Imagine Communications 4.8.6 Infocaster Manager User Guide
Oglas
Oglas
User Guide
Infocaster Manager™
4.8.6
12/1/2014
175-100285-00
Infocaster Manager™ 4.8.6 User Guide
Publication Information
© 2014 Imagine Communications Corp.
Proprietary and Confidential.
Imagine Communications considers this document and its contents to be proprietary and confidential.
Except for making a reasonable number of copies for your own internal use, you may not reproduce this publication, or any part thereof, in any form, by any method, for any purpose, or in any language other than English without the written consent of Imagine Communications. All others uses are illegal.
This publication is designed to assist in the use of the product as it exists on the date of publication of this manual, and may not reflect the product at the current time or an unknown time in the future. This publication does not in any way warrant description accuracy or guarantee the use for the product to which it refers. Imagine Communications reserves the right, without notice to make such changes in equipment, design, specifications, components, or documentation as progress may warrant to improve the performance of the product.
Trademarks
Infocaster Manager™ and Infocaster™ are trademarks or trade names of Imagine Communications or its subsidiaries.
Microsoft® and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective companies.
Contact Information
Imagine Communications has office locations around the world. For domestic and international location and contact information, visit our Contact page
(http://www.imaginecommunications.com/company/contact-us.aspx).
Support Contact Information
For domestic and international support contact information see:
Support Contacts (http://www.imaginecommunications.com/services/customer-care.aspx)
eCustomer Portal (http://support.imaginecommunications.com)
Academy Training (http://www.imaginecommunicationsacademy.com)
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Infocaster Manager™
User Guide Contents
Contents
Infocaster Manager Basics ..................................................................................... 10
Use Infocaster Manager ......................................................................................................................... 10
Launch Infocaster Manager .................................................................................................................... 11
Infocaster Manager Connection Licenses .............................................................................................. 11
Configure Infocaster Manager ................................................................................................................ 12
Tabs, Tools, and Preferences Overview ................................................................................................. 12
Infocaster Manager Tabs .................................................................................................................... 12
Infocaster Manager Tools ................................................................................................................... 13
Infocaster Manager Preferences ........................................................................................................ 14
Configuration Utility ............................................................................................................................... 15
Set Up the Network ............................................................................................... 16
Set Up a Network and Components ................................................................................................... 16
Network Components ........................................................................................................................ 17
Pro and Standard ................................................................................................................................ 18
Set up Infocaster Manager System......................................................................................................... 19
Infocaster Manager System Specifications ........................................................................................ 19
Confirm Your Administrator Privileges ............................................................................................... 19
Turn Off Simple File Sharing ............................................................................................................... 19
Pre-Installation Requirements ........................................................................................................... 20
Determine System Communication ....................................................................................................... 21
Identify File Servers & Infocaster Manager Systems .......................................................................... 21
LAN or Internet ................................................................................................................................... 21
Set Up Your File Servers ......................................................................................................................... 23
Set Up a File Server on a LAN ............................................................................................................. 23
Operation ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Set Up a File Server on a Website ...................................................................................................... 25
Configure a Port through Internet Security (Web Setups Only) ........................................................ 25
Configure Web Trigger Settings .............................................................................................................. 27
Install Infocaster Manager ...................................................................................................................... 28
Connect Your Dongle .......................................................................................................................... 28
Connect Your U2IO Device ................................................................................................................. 28
Install the Software ............................................................................................................................ 28
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Configure Windows XP Firewall Settings ........................................................................................... 29
Configure Database Logging ............................................................................................................... 30
File Servers ............................................................................................................. 33
Assign Infocaster Manager File Servers .................................................................................................. 33
Set Up File Servers .................................................................................................................................. 33
Assign the Published Content Main File Server ...................................................................................... 33
Infocaster Manager Standard............................................................................................................. 34
Infocaster Manager Pro ...................................................................................................................... 34
Assign Approved Content Main File Servers .......................................................................................... 36
Assign Mirrored File Servers ................................................................................................................... 38
Assign Mirrored File Servers ............................................................................................................... 38
Set Copying Options ........................................................................................................................... 40
Assign Preferred File Servers .............................................................................................................. 40
Connection Preferences ......................................................................................................................... 42
Store Archived Files ............................................................................................................................ 42
Free Disk Space Warning .................................................................................................................... 43
Connections ........................................................................................................................................ 43
Debug Logging .................................................................................................................................... 43
Server Internal Files ................................................................................................................................ 45
Set Up Database ................................................................................................................................. 45
Change Storage Location .................................................................................................................... 45
Set Up Network Components ................................................................................ 47
Connect Publishers ................................................................................................................................. 48
Connect Infocaster Manager Players ..................................................................................................... 49
Run Publishers as Players ................................................................................................................... 49
Set Up Players ..................................................................................................................................... 49
License Manager ................................................................................................................................ 52
Player Server ...................................................................................................................................... 53
Set Up Infocaster Manager ................................................................................................................ 53
Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles ................................................................................................... 55
Install Remote Infocaster Manager Consoles .................................................................................... 55
Connect Remote Consoles to Infocaster Manager Servers ................................................................ 55
Use Publishers ........................................................................................................ 58
Infocaster Manager Publishers ............................................................................................................... 58
Hidden Operating System Files .............................................................................................................. 58
Use Different Publishers ......................................................................................................................... 59
Use Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers ...................................................................................... 60
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Use Shell Extension Publishers ........................................................................................................... 68
Manage Publishers in Infocaster Manager ............................................................................................. 72
Set Up Infocaster Manager ................................................................................................................ 72
Set Publish Permissions ...................................................................................................................... 73
Confirm Content Download ............................................................................................................... 74
Set Download Permissions ................................................................................................................. 75
Set Approval Permissions ................................................................................................................... 75
Manage Filter Queries on Publishers ..................................................................................................... 77
Create Filter Queries .......................................................................................................................... 77
Save Filter Queries .............................................................................................................................. 77
Infocaster Online .................................................................................................................................... 78
Enable Infocaster Online Users .......................................................................................................... 78
Set Update Content Players ............................................................................................................... 79
Manage Content List .......................................................................................................................... 80
Manage Content .................................................................................................... 82
Content List ........................................................................................................................................ 82
Content Types .................................................................................................................................... 83
Categories ........................................................................................................................................... 84
View Content List ............................................................................................................................... 84
Remove Content ................................................................................................................................. 86
Content Details ....................................................................................................................................... 88
Preview Content Pages ....................................................................................................................... 88
Content History .................................................................................................................................. 89
Content Versions ................................................................................................................................ 89
Content Expiry ........................................................................................................................................ 90
Define Expiry Behavior for File Servers .............................................................................................. 90
Set Expiry Settings for Content in Infocaster Manager ...................................................................... 90
How Shared Media Expires ................................................................................................................ 91
How Punctuate Media Expires ........................................................................................................... 92
Archive Expired Content ......................................................................................................................... 94
Set Up Content Archive ...................................................................................................................... 94
Archive to Invenio .............................................................................................................................. 94
Archive Content .................................................................................................................................. 96
Retrieve Content ................................................................................................................................ 96
Content Approval ................................................................................................................................... 98
Enable Content Approval ................................................................................................................... 98
Email Personnel .................................................................................................................................. 98
Approve Content with a Publisher ................................................................................................... 101
Approve Content with Infocaster Manager ..................................................................................... 101
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Content Settings ................................................................................................................................... 102
Open the Content Settings Dialog .................................................................................................... 102
Select Pages and Regions ................................................................................................................. 102
Set Region Editing Permissions ........................................................................................................ 103
Set Regions for Playback Logging ..................................................................................................... 103
External Data Options ...................................................................................................................... 104
Configure Punctuate Support ............................................................................................................... 105
Configure Punctuate Integration ...................................................................................................... 105
Players .................................................................................................................. 108
Infocaster Manager Players .................................................................................................................. 108
Run Publishers as Players ................................................................................................................. 108
Set Up Players ................................................................................................................................... 109
Offline Players .................................................................................................................................. 109
Add an Enseo STB as a Player ........................................................................................................... 110
Player Status ......................................................................................................................................... 111
Player List ......................................................................................................................................... 112
Player Details .................................................................................................................................... 114
View Player Content ......................................................................................................................... 117
Playback Queue ................................................................................................................................ 118
Update Queue .................................................................................................................................. 118
View Player Playback ........................................................................................................................ 119
Player Preferences ............................................................................................................................ 119
Check Player Frequency ................................................................................................................... 121
Troubleshoot Players with Commands ............................................................................................ 121
Export and Import Player Lists ......................................................................................................... 122
Remove Player .................................................................................................................................. 125
Filter and Display Players ...................................................................................................................... 125
Filter Players ..................................................................................................................................... 125
Display Players in Pages ................................................................................................................... 128
Group Network Components ............................................................................................................... 128
Manage Groups ................................................................................................................................ 129
.No Group ......................................................................................................................................... 129
Assign Network Components to Groups .......................................................................................... 130
Export and Import Group Information ............................................................................................. 130
Auto Assignment .............................................................................................................................. 130
Control Players ..................................................................................................................................... 130
Control Content Playback ................................................................................................................. 131
Control Player Operation ................................................................................................................. 131
Send Triggers to Players ....................................................................................................................... 132
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Set Up External Triggers ................................................................................................................... 132
Add New Player GPIs ........................................................................................................................ 132
Manage Player GPIs .......................................................................................................................... 135
Fire GPIs ............................................................................................................................................ 135
Player Maps .......................................................................................................................................... 136
Manage Maps ................................................................................................................................... 137
Editing Mode .................................................................................................................................... 137
Add Displays to Maps ....................................................................................................................... 138
Assign Players to Displays ................................................................................................................. 138
Log Playback ......................................................................................................................................... 139
Information Logged .......................................................................................................................... 139
Enable Player Logging ....................................................................................................................... 139
Set Log Collection Options ............................................................................................................... 140
Set Regions for Logging .................................................................................................................... 141
View Log Files ................................................................................................................................... 141
Display Control ..................................................................................................................................... 142
Filter Players in the List .................................................................................................................... 142
Add Additional Displays .................................................................................................................... 142
Assign Display Types to Players ........................................................................................................ 142
View Player Display Status ............................................................................................................... 143
Manually Control Displays ................................................................................................................ 143
Automate Display Control ................................................................................................................ 144
Status Tab ............................................................................................................................................. 145
Set Information to Log ...................................................................................................................... 145
Export and Print Events .................................................................................................................... 147
Set Status Update Frequency ........................................................................................................... 147
Send Software Updates to Players ....................................................................................................... 147
View Software Updates .................................................................................................................... 148
Send Software Updates .................................................................................................................... 148
Add User Custom Updates to Your File Server ................................................................................. 149
Send Content ....................................................................................................... 151
Send Content ........................................................................................................................................ 151
Workflow .......................................................................................................................................... 151
Select Content to Send ..................................................................................................................... 151
Select Content Destination ............................................................................................................... 152
Select Update Time .......................................................................................................................... 153
Schedule Content Playback .............................................................................................................. 153
Send the Content .............................................................................................................................. 154
View Update Status .......................................................................................................................... 155
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User Guide Contents
Send Content with Rules ...................................................................................................................... 156
Manage Rules ................................................................................................................................... 156
Create New Rules ............................................................................................................................. 157
Send Content Manually ........................................................................................................................ 159
Save Content to CD .......................................................................................................................... 159
Import CD ROM Content into the Player .......................................................................................... 160
Export Content ................................................................................................................................. 160
Multicast Mode Groups ........................................................................................................................ 162
Set Up Transmission Folders ............................................................................................................ 162
Create Reception Folders ................................................................................................................. 166
Monitor Reception Folders .............................................................................................................. 166
Infocaster Manager Consoles .............................................................................. 167
Manage Infocaster Manager Consoles ................................................................................................. 167
Console Types ................................................................................................................................... 168
Set Console Permissions ................................................................................................................... 168
Add Players to a Console .................................................................................................................. 168
Add Content to a Console ................................................................................................................ 170
Add Publishers to a Console ............................................................................................................. 170
Infocaster Manager Servers ................................................................................. 172
Enable/Disable Communication ....................................................................................................... 172
Install Infocaster Manager Servers ................................................................................................... 173
Infocaster Manager Name................................................................................................................ 173
Set Status Messages ......................................................................................................................... 173
Set Replication Frequency ................................................................................................................ 173
Infocaster Manager Server Connections .............................................................................................. 174
Outbound and Inbound Connections ............................................................................................... 174
Set Up a Server Connection .............................................................................................................. 175
Remove Connections ........................................................................................................................ 176
Configure Server Connections .............................................................................................................. 177
Content Replication .......................................................................................................................... 177
Share Players .................................................................................................................................... 179
Install Web Servers .............................................................................................. 182
Use Microsoft IIS HTTP Server .......................................................................................................... 182
Use the Apache Web Server ............................................................................................................. 185
Configure Infocaster Manager ............................................................................. 187
Launch the Configuration Utility ...................................................................................................... 187
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User Guide Contents
Configuration Utility Tabs ................................................................................................................. 187
Clock Synchronization........................................................................................................................... 188
Configure Synchronization ............................................................................................................... 188
Monitor Synchronization Status ....................................................................................................... 188
Email Settings Tab ................................................................................................................................ 190
Use Microsoft Outlook ..................................................................................................................... 190
Use Imagine Communications Mailer .............................................................................................. 190
Disable Email .................................................................................................................................... 190
External Triggers Tab ............................................................................................................................ 191
Connect External Triggers ................................................................................................................ 191
Add External Triggers ....................................................................................................................... 196
Software GPIs ................................................................................................................................... 196
Infocaster Manager Server Account Tab .............................................................................................. 198
Local System Account ....................................................................................................................... 198
Set Infocaster Manager Service Account ......................................................................................... 198
Index .................................................................................................................... 199
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Infocaster Manager Basics
Infocaster Manager Basics
The Infocaster Manager™ console interface allows you to control all aspects of your network. Each tab in the console interface gives you access to different network components or activities that configure and maintain networks of all sizes.
