Planning for client access to streaming media caches

Client access through transparent proxying

If you are not using the NetCache Global Request Manager feature, the recommended way to deploy NetCache with streaming media service is to use transparent proxying, which involves configuring both of the following:

Your L4 or L7 switch or WCCP router to redirect specific port traffic from clients to the NetCache appliance
NetCache appliances for transparent proxying

For streaming media, set up transparent redirection on the L4 or L7 switch or WCCP router for the protocols for which you are deploying streaming, as shown in the following table.

Type of streaming traffic	Standard port traffic to redirect
RealNetworks (RTSP)	TCP 554 UDP 554
QuickTime (RTSP)	TCP 554 UDP 2001
Windows Media (MMS)	TCP 1755 UDP 1755
HTTP	TCP port 80 (or an alternative port for HTTP)

In addition to redirecting the streaming protocols, you must also redirect TCP port 80 (or an alternative port for HTTP) because some media players might be set for HTTP transport. Additionally, if your firewall administrator will not open ports on the firewall for the streaming protocols, streaming media must be transported over HTTP.

See Chapter 2, Strategies for Client Access to NetCache, for more details about transparent proxying.

Direct (nontransparent) client access methods

The following table summarizes the nontransparent methods for clients to access a streaming media cache.

Type of streaming	Summary
RTSP-based streaming	The user of a RealPlayer media player and the QuickTime player can manually configure the player to point to the streaming media cache.
MMS-based streaming	If your streaming server is a Windows Media server, access to the streaming media caches can be set up as follows, depending on the Windows media player used: The user of a Windows Media Player 7 (WMP 7) must manually configure the media player to point to the streaming media cache. To support media players prior to WMP 7, you must deploy a NetCache appliance running as a Web cache and configure it for Windows Media metafile rewriting. You must also deploy a streaming media cache. (Both services can run on the same NetCache appliance.) Windows Media metafile rewriting enables MMS requests to be sent to the streaming media cache instead of to the Windows Media streaming server. Pre-WMP 7 media player users cannot configure their media players for access to a streaming media cache. See Scenario: Deployment with a Windows Media server for an example of this deployment.

Type of streaming

Summary

RTSP-based streaming

The user of a RealPlayer media player and the QuickTime player can manually configure the player to point to the streaming media cache.

MMS-based streaming

If your streaming server is a Windows Media server, access to the streaming media caches can be set up as follows, depending on the Windows media player used:

The user of a Windows Media Player 7 (WMP 7) must manually configure the media player to point to the streaming media cache.
To support media players prior to WMP 7, you must deploy a NetCache appliance running as a Web cache and configure it for Windows Media metafile rewriting. You must also deploy a streaming media cache. (Both services can run on the same NetCache appliance.)
Windows Media metafile rewriting enables MMS requests to be sent to the streaming media cache instead of to the Windows Media streaming server. Pre-WMP 7 media player users cannot configure their media players for access to a streaming media cache. See Scenario: Deployment with a Windows Media server for an example of this deployment.