integration
 Appendix D: Network Configuration
6 HERO / HMS
 Appendix E: Aspect Ratio Adaptation
 Appendix F: Change Log
 Appendix G: Tech-Notes
7 HERO / HMS
Chapter 2: Overview
This chapter provides an overview of Media Excel HERO / HMS appliance and their respective capabili-
ties.
2.1 Introduction
Media Excel’s live encoding/transcoding product portfolio consists of two appliances:
 HERO Live/File Transcoding Appliance. HERO provides both real-time and file-based video en-
coding/transcoding services for multiple screens and playback devices, ranging from mobile phones
and PDAs to desktop PCs and TV sets. It supports multiple simultaneous input channels (or watch
folders) and generates multiple outputs per input to support various delivery platforms and devices.
HERO comes in a 1RU form factor (HERO VS however is a software-only deliverable) and accepts
both compressed and uncompressed input through SDI, ASI (up to 8 ports), Ethernet (up to 6 ports)
or file based media assets. It is field-upgradable and supports a wide spectrum of input/output co-
decs and delivery technologies.
Figure 1: HERO and HMS Applications
 HMS (HERO Management System) Appliance. HMS manages a farm of HERO appliances and
provides enhanced monitoring, configuration and maintenance services. HMS comes in a 1RU form
8 HERO / HMS
factor and can manage up to 30 HERO appliances remotely. HMS facilitates the communication of
the encoding/transcoding farm with the overall workflow of the deployment/site and the NOC staff.
Figure 2: HMS Topology with Redundancy and Multiple Groups
2.2 Hardware
Both HERO and HMS are sold as turn-key appliances and no software installation is needed. Both
products have an LCD front panel interface and can be managed remotely (including firmware up-
dates).
HERO can have up to 2 encoding/transcoding modules installed for maximum processing capacity.
Each module has 4 BNC ports for ASI/SDI input. 6 Ethernet ports are provided.
Each unit has single or dual field-serviceable power supply unit(s) (configuration varies based on mod-
el) with universal, auto-switching voltage support. Heat dissipation is accomplished with a system of
fans and the airflow is front to back.
In the case of HERO-VS deployment, the hardware related items in this Guide do not apply. Instead re-
fer to the manufacturer/provider of the cloud infrastructure.
2.3 Inputs
HERO accepts a variety of compressed/uncompressed sources both in terms of codec / packetization
and also in terms of physical and data link layers.
2.3.1 Uncompressed Audio/Video Inputs

 Uncompressed PAL/NTSC a/v input over SDI (SD-SDI SMPTE 259M 625/525 with embedded
audio) is natively supported with up to 8 SDI ports per HERO (depending on mod-
el/configuration).
 Uncompressed 1080/720 input over SDI (HD-SDI SMPTE 292M with embedded audio) is na-
tively supported with up to 8 HD-SDI ports per HERO (depending on model/configuration).
 All HD/SD SDI ports use BNC 75Ω connectors (depending on model/configuration).
 Composite analogue PAL/NTSC feeds are supported through an optional ingestion module.
HERO VS platform does not provide any support for uncompressed a/v input.
2.3.2 Compressed Audio/Video Inputs

 Compressed a/v input over ASI (EN50083) and Ethernet interfaces for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4
AVC/H.264 over MPEG-2 Transport Stream.
9 HERO / HMS
 All ASI ports use BNC 75Ω connectors.
 MPEG-4 SP/ASP input over RTP/RTSP over Ethernet.
 Flash RTMP input over TCP or UDP over Ethernet.
 Single Program and Multi-Program MPEG-2 TS inputs with PID scan/selection options.
 Both CBR and VBR inputs.
 Source Specific Multicast (SSM) is also supported for MPEG-2 TS inputs.
 Ethernet source, (UDP/IP and UDP/RTP/IP) unicast or multicast input is supported and multi-
ple streams can be processed simultaneously from different multicast addresses and/or UDP
ports.
 Audio codecs supported for Live input are AAC-LC, HE-AAC v1/v2, MPEG-1 Layer I & II and
AC-3 (Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, 5.1 and Stereo)
 For file-based media assets, the following codecs and wrappers/file-formats can be ingested:
- MPEG-2 TS (ISO/IEC 13818-1 .ts): MPEG-2, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264/AVC, AAC-

LC/HE, MPEG-1 Layer I & II, AC-3
- MPEG-2 PS (ISO/IEC 11172-1 .vob): MPEG-2 video, MPEG-1 Layer I & II audio
- AVI (.avi): MPEG-4 SP/ASP video, MP3 audio
- QuickTime (.mov): MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264/AVC video, AAC-LC/HE, MP3 audio
- MP4 (.mp4, .3gp): MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.263, H.264/AVC video, AAC-LC/HE audio
- Windows Media (.wmv): WM9, VC-1 video, WM9 audio
- MXF OP1A, OPAtom (MPEG-2, AVC, IMX 30/40/50, XDCAM SD/HD, PCM)
2.4 Encoding/Transcoding
All inputs are routed through a pre-processing stage before the encoding phase. Both pre-processing
and encoding include several options and tools.
10 HERO / HMS
Figure 3: Channel Processing Flow
2.4.1 Pre-processing
The pre-processing phase aims to prepare the input stream for best encoding results and includes the
following tools:
 De-interlacing: Several de-interlacing algorithms are provided.

 Rescale/Resize: Rescaling to a variety of frame sizes is supported, ranging from sub QCIF to Full
HD. Several rescaling algorithms are available.
 Cropping: Cropping window can be defined in pixels measuring inwards of the source frame. Default
value is 0 for all 4 fields (left, right, top, and bottom) this effectively disables cropping.
 Aspect ratio adaptation: Controls the picture and display aspect ratios of the output video. Helps
adapt the source content to various different screen sizes and aspect ratios without distortion.
 Noise reduction filters. Different noise reduction filters are applied based on the type of input, since
typically each presents specific type of noise/artifacts.
 VBI rows black out: Eliminate VBI rows from the top of the frame.
 Contrast control: Default value is 0, values range from -250 to +250.
 Brightness control: Default value is 1, values range from 0 to 10.
 Saturation control: Default value is 0, values range from -1 to 0.4.
 Gamma : Default value is 1.0, values range from 0.0 to 4.5.
 Volume gain control (Manual): Audio level is shown in dBs and can be adjusted either upwards
(positive dBs, up to +10.0dBs) or downwards (negative dBs, down to -60dBs). Extreme dB values
(above 300% or 4.8dBs) can cause distortion.
 Volume gain control (Automatic): Normalization and Loudness tools are provided to allow for auto-
matic control of the input audio level. Those help comply with North America or EU regulatory acts
(e.g. CALM Act in USA/Canada).
11 HERO / HMS
2.4.2 Encoding
HERO supports a wide spectrum of encoders and encoding tools/features and covers the full range of
Mobile TV, WebTV and IPTV requirements.
2.4.2.1 Video Encoding

The following video encoders are available on HERO:
 HEVC
 MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Baseline, Main Profile, High Profile (ISO/IEC 14496-10)
 MPEG-4 SP (ISO/IEC 14496-2)
 MPEG-2
The following tools/features are available:
 CBR, ABR and VBR support

 Multi-rate/Adaptive output
 Dual Pass and low latency modes
 Configurable frame rate
 Multiple reference frames with quarter-pel search
 Weight Prediction
 CAVLC/CABAC entropy modes
 Interlaced encoding
 B frames support
 Enhanced scene-change detection logic
 Configurable GOP size
 Automatic and manual profile/level setup
2.4.2.2 Audio Encoding

The following audio encoders are available on HERO:
 MPEG-1 Layer II (ISO/IEC 11172-3)

 AAC LC/HE v.1/ v.2 (MPEG-2. MPEG-4)
The following tools/features are available:
 Constant bit rate control

 Re-sampling: 8.0, 11.025, 16.0, 22.05, 24.0, 32.0, 44.1, 48.0 KHz
 Bit-rate: 4.75 – 192 kbps
 ADTS encapsulation option
 LATM encapsulation option
 Perceptual Noise Substitution
 Spectral Band Replication
 Parametric Stereo / Stereo/Mono conversion
12 HERO / HMS
2.5 Outputs
Outputs are variants of the same input/source content that target a specific group of devices or delivery
platform. The outputs can be either live streams or media files. Multiple outputs can be generated from
the same source feed/channel and each can have its own characteristics in terms of pre-processing,
encoding and delivery options. (Also refer to Figure 3: Channel Processing Flow).
The following streaming output options are available:
 MPEG-2 TS
 Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)
 Adobe™ Flash/RTMP
 Microsoft™ Smooth Streaming
 CIP-based MP4 segments
 MPEG-DASH
The following File/VoD output options are available:
 MPEG-2 TS files
 Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)
 MP4 files
 Microsoft™ Smooth Streaming files
 MPEG-DASH
2.5.1 MPEG-2 TS over UDP/IP, Apple HLS or TS files

MPEG-2 TS over UDP/IP is typically used for:
 IPTV
 HTTP TS Adaptive Streaming (e.g. iPhone)
 Broadcast Mobile TV (MediaFLO) and DVB-H/SH/MH
HERO provides full control over the multiplexing parameters (PIDs, MUX rate, PAT/PMT frequency)
and multicast settings (e.g. IP:port, TTL, LAN).
1
Additional, iPhone -specific features are available to accommodate Apple’s HTTP Adaptive Delivery
specification. Those include support for multi-rate playlists, encryption and publishing (HTTP, FTP,
WebDAV).
Further, TS UDP/IP streams are optionally available through 2 network interfaces and/or broadcast IP
addresses to facilitate monitoring and quality of service (QoS) policies.
2.5.2 Adobe™ Flash/RTMP

RTMP over TCP/IP is typically used for WebTV with Flash 9 or higher for playback. HERO supports
Flash Media Server and authentication for seamless integration with popular Content Delivery Networks
(such as Akamai, Level3 and Limelight etc). Other RTMP servers compliant with FMS RTMP protocol
are fully supported.
1
Trademark of Apple Inc.
13 HERO / HMS
This output also supports multi-rate delivery and allows for dynamic switching between outputs in order
to deliver optimal quality of experience.
2.5.3 Microsoft™ Smooth Streaming

Smooth Streaming output is used for HTTP-based streaming for Web and Windows Mobile 7 TV appli-
cations. The number of adaptive outputs is user-defined and an IIS Media Services publishing point is
needed for the service delivery.
For File/VoD output cases, the HERO appliance generate the ISM/ISMV files required for publishing the
asset on a Smooth Streaming compliant server.
Microsoft Playready DRM is fully supported.
2.5.4 CIP-based MP4 Segments

MP4 file output is used for HTTP-based streaming for both Mobile and Web TV applications. The length
of each segment is user-defined and a configurable ring-type of file generation and recycle is available.
2.6 Management
Each HERO can be managed as a stand-alone appliance using its Web-UI. Additionally, detailed infor-
mation regarding the status of each service is available through SNMP (or SOAP and REST APIs).
However, a typical deployment consists of multiple HERO appliances that process several channels (or
watch-folders in case of file input) and deliver multiple outputs. HMS appliance is used to effectively
manage and monitor all those services and also implement and enforce site-specific policies regarding
QoS and High Availability. HMS operates across multiple geographies, deployment architectures (cloud
and ground) and workflows (Live and VoD).
HMS provides a comprehensive User Interface to centrally manage a transcoding farm. It also provides
service and status information for the entire deployment through SNMP.
2.6.1 HERO User Interface

HERO Web-UI provides basic control for channel configuration, start/stop and log management tasks.
Note that this interface can be disabled by default. More details are provided in Section 5.1.
2.6.2 HMS User Interface

HMS provides an extensive and intuitive interface for:
 Farm and appliance setup

 Central profile management
 Central service monitoring and control
 Redundancy and high availability planning
 Mass firmware upgrade
HMS can manage up to 30 HERO appliances simultaneously. The list below highlights the most im-
portant HMS features:
 Continuous monitoring of I/O streams (bitrate, fps, packet loss etc)

 MPEG-2 MPTS scan for PID selection (for ASI and UDP/IP sources)
14 HERO / HMS
 ASI/SDI scan for signal and format
 Monitoring enhancements
 Web-based, AJAX enhanced UI for real-time monitoring and control
 Multi-user support, including LDAP integration
 Auto-restart of failed channels
 Auto-sense input loss
 Live configuration for verbosity levels
 Edit profiles while in use
 High availability
 Individual channel failover
 N+M, 1+1 and chassis level high availability strategies
 Integration with ASI/SDI video routers
 HMS failover feature
 User manageable event configuration
 Remote Control API (start/stop/record)
 SNMP monitoring/reporting/alarming
 Advanced network configuration (NIC bonding, routing, VLAN, etc)
 Fast, secure, scheduled, remote firmware upgrade
15 HERO / HMS
Chapter 3: Hardware
This chapter provides details regarding the installation and configuration of HERO / HMS hardware.
3.1 Package Contents

Each HERO or HMS package includes the following items:
 1 RU chassis (HERO or HMS is indicated on the front panel)

 1 or 2 (depending on configuration) power cords with a plug matching the prevailing standard of the
deployment site location. (e.g. NEMA 5 for USA, CEE 7/7 for EU, etc)
 A set of rack rails, brackets and screws.
A bar code label is attached on rear of the chassis to uniquely identify the unit. The same label is avail-
able on the packing box.
3.2 Unpacking
You should inspect the packing box the HERO or HMS appliance was shipped in and note if it was
damaged in any way. If the appliance itself shows damage you should file a damage claim with the car-
rier who delivered it.
Decide on a suitable location for the rack unit that will hold the HERO/HMS appliance. It should be situ-
ated in a clean, dust-free area that is well ventilated. Avoid areas where heat, electrical noise and elec-
tromagnetic fields are generated. You will also need it placed near a grounded power outlet.
3.3 Installation
For the hardware installation, follow the steps below:
1. Unpack the chassis out of the shipment box and the protective bag.
2. Use the schematic to assemble and attach the rack rails to the chassis and the rack.
2.1. The chassis comes with the Outer Rails pre-installed.
2.2. Assemble the Rack Rails (2 pieces from each side, refer to labels on the rails) and attach
them to the rack.
2.3. Line up chassis rails with the front of the rack rails and slide the chassis rails into the rack
rails, keeping the pressure even on both sides (you may have to depress the locking tabs
when inserting). When the server has been pushed completely into the rack, you should
hear the locking tabs "click".
2.4. Insert and tightening the front screws that hold the front of the server to the rack.
2.5. Both chassis rails have a locking tab, which serves two functions. The first is to lock the
server into place when installed and pushed fully into the rack, which is its normal position.
Secondly, these tabs also lock the server in place when fully extended from the rack. This
prevents the server from coming completely out of the rack when you pull it out for servicing.
3. Remove any protective film from the front panel or the chassis.
16 HERO / HMS
4. Ensure that all air-holes in the front and rear are not blocked.
5. Insert the power plug(s) on the back of the unit.
In the HERO-VS installation case, please refer to corresponding Tech-Note.
3.4 Front Panel

HERO and HMS front panels look very similar. The serial number label and the start-up text on the LCD
display distinguish the two types of appliances.
3.4.1 HERO Front Panel
Figure 4: HERO Front Panel Schematic
Use the middle green button to power on the unit and the gray one to shut it down. The LCD display al-
lows for the configuration of all six network interfaces.
3.4.2 HMS Front Panel
Figure 5: HMS Front Panel Schematic
Use the middle green button to power on the unit and the gray one to shut it down. The LCD display al-
lows for the configuration of the two network interfaces.
3.4.3 Front Panel Configuration Utility

Both HERO and HMS use the same LCD display. At start-up time the LCD will display the appliance
type/model.
Figure 6: HERO Front Panel at Start-up
Press the button for 2 seconds in order to turn on the appliance. Once the appliance is available,
by default, the LCD will display the currently assigned IP address(es) for the first 2 network interfaces
(NIC1 and NIC2). All appliances are configured for DHCP as factory default.
17 HERO / HMS
Press the button to enter the configuration menu. The options available are presented in the tree
structure below:
Configuration
Network
Restart Net
NIC1
DHCP
IP
Netmask
Gateway
MAC
NIC2
NIC3
NIC4
NIC5
NIC6
Default GW
Clear Firewall
Screen Config
CPU Load
Memory Usage
Uptime
Support Tel
Reboot
Power Off
SW version
Figure 7: HERO/HMS Front Panel Menu
Use the button to enter a submenu and the button to return/backtrack. Use the up and down
arrow keys to navigate vertically through the items in the same submenu.
If needed keeping the button pressed for more than 5 seconds will shut down the appliance. The
appliance can also be remotely restarted/shutdown using the HMS Web-UI.
In the HERO-VS case, ensure that the host system is powered on and the associated virtual appliance
is started.
3.5 Cable Connections

HERO and HMS rear panels are shown below based on the most popular configurations regarding the
number of i/o modules.
3.5.1 HERO Rear Panel
Figure 8: Rear View of HERO with a Single I/O Module (Dual PSU)
18 HERO / HMS
Figure 9: Rear View of HERO with no I/O Module (Dual PSU)
BNC connectors and Ethernet network ports are numbered as shown in the diagrams above. All BNC
ports are capable of SD/HD SDI. ASI option is also available (4 BNC ports), depending on configura-
tion. Up to 8 BNC ports can be installed.
3.5.2 HMS Rear Panel
Figure 10: Rear View HMS with 2 Network (Dual PSU)
Network ports are available 2 ports by default, depending on configuration. Up to 4 network ports can be installed.
3.6 Technical Characteristics
3.6.1 Chassis
Form Factor Rack, Steel chassis
1U (44mm)H,
19” (482.6mm)W,
18.2" (462mm) D or 23.5” (597mm) (depending upon configuration)
Weight: 33 lbs (15 kg)
LCD Panel 2 x 16 character LCD control panel with backlight
6 keys mini keyboard
I/O Connectors Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports (6 for HERO, 2 for HMS)
75ΩBNC ports (up to 8), for:
SDI standard : SMPTE 259M, SMPTE 292M, SMPTE 296M, SMPTE 372M,
SMPTE 425M, ITU-R BT.656, ITU-R BT.601.
Cooling System Chassis: 6 x 40x56 mm fans