Note: Depending on their permissions, console systems may not have all the options and features described in this section. To learn more about consoles and their permissions, see Infocaster Manager
Use Infocaster Manager
This is the basic workflow for creating, distributing, and outputting content.
1. Create content with a publisher.
2. Publish the content to the Infocaster Manager server. The content is stored on the Infocaster
Manager system’s file servers.
3. Set the editing permissions and logging options for the content within Infocaster Manager.
4. Use Infocaster Manager to send content to the players.
Infocaster Manager can also schedule and control content playback for players.
5. Players display content at the times specified by Infocaster Manager.
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Launch Infocaster Manager
Infocaster Manager Basics
Use one of the following methods to launch Infocaster Manager:
Choose Start > Programs > Imagine Communications > Infocaster Manager > Infocaster Manager.
Double-click on the Infocaster Manager shortcut on the desktop.
Note: You cannot launch Infocaster Manager remotely through a Windows® remote desktop connection.
When Infocaster Manager launches the Connect to Server window appears.
If you installed Infocaster Manager as both a server and a console, the server on your system is automatically listed as the “localhost” address.
Select the server you want to connect to and click the Connect to Server button. Infocaster Manager connects to the server and launches.
Note: If you are connecting a console to one or more servers that are on separate machines, see
Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 55) to learn how to enable the connections.
Infocaster Manager Connection Licenses
The Infocaster Manager dongle that is connected to your system specifies a certain number of licenses that are allowed to connect to Infocaster Manager.
All players connecting to Infocaster Manager from one machine are considered a single license.
Publishers do not consume licenses.
Note: Infocaster players can run without a dongle while Infocaster Manager operates as a license manager. See License Manager for more information.
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User Guide Infocaster Manager Basics
Configure Infocaster Manager
After you have installed your network components as described in Set Up the Network (on page 16),
follow these basic steps for configuring Infocaster Manager to suit your network needs.
1. To set up communication between publishers, players, and Infocaster Manager you need to assign the file servers you are using to store your content. See Assign Infocaster Manager File Servers (on
page 33) to learn how to assign file servers to store both published and approved content.
2. Infocaster Manager systems consist of both server and console components. If your server and consoles are installed on different systems, you must establish connections between the server and
the remote consoles. See Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 55) for more information.
3. Enable one or more publishers as described in Connect Publishers (on page 48).
4. Connect your player systems to the Infocaster Manager as described in Connect Infocaster Manager
5. Connect multiple Infocaster Manager servers together so that they share information as described
in Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172).
Tabs, Tools, and Preferences Overview
Use the tabs, tools, and preference options to access and configure the features of Infocaster Manager.
Infocaster Manager Tabs
Click on the tabs within the Infocaster Manager interface to perform the most common network management tasks such as sending content and monitoring players. Each tab has a hotkey for quick access.
Tab
Content
Updates
Description
Displays the content published by the publisher system. Use the tab to send content to players and other network components. See Send Content (on page
Users of Infocaster Manager Pro can approve and disapprove content on the
Content tab, as described in Content Approval (on page 98).
Displays the state of all content updates that are being sent by Infocaster
Manager. See Updates Tab (on page 155).
Allows you to manage and control player systems. See Players (on page 108).
Players
Players Playback Displays playback thumbnails for all compatible players. See View Player
Peer Servers Use this tab to connect Infocaster Manager servers and share content between
them. See Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172).
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Tab
Permissions
Triggers
Infocaster Manager Basics
Description
Allows you to enable and manage the publishers and consoles that connect to the Infocaster Manager server. See Manage Infocaster Manager Consoles (on
page 167) and Connect Publishers (on page 48).
For more information about publishers and publishing, see Use Publishers (on
Infocaster Manager Pro can send virtual "Player GPIs" to compatible players in response to serial or software GPI triggers. See Send Triggers to Players (on
Player Maps
Status
The Player Maps tab allows you to place your players on imported maps to
help you visualize your network. See Player Maps (on page 136).
Displays the communication status for network components, and allows you to choose the status information that is logged and displayed. See Status Tab (on
Infocaster Manager Tools
Use the Tools menu to configure some special features, such as assigning players to groups and creating email lists.
Tab
Groups
Log Viewer
Description
Allows you to manage groups and assign players to them. See Group Network
Displays the playback logs collected from player systems. See View Log Files
Multicast Mode
Groups
Organizes transmission folders, generally used for satellite transmission. See
Multicast Mode Groups (on page 162).
Content Preview Displays a high-quality still preview of the content selected in the Content tab.
Archive Search and Retrieve
Opens a window for searching and retrieving archived content. For more information about archiving content, see Archive Expired Content (on page
Display Control Allows you to control the parameters of supported player monitors. See
Display Control (on page 142) for more information.
Categories
Rules
Add New Offline
Player
Add New Enseo
STB
Use the Categories window to manage the categories that your publishers can
assign when publishing content. See Categories (on page 84).
Rules allow you to automatically send content to network components based
on events and actions. See Send Content with Rules (on page 156).
Allows you to add new offline players to your list of players. See Offline Players
Add Enseo set top boxes to your player list, which you can control using the
Display Control window. See Add an Enseo STB as a Player (on page 110) for
more information.
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Tab
Save Content to
CD
Infocaster Manager Basics
Description
Use the Save to CD feature to burn your content to a CD ROM. See Save
Export Content If you want to manually send content to players without using the Save
Content to CD feature, export your content as described in Export Content (on
Emails Add, edit, and remove contacts from an email list. These contacts can be assigned to Download Personnel and Approval Personnel lists. See Email
Personnel (on page 98) for more information.
Player Software
Updates
Automatically updates players with new software patches, service packs, and
release notes. See Send Software Updates to Players (on page 147).
Connect to Server Your Infocaster Manager console can connect to a different server. See
Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 55).
Infocaster Manager Preferences
Change your preferences to assign file servers and configure basic Infocaster Manager operation.
Tab
File Server
Playback
Description
Allows you to set up and edit the file servers used to store content, as
described in Assign Infocaster Manager File Servers (on page 33).
Sets playback logging options as described in Log Playback (on page 139).
Connections
Content
Distribution
Sets port connections to other systems. See Connections (on page 43).
The Content Distribution tab contains settings for sending content to
Infocaster Manager servers and Multicast Mode Groups. It also allows you to
choose a preferred file server. See Assign Preferred File Servers (on page 40).
Content Expiry Sets your content to expire on file servers and players. See Content Expiry (on
Content Archiving Allows you to archive expired content before it is deleted. See Archive Expired
Punctuate Use this tab to configure and enable Punctuate support. See Configure
Punctuate Support (on page 105).
License Manager If you are using Infocaster Manager as a license manager for players, see
Server Internal
Files
Sets the location where Infocaster Manager stores its internal files. See Server
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Configuration Utility
Infocaster Manager Basics
Infocaster Manager comes with a Configuration Utility which helps you change your system settings and
the Configuration Utility.
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Set Up the Network
How to set up and install file servers and Infocaster Manager systems.
Set Up the Network
The Infocaster Manager™ solution integrates Infocaster Managers, publishers, and players to distribute and control digital signage output in remote locations. A typical network may consist of a single
Infocaster Manager server which drives a few players, or it can contain multiple Infocaster Manager servers and consoles which control the content and output of thousands of players around the world.
This manual explains how to set up and use Infocaster Manager with networks of all sizes.
Set Up a Network and Components
These are the general steps for getting started with Infocaster Manager. Follow the instructions in this section of the User Guide to:
1. Set up the Infocaster Manager system.
2. Set up file servers.
3. Install the Infocaster Manager server.
After you have installed the Infocaster Manager server you can begin connecting to other components
in the network, as described in Set Up Network Components (on page 47).
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1. Install and connect publishers.
2. Install and connect players.
3. Install and connect Infocaster Manager consoles.
4. Install and connect Infocaster Manager servers.
Network Components
Networks consist of the following components.
Set Up the Network
Publisher
Publishers create and edit content projects. Content projects contain all the resources and details of your output including graphic files, video clips, and layout information.
Content is published to the Infocaster Manager server using a publisher. When publishing content, the publisher contacts the Infocaster Manager server, then sends the content to the server system. The server sends the received content to its main published file server.
The publishers in your network will be running Infocaster or Channel ONE software.
