Simplify Building Your Own Streaming Cloud with Wowza
NETINT Technologies Inc.
AV1, HEVC, H.264 ASIC-based video encoders for metaverse, cloud gaming & real-time streaming data center workloads.
by Jan Ozer at NETINT Technologies Inc.
Transcoding and packaging software is a key component of any live-streaming cloud, and one of the most functional and flexible programs available is the Wowza Streaming Engine. During the symposium, Barry Owen, Chief Solutions Architect at Wowza, detailed how to create a scalable streaming infrastructure using the Wowza Streaming Engine (WSE).
He started by discussing Wowza’s history, from its formation in 2005 to its recent acquisition of FlowPlayer. After defining the typical live streaming production pipeline, Barry detailed how WSE can serve as an origin server, transcoder, and packager, ensuring optimal viewer experience. He discussed WSE’s adaptability, including its ability to scale through GPU- and VPU-based transcoding, and emphasized WSE’s deployment options, which range from on-premises to cloud-based infrastructures. He then outlined Wowza’s infrastructure for distributing to audiences large and small.
Barry concluded by validating the session title by getting WSE up and running in under five minutes using Docker in a demo that you can watch below, at the end of this article.
Simplify Building Your Own Streaming Cloud with WOWZA
START STREAMING IN MINUTES WITH WOWZA STREAMING ENGINE
The focus of Barry’s talk was how to create a highly scalable streaming infrastructure with Wowza Streaming Engine (WSE). He began by recounting Wowza’s history. Established in 2005, the company launched its inaugural product, the Wowza Media Server, in 2007. This was later complemented by the Wowza Cloud, a SaaS solution, in 2013. Since its inception, Wowza has grown to support over 6,000 customers in 170 countries and boasts more than 35,000 streaming implementations. Their products are responsible for 38 million video transcoding hours each month. Recently, the company acquired FlowPlayer, adding a premier video player to its product lineup.
Barry emphasized Wowza’s commitment to providing streaming solutions that are reliable, scalable, and adaptable. He noted the importance of customization in the streaming sector and highlighted the company’s robust support team and services, which are designed to ensure customer success.
WOWZA STREAMING ENGINE FUNCTIONALITY
Barry then moved to the heart of his talk, which he set up by illustrating the streaming pipeline, which begins with video capture from sources like cameras, encoders, or mobile devices (Figure 1). Within this pipeline, WSE serves as a comprehensive media server that’s capable of functioning as an origin server, transcoder, and packager in a single system.
In this role, WSE offers real-time encoding and transcoding, producing multiple-bit rate streams for optimal viewer experience. It also performs real-time packaging into formats like HLS and DASH, facilitating compatibility across devices, and ancillary functions like adding DRM and captions, ad insertion, and metadata handling. Once processed, the stream is ready for delivery to a vast audience through one or multiple CDNs, depending on the desired scale and workflow.
Then Barry dug deeper into the capabilities of the Wowza Streaming Engine, emphasizing its comprehensive nature as an end-to-end media server. These capabilities include:
Barry underscored WSE’s adaptability, highlighting its ability to cater to custom workflows, from complex ad insertions to machine learning applications. He also mentioned the availability of GitHub libraries with examples and encouraged exploring the Streaming Engine Manager for system configuration and monitoring.
DEPLOYING WOWZA STREAMING ENGINE
Barry next discussed the deployment options for the Wowza Streaming Engine. These include:
Barry emphasized WSE’s adaptability to various deployment needs, from traditional setups to modern cloud-based infrastructures.
SCALING WOWZA STREAMING ENGINE
Barry shifted the discussion to scaling and stream processing, emphasizing the different approaches and addressing their pros and cons. For stream processing, WSE can deploy CPU, GPU, and VPU-based transcoding. Here’s a brief discussion of each option.
CPU-Based Transcoding:
Barry highlighted the traditional approach of using software CPU-based transcoding. The Wowza Streaming Engine can efficiently leverage the processing power of CPUs to handle video streams. This method is straightforward and can be scaled by adding more servers or opting for higher-capacity CPUs.
He shared that CPU-based transcoding offers a wide range of adaptability, allowing for various encoding and decoding combinations. Given that CPUs are a standard component in servers, there’s no need for specialized hardware. On the other hand, he pointed out CPUs aren’t the best option for achieving high density or low power consumption.
GPU-Based Transcoding:
Regarding GPU-based transcoding, Barry stated that GPUs can handle a significant number of streams, and take on the heavy lifting from the CPU, ensuring smoother operation. However, they are expensive, and not exclusively designed for video processing, which can lead to higher power consumption.