Power Supply module: 1 x 40x40 mm fan
Power Supply AC: 100-240V / 47- 63Hz, 400W redundant power supplies, auto-switching
19 HERO / HMS
Environmental Operating Temperature: 10 to 35° C, 50 to 95° F
Storage Temperature: -40 to 70° C, -40 to 158° F
Humidity: 8 to 90 %
Shock: 10G / 11ms in all axis
Vibration: 0.8G / 5 to 100 Hz
Operating Altitude: –304.8 m to 3,048 m (–1,000 ft to 10,000+ ft)
Non-operating Altitude: –304.8 m to 12,192 m (–1000 ft to 40,000+ ft)
Electromagnetic FCC Class A, EN 55022 Class A, VCCI, EN 61000-3-2/-3-
Comp. 3, CISPR 22 Class A, EN 55024/CISPR 24, (EN 61000-4-2, EN 61000-4-3,
EN 61000-4-4, EN 61000-4-5, EN 61000-4-6, EN 61000-4-8, EN 61000-4-11)
Safety Approval CSA/EN/IEC/UL 60950-1 Compliant, UL or CSA Listed (USA and
Canada), CE Marking (Europe)
3.6.2 Power Consumption

Appliance/Configuration Typical Power Consumption Maximum Power Consumption
HMS 160 watts 200 watts
HERO
(with no acceleration modules) 260 watts 400 watts
HERO
(with 1 acceleration module) 300 watts 360 watts
20 HERO / HMS
Chapter 4: HERO / HMS Architecture
This chapter presents the HERO / HMS conceptual architecture and the way different entities interact
within the overall solution.
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 HERO
HERO is a stand-alone device that accepts multiple video/audio inputs and generates multiple outputs
per input/source. The diagram below illustrates this functionality.
Figure 11: HERO Internal Architecture
Each HERO appliance runs multiple channels (single input to multiple outputs) simultaneously. Each
channel is fully isolated from the others within the same HERO appliance and is managed separately.
HERO utilizes XML-based configuration files to fully describe the functionality of a channel.
Specifically, each channel consists of a single input/source (IP, SDI, ASI, File, etc) and multiple outputs
(file or live streaming). Further, each output consists of video encoding options, audio encoding options
and file/stream configuration options.
The same concept applies for VoD transcoding also, where a channel is attached to a watch folder (or
other automation) and each output produces one or more VoD assets.
The overall hierarchy is illustrated in the diagram below:
21 HERO / HMS
Figure 12: HERO Internal Hierarchy
4.1.2 HMS
HMS appliance manages multiple services/channels at the same time from a central location without
having to configure each HERO appliance individually. Further, it helps enforce SLA policies and NOC
practices either at the encoding/transcoding cloud/farm level or within groups of encoding/transcoding
appliances within the farm. This is illustrated in the diagram below:
Figure 13: HMS Internal Hierarchy
22 HERO / HMS
4.1.3 HERO / HMS Hierarchy
HERO and HMS operate closely together to both accommodate a diverse set of requirements and de-
ployment scenarios and also alleviate the workload and errors typically associated with profile man-
agement. To accomplish this HMS delivers a set of reusable and hierarchical building blocks that help
construct the entire deployment. Further, this concept provides exceptional flexibility and scalability as
changes are propagated automatically to all associated building blocks across the encoding/transcoding
farm.
4.1.3.1 Building blocks

The following building blocks are available:
 Video Preset: A collection of video encoding/transcoding parameters (e.g. codec, resolution, bitrate,
frame rate, crop window).
 Audio Preset: A collection of audio encoding/transcoding parameters (e.g. codec, sampling rate,
bit-rate).
 Watch-Folder: A collection of input and output storage locations for the ingestion and the deliv-
ery/publication of media assets. This only applies to File/VoD transcoding cases.
 Channel: An encoding/transcoding task with a single input and one or more output streams. Each
output stream (live or file) uses a video and an audio preset. Multiple Channels can use the same
Audio and/or Video Presets and any change to those presets (e.g. bit-rate) affects all associated
channels automatically.
 Task: A scheduled event that performs an action on a channel. For example, start recording of a
channel at a given date and time.
 Role: A collection of Channels. Roles are assigned to HERO appliances to deliver the associated
Channels/outputs. A Role can be assigned to several HEROs at the same time, while a HERO ap-
pliance can only have one Role at any given time.
 Device: A HERO appliance. Each Device can process multiple Channels at the same time, as dic-
tated by the Role it is assigned.
 Group: A collection of Devices (HERO appliances) that designates a separate logical unit based on
physical location or business logic. For example, a Group may contain all Devices in a specific data
centre (e.g. NY vs. Tokyo) or all Devices that deliver a specific service (e.g. BBC Mobile TV vs. MTV
WebTV). Each Device needs to belong to a single Group and a Group may contain none or several
Devices. Also, one Group can be designated as File/VoD, while another one as Live/Linear. The
Group entity serves the following purposes:
 Separates business units or functions.
 Consolidates management of separate geographical locations or topologies (cloud and ground).
 Allows for separate redundancy strategies to be applied based on significance and priority.
 Isolates Statistical Rate Control pools.
The diagram below summarizes the hierarchy and relationships amongst the building blocks.
23 HERO / HMS
HMS
Group
Device
. Role
. . Channel
. . .
Input
. . Output
.
. . Video preset
. Audio preset
Output
Channel
Device
Group
Figure 14: HERO / HMS Building Blocks Hierarchy
4.1.3.2 Redundancy Considerations

Redundancy is inherently built into HERO / HMS architecture and the building blocks concept further
facilitates this. More specifically:
 Channel-level Redundancy: Each Channel is fully isolated from others in the same Device. This al-
lows for an individual Channel to failover to a different Device without impacting the other Channels
in the original or destination Device. The Channel building block (including all its associated outputs)
is simply migrated over to the destination Device.
 Device-level Redundancy: If a failure is detected at the Device level (e.g. faulty PSU), then HMS
simply migrates the Device’s Role building block (including all its associated channels) to a backup
Device.
 Management Redundancy: If a failure is detected at the HMS appliance, a backup HMS appliance
can take over by reconstructing the building block topology from the local database without user in-
teraction. HERO appliances and their associated Channels are not affected by this procedure.
4.2 Network Configuration
4.2.1 Setup
The instructions below refer to HERO platform, for HMS network configuration (or HMS-SE configura-
tions, where HMS and HERO are packaged in the same platform), see also paragraph 4.4.5.10.
Unless otherwise indicated, each appliance is shipped with DHCP-enabled network configuration. In
any case, however, once fully operational a HERO appliance will display the IP address(es) on its front
LCD panel.
 Refer to Section 3.4.3 for instructions in using the front panel configuration utility in order to setup
the network parameters of network interfaces. In the general case, configuring one NIC is sufficient.
 Once this is completed and the correct IP addresses are shown on the LCD display, proceed to
connect to the Web-UI in order to configure the network parameters further and/or setup additional
network interfaces and VLANs.
24 HERO / HMS
Alternatively, you can use HMS auto-discovery utility to register and configure multiple HERO appli-
ances. Refer to Section 4.3.1 for more details on this.
 Open your web browser and navigate (over HTTP) to the first IP address shown on the LCD (e.g.
http://10.1.0.71). It is best to connect from the same subnet, to avoid any network routing issues.
 A page, similar to the one below, appears:
Figure 15: NIC Configuration Tab
 Uninitialized NICs appear in yellow background, use the Configure button to setup their parameters.
 To setup/change to a network interface (e.g. change from dynamic to static IP address) click the
Configure button of the corresponding NIC and click Save once done. The network will restart to ap-
ply the changes immediately.
 Use the advanced tab, on the top left, to configure advanced options such as Multicast input and
DNS servers. An example is shown below:
Figure 16: Advanced Network Configuration Tab
 More specifically:
 DNS Servers: A comma-delimited list of IP addresses for primary and secondary DNS servers.
 Default Gateway: IP address of the default gateway.
 Multicast Input: Configure the network interface where multicast UDP/IP input is provided.
 NIC Bonding: Virtual network interfaces can be created by bonding two existing network inter-
faces. Check the desired VNIC configuration and click the Apply button for the changes to take
effect. Once setup, VNICs appear as additional NIC devices in the NIC tab, use the correspond-
ing Configure button to setup their parameters.
 Use the VLAN tab, shown below, to configure up to 5 virtual networks on top of physical and/or vir-
tual network interfaces.
25 HERO / HMS
Figure 17: Virtual LAN Configuration Tab
 VLANs that are already configured are shown in green, while empty VLAN slots are in yellow.
 Click the Configure button to setup the VLAN parameters including the VLAN ID.
 Check the Delete VLAN box and click the Save button to remove a VLAN.
 Once VNICs and/or VLANs are created, they appear as additional NICs in the NIC tab, as shown
below. Uninitialized NICs appear in yellow, use the Configure button to setup their parameters and
click Save to apply.
Figure 18: NIC Tab with an Additional (Virtual) NIC
 Use the Services tab, shown below, to configure additional parameters such as the SNMP trap sinks
and the NTP servers. An example is shown below:
26 HERO / HMS
Figure 19: Services Tab with SNMP trap sinks and NTP servers configuration
 Trap Sink Host: The IP address or DNS name of the host to receive SNMP traps.
 Trap Sink Port: The Host’s UDP port where traps are sent; default is 162.
 Community: SNMP community identifier; default is "public". This applies for both SNMP traps
and SNMP set/get command.
 NTP Server: IP address or DNS name of a Network Time Protocol server. NTP servers are con-
tacted based on the order they are listed (the topmost one is the primary, etc).
 User management: Change password of network configuration. The default credentials for ac-
cessing Network Web-UI are username: admin and password: admin
 NFS/SMB Mount management: is able to mount or unmounts network drive.
27 HERO / HMS
Figure 20: Mount/Unmount management
 Use the Diagnostics tab, shown below, to diagnose network configuration errors and obtain system-
level information.
Figure 21: Diagnostics Tab with Network and System information shown
 Ping: Instruct HERO appliance to reach a specific network resource (IP address) over ICMP.
Used to test connectivity and latency between HERO/HMS and the ecosystem.
 Trace route: Instruct HERO appliance to reach a specific network resource (IP address) over
ICMP and report details about the path utilized. Used to measure transit delays and diagnose
and network routing errors.
 Network Interface Status: Provides full details about the configuration of each Network Inter-
face. Read-only.
 Routing Table: Provides full details about the routing configuration on the system. Helps trou-
bleshoot routing errors and multicast/broadcast reception or delivery issues.
 Link Status: Reports the status of each network interface.
 Disk Usage: Lists the disk utilization and available space for each file system currently mounted.
 System Info: Provides extensive details for the configuration of the system such as OS, CPU,
memory utilization etc.
 Hardware Status: Provides details for the status of the hardware such as IPMI network, System
sensor and power module.
28 HERO / HMS
4.2.2 Design Considerations - Best Practices
The network setup and configuration of each encoder/transcoder appliance is highly depended upon
the specifics of each deployment and the overall network design of the site. The following points need
to be taken into account when planning the network setup for the encoding/transcoding farm:
 Nature of Input: Ethernet-based multicast input typically requires a dedicated NIC. While, ASI or
SDI based sources, do not utilize the network interface at all.
 Input Bitrates: SPTS multicast feeds present significantly lower network utilization than MPTS
ones. Further, HERO network configuration fully supports IGMP v.3 that helps reduce network traffic
for each appliance to only the multicast feeds that are actually consumed by the appliance.
 Statistical Rate Control: Typically the Statistical Rate Control Logic runs on HMS and communi-
cates with each HERO appliance over the IP network. In those cases, typically, output and man-
agement traffic is routed through a virtual NIC with or without VLANs.
 Output Density: The number and bandwidth of output streams also affect network configuration
practices. In the majority of cases though, 1 NIC is sufficient for all output traffic.
 Network Reliability and NOC Policies: The reliability of passive or active network equipment (e.g.
switches, routers) as well as power management policies often dictates certain practices for the
network configuration of each appliance.
4.3 HMS Configuration

HMS provides the front-end of the encoding/transcoding cloud and the majority of its functionality is
available over HTTP.
 Refer to the previous Section in order to configure the network parameters of an HMS appliance.
 Point your internet browser to the first IP address shown on HMS LCD front panel (e.g.
http://10.0.1.2) or any other configured IP address that is accessible from your network loca-
tion/subnet.
 The login page appears, as shown below.
Figure 22: HMS Login Screen
The default credentials for the HMS Web-UI are username: admin and password: admin4Hms. To
reset forgotten credentials please contact Media Excel support staff.
29 HERO / HMS
 HMS also supports LDAP groups and provides access level permissions based on those. The cur-
rently configured authentication method/server is displayed below the Login/Password fields. When
no LDAP is integrated, user authentication is managed by the local HMS. Refer to Appendix C:
LDAP Integration for more details regarding LDAP integration.
 Once logged in, the HMS dashboard screen displays all HERO devices that have already been reg-
istered.
Figure 23: HMS Dashboard
4.3.1 Auto-discovery Utility

If HERO appliances are not registered with HMS yet, they can be automatically discovered and regis-
tered using HMS Auto-discovery Utility. This dramatically reduces setup time, especially in large de-
ployments.
 Navigate to the Configure section on the top, select the Devices tab and click the Search button at
the bottom of the page.
30 HERO / HMS
Figure 24: Devices Configuration Page
 After about 5 seconds, a table is shown with all the discovered HERO appliances that have not been
registered with HMS yet.
Figure 25: Auto-discovery Utility Lists All Unmanaged HERO Appliances
 The table lists all “unmanaged” HERO appliances along with their version number and HW configu-
ration details.
 Clicking on the IP address link brings up the network configuration utility. Refer to Section 4.2 for
more details on using the Network Configuration Utility.
 Clicking on the Register link brings up the New Device Registration page as shown below.
 Edit the name of the new Device to reflect its function (e.g. d_WebTV01) or physical loca-
tion/identification (d_Unit127).
 You can also use the Notes field to provide additional details about the unit (e.g. rack location,
serial number etc).
 Click the Save button to save your settings.
 Repeat the process until all unmanaged HERO appliances are registered with the HMS.
31 HERO / HMS
Figure 26: HERO Device Registration Page
Once, the new Device is registered on HMS, allow a few seconds for HMS to retrieve its configuration.
By clicking again on the Device name in the Device List page, the HERO version and I/O configuration
will be updated, as shown below.
Figure 27: HERO Device Page with updated system configuration information
HERO Auto-discovery Utility is available only within networks that allow/propagate broadcast UDP traf-
fic (UDP ports 8765 and 8766).
32 HERO / HMS
4.3.2 Configuration Tab Overview
To enter the HMS configuration pages click the Configure section on the top of the HMS page.
Figure 28: HMS Configuration Section
The tabs below the Configure section represent the building blocks introduced in Section 4.1.3.1. The
diagram on the right side represents the hierarchy and inter-dependencies among the building blocks.
HMS ships with several building blocks pre-configured, however, each deployment has its own re-
quirements and modifications/adjustments are always needed.
Each building block page consists of two views. The List view enumerates all available items along with
their most representative properties and the Add/Edit view allows for editing or adding a new item. The
Add/Edit View also provides:
 A Delete button to remove the selected item.

 A Copy button to make a copy (second instance) of the item along with all its properties/settings.
 A Search box to filter items based on keywords. Type a word or phrase and press enter to apply
the filter, or press Clear to clear any already applied filters. Your recent searches will be listed
next to the search tool for future reference. Click on one of those to enable the respective filter.
Figure 29: Search Tool
If an item is in use by another item higher in the hierarchy then that association needs to be resolved
before the item can be deleted.
4.3.3 Audio Presets

An Audio Preset is a collection of audio encoding/transcoding parameters. The currently available Audio
Presets are enumerated in the Audio Presets List View.
33 HERO / HMS
Figure 30: Audio Presets List View
The Audio Presets List View displays a list of the pre-configured Audio Presets with details about their
respective settings. Audio presets can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row. New ones can
be added by clicking the Add button at the bottom of the page.
The Audio Preset Add/Edit View is shown below:
Figure 31: Audio Preset Add/Edit View
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the preset.

 Codec: Select the appropriate audio encoder module from the list.
 MPEG Version: Applies to AAC audio only and determines the compliance level of the audio
bitstream (ADTS header).
 AAC+ Version: Select the v.1 or v.2, for AAC+ only. Note that v.2 applies only to stereo output.
 Channels: Select the number of audio channels.
 Sample Rate: Select the sampling rate of the output audio stream in Hz.
 Bitrate: Set the bit rate of the elementary audio output stream in kbps.
 Start alignment (frames) : Set the start frame for HA mode.
 Notes: This field is reserved for user notes or comments.
When configuring Audio AAC and AAC+ the bit-rate ranges from the tables below apply:
34 HERO / HMS
Table 1: AAC Bit-rate Ranges
Sampling Mono (kbps) Stereo (kbps)

Rate (kHz) min max min max
48 20 128 20 192
44.1 20 128 20 192
32 20 128 20 192
24 18 64 24 100
22.05 20 64 24 96
16 8 64 20 96
11.025 12 64 16 96
8 12 48 12 64
Table 2: AAC+ Bit-rate Ranges
AAC+ v.1 AAC+ v.2

Sampling Mono (kbps) Stereo (kbps) Stereo (kbps)
Rate (kHz) min max min max min max
48 8 64 24 100 24 40
44.1 20 64 24 96 24 40
32 8 64 20 96 18 40
4.3.4 Video Presets

A Video Preset is a collection of video encoding/transcoding parameters. The available Video Presets
configured on HMS are enumerated in the Video Presets List View.
Figure 32: Video Presets List View
The Video Presets List View displays a list of the pre-configured Video Presets with details about their
respective settings. Video presets can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row. New ones can
be added by clicking the Add button at the bottom of the page.
35 HERO / HMS
The Video Preset Add/Edit View is shown below:
Figure 33: Video Preset Add/Edit View
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the preset.