File Servers
File servers store the content published by publishers. The Published Content main file server must be accessible to the Infocaster Manager server through a local share or over the LAN, and the player systems must have read access to the file servers.
You can create file servers for storing both published and approved content. File servers can be mirrored, and you can customize preferred file servers for players, groups, and Infocaster Manager servers.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Infocaster Manager
Infocaster Manager controls which content is available to players, and it can control the playback of content on players. Infocaster Manager also receives new or updated content from the publishers and keeps track of all the content on the file servers.
Infocaster Manager consists of two components: a server and one or more consoles. When multiple sites need to control specific players and content, remote Infocaster Manager consoles can be set up to manage a subset of content and players. If consoles are enabled as administrators they have the same options available as the server.
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Infocaster Manager Servers
Set Up the Network
Networks may contain more than one Infocaster Manager server. Servers are independent and can manage overlapping players and content when they are connected together. They can also be configured to replicate content between their file servers.
Players
Infocaster Manager sends commands to the players, instructing them to download content from the file servers. Player output can be monitored from the Infocaster Manager system, and players can send detailed logs of their output back to Infocaster Manager for billing purposes.
The player systems are configured to receive content and play it using their output hardware. They must have read access to the file servers they download from. Infocaster and Channel ONE players can only edit content if they have permission from the publisher or Infocaster Manager.
The players in your network will be running Infocaster or Channel ONE software, configured to allow scheduling and control by Infocaster Manager.
Pro and Standard
Infocaster Manager comes in both Pro and Standard versions.
Pro Standard
File Servers
Preferred File Server
Infocast Approval /
Disapproval
Auto Update Players
Triggers (Player GPIs)
Player Limit
Multiple mirrored file servers.
Support for published and approval servers.
Supported
Supported
One file server.
N/A
Not supported
Publish and approval
Supported
No limit
Publish only
Not supported
150
Please contact your dealer for more information about Infocaster Manager Pro and Infocaster Manager
Standard.
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Infocaster Manager™
User Guide Set Up the Network
Set up Infocaster Manager System
Before you install or set up Infocaster Manager on a network system, ensure that your system meets the following specifications and is properly configured.
Infocaster Manager System Specifications
The Infocaster Manager server can be its own machine, or it can reside in the creation station box. Basic minimum specifications for dedicated Infocaster Manager hardware are:
CPU
RAM
Operating System
1 x Intel Xeon 3400 Series
4GB DDR3-1066
Windows 7 or Windows XP Pro SP2
Additional considerations for Infocaster Manager hardware include the number of players connected to it, how frequently you send updates to the players, and the size of the files being transferred. Consider the following questions:
Should Infocaster Manager be its own dedicated system, should it share a system with the creation station, or will you have multiple servers working together?
Instead of running Windows 7 or Windows XP Pro SP2, should you run Server 2008 R2 (which is recommended for ten or more players)?
How much hard drive space is required to store content? Does the storage need to be fault tolerant or shared between servers?
What type and speed of network connection is required to support the connection between
Infocaster Manager, players, and peer servers?
Confirm Your Administrator Privileges
You must have administrator privileges to install Infocaster Manager. Complete the following steps to confirm your administrator privileges.
1. Login to your computer with your username and password.
If the computer is in a Workgroup, you cannot leave the password blank.
2. Select Start > Control Panel > User Accounts.
• If the computer is in a domain, the login account is listed in Users for this Computer. Check that
"Administrators" displays under the Group heading.
• If the computer is not in a domain, "Computer Administrator" displays beside your login account.
3. If you do not have administrator privileges, contact your IT professional.
Turn Off Simple File Sharing
In Windows XP, make sure Simple File Sharing is NOT enabled.
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1. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Folder Options.
3. In the Folders Options window, switch to the View tab.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced settings list.
5. Make sure Use Simple File Sharing is unchecked.
If Use Simple File Sharing is checked, clear the checkbox and click on Apply.
Set Up the Network
Pre-Installation Requirements
Ensure that the following pre-installation requirements are met before you install Infocaster Manager.
Microsoft® .NET Framework
The Microsoft .NET framework must be installed and enabled on the system. In some situations the framework will be automatically installed by Infocaster Manager, as detailed below.
On workstation versions of Windows® (such as XP, Vista, and Windows 7) the .NET framework is automatically installed by Infocaster Manager. No further action is required.
On Windows Server 2008, an administrator must enable the .NET framework before installing
Infocaster Manager.
If the .NET framework is not preinstalled on your system you must install it before you install
Infocaster Manager.
Windows Media® Player
Windows Media Player must be installed and enabled on the system.
Windows Media Player is preinstalled on some workstation versions of Windows (such as XP, Vista, and Windows 7), but in some parts of the world it is not automatically preinstalled on these systems. If Windows Media Player is not preinstalled on your workstation system you must install it before you install Infocaster Manager.
On server versions of Windows (such as 2003 and 2008 R2), an administrator must enable the
Windows Desktop Experience feature before installing Infocaster Manager.
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User Guide Set Up the Network
Determine System Communication
You should know how you intend to set up network communication before you begin setting up your
Infocaster Manager network. This includes knowing how publishers and players will connect to the file servers that store your content, and how the Infocaster Manager server will connect to Infocaster
Manager consoles and other servers.
Identify File Servers & Infocaster Manager Systems
As part of your Infocaster Manager setup you need to determine where you will place your file servers, which systems will run Infocaster Manager servers, and which systems will run Infocaster Manager consoles if applicable.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Key Considerations
Note the following key considerations before you determine your system setup.
A file server is a location where you store your published or approved content. Players and other
Infocaster Manager systems must access the file server and must have read access rights to the location.
Infocaster Manager Standard does not support content approval.
You can place a file server on a system connected to your computer network (or LAN). Connections by players and other Infocaster Manager systems are made over the LAN.
You can place a mirrored file server on a website, though the Published Content main file server and the Approved Content main file server must be accessible to Infocaster Manager over the LAN.
You can have a player, Infocaster Manager server, and a file server on the same computer, or on separate computers.
For security reasons we recommend that the file servers and the Infocaster Manager server are on the same LAN; however, you can place them anywhere as long as they are fully accessible by the player, publisher, and Infocaster Manager systems.
LAN or Internet
You can set up the Infocaster Manager solution so systems communicate through either a Local Area
Network or the internet.
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Local Area Network
Set Up the Network
When you set up the Infocaster Manager solution to communicate by LAN, you can set a shared folder as your file server where Infocaster Manager, publishers, and players access content. Communication by
LAN is the easiest to configure.
Internet
When you set up the Infocaster Manager solution to communicate through the internet, you can set up a website as a mirrored file server where Infocaster Manager, publishers, and player systems access content.
Communication over the internet requires firewall protection for internet connections. You must have your organization’s Network Administrator or IT professional set up your internet security.
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Set Up Your File Servers
File servers store the content published by publishers and approved by publisher or Infocaster Manager operators. After you have set up a file server and installed Infocaster Manager, use the Infocaster
Manager File Server dialog to select the servers for your published and approved content.
The Published Content main file server and the Approved Content main file server must be accessible to the Infocaster Manager over the LAN.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Set Up a File Server on a LAN
LAN setups use shared folders as the file servers for storing published and approved content. All publishers, players, and Infocaster Manager servers must be connected to the LAN to access the file servers. If you are setting up system communication on a LAN, you must determine whether the file servers will reside on systems that are part of a domain or a workgroup. Instructions for setting up file servers are different depending on the setup.
Determine System Setup: Domain or Workgroup
Complete the following steps to determine if the file server system is set up on a domain or a workgroup.
1. On the system where you will set up the file server, login as a user with administrator privileges.
2. On the computer desktop, right-click on My Computer and select Properties from the menu.
3. In the Properties window, switch to the Computer Name tab.
Under the computer name is the word "Domain" or "Workgroup" indicating whether the computer is part of a domain or a workgroup.
Set Up a File Server on a LAN Domain
If you determined that the file server system is part of a domain, use the following instructions to create a shared folder that is accessible to the publisher, player, and Infocaster Manager server applications using the published and approved content. Later you will use the File Server dialog within Infocaster
Manager to select the shared folder as your file server.
Note: Infocaster Manager operators must have full access to the shared folder. Player operators must have read access. The following steps include instructions for setting full folder permissions,
1. Set up a shared folder on the file server system. a. Navigate to the location for the shared folder.
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User Guide Set Up the Network a. Create a folder on the system for your published content, and another folder for your approved content if you are using the Approve Content option in Infocaster Manager. b. Right-click on the folder and select Sharing and Security. c. On the Sharing tab, select the Share This Folder radio button. d. Enter a share name in the field.
2. Set full folder permissions. a. On the Sharing tab, click on the Permissions button to open a window for setting the folder permissions. b. Select Everyone. c. Check the Full Control permission and click OK.
Allowing full control for everyone means that all users on the network have full access to the file server. To limit access to the shared folder, create new groups or users and set permissions as needed. d. Switch to the Security tab. e. Select full permissions and click Apply for Everyone.
3. Click OK to apply the folder’s share and permission settings.
Set Up a File Server on a LAN Workgroup
If you determined that the file server system is part of a workgroup, use the following instructions to create a shared folder that is accessible to the player, publisher, and Infocaster Manager applications using the published and approved content. Later you will use the File Server dialog within Infocaster
Manager to select the shared folder as your file server.
Note: Infocaster Manager operators must have full access to the shared folder. Player operators must have read access. The following steps include instructions on setting full folder permissions,
1. Set up a shared folder on the file server system. a. Navigate to the location for the shared folder. a. Create a folder on the system for your published content, and another folder and for your approved content if you are using the Approve Content option in Infocaster Manager. b. Right-click on the folder and select Sharing and Security. c. On the Sharing tab, click on the "If you understand the security risks..." link. d. In the Enable File Sharing window, choose "Just enable file sharing" and click OK. e. On the Sharing tab, select the "Share This Folder on the Network" checkbox. f. Enter a share name in the field.
2. On the Sharing tab, set folder permissions by selecting the "Allow network users to change my files" checkbox.
Operation
Communication takes place between the player and the web server when the player connects to the
Infocaster Manager on port 9001. Initial communication between the player and the Infocaster Manager
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User Guide Set Up the Network or web server is initiated by the player. Once connected, the Infocaster Manager uses this connection to send content to the player, and the player responds on the same connection.
Set Up a File Server on a Website
Internet setups use a specified location on a website as a file server for storing content. All players and
Infocaster Manager servers must have access to the file server on the website.
Set Up a File Server on an Existing Website
Instructions for setting up a file server on a website differ depending on the web server or web service you are using to host the site. If you currently have administrative access to a website , you can use the options provided by the web server to create a folder on the site. Later you will use the File Server dialog within Infocaster Manager to select the folder as your file server.
If you need assistance setting up a folder on an existing website, contact the support specialists from the company hosting the site.
Note: Infocaster Manager operators must have full access to the shared folder. Player operators must have read access.
Set Up a File Server on Your Own Web Server
To set up a web server for hosting your file server, you must install web server software on your file server system.
The Microsoft® Internet Information Services HTTP server and the Apache web server software are commonly used, and have been tested with Infocaster Manager. Other web server software will work with Infocaster Manager, but you might need the help of your IT professional to download and install the software.