VPU-Based Transcoding:
Barry expressed considerable enthusiasm for the capabilities of Video Processing Units (VPUs), or ASIC-based transcoders. Unlike general-purpose CPUs and GPUs, VPUs are purpose-built for video processing which allows them to handle video streams with remarkable efficiency. In recent years, VPUs have emerged as a promising solution, especially when it comes to achieving high-density streaming. Barry noted that these units not only offer a competitive price per channel but also boast minimal power consumption.
The Evolution Towards Specialization:
Drawing from his insights, Barry seemed to suggest a trend in the streaming industry: a move towards more specialized solutions. While CPUs and GPUs have been stalwarts in the industry, the rise of VPUs indicates a shift towards tools and technologies tailored specifically for streaming. This specialization promises not only enhanced performance but also greater efficiency in terms of cost and energy consumption.
领英推荐
DISTRIBUTING YOUR STREAMS
Barry concluded his talk by discussing the distribution options available from Wowza. He emphasized the importance of adaptability when it comes to scaling outputs, especially given the diverse audience sizes that streaming services might cater to. WSE offers multiple distribution options to ensure that content reaches its intended audience efficiently, regardless of its size.
On-Premises Scaling:
One of the primary methods Barry discussed was scaling on-premises. By simply adding more servers to the existing infrastructure, streaming services can handle a larger load. This method is particularly useful for organizations that already have a significant on-premises setup and are looking to leverage that infrastructure.
CDN (Content Delivery Network):
For those expecting a vast number of viewers, Barry recommended using a content delivery network, or CDN. CDNs are designed to handle large-scale content delivery, distributing the content across a network of servers to ensure smooth and efficient delivery to a global audience. By offloading the streaming to a CDN, services can ensure that their content reaches viewers without any hitches, even during peak times.
Hybrid Approaches:
Barry found the hybrid model particularly intriguing. This approach combines the strengths of both on-premises scaling and CDNs. For instance, an organization could use its on-premises setup for regular streaming to a smaller audience. However, during events or times when a larger audience is expected, they could “burst” to the cloud, leveraging the power of CDNs to handle the increased load. This model offers both cost efficiency and scalability, ensuring that services are not overextending their resources during regular times but are also prepared for peak events.
In essence, Barry underscored the importance of flexibility in scaling. The ability to choose between on-premises, CDN, or a hybrid approach ensures that streaming services can adapt to meet any audience size.
Figure 8. A simple production with two cameras, a source switcher, and WebRTC output.
START STREAMING IN MINUTES WITH WSE: THE DEMONSTRATION
Barry then ran a recorded demonstration to illustrate the simplicity of setting up the Wowza Streaming Engine using Docker – you can run this below. He ran the demo using Docker Desktop and Docker Compose, and the objective was to launch two containers: one for the Wowza Streaming Engine and another for its manager.
He began by activating the services using the command ‘Docker compose up’. Since he recorded the demo on an M1 Mac, he noted that the process might be slightly slower due to the Rosetta translation layer. As the services initialized, Barry explained the YAML file he used to provision these services. The file contained configurations for both the Streaming Engine and its Manager, detailing aspects like image sources, environment variables, and port settings.
With the services up and running, Barry navigated to Docker Desktop to monitor the performance of the two launched services, observing metrics like CPU and memory usage. He then accessed the Streaming Engine Manager via a web browser. Barry highlighted the versatility of Docker Compose, mentioning that it can manage multiple service instances, which can be beneficial for scalability, high availability, or clustering.
Upon accessing the manager, Barry logged in to view the server’s health snapshot, providing insights into its status. He then navigated to a pre-configured application named ‘live’ to stream content. Using a live streaming program called Open Broadcaster Software on his system, Barry set it up to stream to the server, pointing out the server’s recognition of the incoming stream and its subsequent packaging.
Returning to the manager, Barry verified the incoming stream’s presence and details. He then extracted the HLS URL for the stream, which he opened in a Safari browser tab to demonstrate live playback. The stream played seamlessly, underscoring the efficiency and ease of the entire process.
The demo showcased how, in a matter of minutes, you can configure, initiate, and stream using the Wowza Streaming Engine. You can get started yourself by downloading a trial version of WSE here.
ON-DEMAND: Barry Owen, Start Streaming in Minutes with Wowza Streaming Engine
RELATED ARTICLES