 Codec: Select the appropriate encoder module from the list.
 Video Resolution: The resolution of the output stream. The following options are available:
 3840x 2160(UHD)  448 x 336
 1920 x 1080 (HD 1080x)  400 x 244
 1440 x 960 (HD 960x)  432 x 320
 1280 x 720 (HD 720)  352 x 576 (1/2 D1 PAL)
 1056 x 592  352 x 480 (1/2 D1 NTSC)
 1024 x 576  424 x 240
 960 x 540 (HD 540)  416 x 240 (WQVGA)
 848 x 480  352 x 288 (CIF)
 764 x 432  352 x 240 (VCD NTSC)
 720 x 576 (D1 PAL)  320 x 240 (QVGA)
 720 x 480 (D1 NTSC)  320 x 180
 704 x 576 (4CIF)  320 x 176
 704 x 480  240 x 192
 800 x 480 (WVGA)  240 x 176
 640 x 480 (VGA)  240 x 160 (hQVGA)
 640 x 360  224 x 176
 640 x 352  220 x 176
 480 x 480 (SVCD)  208 x 156
 480 x 360  176 x 144 (QCIF)
 480 x 352  160 x 120
 80 x 320 (iPhone)  128 x 96 (SQCIF)
 480 x 272  Custom (user defined)
 480 x 270
 Frame Rate: Sets the frame rate of output stream. Use 0 to match the input frame rate.
 Frame Format: Controls the format of the output frame. Note that certain devices and players do
not support interlaced frames. Refer to the table below when configuring this option.
36 HERO / HMS
Table 3: Interlaced/Progressive Configuration Matrix
Stream characteristics Encoding Configuration

Channel – Video Preset
Input Output De-interlacing Frame Format
Interlaced Interlace Off Interlace
Interlaced Progressive On Progressive
Progressive Progressive Off Progressive
Telecine Progressive On (CAVT) Progressive
 # of B-frames: Sets the number of B-frames for each GoP. Up to 9 B-frames are supported.
 Rate Control: Select Constant or Average Bit Rate control. ABR is only supported for H.264 only.
 CBR Bitrate: Sets the constant bit rate of the elementary video output stream in kbps.
 Average Bitrate: Sets the average bit rate of the elementary video output stream in kbps.
 Min Bitrate: Sets the minimum bit rate of the elementary video output stream in kbps.
 Max Bitrate: Sets the maximum bit rate of the elementary video output stream in kbps.
 I-Frame Interval: GoP size. The number of frames between successive I frames. (IDR slices in
case of H.264 encoding).
 Scene Detection: When enabled, upon detection of a scene change an I-frame is inserted and the
GoP is reset.
 Crop: Specifies the rectangle/window to be cropped. Refer to the schematic below for more infor-
mation. All values are in pixels and refer to the source frame, only positive integers are valid.
Top
Left Right
Output Frame
Source Frame
Bottom
Figure 34: Crop Window
 Aspect Ratio: Controls the aspect ratio setting in the video header information. For RTSP-based
output, since the connection is setup once, any on-the-fly aspect ratio changes in the source are not
propagated to the output. Three options are available:
 Default (Square pixel)
 4:3
 16:9
 Aspect Ratio Adaptation: This option allows for the adaptation of the video frame to different as-
pect ratios. Three options are available:
 None: No adaptation is performed.
 Letter/Pillar boxing: Vertical or horizontal black bars are added in order to preserve the selected
aspect ratio.
 Pan & Scan: The content is cropped horizontally or vertically in order to preserve the selected
aspect ratio.
For more details on the aspect ratio configuration options, please refer to Appendix E: Aspect Ratio Ad-
aptation.
37 HERO / HMS
 Closed Captions: When enabled, allows for closed captioning data to be copied (or transcoded de-
pending on the delivery technology).
 Low delay mode: Controls the look-ahead window of the encoder and affects encoding latency.
 Frame resize method : Specifies the interpolation algorithm used for scaling. Higher quality re-
quires more processing power.
 High Speed: Nearest neighbor
 Highest Quality: Lanczos
 Chromaticity : Set the quality of a color regardless of its luminance.
 Unspecified
 BT.709
 BT.2020 (UHD Encoder)
 MPEG-4 Profile/level: (For MPEG-4 part 2 only) Overrides the profile and level information on the
MPEG-4 header.
 H.264 Profile/Level: (For H.264 only) Overrides the profile and level information on the H.264
header.
 Symbol Mode: Controls the entropy coding method. CABAC requires more processing power dur-
ing playback compared to CAVLC.
 Advanced Encoding Settings
 VBV buffer size : Video Buffer Verifier. Sets the bit-rate control window in milliseconds. This
parameter controls the degree of bit rate fluctuation. For TS output valid values range from 500
ms to 5000 ms. There is no value limitation when RTP streaming is used however a value near
1000 ms is recommended.
 Include HRD info: Inserts Hypothetical Reference Decoder data in the H.264 elementary
stream to aid buffering adjustments during playback. This is typically needed for Set-Top box
compliance tests only and should not be set under normal operation.
 Quality/Perfomance : Controls encoding quality method. This option may vary depending on
the codec
 RDO level : Controls detailed encoding complexity.
 Sharpness Mode : Controls the level of sharpness/smoothness of the output frame.
 Sharpness Filter Level : Set the level from 10% to 70%.
 Start alignment(frames) : Set the start frame in HA mode.
38 HERO / HMS
4.3.5 Channels
A Channel is an encoding/transcoding task with a single input and one or more output streams. Each
output stream (live or file) uses a video and an audio preset. Multiple Channels can use the same Au-
dio and/or Video Presets and any change to those presets (e.g. bit-rate) affects all associated channels
automatically. The currently available Channels are enumerated in the Channels List View.
Figure 35: Channels List View
Channels can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row or new ones can be added by clicking the
Add button at the bottom of the page.
Further, an Import button is available to upload an XML-based configuration file that has been generat-
rd
ed/edited manually or by a 3 party application/automation.
Figure 36: Profile/Channel Import Dialog
When a channel is imported, all its associated video and audio presets are also imported automatically.
If any of those preset names are already available on HMS, the existing presets are updat-
ed/overwritten. Once the import is completed, a warning message is shown to indicate the presets that
have been updated/overwritten.
The Channel Add/Edit view is shown below:
39 HERO / HMS
Figure 37: Channel Add/Edit View
The top section controls the input/source parameters, the middle one the pre-processing tools and the
bottom section displays the settings of each output stream.
Also, this dialog provides a mechanism to export the channel configuration into XML. The XML file can
be loaded directly on HERO transcoding nodes in cases where an HMS unit is not available. Refer to
Section 5.1 for more details on this.
Based on the type of the source, different options are made available. For example, in the case of
MPEG-2 TS over UDP/IP input, the selection of audio/video PIDs is made available.
Source can be:
 MPEG-2 TS stream over UDP/IP
 MPEG-2 TS stream over ASI
 MPEG-4 RTP/RTSP stream
 Digital uncompressed/YUV stream from an SD/HD SDI
 Analogue uncompressed/YUV stream from a composite port
 RTMP over TCP/IP
 Playlists for looped content
 File(s) through watch folders (in this case the channel is designated for VoD transcoding)
40 HERO / HMS
Figure 38: Channel Input (UDP/IP or SDI) Configuration
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the Channel.

 Source: Select the appropriate source type. The input options change according to the type of se-
lected source. Specifically in the SDI source type, the following options are made available:
 Signal Type: Indicates the frame size and frame rate of the input signal (e.g. 480i/29.97fps)
 Aspect Ratio: Overrides the source aspect ratio:
- OFF: Original aspect ratio of the source.
- 4:3: Sets the source aspect ratio to 4:3.
- 16:9: Sets the source aspect ratio to 16:9.
- WSS: Aspect ratio is set based on the Wide Screen Signaling property of the source.
- Video Index: Aspect ratio is set based on the Video Index property of the source.
 Network URL: The IP address and port for the multicast feed, e.g. 224.10.10.1:8000
 Network Backup URL : The Redundancy network source.
41 HERO / HMS
 Bonding Failover : Select the appropriate input bonding interface.
 Video PID: Video Program ID selection for Multi-program Transport Streams. Default value is 0 and
indicates that the first video PID available will be selected. For hexadecimal notation use “0x” prefix.
e.g. 0x0203. This option applies to UDP/IP and ASI sources. For radio (or audio-only) channels, a
value of “-1” is expected for the Video PID.
 Audio PID: Audio Program ID selection for Multi-program Transport Streams. This option applies to
UDP/IP and ASI sources. Default value is 0 and indicates that the first video PID available will be
selected. A value of “-1” indicate that no audio is desired. For hexadecimal notation use “0x” prefix.
e.g. 0x0205.
 Select PID : Additionally, for MPEG-2 TS feeds, the select PID option is available to enumerate the
services delivered in each feed and make the PID selection much more intuitive.
Figure 39: MPEG-2 TS Program Scan Utility
Available programs and respective PIDs (including the properties of each one) are listed and can be
selected for each individual Channel.
 Max. decoded buffering time(ms) : Adjust maximum decoding buffer time. (100ms ~ 10s)
 Start with Evergreen: (only available on RTMP and UDP/IP inputs) Dictates whether the channel is
allowed to start even when no input is available. When enabled, the channel will start but output the
Evergreen (still) image if the source is not available. The channel will switch back to the live feed
(automatically or manually, depending on the Device setting, see 4.3.7.2) once the live feed be-
comes available.
Figure 40: Channel Pre-Processing Configuration
 Deinterlace: Enables de-interlace support. Several de-interlacing algorithms are provided:

 Off: Weave the top and bottom field without any processing for interlaced encoding/output
 Blend: Mix top and bottom field vertically
 CAVT: Content adaptive vertical temporal filtering
42 HERO / HMS
 Triangular: Triangular filter
 Bob top: Select only top fields
 Bob bottom: Select only bottom fields.
 HQDIF: Content adaptive special and temporal filtering
 Denoise Level: The De-noise Engine is part of HERO’s extensive preprocessing toolset and its
function is to reduce the level of noise found in typical video feeds (e.g. camera/film noise, mosqui-
to/compression artifacts etc). It helps improve sports content and has elevated processing power
requirements.
This function has been substantially enhanced to include:
 Spatial and Temporal Motion Adaptive noise detection/removal tools: This helps remove
noise/artifacts from high motion components while preserving the sharpness of edges/text and
stationary components.
 Encoder-aware noise detection/removal tools: This helps remove noise/artifacts that are not
visible to the human eye and results in enhanced encoding efficiency and bandwidth utilization.
 Deblocking & Deringing: Helps address MPEG-2 and H.264 encoding related noise.
 Blackout Rows: Eliminate VBI rows from the top of the frame by overwriting them with black pixels.
Valid values are 0, 1, 2 and 3.
 Crop Window: The cropping window in pixels. The cropping applies to the input/source frame and
affects all associated outputs. Refer to Figure 34: Crop Window for more details regarding the crop-
ping coordinates.
 Contrast Control: Default value is 0, values range from -250 to +250.
 Brightness Control: Default value is 1, values range from 0 to 10.
 Saturation control: Default value is 0, values range from -1 to 0.4.
 Gamma Correction: Default value is 1.0, values range from 0.0 to 4.5.
 Reset to Default: Button to reset brightness, contrast, saturation and gamma correction to default
values.
 Master Gain (dB): Audio level is shown in dBs and can be adjusted either upwards (positive dBs,
up to +10.0dBs) or downwards (negative dBs, down to -90dBs). Extreme dB values (above 300% or
4.8dBs) may cause distortion. Refer to the table below to convert dBs to % and backwards.
Table 4: Reference dB Conversion Table
% to dBs dBs to %
% of source dBs dBs % of source
10 -10.0 -10 10
20 -7.0 -9 13
30 -5.2 -8 16
40 -4.0 -7 20
50 -3.0 -6 25
60 -2.2 -5 32
70 -1.5 -4 40
80 -1.0 -3 50
90 -0.5 -2 63
100 0.0 -1 79
110 0.4 0 100
120 0.8 1 126
150 1.8 2 158
170 2.3 3 200
43 HERO / HMS
200 3.0 4 251
250 4.0 5 316
300 4.8 6 398
400 6.0 7 501
500 7.0 8 631
600 7.8 9 794
700 8.5 10 1000
800 9.0
900 9.5
1000 10.0
 Audio Delay (ms): Allows for adjusting audio/video sync by a constant offset, ranging from -600 to
+600ms. This option only applies to MPEG-TS outputs (TS files, TS broadcast and Apple HLS).
 Automatic gain control: Normalization and Loudness tools are provided to allow for automatic con-
trol of the input audio level. Those help comply with North America or EU regulatory acts (e.g. CALM
Act in USA/Canada).
Figure 41: Loudness Configuration
The Logo/Overlay configuration, below the preprocessing section, allows for up to 4 layers of overlays
to be configured. Each layer can be configured individually for positioning, scaling and opacity. Position-
ing is configured as an offset from the top left corner and scaling is based on percentage of the source
image. Alpha channel is also supported for PNG 32bit images.
Note that the logo/overlay images need to be first uploaded on HMS using the Source Replacement
dialog (see Paragraph 4.4.5 below), and their dimensions need to be a multiple of 16.
Logo/overlay images or position can be changed when clicking Apply button dynamically.
Figure 42: Logo/Overlay Configuration
The Scrolling Text configuration, below the preprocessing section, allows to display scrolling text.
Positioning is configured as an offset from the top left margin and scaling is based on percentage of the
font size. Alpha channel is also supported for PNG 32bit images.
44 HERO / HMS
Note that the Scrolling Text need to be update font file to display language.
Input text or position can be changed when clicking Apply button dynamically.
Figure 43: Scrolling Text Configuration
Output Template Variables, below the preprocessing section, allows to increase efficiency when setting
up adaptive bitrate streams. If you need to make changes to your stream, you can simply change the in-
formation in the Output template variable and it will have the same effect on each stream output using
that variable.
Figure 44: Output template variables
The bottom part of the Channel Add/Edit View displays the currently configured Outputs and their re-
spective Audio and Video Presets. Clicking directly on a Preset link brings up the configuration options
of the Preset. Use the Add button to create an additional Output or click anywhere on the row (or the
pencil icon in the front) of an existing Output to edit it.
Figure 45: Outputs List View
The Output Add/Edit View provides the means to combine an Audio and a Video Preset along with
streaming or file output parameters.
45 HERO / HMS
The title of the page indicates the Channel and the Output number currently being edited. The Video
and Audio Preset selection boxes correspond to the available Presets in HMS Database. New ones can
be added using the corresponding Preset button at the bottom right side of the HMS Configuration tab.
Refer to Sections 4.3.3 and 4.3.4 above.
Several different options are available depending up on the delivery mechanism used (e.g. MPEG-2 TS,
RTMP, file, etc).
4.3.5.1 Output Configuration Logic

Before proceeding to present specific configuration details for each delivery technology, it is important
to highlight a few aspects of the output configuration logic. This way, the full potential of HERO/HMS
can be realized.
Each output, regardless of the delivery technology, expects the configuration of 2 sections:
 Audio/Video presets
 Delivery-specific settings
The audio and video preset section provides the means for the operator to connect the specific output
to pre-configured audio and video presets. Further, up to 4 (or more in special configurations) audio
tracks can be setup to address specific use cases. Each output track references a source track and an
audio preset.
Further, video and audio presets that are used across multiple outputs of the same channel do not con-
sume additional processing power. This allows for the same elementary streams to be packetized for
various deliveries at minimal density cost.
This logic allows for the most flexibility in accommodating diverse deployment requirements. Some of
those are presented below:
 Adaptive delivery: Two outputs can share the same delivery configuration options but differ in the
video (or audio) preset (e.g. 600kbps vs. 1200kbps video bit rate). All other parameters of the deliv-
ery remain the same (depending upon the specifics of each adaptive delivery).
 Simulcast delivery: One profile can be published using multiple delivery technologies simultane-
ously (e.g. HLS, RTMP and MPEG-DASH) in order to accommodate diverse playback devices. In
this case, all outputs use the same audio and video preset but have different delivery-specific set-
tings.
 Highly available delivery: One or more profiles can be delivered to multiple origin/publishing points
simultaneously for redundancy or load-balancing purposes. In this case, all outputs use the same
audio/video presets as well as delivery-specific settings but differ in the publishing point URI.
 Multi-language delivery: The same profile can be delivered in different languages. In this case,
each output references a different track from the input/source, but audio/video and delivery settings
remain the same. Further, an output can have multiple audio tracks with different language per track
or different audio codec (e.g. track 1 with AC-3, track 2 with AAC).
 Multi-purpose delivery: The same profile can be used for different purposes. For example, one
output is used for streaming while another one with identical configuration is used for VoD genera-
tion/recording.
Multiple delivery scenarios can be combined to produce a very broad range of use cases while maxim-
izing density and performance.
For example, deliver a channel in adaptive HLS and RTMP to two different CDN providers with two dif-
ferent languages and produce/record VoD assets simultaneously. The outputs needed in this case are
shown in Table 5 below:
Table 5: Example of output combinations
Output Audio/Video Preset Audio Track Delivery Publish Point

1 Video1/Audio1 English RTMP CDN1 primary/backup
46 HERO / HMS
3 Video1/Audio1 English HLS CDN1 primary/backup
5 Video1/Audio1 English Recording Local ts file
6 Video1/Audio1 Spanish RTMP CDN1 primary/backup
8 Video1/Audio1 Spanish HLS CDN1 primary/backup
10 Video1/Audio1 Spanish Recording Local ts file
15 Video2/Audio1 English Recording Local ts file
20 Video2/Audio1 Spanish Recording Local ts file
Note that despite the large number of outputs, the actual processing power requirements remain sub-
stantially low and equivalent to encoding just two outputs (with video1/audio1-EN and video2/audio1-
ESP presets).
Further, depending on the use-case, outputs are designated as Live or VoD. In the sections below, de-
tailed information is provided for each output type. Each section name designates whether the output
type is LIVE or FILE. FILE/VoD outputs only apply when a channel is used for VoD transcoding (has a
Watch folder set as input).
47 HERO / HMS
4.3.5.2 LIVE: MPEG-2 TS Output
Figure 46: MPEG-2 TS Output Configuration
 Primary/Secondary Output Address: The output unicast or multicast IP address to deliver the
stream. Two separate broadcast IPs, Ports and Network Interfaces can be used, for redundancy,
monitoring or load balancing purposes.
 Primary/Secondary Output Port: The UDP port to deliver the stream.
 Primary/Secondary Network Interface: Select the network interface (virtual or physical) to be used
for the broadcast.
 Program Number: Identifier to distinguish each channel on an MPTS MUX. Use 0 for automatic as-
signment of the next available program number. When redundancy is used, the two identical
streams needs to have the same Program Number, in this case, it is advised to use a specific value
instead of 0 (automatic assignment).
 PMT/Video/Audio PIDs: The PIDs of the video/audio streams for the TS output. Use either decimal
or hexadecimal notation (e.g. 16 or 0x10). Use 0 for auto-assignment, otherwise make sure that the
value is between 16 and 8190 (decimal).
 Subtitle/Audio Language Designation: Select the 3-letter designation for the language of each
output track. This information is reflected in the Language Descriptor field in the Program Map Table
(PMT).
 PSI Interval: Sets the period (in milliseconds) for the program Information tables (PAT/PMT). A val-
ue between 30 and 300ms is recommended; while lower values occupy more bandwidth (e.g. a val-
ue of 100ms adds 30kbps overhead while a value of 330 adds about 9kbps overhead).
 SCTE-35 Pass-through: Controls whether SCTE-35/110 ad-insertion signals from the source are
passed through to the output stream.
48 HERO / HMS
 Enable TS over RTP: Controls whether TS packets are wrapped within RTP packets. This is only
needed when certain downstream components require it. Default value is off.
 MUX Rate: Dictates the overall TS bitrate in kbps, NULL packets are added to reach the indicated
bitrate. If the value is too low for the audio/video/encapsulation data the MUX rate is adjusted up-
ward automatically. This setting is ignored when NULL padding is disabled. Use 0 to let HERO de-
cide on the lowest possible MUX rate.
 NULL Packet Padding: Enables the additional NULL packets in the TS stream to match the set
CBR mux rate. For maximum compliance this needs to be enabled for TS live broadcast, for TS file
output (e.g. iPhone HTTP adaptive streaming) it is best to be disabled.
 Multicast TTL: Sets the TTL value to allow the UDP data to be routed to different subnets/networks.
 ATS/EBP Duration : Sets the smooth streaming fragment or HLS segment.
 On input loss: Select output mode when input is lost. (Use evergreen, No stream and No Output
etc)
 Enable HLS Output: Enables output compliant with Apple HTTP adaptive streaming. See Section
below for more details.
4.3.5.3 LIVE: Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) Output