To learn how to set up a Microsoft Internet Information Services HTTP server, see Use Microsoft IIS
To set up an Apache Web Server, see Use the Apache Web Server (on page 185).
Configure a Port through Internet Security (Web Setups Only)
For file servers set up on a website, you must have your organization’s Network Administrator or IT professional help you understand and account for internet security issues, and configure a port through internet security for Infocaster Manager operation.
The following instructions are intended for someone who is familiar with setting up internet security.
Private or Public IP Address?
The network security setup depends on whether you are using private or public IP addresses. A private
IP address is any IP address in the following ranges.
10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 (10/8)
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17.16.0.0 to 17.31.255.255 (172.16/12)
192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16)
A public IP address is any IP address that is not in the private range.
Set Up the Network
Direct Firewall Configurations
If the player systems are behind a firewall and use a public IP address, the firewall must allow outbound connections to port 9001 and 80, and allow traffic from established sessions to return (either through stateful inspection of packets, or by allowing inbound packets with a source port of 9001 or 80).
If the web server computer is behind a firewall and uses a public IP address, the firewall must allow inbound connections to whatever port is serving content (e.g. HTTP is on port 80). Connections must be made from the player computer in passive mode, and must allow outbound traffic from established connections on those same ports (either through stateful inspection of packets, or allow outbound packets with a source port of 80).
If the Infocaster Manager server system is behind a firewall, then the firewall must allow inbound connections to port 9001, and must allow outbound traffic from established connections on those same ports (either through stateful inspection of packets, or allow outbound packets with a source port of
9001).
Infocaster Manager uses these specific ports by default. After installing Infocaster Manager you can use the Connections tab (Tools > Server Preferences > Connections) to choose different ports.
Network Address Translation (NAT) Configurations
If the player systems are behind a NAT device and on private IP addresses, no modifications are necessary.
If the web server computer is behind a NAT device and on a private IP address space then check for the following configuration.
For http: The NAT device must forward connections made on port 80 to the Content Server IP address on port 80.
For ftp: The NAT device must forward connections made to the ftp server’s data channel (the ftp server should be configured to specify a narrow range of passive ports, then configure your NAT device to forward all connections in this range to the corresponding port on the ftp server).
For SMB\CIFS (Windows File sharing): Not recommended. You should not make CIFS shares available on the internet.
If the Infocaster Manager server system is behind a NAT device, the NAT device must forward connections made on port 9001 to the Infocaster Manager IP address on port 9001.
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Configure Web Trigger Settings
If you will be using the Web Triggers feature on this system, you must configure your Infocaster
Manager system before installing Infocaster Manager. See the Infocaster Manager Web Triggers document to learn how to configure your system and use the Web Triggers feature.
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Install Infocaster Manager
The following instructions describe how to install Infocaster Manager as a server and console, or as a console only. Before you install your Infocaster Manager software, ensure that you have administrative rights on the Infocaster Manager system and that simple file sharing is turned off. For details see Set up
Infocaster Manager System (on page 19).
These instructions apply to both Infocaster Manager Pro and Infocaster Manager Standard.
You can install more than one Infocaster Manager server on your network. Repeat these steps for each
Connect Your Dongle
The purple USB dongle (sometimes called an interlock device) is included in the Infocaster Manager software envelope. The install reads the dongle for installation information.
Note: If you are installing Infocaster Manager as a console you do not need to attach the dongle for installation or operation.
1. On the Infocaster Manager system where you are installing Infocaster Manager as a server, log in as a user with administrator privileges.
2. Connect the dongle to a USB port on the computer.
3. Wait a few seconds.
4. If you get a message indicating that new hardware (the dongle) has been found, cancel the message.
The dongle driver is installed during Infocaster Manager installation so you do not need to locate software for the dongle.
Connect Your U2IO Device
If you will be using a U2IO device for managing triggers, make sure the device is attached to one of your
USB ports before you begin installing Infocaster Manager.
Install the Software
Complete the following steps to install Infocaster Manager.
Note: If you will be using the Web Triggers feature on this system, you must complete additional configuration steps before you install Infocaster Manager. See Configure Web Trigger Settings (on page
1. Ensure that you have set up your system as described in Set up Infocaster Manager System (on page
2. Insert the Infocaster Manager CD in your CD ROM tray.
Note: You cannot install Infocaster Manager remotely through a Windows® remote desktop connection.
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3. Click on Install Infocaster Manager.
4. On the Welcome screen click Next to start the install.
Set Up the Network
5. View the license agreement. If you agree with the license agreement, accept it and click Next. You cannot continue without accepting the agreement.
6. On the next screen, leave the default destination program folder.
7. Select a configuration for Infocaster Manager: Console and Server or Console Only.
• Console and Server: Configuration is detailed, so installation requires further explanation.
Continue with step 8 if you selected Console and Server.
• Console Only: Configuration is straightforward, so you can click Next and follow the installation prompts to completion.
After the install, see Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 55 ) to learn how to connect the
console to your Infocaster Manager server.
8. To continue with a Console and Server install click Next.
9. Check the Create Desktop Shortcut checkbox and click Next.
10. Enter the Infocaster Manager Server Account information. The username and password should have read and write access to the Infocaster Manager file server. It is recommended that the account be a
Power User, but not an Administrator.
You can run Infocaster Manager using the Administrator account, but another account is recommended so that the administrator privileges are reserved for administrators.
Note: If the server computer is part of a LAN workgroup, a common username and password must be used for all players.
11. Enter the Domain name, or leave the Domain field blank if you are using a Workgroup.
12. Click on Verify User Settings to confirm the user name and password.
13. Click on Next to install Infocaster Manager. When the installation is complete, click Finish and reboot your system when prompted.
14. Install any service packs which have been delivered to you.
Configure Windows XP Firewall Settings
For correct operation of Infocaster Manager on a Windows XP SP2 system, you have to set up firewall exceptions to the Infocaster Manager program service and the ports that it communicates on.
1. Right-click on your Infocaster Manager folder and choose Properties from the right-click menu. The
Properties window opens.
2. Switch to the Sharing tab.
3. Click on the View Your Windows Firewall settings link at the bottom of the screen. The Windows
Firewall window opens.
4. In the Windows Firewall dialog, switch to the Exceptions tab.
5. Click the Add Program button. The Add a Program window opens.
6. Click the Browse button and browse to the folder where Infocaster Manager is installed.
7. Select the NetManServer.exe, then click Open. The service is added to the list of excepted programs in the Add a Program window.
8. Click OK to add the Infocaster Manager service software to the exceptions list.
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The Exceptions list shows a checkmark beside the Infocaster Manager service software.
Add NM Ports to Exceptions List
You need to make exceptions for the ports that Infocaster Manager uses to communicate with both publisher and player systems.
1. On the Exceptions tab in the Windows Firewall dialog, click the Add Port button.
2. In the Add a Port dialog, enter a name for the port exception in the Name field.
3. Type in the port number 9001 in the Port Number field.
4. Click OK. The Exceptions list shows a checkmark beside port 9001.
Upgrade from Network Manager Version 1
Add port 135 to the exception list if you are upgrading from Network Manager 1.x and you want to keep the previous settings.
Note: Opening port 135 can make your system vulnerable to viruses that exploit this port. A better alternative is port 9001.
1. On the Exceptions tab in the Windows Firewall dialog, click the Add Port button.
2. In the Add a Port dialog, type in any name for the port exception.
3. Type in the port number 135. Port 135 is used for DCOM (RPC).
4. Click on OK
To use DCOM, make sure you configure DCOM security between the publisher systems and Infocaster
Manager.
Configure Database Logging
Infocaster Manager can be configured to store playback logs in an SQL database, as described in Set Log
create a PlaybackLogDB database on the Infocaster Manager system, and the
NetManMTServer.exe.config file must be edited to add a reference to the database.
Create the Database
These instructions describe the steps for using the Microsoft® SQL Server Management Studio. If you want to use a different tool, please consult your IT professional.
1. As an SQL server administrator, launch the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
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2. Choose Databases > New Database.
Set Up the Network
The New Database window opens.
3. In the General page, create the PlaybackLogDB database.
4. Click OK to save the database.
5. Still within the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, select Open > File and open the
PlaybackLogDB.sql file.
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6. Click the Execute button. The SQL is executed and the tables and indexes are created.
7. Click OK to exit the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
Edit the NetManMTServer.exe.config File
Follow these steps to create a reference to the database in the NetManMTServer.exe.config file.
1. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the Infocaster Manager install folder.
2. Within the folder, double-click the NetManMTServer.exe.config file to edit it.
3. Within the <configuration> element, you need to create a new <connectionStrings> element, using values which are appropriate to your system. Here is an example:
<connectionStrings>
<add name="NetManMTServer.Properties.Settings.PlaybackLogDBConnectionS
tring" connectionString="Data Source=localhost\sqlexpress2008;Initial
Catalog=PlaybackLogDB;Integrated Security=True;Connection
Timeout=15" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>
4. Save the file and close it.
Enable Log Collection to the Database
See Set Log Collection Options (on page 140) to learn how to enable Infocaster Manager to use the
database for storing playback logs.
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File Servers
Connect, customize, and manage file servers.
Assign Infocaster Manager File Servers
File servers store the content published by publisher systems.
File Servers
To set up communication between publishers, players, and Infocaster Manager servers you need to assign the file servers you are using to store your content.
Use the File Server tab in the Server Preferences window to assign file servers for both published and approved content. Infocaster Manager Pro file servers can be mirrored, and Infocaster Manager Pro users can create file servers for storing both published and approved content.
Infocaster Manager servers that are connected together on the network can replicate content between
Set Up File Servers
You must set up your file servers before you can connect Infocaster Manager to them. See Set Up Your
File Servers (on page 23) to learn how to set up LAN and Internet file servers.
Assign the Published Content Main File Server
The file servers you assign determine the locations where content is stored. The instructions for file server assignment are different for Infocaster Manager Pro and Infocaster Manager Standard.
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Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Infocaster Manager Standard
In Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences.
1. Switch to the File Server tab.
2. Beside the Store content in This Location field, click the Choose button. The Select a File Server
Location dialog opens. Navigate to the shared folder over the network and then double-click on the folder. Click OK.
Note: Make sure the complete network file path displays, starting with the machine name, even if the Infocaster Manager and the shared folder are on the same machine.
3. Assign the location that consoles and players will download from. This is the external path to a file server, and is often the same as the file server location.
4. Click OK to save your settings and return to Infocaster Manager.
Infocaster Manager Pro
You must first assign a Published Content main file server over the LAN. The Published Content main file server is a required file server.
1. In Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences.
2. Switch to the File Server tab.
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3. Switch to the Published Content Locations subtab.
File Servers
4. The list contains a default file server. Select the file server and click the Edit button. The Published
Content Main File Server Location window opens.
5. In the first text box assign the file server location for published content. a. Click the Choose button. The Select a File Server Location dialog opens. b. Navigate to the shared folder over the network and double-click on the folder. c. Click OK.
Note: Make sure the complete network file path displays, starting with the machine name, even if the Infocaster Manager and the shared folder are on the same machine.
If you want this file server to be one of several mirrored file servers, or if it is the top file server in a hierarchy of Infocaster Manager servers, you may not want to allow consoles or players to download from the file server. In most cases, however, you will want to allow consoles and players to access the file server.
Follow these steps if players or consoles will download content from this file server.
1. Check the Clients Will Download From This Location checkbox to enable downloading from the file server.
2. Set the location that consoles and players will download from. This is the external path to a file server.
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Note: If you choose an ftp site for this location, you can embed a username and password in the URL using the standard : and @ syntax. For example, user annayu could access a file server at
MC01/mediafiles with password yutvaccess23x by using the URL
ftp://annayu:yutvaccess23x@MC01/mediafiles.
Click OK to save the Published Content main file server settings and to return to the Published Content
File Servers Location dialog. To save the main file server settings without adding another file server, click
OK in the dialogs until you return to Infocaster Manager.
To set up another file server for published content, see Assign Mirrored File Servers (on page 38).
Assign Approved Content Main File Servers
If you require that all content is approved before it is sent to players, set up at least one approved content file server. When content is approved it is moved from the published content file servers to the approved content file servers.
You must define at least one published content file server before setting up an approved content file server.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
1. In Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences.
2. Switch to the File Server tab.
3. Switch to the Approved Content Locations subtab.
4. Check the Content Update Requires Approval checkbox. The list becomes enabled.
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5. The list contains an undefined file server. Select the undefined file server and click the Edit button.
The Approved Content Main File Server Location window opens.
From this point, setting up an approved content file server is identical to setting up a published content file server.
6. In the first text box assign the file server location for approved content. a. Click the Choose button. The Select a File Server Location dialog opens. b. Navigate to the shared folder over the network and double-click on the folder. c. Click OK.
Note: Make sure the complete network file path displays, starting with the machine name, even if the Infocaster Manager and the shared folder are on the same machine.
If you want this file server to be one of several mirrored file servers, or if it is the top file server in a hierarchy of Infocaster Manager servers, you may not want to allow consoles or players to download from the file server. In most cases, however, you will want to allow consoles and players to access the file server.
Follow these steps if players or consoles will download content from this file server.
1. Select the Clients Will Download From This Location checkbox to enable downloading from the file server.
2. Set the location that consoles and players will download from. This is the external path to a file server.
Click OK to save the Approved Content file server settings and to return to the Approved Content File
Servers Location dialog. To save the main file server settings without adding another file server, click OK in the dialogs until you return to Infocaster Manager.
To set up another file server for approved content, see Assign Mirrored File Servers (on page 38).
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Assign Mirrored File Servers
After the main file servers have been assigned, Infocaster Manager Pro users can store published and approved content on multiple "mirrored" file servers.
When content is published to Infocaster Manager, the Infocaster Manager server saves the content to all Published Content file servers.
If you require content approval, content will also be moved to all of the Approved Content file servers when the content is approved.
Mirrored file servers must be accessible to the Infocaster Manager server through a local path, a network share, http, or https.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Assign Mirrored File Servers
Follow these steps to assign mirrored file servers.
1. Select Tools > Server Preferences.
2. Switch to the File Server tab.
3. Depending on whether you are adding a mirrored Published Content file server or a mirrored
Approved Content file server, switch to the appropriate subtab.
• To assign mirrored published content file servers, switch to the Published Content Locations subtab and click the Add button. The Published Content Mirrored File Server Location window opens.
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• To add mirrored approved content file servers, switch to the Approved Content Locations subtab and click the Add button. The Approved Content Mirrored File Server Location window opens.
4. In the first text box assign the file server location for published content.
• Shared Folder: If you are using a shared folder as a file server, click the Choose button. The
Select a File Server Location dialog opens. Navigate to the shared folder over the network and then double-click on the folder. Click OK.
Note: Make sure the complete network file path displays, starting with the machine name, even if the Infocaster Manager and the shared folder are on the same machine.
• Website: If you are using a website as a file server, enter the web address in the first text box.
The website address must start with http:// or https://. Click the Setup button and enter the username, password, and port settings for the site.
If you want this file server to be one of several mirrored file servers, or if it is the top file server in a hierarchy of Infocaster Manager servers, you may not want to allow consoles or players to download from the file server. In most cases, however, you will want to allow consoles and players to access the file server.
Follow these steps if players or consoles will download content from this file server.
1. Check the Clients Will Download From This Location checkbox to enable downloading from the file serve r.
2. Set the location that consoles and players will download from. This is the external path to the file server.
Note: If you choose an ftp site for this location, you can embed a username and password in the URL using the standard : and @ syntax. For example, user annayu could access a file server at
MC01/mediafiles with password yutvaccess23x by using the URL
ftp://annayu:yutvaccess23x@MC01/mediafiles.
Click OK to save the published content file server settings and to return to the Published Content File
Servers Location dialog. To save the main file server settings without adding another file server, click OK in the dialogs until you return to Infocaster Manager.
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Set Copying Options
File Servers
In the Mirrored Content section of the File Server tab, you can set how many times Infocaster Manager will try to copy content if copying fails and how long it will wait between copy attempts.
To delay sending content to players and peer servers until the mirroring process has been completed, check the Delay Sending Content Updates checkbox.
Assign Preferred File Servers
By default all players and servers use the first defined file server as their preferred file server. Infocaster
Manager Pro can customize the preferred file servers for groups of players and Infocaster Manager servers. When a player or server downloads content, the preferred file server is the one downloaded from.
If you have not set up any approved content file servers, the preferred file servers will be published content file servers. Otherwise they will be approved content file servers.
To learn how to add players and servers to groups, see Group Network Components (on page 128).
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Customize Preferred File Servers
Select Tools > Server Preferences and switch to the Content Distribution tab.
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1. To set the preferred file servers for a group of players or Infocaster Manager servers, choose the
Groups option from the drop-down list. The groups in your network are displayed in the Name list.
2. Select a group from the Name list.
3. The lists on the right side of the dialog show the preferred file server and the available file servers for your selected group.
If you have not set up any approved content file servers, the available file servers will be published content file servers. Otherwise, they will be approved content file servers.
4. Select an available file server and click the Add button to add it to the list of preferred file servers.
Select a preferred file server and click the Remove button to remove it from the list of preferred file servers.
View Preferred File Servers
To view the preferred file servers for Infocaster Manager servers or players, select either the Peer
Servers or the Players option from the drop-down list, then select the server or player from the Name list. Its preferred file servers appear in the Preferred File Server Locations list.
If the player or Infocaster Manager server is part of a group with customized file servers, the customized file servers are listed. If the player or Infocaster Manager server is part of multiple groups, the file servers for all of the groups are listed in the order that the file servers were defined.
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User Guide File Servers
Connection Preferences
Use the Preferences tabs to customize the way that Infocaster Manager communicates with the other components on the network.
Store Archived Files
Content projects consist of a large number of media and data files. By default these files are stored individually on the file servers, but you can set individual file servers to store content as compressed archive (ZIP) files.
Infocaster Manager Standard
On Infocaster Manager Standard systems, select Tools > Server Preferences, switch to the File Server tab, and check the Store an Archive File checkbox. Any content sent to the file server in the future will be archived as a ZIP file.
Infocaster Manager Pro
On Infocaster Manager Pro systems, follow these steps:
1. Select Tools > Server Preferences. The Server Preferences window opens.
2. Switch to the File Server tab.
3. Choose whether to archive files on a published content file server or an approved content file server.
• To store your content as archive files on an existing published content file server, switch to the
Published Content Locations subtab.
• To store your content as archive files on an existing approved content file server instead, switch to the Approved Content Locations subtab.
4. Select the file server you want to modify and click the Edit button. The File Server Location window opens.
5. Check the Store An Archive File checkbox. Any content sent to that file server in the future will be archived.
If you want to continue to store content as individual files as well, check the Store All Files checkbox. To only store content as archived files, uncheck the Store All Files checkbox.
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User Guide
Free Disk Space Warning
File Servers
To see a warning when a file server is running out of free disk space, select Tools > Server Preferences >
File Server. In the File Server tab, check the Warn When Server Has Less Than __ MB of Free Space checkbox, and enter the free space warning level in the field.
Connections
The Connections tab allows you to control port connections to systems on the network. Open the tab by selecting Tools > Server Preferences > Connections.
In the Accept Connections on These Ports section of the tab, change the port numbers to change the port the Infocaster Manager server uses to connect with the listed network components. You need to reboot Infocaster Manager before any changes are applied.
Component
Players
Publishers
Consoles (UI)
Servers
Description
The port that Infocaster Manager uses to communicate with online player systems.
The port that Infocaster Manager uses to communicate with publishers.
The port that Infocaster Manager uses to communicate with Infocaster Manager consoles.
The port that Infocaster Manager uses to communicate with peer Infocaster Manager servers.
Change the value in the Initialize Connections field to set how long the Infocaster Manager attempts to initialize connections before listing them as unavailable.
Debug Logging
Debug logs contain internal messages that Infocaster Manager and its services produce during operation. These logs can be sent to Imagine Communications technical support to help diagnose problems on Infocaster Manager systems.
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Within your web browser, use the IP address localhost:8000 to access the Logging Server. The Logging
Server allows you to set the detail level of the debug logs, search your debug logs, export logs, and delete logs you no longer require.
Editing, viewing, and managing debug logs is generally done under supervision from Imagine
Communications technical support.
Access the Logging Server
To access the Logging Server, open a web browser on your Infocaster Manager system and enter the following IP address: http://localhost:8000/
The Logging Server opens in your web browser.
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Server Internal Files
By default Infocaster Manager stores information about its network connections, content projects, and preferences in a folder on the Infocaster Manager system hard drive. Use the Server Internal Files tab to change where this information is stored. You can also use the tab to store the files in a database instead of a folder.
Choose Tools > Server Preferences > Server Internal Files to change your settings. Your current storage location is listed at the top of the tab.
Set Up Database
Before you can choose to store your information in a database you must add your database details to the NetManMTServer.exe.config file. This file is located in the folder where Infocaster Manager is installed.
The NetManMTServer.exe.config file is already configured with default SQL information. Edit the tags to customize the config file to your database setup.
Change Storage Location
Follow these steps to change your storage location.
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1. In the New Storage section of the tab, select the radio button for the storage type you’d like to use.
• To store the information on a hard drive, select the Disc radio button and click the Choose button to choose a hard drive folder.
• To store the information in a database, select the Database radio button. Ensure that you have
already configured your database as described in Set Up Database (on page 45).
2. If you want to move all of the existing information to the new location, check the Migrate Files to the New Storage checkbox.
Migrating the information can take a long time for Infocaster Manager systems with a lot of content, players, and publishers. Perform this operation during a period of downtime.
3. Click the Use the New Storage button. The Messages list displays the progress of the operation.
When the operation finishes you are prompted to press the OK button. Infocaster Manager reboots and connects to the new server internal file location.
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User Guide Set Up Network Components
Set Up Network Components
Set up publishers, players, and consoles.
Other than your Infocaster Manager server and its file servers, networks contain additional components which must be configured and connected. Depending on your network’s structure you may not need to install all of these components.