This option is available within the MPEG-2 TS - HLS Output option and is covered here separately due
to the multitude of settings associated with it.
HERO’s logic automatically generates and uploads the segments on the designated publishing point
along with the corresponding playlist file (.m3u8). As more segments become available, past ones are
removed from the variant playlist(s). The entire process is coordinated in order to avoid buffering on the
player side and minimize end-to-end latency.
When adaptive streaming is enabled, multiple variants of the same content are made available at the
same time and a master playlist is generated to reference all the available variants. HERO does not im-
pose any limits on the number of variants per master playlist and further it allows for multiple master
playlists to be created within the same Channel.
HERO ensures that all variants are frame-aligned in order to deliver seamless user experience when:
 Network conditions or player resources dictate a switch over to a higher or lower bitrate variant.
 Failover events on current Device/appliance dictate that variants are to be generated by a differ-
ent Device/appliance.
49 HERO / HMS
Figure 47: HTTP Adaptive Streaming Output Configuration
 Time/Sequence Tagging: Sets the naming convention for the segment filename. Various options
are available to accommodate specific use-cases, as shown below:
Table 6: HLS Segment naming conventions
Sequential 0-based index that counts the number of segments produced since the channel started
“segm”<6-digit>”.ts” segm000005.ts
Timestamp YYMMDDHHMMSSmmm time stamp of the instance the segment was created
“segm”<15-digit>”.ts” segm130107212024568.ts
Timestamp + sequential Combination of cases above

“segm”<15-digits>”-”<6-digits>”.ts” segm130107212024568-000005.ts
Start-time + sequential YYMMDDHHMMSSmmm time stamp of the instance the channel was created
“segm”<15-digits>”-”<6-digits>”.ts” segm130107212024568-000005.ts
 Segment Suffix or Name: Further appends the segment filename with a user defined string. Typi-
cally used to separate adaptive delivery variants (for example when all variants are put in the same
folder).
Path: Enter the full path for the publishing destination of the TS segments and the playlist/manifest file
of the variant. HERO's publishing logic makes every effort to create the designated path. Depending on
the configuration of the WebDAV/HTTP/FTP server the path may need to be manually created in ad-
vance. A secondary path field is also provided for redundancy or load-balancing purposes. The path
syntax is shown in
 Table 7 below:
50 HERO / HMS
Table 7: Syntax of HLS segment publishing path
Local always start with “videos/”

“videos/”<path> videos/ch_1/high
HTTP POST/PUT Basic HTTP authentication is supported. The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no au-
thentication is needed.
“http://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/”<path> http://user:pass@httpserver.net/ch_1/high/
WebDAV Basic HTTP authentication is supported. The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no au-
“webdav://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/”<path> webdav://user:pass@httpserver.net/ch_1/high/
FTP The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no authentication is needed.

“ftp://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/”<path> ftp://user:pass@ftpserver.net/ch_1/high/
Secondary Path
 Secondary Path : Same as above, used for redundancy or load-balancing purposes.
 Duration: The duration of each segment in seconds. It is advised to avoid using values lower than 5
seconds. For correct alignment of IDR frames, duration needs to be a multiple of the GOP length (in
seconds) of the corresponding video preset. For example, if video frame rate is 15 fps and GOP
length is set to 45 frames, then duration needs to be a multiple of 3.
 Segment ring size: The number of segments references at each given time in the manifest/playlist
file.
 Program ID: An integer to distinguish the current Channel from others in the master playlist. The
outputs that use the same input/source and need to be part of the same delivery should be set to
the same Program ID for adaptive streaming to recognize them as variants of the same content. Set
to 1 if not used.
 Bandwidth Allocation: The minimum bandwidth in bps needed for the delivery of the current vari-
ant from the HTTP server to the user’s device. Make sure to allocate at least 20% overhead on top
of video+audio bandwidth to compensate for the encapsulation and network overhead.
 Start segment with IDR: Explicitly instruct HERO to produce segments that always start with an
IDR frame. This is not required by the Apple HLS draft (for iOS devices) but is highly recommended
for HLS-type of delivery to other devices/players, such as Android or set-top-box players. If the
segment duration is not a multiple of the GOP length, this option may produce segments with vary-
ing duration in order to always comply with the IDR requirement.
 Keep remote segments: HERO automatically removes past segments and updates the mani-
fest/playlist each time a new segment becomes available. When this option is checked, past seg-
ments are not removed. This option accommodates VoD or catch-up TV type of use-cases.
 Segments per directory: Holds the number of segments allowed per directory. When this number
is reached, a new subdirectory is created to hold the additional segments. Set to 0 to disable subdi-
rectory creation.
 Master Playlist Path: Enter the full path and the filename for the master playlist/manifest file. All
variants/outputs that have the same master playlist path are referenced in that master playlist. This
way, several master playlists can be generated within the same channel (e.g. one for 3G and one
for WiFi networks). The path syntax is shown in Table 8 below:
 Secondary master Playlist Path: Same as above, used for redundancy or load-balancing purpos-
es.
Table 8: Syntax of HLS playlist publishing path
Local always start with “videos/”
51 HERO / HMS
“videos/”<path>/<filename>”.m3u8” videos/ch_1/m.m3u8
HTTP POST/PUT Basic HTTP authentication is supported. The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no au-
“http://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/” http://user:pass@httpserver.net/ch_1/m.m3u8
<path>/<filename>”.m3u8”
WebDAV Basic HTTP authentication is supported. The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no au-
“webdav://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/” webdav://user:pass@httpserver.net/ch_1/m.m3u8
<path>/<filename>”.m3u8”
FTP The <user>:<pass>@ part can be omitted if no authentication is needed.

“ftp://”<user>”:”<pass>”@”<server>”/” ftp://user:pass@ftpserver.net/ch_1/m.m3u8
<path>”/”<filename>”.m3u8”
 Variant playlist path: Enter the relative path to reach the variant playlist file, e.g. if the master
playlist is located at videos/ch1/master.m3u8 and the variant playlist path is videos/ch1/low
then the relative path for the variant is low.
 Upload retry interval: Period in seconds to wait before retrying a failed segment publishing at-
tempt.
 Upload retries: Reflects the number of retries permitted in case publishing fails. For indefinitely, set
to 0. Note that HERO will abandon publishing (and discard) segments that have fallen off of the real-
time window.
 Enable encryption: Indicates whether encrypted delivery is needed. AES-128 encrypted segments
are also supported by HERO and different integration options are available depending on the specif-
ics of each deployment.
 Key refresh: Designates the frequency of the key rotation, in number of segments. Set to 0 to turn
off key rotation.
 Key URI in playlist: Sets the publicly accessible HTTP path to retrieve the encryption key. This URI
is put in the variant playlist and typically authentication/validation is required before the key file is
served. For example, if set to http://server.net/ch_1/high, then at each key rotation, the
variant playlist will include a line similar to:
#EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=AES-128,URI=" http://server.net/ch_1/high/segmX.key"
where X is the index of the current key file.
HERO supports a number of DRM/CA vendors, as well as native key generation. Separate Tech-
notes are available to provide guidance on specific DRM/CA platforms.
Note that several settings from the TS/UDP configuration (see 4.3.5.2) also apply in the HLS out-
puts. Specifically:
 NULL Packet Padding: It is generally recommended to disable this, in order to reduce overall
bitrate.
 PSI Interval: It is generally recommended to set this to match the segment duration, in order to
reduce overall bitrate. HERO automatically inserts Program Information at the beginning of each
segment, regardless of the PSI interval value.
 PIDs: PID related fields also apply in the HLS output case.
 MUX rate: Generally does not apply, as NULL padding is disabled.
 Program Number: Ensure that a value other than 0 is used when configuring HLS streams for
high-availability. Specifically, when publishing to a primary and a backup origin, make sure the
two outputs have the same (non 0) Program Number.
52 HERO / HMS
4.3.5.4 LIVE: Flash/RTMP Streaming Output
Figure 48: Flash/RTMP Output Configuration
 Broadcast/Secondary Address: The IP address of the RTMP server (e.g. Flash Media Server) or
a multicast address that the server can access. No rtmp:// prefix or / suffix is needed.
 Broadcast Port: The TCP port for the RTMP server, default is 1935.
 Broadcast/Secondary Path: The target application name (and instance, if used) on the RTMP
server. No / suffix is needed.
 Stream Name: Name to uniquely identify the stream on the RTMP server. Include any authentica-
tion or other tokens (e.g. ch1_1@4563)
 Connection retry interval: Period in seconds to wait before retrying a failed segment publishing at-
tempt. It is recommended to be set to 5 seconds.
 Connection retries: Reflects the number of retries permitted in case publishing fails. For indefinite-
ly, set to 99999.
 SCTE-35 pass-through: When enabled, ad-insertion avails from the source will be converted to
equivalent frame-accurate RTMP metadata. Reference related Tech-Note from Media Excel for
more details.
 Absolute Timestamp: When enabled, the RTMP feed will be tagged with absolute time instead of
time based on the channel start time.
 SMIL Playlist Path: Enter a local (or network share) path for HERO to produce a SMIL file with all
the adaptive variants of the channel. Outputs that share the same SMIL path, will be references in a
single SMIL file. This file can be used to configure adaptive delivery on the RTMP client side.
Exampe: videos/ch1.smil). An example of the SMIL file format is shown below:
53 HERO / HMS
<smil>
<head>
<meta base="rtmp://rtmp.server.com/application_path" />
</head>
<body>
<switch>
<video src="myStream_300p" system-bitrate="456789" width="400" height="300"></video>
<video src="myStream_90p" system-bitrate="123456" width="120" height="90"></video>
</switch>
</body>
</smil>
Also, when serving SMIL files for Flash playback, be aware of any cross-domain permission issues.
When the SMIL file is served from a domain other than the one the Flash player resides, then a
crossdomain.xml file needs to be placed on the root of the domain that serves the SMIL file. A
sample of the file contents is shown below:
<cross-domain-policy>
<allow-access-from domain="*" />
<site-control permitted-cross-domain-policies="master-only" />
</cross-domain-policy>
For more detail, on the cross-domain file syntax and options, refer to Adobe Cross Domain Policy
File Specification.
 CDN Authentication: If authentication is required, select the CDN vendor.
 Username: The username for the CDN account.
 Password: The password for the CDN account.
 Public IP: The public IP address used to access the CDN origin. This is only used for the CDN to
pick the closest entrypoint/origin. You can use http://www.whatismyip.com/ to obtain a public IP ad-
dress for the current location.
HERO automatically communicates with the RTMP server and sets up the required publishing points for
the streaming session. No configuration is need on the RTMP server side apart from it being operation-
al and having live streaming enabled. Ensure that any firewalls between HERO and the RTMP server
are configured to allow TCP traffic on the broadcast address/port configured above.
The RTMP URL has the following syntax:

rtmp://<broadcast address>:<broadcast port>/<broadcast path>/<Stream Name>
Example 1:
For a publishing point similar to: rtmp://10.0.0.122:1935/webtv/ch1_1

Broadcast Address: 10.0.0.122
Broadcast Port: 1935
Broadcast Path: webtv
Stream Name: ch1_1
Example 2: (Akamai CDN)
54 HERO / HMS
For a publishing point similar to: rtmp://p.ep1234.i.akamaientrypoint.net/EntryPoint
Broadcast Address: p.ep1234.i.akamaientrypoint.net
Broadcast Port: 1935
Broadcast Path: EntryPoint
Stream Name: ch1_1@4563
CDN Authentication: Akamai
Username: user_name123
Password: password456
Public IP: 0.0.0.0
For publishing to multiple entry points simultaneously, make a copy of the output and adjust the publish-
ing point address accordingly.
4.3.5.5 LIVE: Smooth Streaming Output
Figure 49: Smooth Streaming Output Configuration
 Fragment duration: (in frames) Number of frames per fragment. Typically set to 2 seconds, de-
pending on the GOP length of the corresponding video preset.
(PMT).
 Publishing Point URL: URL of the IIS publishing point to be used for this service. The syntax is:
<protocol>://<server address>:<port>/<publishing point path>
 <protocol> specifies the protocol used; valid values are http and https.
 <port> specifies the TCP port on IIS, default is 80.
 <server address> specifies a valid network identifier for the target server, such as a hostname,
fully qualified hostname, IPv4 IP address or IPv6 IP address.
 <publishing point path> specifies the absolute path of the publishing point on the server, which
must end in the extension .isml.
For example: http://10.0.0.127/live.isml
 Secondary Point URL : Same as above, used for redundancy or load-balancing purposes.
 PlayReady DRM: Select the PlayReady CAS provider. Depending on the configuration various pro-
viders are available. Reference corresponding Tech-Note for more details on end-to-end PlayReady
configuration.
55 HERO / HMS
 Key Server URL: An HTTPS URL in order to HERO to communicate with the DRM provider. The
value is obtained from the DRM provider and is the same across all outputs and channels.
 Media ID: Uniquely identifies the content of the specific output. The value is obtained from the DRM
provider and is different to each output and channel.
 Key GUID: (Optional) Unique identifier for the DRM provider. The value is obtained from the DRM
provider and is the same across all outputs and channels.
HERO automatically communicates with IIS server and sets up the required manifest files for the
streaming session. No configuration is needed on the IIS server side apart from the setup of a publish-
ing point.
For smooth streaming delivery the following restrictions apply:
 Only H.264/AAC codecs are supported.
 All output variants use the same publishing point (contrary to other adaptive delivery technolo-
gies).
 Frame rate and GOP length should be identical for all outputs of the same adaptive delivery.
 Only one output should have audio configured. All other outputs should have no audio tracks
at all.
 Synchronization between outputs (even across multiple HERO appliances) is coordinated au-
tomatically through HMS.
4.3.5.6 LIVE: MPEG-DASH Output
Figure 50: MPEG-DASH Output Configuration
 MPD Name: Holds the filename for the MPD file.

 MPD Update Interval: How frequently (in seconds) the MPD file will be updated during the live ses-
sion. (use 0 to indicate no updates).
 Base URL: (Optional) URL to indicate relative or absolute path for the location of the media assets.
 Segment Type: Type of the MPD, “Sequential” or “Start time + Sequential”
Path: Indicates the storage path of the MPEG-DASH related files. FTP, WebDAV and HTTP POST
paths can also be used. (reference
 Table 7 for more details on the syntax).

 Segment Name: Prefix of the media filename to distinguish the specific output from others. A se-
quence number is appended.
 Segments Ring Size: Indicates how many past media files to maintain at each time. Media files
outside this window are deleted. Set to 0 to disable deletion of past media files.
 Segmentation Duration: Indicates the duration of each media segment in seconds.
56 HERO / HMS
 Adaptation Set ID: Indicates the adaptation set this output will belong to.
 Representation Set ID: Indicates the representation set this output will belong to. A channel may
have multiple representation sets (e.g. premium vs. standard, HD vs. SD etc).
 Mode: “Dynamic” mode indicates a Live session, where newly joined clients will begin playing as
close as possible to Live. “Static” mode indicates a DVR-type of session, where newly joined clients
will begin playing from the start of the event/session.
HERO/HMS supports MPEG-DASH output based on the ISO/IEC DIS 23009-1:2012 specification. The
MPD files and associated media files (initialization and media segments) are generated and updated by
HERO.
The following limitations currently apply:
 Only 1 period per MPD is generated.

 Multiple adaptation sets are supported for the same content/channel. Eventually, support for
multi-camera views will be added.
 The media format complies with the ISO Base Media File Format specification (ISO/IEC
14496-12). Media formats based on MPEG-2 Transport Stream as defined in ISO/IEC 13818-2
will be supported in future releases based on market demand.
Based on the MPEG-DASH naming convention the following associations are in place:
MPEG-DASH HMS
Representation = Output
Adaptation Set = Set of Output
Thus, a DASH stream with one adaptation set and three representations is essentially represented on
HMS as a single channel with three outputs. Eventually multiple channels can be combined with the
same MPD to deliver an MPEG-DASH stream with multiple adaptation sets and representations (e.g.
for multi-camera view).
Audio and video data may be MUXed together in the same media segment (same adaptation set and
representation) or kept separate as audio and video media segments (different adaptation sets). In or-
der to generate separate adaptation sets for audio and video, utilize “No Audio” or “No Video” presets
for each output and configure separate audio and video outputs accordingly.
4.3.5.7 LIVE: MP4 Chunk Output
Figure 51: MP4 Chunk Output Configuration
 Filename: The path and base filename of the file(s) to be created.

 Output filename suffix: Suffix appended to the filename. Typically used to designate the current
output from others.
 Frame Count: The number of frames to be included in each file. To determine the duration in se-
conds divide the frame count value with the frame rate of the video preset used. .e.g. 450 frames at
15 fps equal 30 seconds per file.
57 HERO / HMS
 Ring Size: The number of files to be generated before starting over the sequence. (zero-based
count).
 Window Size: The number of files to be generated before beginning overwriting the old ones. (zero-
based count).
 FTP URL: FTP location to upload each file once generated. Include the username and password in
the URL for example: ftp://username:passowrd@ftpserver.com/path/
 Progressive download: When checked, produced MP4 files are hinted to aid progressive down-
load/playback. This introduces a post processing step that may increase the turn-around time of the
output file, especially when frame count is too high. It also introduces 2-3kbps overhead.
For more details regarding the MP4 output, refer to Appendix A. current list of standards and CDN ven-
dors supported.
4.3.5.8 FILE: MP4 Archiving Output
Figure 52: MP4 Archiving Output Configuration
This option is only used for VoD transcoding.