Publishers are systems that create and/or publish content to Infocaster Manager. They must be recognized and enabled by Infocaster Manager before they can begin publishing. All networks require at least one publisher capable of publishing.
Publisher setup depends on the software involved, and is described in Infocaster Manager
Players are systems configured to automatically receive content in response to Infocaster Manager commands. Infocaster Manager must recognize players before sending content and commands to them.
Remote Infocaster Manager consoles display the Infocaster Manager user interface and send commands to the Infocaster Manager server it is connected to. Servers must recognize and enable each console before they accept commands from it.
Additional Infocaster Manager servers can share information within the network. Infocaster
Manager servers can be configured to access each other’s content and player systems.
Infocaster Manager servers are described in a separate section of this user guide. See Infocaster
Manager Servers (on page 172 ) for more information.
The following sections describe how to configure and connect publisher, player, and console systems with your Infocaster Manager servers.
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Connect Publishers
Publishers are systems with publishing and download connections to one or more Infocaster Manager systems. Publisher systems must be recognized and enabled by Infocaster Manager before they can begin publishing content. They run Infocaster or Channel ONE software configured to publish content through the network.
To learn more about publishers and publishing, see Infocaster Manager Publishers (on page 58).
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Connect Infocaster Manager Players
Players are systems configured to receive content and play it using their output hardware. Players run
Infocaster or Channel ONE software configured for remote playback.
Infocaster Manager and players are usually installed on different systems, but you can install a single player on a Infocaster Manager system if necessary. See your player’s user guide to learn how to install and configure the software.
If you do not want to connect a player to the Infocaster Manager through a network, you can set up
to learn how to set up and use offline players.
Player systems must be recognized by Infocaster Manager before they can begin receiving content and commands through the network. These instructions for connecting players assume that the software has already been installed on the player system.
To learn more about players, see Infocaster Manager Players (on page 108).
Run Publishers as Players
A publisher can only respond to playback and scheduling commands from Infocaster Manager if the system is set to run as a player.
If you want to run a publisher as a player, look in the publisher’s Tools menu and ensure there is a checkmark beside the Run as Players option. If there is no checkbox, choose Tools > Run as Player to enable player operation.
Choose Tools > Run as Player again to use the player as a publisher instead. See Connect Publishers (on
page 48) to learn how to configure and manage publishers.
Set Up Players
Before players can communicate with a Infocaster Manager, they must be configured to connect with the Infocaster Manager system.
Infocaster and Channel ONE
After you have installed Infocaster Manager and its players, use the Configuration Utility on the player systems to connect players to the Infocaster Manager server and its file servers.
From the Windows Start Menu choose Programs > Imagine Communications > [player software name] >
Configuration Utilities > Configuration Utility.
You may need to re-launch the player or reboot the system after making changes in the Configuration
Utility. The utility will prompt you if a reboot or re-launch is necessary.
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Note: Infocaster players can be licensed by Infocaster Manager. See License Manager (on page 52) for
more information.
1. Switch to the Player Server Account tab within the Configuration Utility.
2. Choose the type of account you will use to connect to the Infocaster Manager system’s LAN servers.
• The Local System Account is a built-in default account on all Windows machines. It is designed to allow services to run, but it does not often have permission to access the network.
You can usually run the Player service with the Local System Account when accessing the
Infocaster Manager LAN file server, though it is recommended that you use an Administrator account for this service instead.
To use the Local System Account, check the Local System Account checkbox.
When using the Local System Account, check the Allow Service to Interact with Desktop to allow the Player Server to open windows on the desktop when necessary. This also allows the Player
Server to place a monitor icon in the Windows task bar.
• If you are not using the Local System Account, uncheck the Local System Account checkbox and enter the account’s username, password, and domain information. Do not enter a domain if you are using a workgroup.
3. In the Player Server HTTP Account section of the tab, enter the username and password that the
Player Server will use when accessing the Infocaster Manager system’s HTTP file servers.
The Player Settings tab displays information about the player that was entered when the player was installed. You can update this information at any time.
To access the player settings within your publisher software, choose Edit > Preferences > Player Settings.
The Infocaster Manager Player tab opens.
1. In the System section of the tab, enter the name and physical location of the player, as well as a brief description. By default the description displays the login ID of the individual who installed the player. The player’s name is used by Infocaster Manager to select the player when sending content.
2. In the Server Name field, enter the name of the system that Infocaster Manager is installed on.
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3. Enter the port used to communicate with Infocaster Manager in the TCP/IP Port field.
4. Player systems can provide Infocaster Manager with information about the system’s operator. Use the Name, Email, and Telephone fields to enter or update the operator’s contact information. This information is displayed when player systems are selected within Infocaster Manager.
5. Check the Notify checkbox at the bottom of the tab to immediately update the Infocaster Manager when information on this tab changes.
If your player supports multiple player instances, use the Instance Name drop-down list on the Player
Settings tab to select the instance you are configuring. Each instance can be configured separately.
Infocaster Manager treats each instance as a separate player when sending and scheduling content.
Feature Note: You can only configure multiple player instances for compatible players with the Multi
Head option enabled. If your player supports multiple instances, see the player’s user guide for more information.
Content Receiver
After you have installed the Content Receiver service, use the Configuration Utility to configure the content receivers.
1. Choose START > Programs > Harris > Content Receiver > Configuration Utility. The Configuration
Utility opens.
2. Switch to the Content Receiver tab.
3. Set the username and password that the Content Receiver service uses when it accesses the
Infocaster Manager system’s file servers over a LAN connection.
• The Local System Account is a built-in default account on all Windows machines. It is designed to allow services to run, but it does not often have permission to access the network.
You can usually run the Content Receiver with the Local System Account when accessing the
Infocaster Manager system’s LAN file servers, though it is recommended that you use a Power
User account for this service instead.
To use the Local System Account, check the Local System Account checkbox.
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When using the Local System Account, check the Allow Service to Interact with Desktop to allow the Player Server to open windows on the desktop when necessary.
• If you are not using the Local System Account, uncheck the Local System Account checkbox and enter the account’s username, password, and domain information. Do not enter a domain if you are using a workgroup.
4. Click the Add button to add content receivers. The Content Receiver dialog opens.
5. Add information about the content receiver.
• Enter the name of the content receiver. This name appears in the player list within Infocaster
Manager.
• Click the Choose button and navigate to the folder where the receiver stores all downloaded content.
• Add additional information about the content receiver. This information appears within
Infocaster Manager when the content receiver is selected.
6. In the Server Name field, enter the name of the system that the Infocaster Manager is installed on.
7. Enter the port used to communicate with Infocaster Manager in the TCP/IP Port field.
8. In the HTTP Account section of the window, enter the username and password that the content receiver will use when accessing the Infocaster Manager system’s HTTP file servers.
License Manager
Instead of requiring a dongle for operation, Infocaster players and creation stations (publishers) can be licensed by Infocaster Manager to operate without a dongle. You must purchase a valid license manager file to enable licensing within Infocaster Manager.
1. Within Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences. The Server Preferences window opens.
2. Switch to the License Manager tab.
3. Click the Import New License button and choose the license manager file that you have purchased.
The details of the license are listed in the License Manager tab.
4. Check the Enable License Manager checkbox.
5. Click OK to close the Server Preferences window.
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After a valid license has been imported by Infocaster Manager, Infocaster players and creators can connect to Infocaster Manager across the network and will operate without a dongle while the following conditions are met.
Infocaster Manager is operating and is accessible to the licensed systems across the network.
Infocaster Manager has not exceeded the number of connection licenses for each type of requested
license. See Infocaster Manager Connection Licenses (on page 11) for more information.
The license has not expired.
To disable licensing manager, uncheck the Enable License Manager checkbox in the License Manager
Tab. Players and creation stations will require a dongle to continue operating.
Note: Only Infocaster systems of version 4.2 or higher can operate with player licensing.
Player Server
The player cannot connect to Infocaster Manager unless its Player Server is running. Use the Windows
Services window to check the status of the Player Server, and to start or stop it if necessary.
1. On the player system, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel. The Windows Control Panel window opens.
2. Select Administrative Tools > Services. The Services window opens.
3. Find the InfoCasterPlayerServer entry.
4. If the service is running its status is "Started."
5. To start, restart, or stop the service, select it and click one of the links in the upper-left corner of the
Services window.
Set Up Infocaster Manager
With the player server running properly and the correct server name entered, the player shortly appears in the Infocaster Manager system’s Players tab with a "Not Playing" status.
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Troubleshoot Communication
Set Up Network Components
If you are having difficulty connecting your player to Infocaster Manager, use the ping command to return ping statistics and prove communication with the Infocaster Manager system.
1. Click on Start > Run.
2. Type "cmd" to bring up the DOS command window.
3. Type "ping [the Infocaster Manager system’s computer name or IP address]". The format for names and IP addresses is shown in the following examples.
• On a network: ping MyComputerName ping 10.0.0.72
• Over HTTP: ping innfo.innfo.net
ping 27.344.232.1
Note: For communication between players and Infocaster Manager systems, port 9001 must be open for communication on the Infocaster Manager system.
If the installation uses HTTP, the computer might be closed to blind pings. In this case use the telnet command.
1. Select Start > Run.
2. Type "cmd" to bring up the DOS command window.
3. Type "telnet [the Infocaster Manager system’s computer name or IP address] 9001". The format is shown in the following examples: telnet MyComputerName 9001 telnet 27.344.232.1 9001
If you connect, the CMD window will clear and you will see a number of data tags. The last tag should read:
</Inscriber-XXX-ClientServerCommand-Init>
To exit the TELNET window, press 'CTRL+]' then type 'quit' to return to the DOS prompt.
Note: You can ping players from within Infocaster Manager by using the Ping Player command. See
Troubleshoot Players with Commands (on page 121) for more information.
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Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles
Infocaster Manager consists of both console and server components. The console component displays the Infocaster Manager user interface, and it sends commands to the server component. The server component is never visible but is responsible for communicating with file servers, players, and peer
Infocaster Manager servers.
Infocaster Manager can be installed on a system as either a remote console or as a console and server combination. Consoles must always be able to connect to a server through the network, even if the server is on the same system as the console. You can run multiple consoles on one system, each connected to a different server.
To learn more about consoles, see Manage Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 167).
Install Remote Infocaster Manager Consoles
To install a remote console on a new system, follow the instructions in Install Infocaster Manager (on
page 28). Choose the Console Only option when prompted for the Infocaster Manager configuration.
Remote Infocaster Manager consoles do not require a dongle but must always be able to connect to at least one Infocaster Manager server.
Connect Remote Consoles to Infocaster Manager Servers
Remote console systems must be recognized and enabled by the Infocaster Manager servers they plan to connect to. These instructions for connecting consoles and servers assume that both consoles and servers have already been installed.
Note: If you have installed Infocaster Manager as a console and server combination, the console automatically connects to the server and always has full default permissions.
Add a Remote Console to a Server’s Console List
To add a remote console to a server’s console list, the console must first try to connect to the server.
The server will deny the connection, but this process adds the console to the server’s console list.
After the remote console is added to the server’s console list, the server operator can enable the console.