 Output filename suffix: Suffix appended to the filename. Typically used to designate the current
output from others.
 Progressive download: When checked, produced MP4 files are hinted to aid progressive down-
load/playback. This introduces a post processing step that may increase the turn-around time of the
output file, especially when for long clips. It also introduces 2-3kbps overhead.
 Control Dictates whether recording starts from the time the channel is started or from an external
trigger (e.g. recording button on HMS GUI, call from ecosystem automation etc)
58 HERO / HMS
4.3.5.9 FILE: HLS Archiving Output
Figure 53: HLS Archiving Output Configuration

For configuration guidance refer to LIVE: Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) Output4.3.5.3. The only
difference between Live and VoD configuration is the lack of sliding-window related parameters (seg-
ment ring size etc) in the VoD case.
4.3.5.10 FILE: ISMV Archiving Output
Figure 54: ISMV Smooth Streaming Archiving Output Configuration

For configuration guidance refer to LIVE: Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) Output4.3.5.3. The only
difference between Live and VoD configuration is the use of the Group ID field in the VoD case.
 Group ID: Use this to group together multiple outputs into a single multirate ISML file. When the
same Group ID is used across 2 or more outputs of the same channel, those outputs are put in one
multirate ISML file.
59 HERO / HMS
4.3.5.11 FILE: MPEG-DASH Archiving Output
Figure 55: MPEG-DASH Archiving Output Configuration

For configuration guidance refer to LIVE: Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) Output4.3.5.3.
4.3.6 Roles
A Role is a collection of Channels. Roles are assigned to HERO Devices to deliver the associated
Channels/Outputs. A Role can be assigned to several HEROs at the same time, while a HERO appli-
ance can only have one Role at any given time.
It is not allowed to mix Live and VoD channels in the same Role, as a single HERO Device can only
behave as a VoD or Live transcoder at any time (depended upon the Group it belongs).
Figure 56: Roles List View
The Roles List View displays a list of the currently configured Roles with details about their respective
channels. Clicking directly on a Channel link brings up the configuration options of the Channel. Roles
can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row. New ones can be added by clicking the Add button
at the bottom of the page.
The Role Add/Edit View is shown below:
60 HERO / HMS
Figure 57: Role Add/Edit View
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the Role.

 Status: Read-only field to indicate whether the Role is in use by any Device and whether that De-
vice is currently in Running state.
 Channels: Select one or more channels to include in the Role. Use the Remove button on the right
to remove a Channel from the Role.
When a Channel in a Role is in Running State, it is shown as read-only and only changes to non-
running Channels are permitted. See example below:
st
Figure 58: Role Edit View with the 1 Channel in Running State
Caution: A Role with one or more standby channels/slots is not permitted to be assigned to more than
one Device. A warning message will appear and the operation will be aborted.
4.3.7 Devices
4.3.7.1 Overview
A Device building block represents a specific HERO appliance (either a HERO 5000 physical appliance
or a HERO-VS virtual appliance). Each Device can process multiple Channels at the same time, as dic-
tated by the Role it is assigned. It is important to highlight here, that the Device is the only building block
that corresponds to tangible assets and, as such, all concepts and building blocks converge around the
Device concept. The currently available Devices are enumerated in the Devices List View.
61 HERO / HMS
Figure 59: Devices List View
Channels can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row or new ones can be added by clicking the
Add button at the bottom of the page. Further, by clicking the corresponding Role or Group link you can
navigate directly to the respective entity.
The Search button, at the bottom of the page, allows for HERO Devices to be auto-discovered. Refer to
4.3.1 for more details on this feature.
The Device Add/Edit view is shown below:
Figure 60: HERO Device Add/Edit View
The top part of the page controls the basic settings and information for the Device, more details are
presented below.
The middle part provides configuration tools for the setup of each source/input associated with the
Channels allocated to the specific Device.
Finally, the bottom part controls the integration with IP switches and ASI/SDI routers and is only appli-
cable when switch/router control is needed. For more details on this refer to Section 6.2.2.
62 HERO / HMS
4.3.7.2 Basic Settings:
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the Device.
 Host: The IP address of the first available network interface (physical or virtual).
 Group: Select the Group for the Device to belong to. Refer to Section 4.3.8 for more details on this.
 Role: Select the Role for the Device. Refer to Section 4.3.5.8 for more details on this.
 IPMI Address : The IPMI address to debug this unit remotely.
 Max Channels: Designated the maximum number of channels permitted on this Device. This does
not take into account the processing power of each Device, but it provides a safety mechanism to
prevent over-commissioning of Channels on a single HERO Device.
On the right side of this section, in the blue box, a series of HERO identity data are provided. Refer to
this box when requested by Media Excel Support team to provide serial number and other hardware
configuration related information. This section also provides details on the I/O modules available on the
Device.
4.3.7.3 Source Configuration:

This table reflects the relationships between the physical inputs/plugs of the Device and the associated
Channels. Therefore, an ASI feed from a specific BNC port can be shared among multiple Channels.
This table gets updated each time the Role of the Device changes and reflects the source-types
(UDP/IP, RTP/RTSP, ASI, SDI, etc) indicated in the Channel configuration settings.
Figure 61: Device Source Configuration Table
The example on Figure 61 above shows:
 Channel #1 is using SDI ports 1

 Channels #2, #3, #4 are mapped to UDP/IP feeds
This architecture closely replicates the physical architecture where an appliance has already configured
its input ports with the available/needed feeds and channels are assigned to run on top of this configu-
ration. Thus, the settings (e.g. PIDs) on the Device configuration level override those in the Channel
configuration level. This effectively makes a Channel building block reusable in multiple Devices, since
each Device can have its own specific input configuration.
To further illustrate this, let’s consider the following Channel building blocks configured on HMS:
63 HERO / HMS
Figure 62: Example of Channel Configuration on HMS
Once those Channels are assigned to a specific HERO Device, they inherit its physical (cabling) config-
uration, as shown in the example below:
Figure 63: Example of Channels Applied on a HERO
Further, note that Channel #1 has been used twice on the same Device. However, because different in-
puts are configured at the Device level, the outputs are different as well.
Evergreen Confirmation Dialog

The Evergreen button, allows for operator to define the behavior of the specific channel in cases of in-
put loss. The button is only enabled for Channels that are not currently in running state.
64 HERO / HMS
Figure 64: Evergreen Configuration Dialog
Specifically, the operator can define what content is to be delivered in case of source outage. The op-
tions for the video range from a blue screen to a still image, while the audio can be muted, kept as is, or
replaced by a 1KHz tone.
Further, the operator can pre-configure up to 4 playlist that will be available for manual switchover if
needed. The switchover is performed using the Replace Source button in the Device Monitor page (re-
fer to 4.4.3.2). This helps mask a long source outage by providing audience with alternative content.
The pre-configuration step ensures that no mistakes are made at production time (e.g. load content that
is not authorized or appropriate for the channel).
Back at the Device Configuration Dialog, the Auto Restore check box at the very last column (refer to
Figure 61) controls whether the Channel automatically resumes to the live content once it is available,
or instead remain in Evergreen Mode until the Operator manually switches it back to the live source. In
an unattended deployment, the Auto Restore box needs to be checked for all channels. However, in a
24x7 monitored deployment, the Operator may choose to assume control of the channel restore time
and ensure that the outage is fully addressed before switching back to live feed (and avoid frequent ev-
ergreen-live switchovers as the problem is being worked on).
4.3.8 Groups
A Group is a collection of Devices (HERO or HERO VS appliances) and designates a separate logical
unit based on physical location or business logic. For example, a Group may contain all Devices in a
specific data centre (e.g. NY vs. Tokyo) or all Devices that deliver a specific service (e.g. BBC LiveTV
vs. MTV VoD). Each Device needs to belong to a single Group and a Group may contain none or sev-
eral Devices. The Group entity serves the following purposes:
 Separates business units.
 Allows for central management of separate geographical locations or topologies (cloud and
ground).
 Allows for separate redundancy strategies to be applied based on significance and priority.
 Isolates Statistical Rate Control pools.
The currently available Groups are enumerated in the Groups List View.
65 HERO / HMS
Figure 65: Groups List View
Groups can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row or new ones can be added by clicking the
Add button at the bottom of the page. The Group Add/Edit view is shown below:
Figure 66: Group Add/Edit View
 Name: A name to uniquely identify the Group.

 Redundancy plan: Dictates the failover policy that applies to this group.
 N+M: Any failed channel can take over any of the available redundant encoding slots.
 1+1: The same channel is run in two separate encoding slots simultaneously, once the primary
one is failed the redundant channel is “unmuted” to continue the service delivery. More infor-
mation regarding the configuration of 1+1 failover policy is provided in a separate tech note.
 Event Configuration : Event configuration provide a user manageable event mechanism to per-
form event action such like fail-over, channel restart or stop etc.
Figure 67: Event Configuration
 Set to default: Reset all configuration to default values.
66 HERO / HMS
4.3.9 Watch Folders

Watch folders are essentially an input and output mechanism for VoD transcoding workflows. The De-
vice, Role, Channels relationship in the File Domain applies the same way as in Live. The difference is
that the input/source in the File Domain is a Watch folder instead of live streams (ASI, UDP/IP, SDI etc).
Accordingly, the outputs of a Channel can be a variety of options (streams or files).
To configure a Watch folder use the Watch folder Configuration Dialog in the Configuration tab. A
Watch folder can be assigned to a single or multiple Channels and/or Devices, essentially allowing one
of multiple HEROs to monitor and process the same workflows/queues.
Watch folders can be configured at different locations:
 Local HERO File System: For simple and low traffic VoD transcoding workflows, HERO’s own
file system can be utilized for asset storage. This practice is highly discouraged for production-
level workflows and should be avoided.
 SMB/CIFS: SMB/CIFS shares can be configured for input and output locations. Appropriate cre-
dentials need to provide with corresponding permissions (e.g. write access for the out folder).
Use the full URN as in this example: \\1.2.3.4\share\in
 NFS: NFS mounts can be configured for input and output locations. Contact your Media Excel
Support representative for guidance on setting up NFS mounts.
The currently available Watch folders are enumerated in the Watch folders List View.
Figure 68: Watch Folders List View
Watch folders can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row or new ones can be added by clicking
the Add button at the bottom of the page. The Watch folder Add/Edit view is shown below:
67 HERO / HMS
Figure 69: Watch Folders Add/Edit View
 Name: A field to uniquely identify the Watch folder.

 Group : Select file group.
 Status : Sets the Watch folder as enabled or not.
 Channel : Select channel profile to convert.
 Job priority : Select job priority.
 Output Filename Prefix: Specifies a prefix for the output filename. All outputs produced from an
asset originating from this watch folder will have this prefix in their filename.
 Input Folder: Provides the network location of the input folder. This is the folder to be monitored
for dropped files. This network location needs to be accessible to the Devices using this Watch
folder.
 Done Folder: Provides the network location of the source files to be moved to when each job is
completed. This network location needs to be accessible to the Devices using this Watch folder.
 Output Folder: Provide the network location of the output files to be placed into when each job
is completed. This network location needs to be accessible to the Devices using this Watch fold-
er.
 Delete option : Check this option to remove source file after converting.
4.3.10 Tasks
Tasks provide a flexible mechanism to perform certain functions on Channels based on date/time. For
example, a Channel can be instructed to start at certain time of the day and stop at another, or a re-
cording can be initiated etc.
68 HERO / HMS
Figure 70: Tasks List View
Tasks can be edited by clicking on the corresponding row or new ones can be added by clicking the
Add button at the bottom of the page. The Tasks Add/Edit view is shown below:
Figure 71: Tasks Add/Edit View
 Name: A field to uniquely identify the Task.

 Group: Select the Group to which the Task will be applied. Only Channels of this Group will be
affected.
 Channel: Select the Channel to which the Task will be applied.
 Task: Select the type of Task to perform. Depending on the type, sub-options may become
available.
 Date: Provide the date (in YYYY-MM-DD format) on which the Task will be triggered. For recur-
ring Tasks, the Date is not taken into account can be omitted.
 Time: Provide the time (in HH-MM-SS format) on which the Task will be triggered.
 Recurring Daily/Weekly: Check or select the recurring frequency of the Task. Select either a
daily or weekly option, not both.
 State: Controls whether the Task is active or not.
Once a task is triggered and executed an entry is produced in the Event log.
69 HERO / HMS
4.4 Monitoring
4.4.1 Overview
The Monitor Tab provides a full view of the encoding/transcoding farm and the status of each Device.
Starting from this page, detailed information regarding all aspects of the deployment can be retrieved.
Further, through the tools available in the Monitor Tab each Device can be administered individually
and Channels can be started/stopped or put in Standby mode.
4.4.2 Group Monitor View
4.4.2.1 Overview
The dashboard provides complete visibility on the Groups and Devices that are associated with the
HMS deployment. Two main sections in the dashboard page isolate the Live from the File Groups.
Within each section, HERO Devices are represented by rectangular color boxes. Each box represents a
separate appliance and displays the following information:
 Device name: e.g. dev_WebTV

 Connection status: on or off
 Redundancy Mode: Manual or Active
 Status: Running or Stopped
 Role: the name of the Role assigned to the Device
Figure 72: HMS Main Monitor Page
Each box is color-coded to indicate a different state:
70 HERO / HMS
 Red: The Device is currently offline
 Yellow: The Device is online but is not currently running
 Green: The Device is online and running in manual mode
 Light Green: The Device is online and running in active mode
Additionally, each Group can be displayed separately by selecting the name of the Group from the list
on the top left side of the page. The name of the currently selected Group is displayed right below in
bold.
On the right top of the Group Monitor page, the following options are available:
 Refresh: To update the Group Monitor page.

 Admin: To administer the currently selected Group and its associated Devices. More details on
this presented in the Section 4.4.2.2 below.
4.4.2.2 Group Administration

The “admin” link on the top right side of the Group Monitor page provides access to the Group Admin-
istration page as shown below:
Figure 73: Group Administration Page
This allows for firmware updates to be applied to all Devices of a Group simultaneously and drastically
minimizes the firmware update time. For the update process follow the steps below:
1. Select the Group of Devices to update.

2. Select the Firmware Update from the list on the right. For more details in making firmware up-
dates available on HMS refer to Section 4.4.5.4 below.
3. Click the Update button. After a few seconds the names of the updated Devices will be displayed.
4. Click the Restart button to initiate a hardware restart on all selected Devices, so that the firmware
update process can be completed.
5. Once all Devices are back online, the new firmware version will be displayed in the Device Moni-
tor page. An event log entry is also generated to indicate the completion of the firmware update
process.
Furthermore, a Sync Time button is available in order to force time synchronization among all selected
Devices. HMS’s time is used for this. This is useful when an NTP server is not available or accessible.
4.4.3 Device Monitor

Clicking on any of the Devices brings up the Device Monitor page, with extensive details regarding the
configuration and status of the channels and outputs associated with the selected Device.
71 HERO / HMS
Figure 74: Device/Channel Monitor Page (Live Group)
Alternatively, when the Device belongs to a File-based Group, the Monitor page shows the correspond-
ing watch folders and queue configuration.
Watch
folder
#1 Channel #1
Channel #2
HERO Device A
Watch fold-
er
#2
Channel #2
Channel #3
Watch HERO Device B

folder
#3
File Group
Figure 75: Watch folder – Channel – Device – Group correlation example
Each Device may have multiple Channels, each Channel with its own Watch folder. Further, the same
Watch folder can be shared across multiple Devices in a load balancing type of architecture. The dia-
gram above illustrates a scenario where two Devices have two Channels each, but share the same
Watch folder for one of those Channels.
72 HERO / HMS
In the monitor page of a File transcoding Device, two queues are shown:
 Queued Jobs: Input assets from all watch folders (all Channels) of the Device
 Completed Jobs: Completed (successfully or not) jobs
Figure 76: Device/Channel Monitor Page (File Group)
Caution: When an asset is transcoded, it is ignored from the incoming queue if it is resubmitted. To pro-
cess the same asset multiple times, make sure to clear/remove it from the Completed Jobs queue first
by pressing the x or check icon at the rightmost column.
4.4.3.1 Device Control

The topmost section, as shown above, displays information about the HERO Device and allows for
starting and stopping all Channels at once, using the Start/Stop All button.
More specifically:
 Host: The name of the selected Device. Clicking on the link brings up the Device Configuration
View. Refer to Section 4.3.7 for more details.
 Role: The Role currently assigned. Clicking on the link brings up the Role Configuration View. Refer
to Section 4.3.5.8 for more details.
 Mode: Indicates whether the Device is in Active or Manual mode in respect to redundancy and failo-
ver. Use the selection box and Change Mode button to change the mode of the Device.
 Status: Indicates whether the Device is currently accessibly by the HMS. A Device in OFF status
displays minimal information.
 Version: The firmware version of the HERO Device.
 Modules: The hardware configuration of the Device. The numbers indicate the number of encod-
ing/transcoding modules detected and the hardware version respectively.
 NIC1/2/3/4/5/6: Enumerates the IP addresses assigned to all configured NICs.
73 HERO / HMS
The Multicast Traffic button at the top right provides information regarding the UDP/IP multicast traffic
currently available to the Device. It is mainly used for troubleshooting purposes. Once clicked, a pop-up
window is presented with all the related information, as shown below. Note that IGMPv3 enabled net-
works may not register multicast traffic with this tool, unless the specific multicast is actively
used/consumed by the Device. The Multicast Traffic button is only available when one or more of the
Channels in the Device are configured with UDP/IP source.
Figure 77: UDP/IP Multicast Traffic Window
The Scan ASI/SDI button at the top right provides information regarding the ASI/SDI signals currently
available to the Device. It is mainly used for troubleshooting purposes. Once clicked, a pop-up window
is presented with all the related information, as shown below. The Scan ASI/SDI button is only available
when one or more of the Channels in the Device are configured with ASI or SDI source. Allow a few se-
conds for the detection process to probe all input ports for signal.
Figure 78: ASI/SDI Signal Detection Window
4.4.3.2 Channel Monitor/Control

The right pane of the Device Monitor page provides runtime statistics of all Channels and Outputs relat-
ed to the HERO appliance selected and permits starting and stopping each channel individually. This
74 HERO / HMS
provides full visibility for the status and streams of the selected Device. Each individual box refers to a
single Channel and its associated outputs.
Figure 79: Channel/Outputs Monitor Pane
The top part provides statistics regarding the input properties while the bottom list refers to the outputs.
Each row corresponds to a separate Output and the first column enumerates the Outputs. When an
Output is part of an active Statistical Rate Control pool the letters SR are presented next to the Outputs
number, e.g. 1-SR.
Further, for each running Channel:
 A thumbnail is displayed every few seconds, to indicate the status/quality of the source
 Below the thumbnail, the CPU utilization is displayed. The first figure shows the CPU % used by
the current channel, while the second figure shows the overall idle CPU power.
 A link to the Channel Configuration View is available. Refer to Section 4.3.5 from more details.
 A link to the Source Configuration Table is available (depending on the source type). Refer to
Section 4.3.7.3 from more details.
 A Start/Stop button is available to individually control each Channel.
 A replace source link is shown to replace the source of the Channel with a static image. Refer to
Appendix B: Replace Source Automation for more details regarding this feature.
Clicking on the blue underline Channel name allows for direct Channel editing. Changes to running
Channels won’t take affect until the next Channel restart or by using other mechanisms depending upon
the type of the change (run-time set options).
Clicking on the downwards arrow in front of the Channel name switches the page to Channel Preview
mode where all details regarding the configuration and outputs of the Channel are displayed. This pro-
vides for a quick way to overview the Channel’s configuration and spot mistakes.
Clicking on an output row provides information about the connection type and access to the related
Session Description (SDP/SAP data) when applicable. For RTSP-enabled outputs specifically, a live
video preview is available provided that an RTSP plug-in/player is available for the browser.
4.4.3.3 Alert Window

On the top of the Device Monitor page, an alert window will be shown when an event associated with
the selected Device has occurred. An example is shown below:
Figure 80: Device Monitor Alert Window
To clear a specific Event click the “X” link next to it. To close the entire alert window click the
“Acknowledge All” link on the top right. To further troubleshoot the issue(s), use the Event Log link on
the top left side of the page.
75 HERO / HMS
4.4.3.4 Device Administration
Use the Admin link on the right top side of the Device Monitor page to access the Device Administration
page as shown below:
Figure 81: Device Administration Page
This allows for firmware updates to be applied to a single Device (as opposed to all Devices in a Group,
presented in Section 4.4.2.2). For the update process follow the steps below:
1. Select the Firmware Update from the list on the right. For more details in making firmware up-
dates available on HMS refer to Section 4.4.5.4 below.
2. Click the Update button. After a few seconds a message will be displayed to indicate the result of
the update process.
3. Once the Device is back online, the new firmware version will be displayed in the Device Monitor
page. An event log entry is also generated to indicate the completion of the firmware update pro-
cess.
 Sync Time and Time Zone : is available in order to force time synchronization between the Device
and HMS. This is useful when an NTP server is not available or accessible.
 Maintenance : Retrieve an archive of device log(s) for the last xx days.
 Font Configuration : Update fonts to use at scrolling text or subtitle burn-in.
 License : Save the host information file to your local system by “Download host info file”. Then pro-
vide the host file to Media Excel Support Team in order to obtain the licenses. After receiving Li-
cense Data file(s) from Media Excel, apply it to Device or HMS system, respectively.
4.4.3.5 Event Log

Use the Event Log link on the right top side of the Device Monitor page to access the Event Viewer tab
with pre-filtered event logs regarding the current Device. For more details regarding using the Event
Viewer Tab refer to Section 4.4.4.
76 HERO / HMS
4.4.3.6 Output
Use the Output link to connect to the Device’s local storage and retrieve output media files, playlists
and/or SDP files. Files are stored based on the local path and filename provided in each Output Config-
uration page and can be saved locally using your browser’s Save Link/Target As option.
A Java plug-in compatible with your web browser is needed to correctly use this page. Alternatively, the
Device’s local storage can be accessed by navigating to:
http://<HERO IP Address>/hera/videos/
Output files are cleared periodically. Do not use HERO’s local storage as a repository for media that
you need to preserve.
4.4.4 Event Viewer

The Events tab on HMS provides comprehensive information regarding all registered HERO appliances
as well as HMS appliances (active and standby).
Figure 82: Events Tab
On the top, the current HMS time and time zone are displayed; all events are logged based on this time.
Dynamic filters allow for Device, User and Severity filtering for quick information collection and trouble-
shooting.
Each event/row is color coded based on the severity of the event. Also, at the bottom of the page a but-
ton is available to export the logs in a CSV file for further analysis and reporting.
4.4.5 HMS Settings

The Settings tab on HMS enumerates several HMS-related settings and tasks.
77 HERO / HMS
4.4.5.1 HMS Settings
Set Host name or time zone for HMS. This setting affects the time stamps of the event entries as well
as the triggering of Tasks.
Figure 83: HMS Time Zone selection
4.4.5.2 HMS High Availability Settings

The same way HERO appliance has high availability planning, HMS appliances can also be setup for
high availability. A standby HMS appliance is constantly monitoring the active/primary one and takes
over in case a failure is detected.
Figure 84: HMS in Active Mode
To manually initiate a failover to the Standby HMS (HMS#1), simply take the Active one (HMS#1) offline
and the Standby (HMS#2) will automatically be promoted to Active. Once HMS#1 is back online it will
become a Standby automatically.
4.4.5.3 Maintenance - Backup/Restore

This tool allows for the maintenance of HMS database that contains all HMS configuration information
and Device registrations details.
Figure 85: HMS Database Backup/Restore
Click the Create database snapshot button to capture a snapshot of the HMS database, the newly cre-
ated snapshot is added in the list of available restore points. The snapshot/backup is also downloadable
in a compressed format (.tar.gz) for off-site storage.
To restore a previous backup, select the snapshot date from the combo box and click Restore. Alterna-
tively, you can upload a snapshot from your off-line storage and use that one as a restore point. This
feature can also be used to migrate configurations between two separate HMS deployments. Make sure
both HMS run the same firmware before attempting to migrate data across them.
78 HERO / HMS
Event logs are included into the backup but when restored will not overwrite current log/event entries.
All other data on HMS will be erased and overwritten once a restore is performed. It is a good practice
to obtain a snapshot before restoring to an older snapshot.
4.4.5.4 Maintenance - Change Password

This option is used to change the password for the HMS built-in users. Changes are effective immedi-
ately and users logged in after the change are expected to use the new password. Already logged in
users will not be disconnected though.
Figure 86: Change Password Option
LDAP-based accounts can only be modified through LDAP client applications.
4.4.5.5 Maintenance – HMS Logs

This option is used to retrieve details logs on HMS operations. It is used for troubleshooting purposes.
Figure 87: HMS Logs Option
4.4.5.6 Maintenance – HMS Service

This option is used to restart the HMS services or even the HMS platform. It is generally used for trou-
bleshooting purposes and should only be utilized when instructed by the Media Excel Support team.
Figure 88: HMS Service Control
4.4.5.7 HERO Firmware Upload

This tool is used to make a new HERO firmware available on HMS. Contact Media Excel Support to ob-
tain a firmware update along with an MD5 checksum. Always check the validity of the firmware before
attempting to upgrade an appliance.
79 HERO / HMS
Figure 89 HERO Firmware Upload Dialog
Allow time for the operation to complete before navigating away from this page. Due to the size of the
binary (~60MBs) the firmware upload process may take several minutes (especially over slower net-
work connections).
After the firmware is uploaded, use the Group or device Administration tool to upgrade HERO applianc-
es registered with the HMS.
Once a firmware update is uploaded on HMS, it is not automatically applied to each HERO appliance.
Make sure to use the upgrade process presented in Sections 4.4.3.4 and 4.4.2.2 for the HERO firm-
ware to be applied.
4.4.5.8 HMS Firmware Upload/Update

This tool is used in order to upgrade the HMS firmware. Firmware updates are available only from Me-
dia Excel directly. Contact Media Excel Support to obtain a firmware update along with an MD5 check-
sum. Always check the validity of the firmware before attempting to upgrade a platform.
Figure 90: HMS Firmware Update Dialog
After uploading is done, press the Update button to apply the firmware on HMS.
HMS firmware upgrade process typically takes less than 10 seconds to complete. No system re-
start/reboot is required unless stated otherwise in the firmware release notes.
4.4.5.9 HMS License Management

This tool is used in order to apply the management system license. Save the host information file to
your local system by “Download host info file”. Then provide the host file to Support Team in order to
obtain the licenses. After receiving License Data file(s) from Support team, apply it to HMS system.
Figure 91: HMS License management Dialog
80 HERO / HMS
4.4.5.10 HMS Network Configuration
This tool allows for the network configuration of the HMS appliance through the web-UI. More specifical-
ly, it allows for the configuration of the network settings for Ethernet ports, the DNS server(s), default
gateway, NTP and SNMP options. Equivalent configuration options are also available through the front
panel of the HMS unit, refer to Section 3.4.3 for more details as well as Appendix D: Network Configura-
tion.
Figure 92: HMS Network Configuration Utility
4.4.5.11 Image Upload

This tool facilitates the Replace Source Automation presented in Appendix B: Replace Source Automa-
tion. Use this tool to upload images to be used as source replacement banners or logo overlays. Click
the + sign on the top right to upload additional images. A Java plug-in compatible with your web brows-
er is needed to correctly use this page. Supported image files are PNG, BMP, TIFF and JPEG.
Figure 93: Image Upload Dialog
81 HERO / HMS
4.4.5.12 Playlist Management
This tool facilitates the Playlist Source feature presented in Section 4.3.5. Use this tool to upload video
clips and assemble playlist to be used as source or source replacement on Channels. Click the + sign
on the top right to upload additional clips. A Java plug-in compatible with your web browser is needed to
correctly use this page. Supported files are TS, MPG, VOB and MP4.
Figure 94: Playlist Management Dialog
82 HERO / HMS
Chapter 5: Management
This chapter provides details regarding alternative (other than using HMS) methods of managing HERO
appliances.
5.1 HERO Stand-Alone Management

HERO appliances are fully functional even without the presence of an HMS. The functionality is not lim-
ited in any sense and all Channels are fully operational. HMS however provides a more intuitive way of
configuring the various parameters, helps avoid mistakes and provides global operational visibility.
HERO Stand-Alone Management is a web-based UI that is accessible on TCP ports 9000 to 9011 on all
of the IP addresses configured on the Device. The example below demonstrates the convention:
HERO appliance IP address: 10.0.2.120

 Channel #1
 Management URL: http://10.0.2.120:9000
 Default configuration/profile name: hmc_config-9000.mps
 Channel #2
 …
 Channel #12
83 HERO / HMS
For security reasons, HERO Stand-Alone Management is disabled by default. Media Excel Support or
rd
authorized 3 party can provide instructions on how to enable it.
The channel-specific Web-UI displays the firmware version currently installed on the top right section.
The buttons and options below refer to the specific channel selected by the TCP port used.
 Start: Initiates a Channel start command for the currently selected configuration/profile.
 Stop: Initiates a Channel stop command for the current Channel.
 Download: Allows for the local download of a configuration/profile for manual editing.
 Delete: Removes a profile from HERO’s local storage.
 Upload: Allows for an externally-edited configuration/profile to become available on HERO.
Configuration files (extension .mps) are XML-based text files and can be edited using any text editor.
Invalid mps files will cause a channel to fail to start.
Use HMS export function in Channels List View; refer to Section 4.3.5 above, to obtain valid mps files.
Note however, that Device-specific information (such as ASI/SDI port assignments) are not included in
the exported profile and need to be added when manually editing an mps file. It is advised to use the
Download button shown above to obtain the configuration/profile and then re-upload it after making
changes.
At the bottom part of the management page, the following links are available:
 Output Videos: Provides access to HERO’s local storage.

 Reboot: Restarts the HERO appliance.
 Logs: Provides access to detailed troubleshooting logs.
5.2 SNMP
5.2.1 Overview
HERO configuration and monitoring is tightly integrated and highly coupled with HERO Management
System (HMS). Additionally, for integration with existing Network Monitoring Systems (NMS) both HE-
RO and HMS expose a subset of the available information over SNMP. This information, in the form of
managed objects, is divided into two categories:
 Generic host resources and network related objects. Resources MIB (defined in RFC 2790) and
MIB-2 related MIBs are required.
 Media Excel specific objects. Media Excel's private MIBs are required, those can be obtained over
HTTP from the HERO and HMS appliances respectively:
 http://<HMS-IP-ADDRESS>/hms/MEDIAEXCEL-HMS-MIB.mib
 http://<HERO-IP-ADDRESS>/hera/MEDIAEXCEL-HERA-MIB.mib
Access to this information can be achieved using any SNMPv2c compatible NMS.
5.2.2 HMS SNMP

HMS provides information regarding its own condition as well as for each HERO appliance it manages.
These management data, in the form of variables and traps, allow for NMS to:
84 HERO / HMS
 Monitor encoding/transcoding status.
 Integrate with up/down stream components for seamless failover.
Access to these variables/traps is provided through a private MIB, “MEDIAEXCEL-HMS-MIB.mib” which

is included with the HMS installation. More specifically, HMS SNMP provides information regarding:
 Device configuration parameters.

 Channel status.
 Failover traps.
NMS is expected to poll the SNMP data, receive traps and generate alarms based on the policies of the
deployment. A tree view of the SNMP information available on HMS is shown below:
mediaexcel(27593)
|
+--hms(10)
|
+-- -R-- Integer32 numDevices(1)
+-- -R-- String hmsVersion(2)
| Textual Convention: DisplayString
| Size: 0..255
+-- -R-- String hmsHaMode(3)
| Size: 0..255
|
+--deviceListTable(10)
| |
| +--deviceListEntry(1)
| | Index: deviceListIndex
| |
| +-- -R-- Integer32 deviceListIndex(1)
| | Range: 0..29
| +-- -R-- Integer32 deviceIsRunning(2)
| +-- -R-- String deviceHost(3)
| | Textual Convention: DisplayString
| | Size: 0..255
| +-- -R-- String deviceName(4)
| | Size: 0..255
| +-- -R-- String deviceGroup(5)
| | Size: 0..255
| +-- -R-- String deviceRole(6)
| | Size: 0..255
| +-- -R-- Integer32 deviceLinkState(7)
| +-- -R-- String deviceVersion(8)
| | Size: 0..255
| +-- -R-- Integer32 deviceNumChannels(9)
|
+--channelListTable(20)
| |
| +--channelListEntry(1)
| | Index: deviceListIndex, channelListIndex
| |
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelListIndex(1)
| | Range: 0..11
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelIsRunning(2)
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelFrameRate(3)
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelFrameCount(4)
85 HERO / HMS
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelVideoRate(5)
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelAudioRate(6)
| +-- -R-- Integer32 channelLostPackets(7)
| +-- -R-- Counter64 channelPacketCount(8)
|
+--traps(30)
| |
| +--channelDelegated(2)
| +--failoverSucceeded(3)
| +--failoverFailed(4)
| +--genericEvent(5)
|
+--trapVars(31)
|
+-- -R-- String deviceName(1)
| Size: 0..255
+-- -R-- Integer32 channelId(2)
+-- -R-- Integer32 severityLevel(3)
+-- -R-- String timestamp(4)
| Size: 0..255
+-- -R-- String logMsg(5)
Textual Convention: DisplayString
Size: 0..255
Figure 95: HMS SNMP Tree View
5.2.2.1 HMS Traps

HMS generates three traps related to failover events or other alarms:
 channelDelegated: This trap is generated when a failover event is about to begin. It includes two
pairs of Device names and Channel IDs. The first pair belongs to the failed node and the second
pair to the node where the Channel will be delegated.
 failoverSucceeded: This trap is generated when a failover event is successfully completed.
 failoverFailed: This trap is generated when a failover event did not complete successfully.
 genericEvent: This trap is raised to cover a range of events. Refer to logMsg string for more details
on the event raised.
5.2.2.2 Monitoring
Third-party NMS platforms can query HMS for the status of various services and components. Below is
a list of OIDs in HMS MIB that is recommended to be monitored periodically from an NMS.
The polling interval should be 60 seconds, unless otherwise specified.
Field OID in HMS MIB Polling

interval
HMS version .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.2.0 60 secs
# of devices .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.1.0 60 secs
(DEVNUM= # of devices - 1)
Device running status .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.2.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
(0: No channel is running,
1: at least 1 channel is running)
Device host (IP address) .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.3.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
86 HERO / HMS
Device Name .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.4.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
Device Group Name .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.5.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
Device Role Name .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.6.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
Device Link State .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.7.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
Device Firmware Version .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.8.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
# of channel on the device .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.10.1.9.[0...DEVNUM] 60 secs
(CHNUM = # of channels - 1)
Channel Running Status .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.20.1.2.[0...DEVNUM].[0...CHNUM] 10 secs
Channel Frame Rate .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.20.1.4.[0...DEVNUM].[0...CHNUM] 10 secs
Channel Video Rate .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.20.1.6.[0...DEVNUM].[0...CHNUM] 10 secs
Channel Audio Rate .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.20.1.7.[0...DEVNUM].[0...CHNUM] 10 secs
Channel Packet Lost .1.3.6.1.4.1.27593.10.20.1.8.[0...DEVNUM].[0...CHNUM] 10 secs
5.2.3 HERO SNMP

HERO Devices provide information and basic remote management capabilities via SNMP. Both moni-
toring and control are possible through the private MIB, “MEDIAEXCEL-HERO-MIB.mib” which is in-
cluded with the HERO installation.
A tree view of HERO’s SNMP information is shown below:
mediaexcel(27593)
|
+--streamInfo(1)
| |
| +-- -R-- Integer32 numStreams(1)
| |
| +--streamListTable(2)
| | |
| | +--streamListEntry(1)
| | | Index: streamListIndex
| | |
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamListIndex(1)
| | | Range: 1..6
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamIsRunning(2)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamIsActive(3)
| | +-- -R-- String streamXmlName(4)
| | | Size: 0..255
| | +-- -R-- String streamLastError(5)
| | | Size: 0..255
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamNumEncoders(6)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamInputFrameRate(7)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamInputFrameCount(8)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamInputVideoRate(9)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamInputAudioRate(10)
| | +-- -R-- Integer32 streamInputLostPackets(11)
| | +-- -R-- Counter64 streamInputPacketCount(12)
| | +-- -R-- TimeTicks streamInputTimeActive(13)
| | +-- -R-- TimeTicks streamInputTimeInactive(14)
| |
| +--encoderListTable(3)
| |
| +--encoderListEntry(1)
| | Index: streamListIndex, encoderListIndex
| |
| +-- -R-- Integer32 encoderListIndex(1)
| | Range: 1..6
| +-- -R-- Integer32 videoBitrate(2)
87 HERO / HMS
| +-- -R-- Integer32 frameCount(3)
| +-- -R-- Integer32 frameRate(4)
| +-- -RW- Integer32 maxBitrateThreshold(5)
|
+--traps(2)
| |
| +--encoderStalled(1)
| +--maxBitrateThresholdReached(2)
| +--lostPackets(3)
| +--netIfStatus(4)
| +--asiSdiStatus(5)
|
+--trapVars(3)
|
+-- -R-- Integer32 streamId(1)
+-- -R-- Integer32 encoderId(2)
+-- -R-- Integer32 bitrateReached(3)
+-- -R-- Integer32 packetLossCount(4)
+-- -R-- Integer32 netIfStat(5)
+-- -R-- String netIf(6)
| Size: 0..255
+-- -R-- Integer32 asiSdiStat(7)
Figure 96: HERO SNMP Tree View
5.2.3.1 Monitoring
The available monitoring variables on HERO fall into three categories:
 General
 Stream properties
 Encoder properties
Figure 97: HERO SNMP Properties – Example
Each stream represents a single video/audio source/channel and can have multiple encoders/outputs.
For example, a single MPEG-2 Transport stream that is being encoded to H.264, H.263, and MPEG-4
simultaneously would be one stream with three encoders/outputs.
Stream properties are indexed starting from 1 through numStreams. Encoder properties have two indi-
ces, one indicating the index of the stream the encoder is associated with and one index for the encod-
er itself. The encoder index begins at 1 through the corresponding streamNumEncoders. Indices are
appended to the variable name with a “.”.
88 HERO / HMS
Figure 98: HERO SNMP Stream Properties - Example
Examples:
 Variable streamIsRunning.1 contains the running state of the first source/channel on the Device.
 Variable videoBitrate.1.2 contains the video bitrate of the second encoder/output associated with
the first source/channel on the Device.
The following variables can be monitored via SNMP:
 General
 numStreams: The total number of sources that are running on the system.
 Stream/Task Properties
 streamIsRunning: A value of 1 if the task is running, 0 if not.
 streamXmlName: The name of the Profile file being used by the task.
 streamLastError: A string containing a description of the last error encountered by the task.
 streamNumEncoders: The number of encoders/output streams associated with the task.
 Encoder Properties
 videoBitrate: The rate in bits per second of the encoded video.
 frameCount: The number of frames that have been encoded.
 maxBitrateThreshold: The maximum allowable value for the video bitrate. Can be set to zero to
indicate that no maximum is set. If the peak bitrate is exceeded the
“maxBitrateThreasholdReached” trap will be triggered.
 Control Properties (variables can also be modified over SNMP):
 streamIsRunning: Setting this value to “1” will start the channel, “0” will stop it.
 maxBitrateThreshold: The maximum allowable value for the video bitrate. Changing this value
will alter the threshold at which the “maxBitrateThreasholdReached” trap will be triggered.
5.2.3.2 HERO Traps