1. On the remote console system, launch the Infocaster Manager console using one of the following methods:
• Choose Start > Programs > Imagine Communications > Infocaster Manager > Infocaster
Manager.
• Double-click on the Infocaster Manager shortcut on the desktop.
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2. When Infocaster Manager first launches, the Connect to Server window appears.
If the window does not appear at startup, you can open it by choosing Tools > Connect to Server within Infocaster Manager.
3. To add a new server to the list, click the Add Server button. The Server Properties window opens.
4. Enter a description, address, and port number for the server.
5. Click the OK button. The new server is added to the Connect to Server list.
6. Select the new server in the list.
If you are already running a console on your system which is connected to a server, press the Start
New Console button. A new console is opened on your system.
Otherwise, press the Connect to Server button.
7. If the console is able to contact the server system you are told that the connection is denied.
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Attempting to connect to the Infocaster Manager server adds the console to the server’s list of consoles. The server’s operator must now enable the console.
Enable Console on the Server System
After a console system attempts to connect to a server system, the server’s operator can enable the console.
1. On the server system, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Console Permissions subtab. Any remote consoles that have attempted to connect will display in the list with a "Disabled" status.
3. Select the console from the list.
4. Check the Enable For checkbox.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button near the bottom of the tab. The console is enabled and can now access the server.
Disable and Remove Consoles
To disable a remote console, select it in the list, uncheck the Enable For checkbox, and click the Apply
New Settings button. The console remains in the list but its status is Disabled and it cannot send commands to the server.
To remove a remote console, select it in the list and click the Remove Console button. The console is removed from the list.
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User Guide
Use Publishers
Use publishers to publish, approve, and download content.
Infocaster Manager Publishers
Use one or more publisher systems to send content to Infocaster Manager.
Use Publishers
Infocaster Manager supports a variety of publishers with different capabilities. All publishers are capable of publishing content to Infocaster Manager systems, and many can also create and edit content. When publishing content, the publisher contacts the Infocaster Manager, then sends the content to the
Infocaster Manager system. Infocaster Manager sends the content to its main published file server.
The publishers in your network will generally be running Infocaster or Channel ONE software, configured to send content to Infocaster Manager. See the user guide for your publisher software to learn how to install and configure a publisher.
Most types of publishers can also download and approve content that is stored on a Infocaster Manager system’s file servers. Infocaster Manager operators can change the download and approval permissions for individual publishers, allowing them to only manage specific content.
To learn more about approving and disapproving content, see Content Approval (on page 98).
See the user guides for your publisher software to learn how to install a publisher. The instructions in this section assume that the software has already been installed.
Hidden Operating System Files
The following hidden files are created by the operating system and are never published with your content.
thumbs.db
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ioncache.db
desktop.ini
Use Publishers
Use Different Publishers
The method you use for publishing, approving, and downloading content depends on the publisher software.
See Use Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers (on page 60 ).
See Use Shell Extension Publishers (on page 68).
See Content Types (on page 83) to learn about the content that can be published by each type of
publisher.
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Use Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers
Infocaster and Channel ONE publishers can publish, approve, and download Infocast content projects.
Run Publishers as Players
If they are set to run as players, Infocaster and Channel ONE publishers are unable to publish content or connect to Infocaster Manager systems for publishing.
Make sure your publisher is not running as a player by choosing the Tools menu within the publisher software. If there is a checkmark beside the Run as Player menu option, select it to disable player operation.
learn how to configure and operate player systems.
Set Up Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers
Before publishers can communicate with Infocaster Manager, they must be configured to connect with the Infocaster Manager system. You must add the Infocaster Manager system to the Locations list in the publisher’s Configuration Utility.
You can add more than one Infocaster Manager system to the Locations list if you plan to publish content to multiple Infocaster Manager servers.
To access the publisher settings within your publisher software, choose Edit > Preferences > Infocaster
Manager Publishing.
The Infocaster Manager Publisher tab opens.
1. Click the New button. A new untitled location appears in the Locations list.
2. Enter the details for the Infocaster Manager server selected in the Locations list.
• In the Name field, enter a descriptive name for the Infocaster Manager server the publisher will connect to.
• In the Infocaster Manager Location field, click the Choose button to select the network computer name for the Infocaster Manager server system. You can also identify the Infocaster
Manager system by entering the system’s IP address in the Infocaster Manager Location field.
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• If you want to change the port that the publisher uses to communicate to the Infocaster
Manager system, type a new number in the Infocaster Manager Server Port field.
• In the E-Mail Contact field, enter the email address of a person who should be notified every time content is updated. This information is optional.
3. To add more Infocaster Manager systems to the Locations list, press the New button and enter details for the new Infocaster Manager.
Click the OK button to close the Configuration Utility when you are finished adding and editing
Infocaster Manager locations.
Publish Infocasts
1. In the publisher, select File > Open to open the content you want to publish.
2. With the content open, select File > Infocaster Manager > Publish. The Publish Content to Infocaster
Manager window opens.
3. Select the Infocaster Manager system you want to publish to from the drop-down list. The list displays the Infocaster Manager systems defined in the publisher’s location list. To add, edit, or remove Infocaster Manager systems from the list, see Set Up Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers
4. If you want to assign the content to a category that already exists on the Infocaster Manager server, use the Category drop-down list to select a category.
You can also type a new category name into the Category field.
5. Set how you want to publish the content.
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• Type any notes or reminders about the content into the Comments area. These comments appear when content is selected in Infocaster Manager.
• Check the Enable Error Checking checkbox to set Infocaster Manager to check the content for errors that may have occurred during publishing. Selecting this option ensures the integrity of your files but they may take longer to publish.
• Check the Send Rendered Files checkbox to send pre-rendered animations, rolls, and crawls to the Infocaster Manager. This increases the amount of information sent through the network but may reduce rendering time on the player systems.
• Check the Retry Publish Until Successful checkbox if you want the publisher to keep attempting to publish after a failed attempt.
• If you want to customize the expiry settings for the content, click the Add Expiry Settings button.
See Add Expiry Settings (on page 62) for more information.
6. Click the Publish button to publish the content.
If an error tells you that the publisher does not have permission to publish to the Infocaster
Manager, contact the Infocaster Manager operator. The publisher must be enabled on the
Infocaster Manager system as described in Enable Publisher in Infocaster Manager (on page 72 ).
7. To send the content to another Infocaster Manager, select a different Infocaster Manager system from the drop-down list and click Send again.
Click Done when you are finished publishing the content to your Infocaster Manager systems. To publish a different content project, open the content you want to send and repeat these steps.
Add Expiry Settings
You can set your content to automatically expire at specific times. Expired content is automatically deleted from file servers, player systems, or both.
While publishing content from Infocaster version 4.4 or later, the publisher can define expiry settings for the content as part of the publishing procedure.
Follow these steps to add expiry settings when you publish content to Infocaster Manager.
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1. In the Publish Content to Infocaster Manager window within Infocaster, click the Add Expiry Settings button. The Content Expiry window opens.
2. If you wish to define the way that this content is expired on player systems, check the Set Expiry checkbox in the first section of the window.
• Content Will Not Expire: The content has no player expiry date.
• Content Will Expire On: The content expires on the player at a specific date and time.
3. If you wish to define the way that this content is expired on file servers, check the Set Expiry checkbox in the second section of the window.
• Content Will Not Expire: The content has no server expiry date.
• Content Will Expire On: The content expires on the servers at a specific date and time.
4. If you wish to restore the settings to the way they were when you opened the window, click the
Restore Initial Settings button.
5. Click OK to finalize your changes.
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Download Infocasts
Use Publishers
On the publisher select File > Infocaster Manager > Download. The Download Content from Infocaster
Manager window opens.
1. Use the Select Infocaster Manager drop-down list to select the server you want to access.
2. Use the Search field to display only the content that contains the search text.
Enter your search text in the Search field and click the Search button. Only the content which matches your search condition will appear in the Content list.
To display all of your content again, remove the text in the Search field and click the Search button.
3. Use the Filter controls to display only the content that meets certain conditions. See Manage Filter
Queries on Publishers (on page 77).
4. Select the content you want to download from the Content list.
Click within the Server Version column to see a list of any additional content versions that are stored on the server. You can select a specific content version by choosing it in the list.
5. Click the Download button to download the selected content to the download location.
If you checked the Show the Confirm Content Download Dialog checkbox when you set up your
publisher, the Confirm Content Download dialog appears. See Confirm Content Download (on page 74).
Publish Channel Guides
1. On the publisher, open the Video Stream Quick Editor.
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Note: Publishing Channel Guides requires an Infocaster creator of version 4.3.1 or later.
Use Publishers
2. Select the Use Channel Guide radio button.
3. Click the Edit Channel Guide button. The Channel Guide Editor opens.
4. If you are using Infocaster version 4.3.2 or later, select File > Open to open the Channel Guide you wish to publish.
5. To publish your content, do one of the following.
• If you are using Infocaster version 4.3.1, click the Publish button.
• If you are using Infocaster version 4.3.2 or later, select File > Infocaster Manager > Publish.
The Publish Channel Guide to Infocaster Manager window opens.
6. Select the Infocaster Manager system you want to publish to from the drop-down list. The list displays the Infocaster Manager systems defined in the publisher’s location list. To add, edit, or remove Infocaster Manager systems from the list, see Set Up Infocaster and Channel ONE Publishers
7. If you want to assign the content to a category that already exists on the Infocaster Manager server, use the Category drop-down list to select a category.
You can also type a new category name into the Category field.
8. Set how you want to publish the content.
• Type any notes or reminders about the content into the Comments area. These comments appear when content is selected in Infocaster Manager.
• Check the Enable Error Checking checkbox to set Infocaster Manager to check the content for errors that may have occurred during publishing. Selecting this option ensures the integrity of your files but they may take longer to publish.
• Check the Send Rendered Files checkbox to send pre-rendered animations, rolls, and crawls to the Infocaster Manager. This increases the amount of information sent through the network but may reduce rendering time on the player systems.
• Check the Retry Publish Until Successful checkbox if you want the publisher to keep attempting to publish after a failed attempt.
9. Click the Publish button to publish the content.
If an error tells you that the publisher does not have permission to publish to the Infocaster
Manager, contact the Infocaster Manager operator. The publisher must be enabled on the
Infocaster Manager system as described in Enable Publisher in Infocaster Manager (on page 72 ).
10. To send the content to another Infocaster Manager, select a different Infocaster Manager system from the drop-down list and click Send again.
Click Done when you are finished publishing the content to your Infocaster Manager systems.
Download Channel Guides
1. On the publisher, open the Video Stream Quick Editor.
Note: Downloading Channel Guides requires an Infocaster publisher of version 4.3.1 or later.
2. Select the Use Channel Guide radio button.
3. Click the Edit Channel Guide button. The Channel Guide Editor opens, displaying a list of all channels defined for the Channel Guide.
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4. Depending on your version of Infocaster, do one of the following.
Use Publishers
• If you are using Infocaster version 4.3.1, click the Download button.
• If you are using Infocaster version 4.3.2 or later, select File > Infocaster Manager > Download.
The Download Channel Guide from Infocaster Manager window opens.