HERO can trigger the following traps:
 maxBitrateThreadholdReached: Indicates that the encoded stream exceeded the value specified in
maxBitrateThreshold.
89 HERO / HMS
 encoderStalled: Indicates that the encoder has stopped producing frames. Can be caused by an in-
terruption in the video source.
 lostPackets: Indicates that the encoder is seeing an excessive amount of lost packets in the source
feed.
 netIfStatus: Indicates an alarm with the network interface(s).
 asiSdiStatus: Indicates an alarm with the SDI or ASI signal.
Figure 99: HERO SNMP Traps
90 HERO / HMS
Chapter 6: High Availability
This chapter presents the high availability features built into HERO / HMS architecture and provides de-
tails on the configuration of various redundancy-related modules.
6.1 Overview
Redundancy is addressed at two levels:
 HERO service interruption

 HMS failure
HMS Redundancy Control Process provides the necessary monitoring and backup capabilities to ena-
ble a fully redundant failover solution for HERO / HMS-based deployments. The HMS Redundancy
Control Process supports any combination of primary and stand-by channels with IP, SDI and ASI digi-
tal inputs and is versatile enough to spare for a single service or a multi-channel chassis. Using IP-
based communication HMS Redundancy Control Process monitors both the inputs and outputs of HE-
RO appliances ensuring no single point of failure.
Further, HMS primary/backup architecture ensures uninterrupted availability of management services

for a deployment. This is especially important when:
 Strict SLAs are in place and HERO monitoring services require 24x7 uptime.
 Statistical rate control is employed (DVB-H/SH, MediaFLO).
 HERO failover mechanisms require 24x7 uptime.
6.1.1 HERO / HMS HA Architecture
6.1.1.1 HERO HA Architecture

HERO platform is a stand-alone encoding/transcoding product. All encoding tasks run on x86 cores or
on specialized Digital Signal Processor (DSP) modules (depending upon configuration), com-
mand/control and general monitoring tasks (logging, SNMP, etc) run on an x86-based processor with
Linux operating system. This configuration delivers significantly higher reliability that any other HW/SW
architecture since it combines industrial strength processors and highly stable operating system.
Multiple channels can be run on the same HERO appliance simultaneously and each channel is isolat-
ed from the other in terms of process/thread and memory space, therefore a single failure on a channel
does not affect the others.
As soon as a channel has successfully started, HERO monitors the properties of the channel (e.g. input
frame rate, packet loss, bitrate fluctuation) and generates log/event entries and SNMP alarms accord-
ingly.
6.1.1.2 HMS HA Architecture

HMS appliance is a stand-alone device dedicated to overseeing the configuration, management, redun-
dancy and overall health of all HERO appliances. The HMS platform performs the following tasks:
 Centrally manage/store all HERO configurations.
91 HERO / HMS
 Remotely monitor all appliances and channels/service.
 User authentication and access level control.
 Statistical Rate Control.
 Generate and aggregate alarms/traps/even logs.
 Provides n:m redundancy control for HERO devices.
 Remote upgrade manager.
 HMS redundancy (master/slave architecture).
6.1.2 HERO/HMS Failover
6.1.2.1 HERO Failover

Each HERO appliance can be set in any of the two redundancy modes:
 Manual: The node is controlled individually by the HMS and any failure will not initiate a failover es-
calation procedure.
 Active: The node is constantly monitored for failures. In the event of a channel failure, HMS will
seek a Standby slot on a different appliance in the same group and will initialize it to perform the
same task.
More specifically, since HERO accommodates a significant number of channels/services at the same
time it is important to monitor and failover each channel separately instead of failing over the entire unit
when a single channel fails. For this purpose, HERO enables individual channel failover and escalates
that to appliance failover if the failure affects all channels or the entire unit (e.g. power failure).
Through HMS, each HERO can be configured to accommodate running/active channels or standby
channels. Those standby channels function as space-holder slots for potential failed channels to take
over. The ratio of standby slots to active channels determines the failover ratio of a group and subse-
quently the availability of the entire service/deployment. In order to enforce/guarantee this further,
standby slots can not be shared among different groups.
HMS monitors each channel and its corresponding outputs for:
 Health of input signal (e.g. frame rate)

 Health of encoding process (e.g. last encoded frame)
 Health of encoded bit stream (e.g. bitrate of output)
Once a failure (or an event categorized as “below threshold”) is identified, HMS initiates the failover
mechanism dictated by the Group, Device and channel level configuration.
Note that depending upon the nature of the input (ASI,SDI,IP etc), HMS generates the corresponding
SNMP alarms for the switchover of the input/source where/when needed. (e.g. SDI feeds are typically
connected through an SDI matrix, while IP or ASI feeds tend to be multi-program thus no switch over is
typically needed).
This logic was developed after extensive field-trials and accumulated experience, and delivers:
 Fastest service recovery.

 Highest cumulative/overall uptime.
 Efficient utilization of resources.
Parameters are typically tweaked to match deployment-specific requirements and are configured by a
rd
Media Excel field engineer or authorized/trained 3 party.
Service recovery times vary (from 3 to 30 seconds) depending upon channel complexity, input
type/availability and response time of redundancy peripherals (e.g. SDI matrix).
Statistical Rate Control outputs are handled appropriately as HMS allows for the dynamic remov-
al/addition of channels in a Statistical Rate Controlled pool. Furthermore, adaptive/multi-rate outputs are
92 HERO / HMS
fully redundant as well, since the entire failed channel is migrated over in the standby slot and all multi-
rate configurations are replicated.
6.1.2.2 HMS Failover

Each HMS appliance can be set in any of the two redundancy modes:
 Master: Becomes the master of the encoding/transcoding farm and all associated groups.
 Slave: Standby appliance that constantly replicates off of the master HMS and takes over if/when
master HMS fails to report.
In case of an HMS failure, all associate HERO services continue to run without interruption. Whenever
a channel failover event takes place, failed channels will attempt to recover by restarting periodically.
Furthermore, any outputs belonging to a Statistically Rate Controlled Pool will default their bitrate to the
CBR setting until a Statistical Rate Controller is back online. When HMS redundancy architecture is in
place those issues are minimized or eliminated completely.
Refer to Section 4.4.5.1 above for more details in enabling and setting up HMS failover.
6.2 ASI/SDI Matrix Integration
6.2.1 Architecture
The generic video encoding architecture for live media delivery is presented in the diagram below:
Figure 100: Live Encoding Architecture
Other deployment architectures are typically subsets of the topology above and differ in terms of:
 Presence of ASI/SDI matrix

 Presence of ASI/SDI Digital Amplifiers (or passive splitters) instead of a matrix
 Presence of a passive/manual matrix instead of a dynamically-configurable one
 Hybrid scenarios of the above 3 cases.
The most typical subsets are illustrated below, however, each are treated the same and only the
ASI/SDI configuration tables need to be modified. Typically, this is performed by a Media Excel field en-
93 HERO / HMS
rd
gineer or authorized 3 -party. The configuration options are fully exposed through the HMS Web-UI and
the appropriate matrix communication module is provided by Media Excel as needed.
Figure 101: No Redundancy – No ASI/SDI Matrix
Figure 102: Static Routing - No ASI/SDI Matrix
Figure 103: ASI/SDI Matrix Used for Failover Only
94 HERO / HMS
6.2.2 Deployment
Based on the topologies above it is clear that for maximum compatibility and scalability it is essential for
HERO / HMS architecture to support feed redundancy on device-basis. This way various combina-
tions/setups can be accommodated without special considerations (including hybrid architectures as
shown on Figure 103 above).
For this, two types of “ASI/SDI matrix” configurations (building blocks) are available:
 Dynamic: ASI/SDI router that can be remote controlled and managed dynamically
 Static/None: ASI/SDI router that can not be controlled remotely or with static routes only. This also
includes the case where digital amplifiers or passive splitters are used instead of ASI/SDI matrix.
Further, HMS can integrate with IP Switches and control IP type of traffic as well. In this scenario, HMS
negotiates with the IP Switch which ports are to be enabled/disabled according to failover scenarios.
For more details on IP Switch integration, please contact Media Excel Support team.
Each HERO device/appliance can be setup in a “dynamic” or a “static/none” type of configuration,

based on the way its feeds are connected.
Figure 104: HERO Device Configuration Options
These two types have very similar configuration options as shown above. Specifically:
 For the “dynamic router” setup, the deployment needs to provide the following items for each physi-
cal ASI/SDI port (BNC connector) on HERO:
 Router Output Port: the router port to which each HERO port is connected.
 Feed name: Unique identifier for the feed (mandatory for ASI, optional for SDI).
 For the “static/none router” setup, the deployment needs to provide the following items for each
physical ASI/SDI port (BNC connector) on HERO:
 Source Port: Number to uniquely identify the source or static router input port.
 Feed name: Unique identifier for the feed (mandatory for ASI, optional for SDI).
Figure 105: Hybrid Deployment (Static and Dynamic Configurations)
In case of a hybrid deployment (e.g. where ASI/SDI matrix is used for failover only) the Source Port ID
and Router Input Port should match.
95 HERO / HMS
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting & Support
This chapter presents a basic troubleshooting guide and also provides ways to receive support from
rd
Media Excel support or authorized 3 parties.
7.1 Troubleshooting Guide

Refer to the table below to self-diagnose/troubleshoot issues related to HERO / HMS appliances.
Table 9: Troubleshooting Guide
Related
Problem Trouble-Shooting Steps
Section(s)
Appliance does Ensure proper power is provided to the unit. (On both PSUs, if 3.6.1
not turn on. applicable).
Ensure that the PSUs are firmly inserted on the rear of the unit. 3.5.1, 3.5.2
Try to remove and re-insert them.
3.4.3
Press the button on the front panel for 2 seconds.
Completely unplug the power cable from the unit for 30 seconds 3.5
and retry.
Try using a different power source and power cable. 3.5
Appliance is not Make sure all connected Network Interface plugs are showing a 3.5.1, 3.5.2
accessible over Green light. If not ensure all Ethernet cables and plugs are
the network. properly connected.
Ensure the LCD panel displays IP addresses and use the Re- 3.4.3
start Network option if no IP addresses are shown.
Make sure the network configuration (IP address, subnet, gate- 3.4.3
way) of the appliance is correct.
Make sure you are in the same subnet as the IP address of the
appliance you are trying to access.
If using DHCP, make sure the traffic in the network is not caus- 3.4.3
ing DHCP broadcast packets to be dropped and try Restart Net-
work option from the LCD panel a few times.
Make sure no firewalls or other mechanisms are blocking the
network traffic to/from the appliance.
Completely unplug the power cable from the unit for 30 seconds 3.5
and retry.
HERO auto- Ensure broadcast UDP traffic is enabled in your network and 4.3.1
discovery tool fails accessible by HMS. (HERO Auto-discovery Tool used UDP ports
to locate new ap- 8765 and 8766). This feature is not available between remote
pliance(s). sites connected through Internet.
Ensure un-requested HERO appliance(s) is/are not registered 4.3.1, 4.3.7
with a different HMS.
Ensure HERO appliance(s) are online and accessible over the 5.1
network by trying to connect to HERO Stand-Alone Management
page.
96 HERO / HMS
Try to register a HERO appliance manually. 4.3.7
HERO appliance Ensure the HERO appliance is online and accessible over the 5.1
is shown as offline network by trying to connect to HERO Stand-Alone Management
on HMS. page.
Make sure the correct IP address is shown in the Device Edit 4.3.7
View.
Try refreshing your browser page and/or clear browser’s cache.
Make sure HMS and HERO are connected in the same network
and no firewalls or routing rules stop their communication.
Remove the Device from HMS and register it again. 4.3.7
Channel fails to Refer to the error message for more details. 4.4.3.5
start.
Make sure that the source is connected to the right port and the 4.4.3
feed is available.
For UDP/IP input, use the Multicast Traffic tool to ensure that 4.4.3, 4.2
multicast traffic is available to the Device. Use the Network Con-
figuration Tool to correctly setup the Multicast NIC.
For ASI/SDI input, make sure the correct plug is used and refer 3.5.1,
to the Source Configuration Table in the Device Configuration 4.3.7.3
page.
Make sure that the source is supported. 2.3
For SDI inputs, ensure the correct video standard is configured 4.3.5
for the channel.
Try restating the Channel. 4.4.3
Try to start the channel using the HERO Stand-Alone Manage- 5.1
ment page for the specific channel.
No output. Refer to the output configuration page depending on the type of 4.3.5.1,
the output. 4.3.5.3,
4.3.5.4, 0
Make sure no firewalls or other mechanisms are blocking the
network traffic to/from the appliance.
Ensure the network interface configuration is correct and default 4.2
gateways configured properly.
Make sure the appropriate NIC is selected in the output configu- 4.3.5.1
ration dialog.
Make sure Audio/Video Presets and Output parameters are con- 2.5, 4.3.3,
figured correctly. 0 4.3.5
Make sure you are using the correct URL to access the stream. 4.3.5.4
Use the preview feature on HMS Device monitor tab to playback 4.4.3.2
the stream.
Poor audio and/or Refer to the respective configuration page for each output type. 4.3.5.1,
video quality. 4.3.5.3,
4.3.5.4, 0
Make sure that the source is supported. 2.3
Ensure the correct video standard (NTSC/PAL) is configured for 4.3.8
the Group.
Ensure the source has good quality and does not present fre-
quent packet loss.
Make sure pre-processing tools are configured correctly. 2.4.1
Ensure audio/video presets are configured correctly and within 4.3.3, 0
the specifications of each output type.
97 HERO / HMS
Make sure Statistical Rate Control is properly configured or 4.3.8
turned off.
Try restarting the Channel. 4.4.3
7.2 Contacting Technical Support

To contact Technical Support, please follow the steps below:
1. Refer to Section 7.1 and make all self-diagnose/troubleshooting options are exhausted.
2. Collect the following information regarding the appliance/issue:
2.1. Appliance Serial Number.
2.2. HERO Firmware Version.
2.3. HMS Firmware Version.
2.4. Related HMS Event log entries. Refer to Section 4.4.4 for instructions in exporting those.
2.5. Related HERO log files. Refer to Section 5.1 for instructions obtaining those.
2.6. Potential network captures or media files demonstrating the issue.
3. Refer to your Media Excel Support Contract regarding ways to contact support, alternatively send
an email to support@mediaexcel.com with:
3.1. Your contact information (email, phone, IM).
3.2. A brief description of the issue.
3.3. The information collected above on step #2.
4. A Media Excel Technical Support engineer will get in touch with you to provide a ticket number
and a resolution plan.
Media Excel Technical Support contact details are:
Media Excel Inc.

8834 N. Capital of Texas Hwy
Austin TX 78759, U.S.A.
Tel: +1 512 502 0034

Fax: +1 512 502 0119
http://www.mediaexcel.com
support@mediaexcel.com
98 HERO / HMS
Appendix A: MP4 segment output specification
Segment file output enables the use of VoD and/or progressive download type of content delivery
mechanisms. It enables the creation of multiple sequential video files that can be chained together (in a
playlist fashion) to recreate the original content.
A segment is a file whose base name ends with a hyphen ('-') followed by a numeric suffix with no lead-
ing zeroes. The base name is a name with no path and no file name extension. A segment has:
 .mp4 extension, MP4 as defined by MPEG-4 open standard ISO/IEC 14496-14. Each segment
contains a constant number of video frames.
 .chunk or .cip extension, the file format is explained below.
A CIP file is a 7-bit ASCII text file containing name value pairs. One or more space or tab characters
separate the name from the value, and names can not contain spaces. Each pair is separated by a line
feed not including a carriage return. The CIP file specifies the following non-negative integers:
 CHUNK::CURRENT - Chunk counter - the index value of the most recent chunk
 CHUNK::WINDOW::SIZE - Window size - how many chunks are available at any point in time
 CHUNK::RING::SIZE - Size of the ring buffer - when to wrap around
 CHUNK::DURATION - chunk duration in seconds.
 CHUNK::TIME - seconds since January, 1, 1970, UTC (GMT).
For streaming Live TV, segments are stored on HERO in a rotating fashion. As new data is generated
and stored, old segments are discarded. The number of segments stored available at any given time is
indicated by the parameter CHUNK::WINDOW::SIZE.
Each segment has a file name that enumerates that segment. The segments are numbered from 0 to N,
and then renumbered starting from 0 again. The value of the parameter CHUNK::RING::SIZE deter-
mines the modulus at which the numbers wrap; segment numbers are numbered from 0 to
(CHUNK::RING::SIZE - 1). The parameter CHUNK::CURRENT indicates the newest segment avail-
able in the feed.
Segment and CIP files are accessible across the network using HTTP GET requests on HERO appli-
ance. An FTP upload automation is also available at the output configuration page. Refer to Section
99 HERO / HMS
7.2.1.1 LIVE: Smooth Streaming Output
Figure 49: Smooth Streaming Output Configuration
 Fragment duration: (in frames) Number of frames per fragment. Typically set to 2 seconds, de-
pending on the GOP length of the corresponding video preset.
(PMT).
 Publishing Point URL: URL of the IIS publishing point to be used for this service. The syntax is:
<protocol>://<server address>:<port>/<publishing point path>
 <protocol> specifies the protocol used; valid values are http and https.
 <port> specifies the TCP port on IIS, default is 80.
 <server address> specifies a valid network identifier for the target server, such as a hostname,
fully qualified hostname, IPv4 IP address or IPv6 IP address.
 <publishing point path> specifies the absolute path of the publishing point on the server, which
must end in the extension .isml.
For example: http://10.0.0.127/live.isml
 Secondary Point URL : Same as above, used for redundancy or load-balancing purposes.
 PlayReady DRM: Select the PlayReady CAS provider. Depending on the configuration various pro-
viders are available. Reference corresponding Tech-Note for more details on end-to-end PlayReady
configuration.
 Key Server URL: An HTTPS URL in order to HERO to communicate with the DRM provider. The
value is obtained from the DRM provider and is the same across all outputs and channels.
 Media ID: Uniquely identifies the content of the specific output. The value is obtained from the DRM
provider and is different to each output and channel.
 Key GUID: (Optional) Unique identifier for the DRM provider. The value is obtained from the DRM
provider and is the same across all outputs and channels.
HERO automatically communicates with IIS server and sets up the required manifest files for the
streaming session. No configuration is needed on the IIS server side apart from the setup of a publish-
ing point.
For smooth streaming delivery the following restrictions apply:
 Only H.264/AAC codecs are supported.
 All output variants use the same publishing point (contrary to other adaptive delivery technolo-
gies).
100 HERO / HMS

 Frame rate and GOP length should be identical for all outputs of the same adaptive delivery.
 Only one output should have audio configured. All other outputs should have no audio tracks
at all.
 Synchronization between outputs (even across multiple HERO appliances) is coordinated au-
tomatically through HMS.
7.2.1.2 LIVE: MPEG-DASH Output
Figure 50: MPEG-DASH Output Configuration
 MPD Name: Holds the filename for the MPD file.

 MPD Update Interval: How frequently (in seconds) the MPD file will be updated during the live ses-
sion. (use 0 to indicate no updates).
 Base URL: (Optional) URL to indicate relative or absolute path for the location of the media assets.
 Segment Type: Type of the MPD, “Sequential” or “Start time + Sequential”
Path: Indicates the storage path of the MPEG-DASH related files. FTP, WebDAV and HTTP POST
paths can also be used. (reference
 Table 7 for more details on the syntax).

 Segment Name: Prefix of the media filename to distinguish the specific output from others. A se-
quence number is appended.
 Segments Ring Size: Indicates how many past media files to maintain at each time. Media files
outside this window are deleted. Set to 0 to disable deletion of past media files.
 Segmentation Duration: Indicates the duration of each media segment in seconds.
 Adaptation Set ID: Indicates the adaptation set this output will belong to.
 Representation Set ID: Indicates the representation set this output will belong to. A channel may
have multiple representation sets (e.g. premium vs. standard, HD vs. SD etc).
 Mode: “Dynamic” mode indicates a Live session, where newly joined clients will begin playing as
close as possible to Live. “Static” mode indicates a DVR-type of session, where newly joined clients
will begin playing from the start of the event/session.
HERO/HMS supports MPEG-DASH output based on the ISO/IEC DIS 23009-1:2012 specification. The
MPD files and associated media files (initialization and media segments) are generated and updated by
HERO.
The following limitations currently apply:
 Only 1 period per MPD is generated.
101 HERO / HMS

 Multiple adaptation sets are supported for the same content/channel. Eventually, support for
multi-camera views will be added.
 The media format complies with the ISO Base Media File Format specification (ISO/IEC
14496-12). Media formats based on MPEG-2 Transport Stream as defined in ISO/IEC 13818-2
will be supported in future releases based on market demand.
Based on the MPEG-DASH naming convention the following associations are in place:
MPEG-DASH HMS
Representation = Output
Adaptation Set = Set of Output
Thus, a DASH stream with one adaptation set and three representations is essentially represented on
HMS as a single channel with three outputs. Eventually multiple channels can be combined with the
same MPD to deliver an MPEG-DASH stream with multiple adaptation sets and representations (e.g.
for multi-camera view).
Audio and video data may be MUXed together in the same media segment (same adaptation set and
representation) or kept separate as audio and video media segments (different adaptation sets). In or-
der to generate separate adaptation sets for audio and video, utilize “No Audio” or “No Video” presets
for each output and configure separate audio and video outputs accordingly.
LIVE: MP4 Chunk Output0 for more details.
102 HERO / HMS

Appendix B: Replace Source Automation
HMS allows for the dynamic replacement of live source/feeds with static images or playlists. This is to
facilitate block-out periods where the carrier has not acquired the rights for broadcasting a specific pro-
gram/event. Further, this feature can be used for advertisement purposes. The paragraphs below pre-
sent how this can be done using a simple HTTP GET based automation. More detailed control over this
functionality is provided by the SOAP and REST APIs, contact your Media Excel Representative for ac-
cess to the API documentation.
Architecture - Usage:
The automation is available over HTTP GET and uses the following syntax:
http://<HMS_IP_address>/replacesource.php?
channelname=<channel_name>&
op=replacesource | restoresource&
selectedimage=<image_filename>
where:
 HMS_IP_address: is the IP address of the HERO Management System

 channel_name: is the exact name of the channel that needs to have the source replaced. Use
the Configuration tab in HMS and navigate to Channels list view for a list of all the available
channels and their respective names.
 replacesource: indicates that the live source is to be replaced with a static image
 restoresource: indicates that the channel is to be restored to the live source
 image_filename: is the exact filename of the blank-out image. Use the Settings tab in HMS and
navigate to Image Upload dialog to upload an image.
Return values:
 Invalid channel: Channel name is not found.

 Operation failed: Channel not currently running or invalid image filename.
 Operation succeeded: Operation completed successfully.
Examples:
 Replace the live source of channel “ch_BBC1” with the image unavailable.png
http://192.168.1.2/replacesource.php?channelname=ch_BBC1&op=replacesource&se
lectedimage=unavailable.png
 Restore channel “ch_BBC1” to the original live source

http://192.168.1.2/replacesource.php?channelname=ch_BBC1&op= restoresource
Remarks:
 Both channel_name and image_filename should be properly encoded for HTTP GET requests.
 Replace and restore requests should not be executed immediately one after the other on the
same channel. Allow at least 5 seconds between those requests and ensure each operation is
completed successfully before issuing the next one.
Integration:
 Typically, this automation is to be integrated with an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) or mid-
dleware that keeps track of block-out periods for each channel.
103 HERO / HMS

 The automation can be initiated manually, using the Replace Source link in the Device/Channel
Monitor page. See Section 4.4.3.2 for more details. The related dialog is shown below.
Figure 106: Replace/Restore Source Dialog
104 HERO / HMS

Appendix C: LDAP Integration
Appendix C: LDAP Integration
HMS fully supports LDAP authentication using specific User Groups to authenticate and provide differ-
ent levels of access to different users.
HMS locates the HMS groups by using the LDAP attribute specified in the configuration file (not the
group DN). This allows current groups to act as HMS groups without having to modify the DN. The de-
fault attribute that is used to associate an HMS group is “hmsGroupName”.
The LDAP Configuration File contains the necessary settings for integration with an LDAP server. A
rd
Media Excel field engineer or authorized 3 party can assist with the LDAP configuration.
Each setting is explained below:
 disable_localadmin: 0 = local admin account is enabled, 1 = local admin account is disa-

bled
 host: the URL for LDAP server. (use ldaps:// for SSL support)
 user_RDNparam: the prefix for user Relative Distinguished Names
 user_basedn: the suffix for user Distinguished Names
 group_basedn: the suffix for group Distinguished Names
 group_member: the attribute name for members of a group
 group_hmsgroup: the attribute name to associate an HMS group to an LDAP group
The table below summarizes the Access Level for each user group:
Table 10: LDAP-related Access Levels
Access Level
Group
Monitor Start/Stop Channel Change HMS
Backup/Restore
Channels Channels Configuration Settings
hmsMonitor 
hmsManager  
hmsEditor   
hmsAdmin     
105 HERO / HMS

Appendix D: Network Configuration
The purpose of this Appendix is to provide additional information and guidance regarding the configura-
tion of the network for HMS and HERO appliances. It is meant to supplement the Section 4.2 in
HMS/HERO User’s Manual.
The network configuration interface (netconfig) is available on HERO nodes at:
http://<HERO_IP>/hera/netconfig/
e.g.: http://10.0.0.162/hera/netconfig/
NIC tab
The initial tab ('nic') presents the available Ethernet interfaces and a summary of their configuration. To
modify the configuration press 'Configure'.
Figure 107: NIC Configuration Tab
Ethernet interfaces provide the following configurable options:
 DHCP: If enabled, all other options are discarded and DHCP protocol is used to obtain
IP/Netmask/Gateway.
 IP: A valid host IP address.
 Netmask: The appropriate network mask.
 Gateway: A single gateway IP address, for this interface only.
The 'Save' button will apply the changes immediately.
Caution: The network configuration process may take some time to complete, especially when DHCP
is used. Please wait until the process is done. If the HERO node is not responding use the front panel
menu to restart the network (see Section 3.3.2 of User’s Manual) or restart the node.
106 HERO / HMS

Advanced tab
Advanced network configuration options are available for review and modification under the tab
'advanced'.
Figure 108: Advanced Network Configuration Tab
These options are:
 DNS servers: A list of available DNS servers separated by comma.

 Default gateway: The default gateway for all interfaces.
 Multicast input: The NIC which will be used to capture IP multicast input. (only available on
HERO platforms, not HMS)
 Import/export network configuration
Press 'Configure' to modify any of these options.
Furthermore, When more than 2 NICs are available (see Section 3.4.1 of User’s Manual), the 'NIC
bonding' options will appear. NIC bonding allows the logical bonding of two physical NICs in order to
provide high availability in network connectivity. Specifically, a pair of physical NICs is replaced by a vir-
tual NIC (VNIC).
Known limitation: When both Ethernet cables are removed from a bonded VNIC, for the unit to recov-
er fully, the cables have to be replaced in a specific order (LOFI: last cable removed needs to be re-
placed first). Alternatively, the cables can be reconnected in any order and the network service needs to
be restarted (either through the front panel or through the console).
To configure a VNIC, check the appropriate checkbox and press 'Apply'.
Caution: Only one VNIC can be created each time.
You will be redirected to the 'nic' tab where an extra NIC (VNIC1, VNIC2 or VNIC3) will be available.
Press 'Configure' and configure it as a regular interface.
107 HERO / HMS

Figure 109: NIC Tab with an Additional (Virtual) NIC
Accordingly, to decompose a VNIC and make its NICs available, uncheck its checkbox and 'Apply'. You
will be redirected to the 'nic' tab where the two bonded NICs are now available for configuration.
Caution: You need to configure at least one of the NICs for the decompose process to be completed.
Decompose one VNIC at the time.
VLAN tab
On the tab 'vlan' five VLAN interfaces are available. VLAN interfaces can be configured for both Ether-
net interfaces and VNICs. (VNICs are only available on HERO platforms, not HMS).
Figure 110: Virtual LAN Configuration Tab
The VLAN configuration page adds the following options in addition to those of a simple/physical NIC:
 NIC: This is the Ethernet (NIC) or bonding (VNIC) interface of the VLAN.
 VLAN ID: This is the VLAN ID tag that uniquely identifies a VLAN. It is an integer between 2 and
4095 (inclusive).
 Delete VLAN: If it is checked it deletes the VLAN configuration.
Caution: Deleting a VLAN does not remove it from the tab. 5 VLANs (even those not initial-
ized/configured) will always be shown.
Further please note the following regarding VLANs:
 Many VLANs can be assigned to a single NIC or VNIC.

 If a VLAN is assigned to a VNIC, and the VNIC is decomposed, the associated VLAN(s) will be
deleted.
108 HERO / HMS

Appendix E: Aspect Ratio Adaptation
The purpose of this Appendix is to provide additional information and guidance regarding the configura-
tion of the aspect ratio adaptation options for various types of input and output scenarios.
Table 11: Aspect Ratio Adaptation
Source HERO configuration Internal Processing

Case
#
Frame Output AR
AR Output : 320x240 (4:3) Output : 352x288 (<4:3) Output : 480x320 (>4:3)
Size AR Adaptation
1 SD 4x3 default None resize only resize only resize only
Resize Resize
2 SD 4x3 default Letterbox resize only
Padding(top/bottom) Padding(left/right)
Crop(left/right) Crop(top/bottom)
3 SD 4x3 default Pan & Scan resize only
resize resize
4 SD 4x3 4x3 None resize only resize only resize only
5 SD 4x3 4x3 Letterbox resize only resize only resize only
6 SD 4x3 4x3 Pan & Scan resize only resize only resize only
Resize Resize Resize

8 SD 4x3 16x9 Letterbox
Padding(left/right) Padding(left/right) Padding(left/right)
Crop(top/bottom) Crop(top/bottom) Crop(top/bottom)

9 SD 4x3 16x9 Pan & Scan
resize resize resize
10 SD 16x9 default None resize only resize only resize only

11 SD 16x9 default Letterbox
padding(top/bottom) padding(top/bottom) padding(top/bottom)
Crop(left/right) Crop(left/right) Crop(left/right)

12 SD 16x9 default Pan & Scan
resize resize Resize
Resize Reisize Resize

14 SD 16x9 4x3 Letterbox

15 SD 16x9 4x3 Pan & Scan
resize resize resize
17 SD 16x9 16x9 Letterbox resize only resize only resize only
18 SD 16x9 16x9 Pan & Scan resize only resize only resize only
109 HERO / HMS

19 HD 16x9 default None resize only resize only resize only

20 HD 16x9 default Letterbox

21 HD 16x9 default Pan & Scan
22 HD 16x9 4x3 None resize only resize only resize only

23 HD 16x9 4x3 Letterbox

24 HD 16x9 4x3 Pan & Scan
25 HD 16x9 16x9 None resize only resize only resize only
26 HD 16x9 16x9 Letterbox resize only resize only resize only
27 HD 16x9 16x9 Pan & Scan resize only resize only resize only
110 HERO / HMS

4:3 Input
4:3 Input
720x576
320x240 output 320x240 output 320x240

320x240 output
output
None Pan & Scan Letterbox

Resize only Resize only Resize only
352x288 output 352x288 output 352x288 output

Resize only Crop (left/right) & Resize &
Resize Padding(top/bottom)
480x320 output 480x320 output

480x320 output 480x320 output

Resize only Crop (top/bottom) Resize &
& Resize Padding(left/right)
Figure 111: Example of case 1, 2, 3. Output resolutions: 320x240, 352x288, 480x320.
111 HERO / HMS

16:9 Anamorpic Input
16:9 Anamorpic Input

720x576
Resize only Resize &

Crop(left/right) &
Padding(top/bottom)
Resize
Figure 112: Example of case 10, 11, 12. Output resolutions: 320x240, 480x320.
112 HERO / HMS

Appendix F: Change Log
Appendix F: Change Log
The following changes/additions were made compared to the previous version (v.6.3) of this guide:
 Added: Reference to Analogue/Composite ingestion option
113 HERO / HMS

Appendix G: Tech-Notes
Appendix G: Tech-Notes
The following Tech-Notes are available separately to allows for more depth analysis of certain topics:
 HERO Ad Signaling
 HERO MPEG-DASH Configuration
 HERO Time-stamp Propagation
 Noise Reduction Engine
 PlayReady Integration
 Scheduled Recording Control
 HERO SDI Configuration
 HERO Failover Conditions and Alarming
 ASI-SDI Matrix and IP Switch Integration
 HERO/HMS PSU Replacement
 HERO/HMS Firmware Update Process
 Remote Support Options
114 HERO / HMS

Media Excel Inc. Offices
Americas Asia
8834 N. Capital of TX Hwy 826-4 Yeoksam 1-dong
Suite 230 Samsung Bldg, 6th fl.
Austin TX 78759 Gangnam-gu Seoul 135-935
U.S.A. Republic of Korea
Tel: +1 512 502 0034 Tel: +82 2 598 2153

Fax: +1 512 502 0119 Fax: +82 2 598 2157
http://www.mediaexcel.com
support@mediaexcel.com
Copyright 2017 Media Excel, Inc.
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Table of Contents ..................................................................................... iii

2.4 Encoding/Transcoding .................................................................................. 10

2.5 Outputs ............................................................................................................ 13

2.6 Management .................................................................................................. 14

Chapter 3: Hardware .............................................................................. 16

iii HERO / HMS

3.5 Cable Connections ........................................................................................ 19

3.6 Technical Characteristics .............................................................................. 19

Chapter 4: HERO / HMS Architecture .................................................... 21

4.2 Network Configuration................................................................................... 24

4.3 HMS Configuration ......................................................................................... 29

4.4 Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 70

Chapter 5: Management ....................................................................... 83

Chapter 6: High Availability ................................................................... 91

6.2 ASI/SDI Matrix Integration ............................................................................. 93

Chapter 7: Troubleshooting & Support .................................................. 96

 Chapter 2: Overview of HERO / HMS Appliances

Figure 1: HERO and HMS Applications

Figure 2: HMS Topology with Redundancy and Multiple Groups

2.3.1 Uncompressed Audio/Video Inputs

2.3.2 Compressed Audio/Video Inputs

 MPEG-4 SP/ASP input over RTP/RTSP over Ethernet.

 Flash RTMP input over TCP or UDP over Ethernet.

 Both CBR and VBR inputs.

 Source Specific Multicast (SSM) is also supported for MPEG-2 TS inputs.

- MPEG-2 TS (ISO/IEC 13818-1 .ts): MPEG-2, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264/AVC, AAC-

- AVI (.avi): MPEG-4 SP/ASP video, MP3 audio

- QuickTime (.mov): MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264/AVC video, AAC-LC/HE, MP3 audio

- Windows Media (.wmv): WM9, VC-1 video, WM9 audio

 De-interlacing: Several de-interlacing algorithms are provided.

2.4.2.1 Video Encoding

The following tools/features are available:

 CBR, ABR and VBR support

2.4.2.2 Audio Encoding

 MPEG-1 Layer II (ISO/IEC 11172-3)

The following tools/features are available:

 Constant bit rate control

The following streaming output options are available:

The following File/VoD output options are available:

2.5.1 MPEG-2 TS over UDP/IP, Apple HLS or TS files

2.5.2 Adobe™ Flash/RTMP

2.5.3 Microsoft™ Smooth Streaming

Microsoft Playready DRM is fully supported.

2.5.4 CIP-based MP4 Segments

2.6.1 HERO User Interface

2.6.2 HMS User Interface

 Farm and appliance setup

 Continuous monitoring of I/O streams (bitrate, fps, packet loss etc)

3.1 Package Contents

 1 RU chassis (HERO or HMS is indicated on the front panel)

In the HERO-VS installation case, please refer to corresponding Tech-Note.

3.4 Front Panel