5. Use the Select Infocaster Manager drop-down list to select the server you want to access.
6. Use the Search field to display only the content that contains the search text.
Enter your search text in the Search field and click the Search button. Only the content which matches your search condition will appear in the Content list.
To display all of your content again, remove the text in the Search field and click the Search button.
7. Use the Filter controls to display only the content that meets certain conditions. See Manage Filter
Queries on Publishers (on page 77).
8. Select the content you want to download from the Content list.
Click within the Server Version column to see a list of any additional content versions that are stored on the server. You can select a specific content version by choosing it in the list.
9. Click the Download button to download the selected content to the download location.
If you checked the Show the Confirm Content Download Dialog checkbox when you set up your
publisher, the Confirm Content Download dialog appears. See Confirm Content Download (on page 74).
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Approve Content
Use Publishers
On the publisher system select File > Infocaster Manager > Approve. The Approve/Disapprove Content on Infocaster Manager window opens.
1. Use the Infocaster Manager Server drop-down list to select the server you want to access.
2. Use the Search field to display only the content that contains the search text.
Enter your search text in the Search field and click the Search button. Only the content which matches your search condition will appear in the Content list.
To display all of your content again, remove the text in the Search field and click the Search button.
3. Use the Filter controls to display only the content that meets certain conditions. See Manage Filter
Queries on Publishers (on page 77).
4. Select the content you want to approve or disapprove from the Content list.
5. Any comments associated with the content appear in the Comments field.
6. Click the Approve or Disapprove button to change the approval status of the selected content.
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Use Shell Extension Publishers
Use Publishers
Via Shell Extension publishers can publish and download files and folders to and from Infocaster
Manager. When publishing files and folders, a main User Package content project is published to
Infocaster Manager, along with individual Media Asset content projects for each file or group of related files. The User Package references the individual Media Assets.
More detailed information about Via Shell Extension is available in the Via Shell Extension documentation.
Set Up Shell Extension Publishers
Via Shell Extension is automatically installed with many Imagine Communications products.
You must add the Infocaster Manager system to the Locations list in the Via Shell Extension’s Publisher
Settings window. You can add more than one Infocaster Manager system to the list if you plan to publish content to multiple Infocaster Manager servers.
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Within Windows Explorer, right-click on a file and choose Send To > Infocaster Manager. The Publish
Content to Infocaster Manager window opens.
3. Click the Publisher Settings button. The Publisher Settings window opens.
4. Set your publisher’s Name and Location in the Publisher Identity section of the window.
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5. If you want to see a dialog which allows you to view and control all files that are downloaded and/or overwritten, check the Show the Confirm Content Download Dialog checkbox. When the checkbox is unchecked, content is downloaded by the system without the display of all file details or the
confirmation of files to be overwritten. See Confirm Content Download (on page 74) for more
information.
6. Click the New button. A new untitled location appears in the Locations list.
7. Enter the details for the Infocaster Manager server selected in the Locations list.
• In the Name field, enter a descriptive name for the Infocaster Manager server the publisher will connect to.
• In the Infocaster Manager Location field, click the Choose button to select the network computer name for the Infocaster Manager server system. You can also identify the Infocaster
Manager system by entering the system’s IP address in the Infocaster Manager Location field.
• If you want to change the port that the publisher uses to communicate to the Infocaster
Manager system, type a new number in the Infocaster Manager Server Port field.
• In the E-Mail Contact field, enter the email address of a person who should be notified every time content is updated. This information is optional.
8. To add more Infocaster Manager systems to the Locations list, press the New button and enter details for the new Infocaster Manager.
Click the OK button to close the Publisher Settings window when you are finished adding and editing
Infocaster Manager locations.
Publish User Packages and Media Assets
1. Open Windows Explorer.
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2. Right-click on a file or folder and select Send To > Infocaster Manager. The Publish Content to
Infocaster Manager window opens.
3. Enter a name for the content project in the Publish field.
4. Select the Infocaster Manager system you want to publish to from the drop-down list. The list displays the Infocaster Manager systems defined in the publisher’s location list. To add, edit, or remove Infocaster Manager systems from the list, see Set Up Shell Extension Publishers (on page
5. If you want to assign the content to a category that already exists on the Infocaster Manager server, use the Category drop-down list to select a category.
You can also type a new category name into the Category field.
6. Set how you want to publish the content.
• Type any notes or reminders about the content into the Comments area. These comments appear when content is selected in Infocaster Manager.
• Check the Enable Error Checking checkbox to set Infocaster Manager to check the content for errors that may have occurred during publishing. Selecting this option ensures the integrity of your files but they may take longer to publish.
• Check the Retry Publish Until Successful checkbox if you want the publisher to keep attempting to publish after a failed attempt.
7. Click the Publish button to publish the content.
If an error tells you that the publisher does not have permission to publish to the Infocaster
Manager, contact the Infocaster Manager operator. The publisher must be enabled on the
Infocaster Manager system as described in Enable Publisher in Infocaster Manager (on page 72 ).
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8. To send the content to another Infocaster Manager, select a different Infocaster Manager system from the drop-down list and click Send again.
Click Done when you are finished publishing the content to your Infocaster Manager systems. Consult the Via Shell Extension User Guide to learn how to publish multiple files, and for information about how media assets are combined during publishing.
Note: Other than the special situations described in the Via Shell Extension User Guide, do not publish multiple files with identical names. For example, do not publish weather.mov and weather.avi at the same time.
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Manage Publishers in Infocaster Manager
Infocaster Manager can control the publish, download, and approval permissions for each publisher.
Set Up Infocaster Manager
See Use Different Publishers (on page 59) to learn how to publish content to Infocaster Manager with
each type of publisher. An error message displays the first time you attempt to publish, but this action adds the publisher to the Publishers list within Infocaster Manager.
The Infocaster Manager operator must then enable the publisher before you can send content to the
Infocaster Manager without error.
Enable Publisher in Infocaster Manager
After a publisher attempts to publish content, the Infocaster Manager operator can enable the system for publishing.
1. In Infocaster Manager, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab. Any publishers that have attempted to publish content to the Infocaster Manager server will display in the Publishers list with a Disabled status.
3. Select the publisher in the Publisher list.
4. Check the Enable For checkbox.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button near the bottom of the Infocaster Manager window. The publisher is enabled and can now publish content to the Infocaster Manager.
Disable and Remove Publishers
To disable a publisher, select it in the Publisher list, uncheck the Enable For checkbox, and click the
Apply New Settings button. The publisher remains in the list, but its status is Disabled and it cannot publish any content to the Infocaster Manager.
To remove a publisher, select it in the Publisher list and click the Remove Publisher button. The publisher is removed from the list.
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Set Publish Permissions
Use Publishers
Within Infocaster Manager, use the Publish Content section of the Publisher Permissions subtab to control the permissions for your publishers.
1. Switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab.
3. Select a publisher from the Publisher list.
4. Use the drop-down list in the Publish Content section of the tab to change the publishing permissions for your selected publisher.
• Choose No Content to prevent the publisher from publishing any content.
• Choose All Content to allow the publisher to publish content without any restrictions.
• Choose Selected Content to only allow the publisher to publish content files whose names meet certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the text that the content names must or must not contain.
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Confirm Content Download
Use Publishers
Some publishers support download confirmation. If you checked the Show the Confirm Content
Download Dialog checkbox when you set up your publisher, the Confirm Content Download dialog appears when you download content from Infocaster Manager. This dialog provides detailed information about the content that is being downloaded, and allows you to confirm any permanent changes to your download folder.
File Information
The top section of the dialog displays the number of files that meet the following criteria.
Files in the folder are overwritten by downloaded files with the same filename but different time/date information.
Downloaded files are added to the folder if no existing files in the folder share the same filename.
Downloaded files are skipped (not downloaded) if existing files in the folder share the same filename and time/date information.
You can also use the Show Files drop-down list to see complete lists of files that match the above criteria.
Confirm Download
Press the Download button when you are satisfied with the way that Infocaster Manager intends to download the User Package. Your content is downloaded.
To prevent the Confirm Content Download dialog from appearing in the future, uncheck the Always
Show This Confirmation Dialog checkbox.
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Set Download Permissions
Use Publishers
Use the Download content section of the Publisher Permissions subtab to control the download permissions for your publishers.
1. Switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab.
3. Select a publisher from the Publisher list.
4. Use the drop-down list in the Download Content section of the tab to set the content the publisher can download from Infocaster Manager.
• Choose No Content to prevent the publisher from downloading any content.
• Choose All Content to allow the publisher to download content without any restrictions.
• Choose Selected Content to only allow the publisher to download content files whose names meet certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the text that the content names must or must not contain.
Set Approval Permissions
Use the Approve Permissions section of the Publisher Permissions subtab to control the approval permissions for your publishers.
1. Switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab.
3. Select a publisher from the Publisher list.
4. Use the drop-down list in the Approve Content section of the tab to set the content the publisher can approve.
• Choose No Content to prevent the publisher from approving any content.
• Choose All Content to allow the publisher to approve content without any restrictions.
• Choose Selected Content to only allow the publisher to approve content files whose names meet certain conditions.
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Click the Create Condition button to specify the text that the content names must or must not contain.
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Manage Filter Queries on Publishers
Some publishers allow you to create and save filter queries. These queries help to narrow your content searches and make them more manageable.
Filter queries can be created in the following windows:
The Download Content From Infocaster Manager window.
The Approve/Disapprove Content on Infocaster Manager window.
See the links in Use Different Publishers (on page 59) to learn how to access the download and
approve/disapprove windows on your publisher.
Create Filter Queries
After you have opened the download or approve/disapprove windows, follow these steps to create a new filter query.
1. Click the Filters triangle to expose the filtering options.
2. Use the drop-down lists to create a new filter query.
• Use the Content Type drop-down to choose the type of content you want to view.
• If you want to view content by category, enter a category name in the Category drop-down list, or choose a category that you have previously used on the system.
• Use the Published drop-down list to filter the content by when it was published. If you choose the Between option, you can specify the publishing dates you want to view.
• To view only the content published by a particular publisher, use the Published By drop-down list.
3. Click the Search button to view the content based on your filter query.
Save Filter Queries
After you have created a filter query, click the Save Query button to save it for future use. The query becomes available in the Filters drop-down list.
Delete a Saved Filter Query
To delete the filter that is displayed in the Filters drop-down list, click the Delete Query button.
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Infocaster Online
If you are using an Infocaster Online system to modify content, the Publisher Permissions subtab allows you to set which content the Infocaster Online users can edit and which players they can send content to.
The Infocaster Online product allows remote users to edit Infocaster Manager content using a secure web server interface. When given proper permissions by the Infocaster Manager operator, Infocaster
Online users can view, add, edit, schedule, and delete items within permitted content regions.
After they have finished editing content, Infocaster Online users can publish the updated content to players.
Users connect to the Infocaster Online system through the network. The Infocaster Online system access the Infocaster Manager server to retrieve content stored on the Infocaster Manager system’s file servers. Each Infocaster Online user appears as a separate publisher in the Publisher Permissions tab.
For information about configuring and using Infocaster Online, see the help provided with the product.
Enable Infocaster Online Users
Like all publishers, Infocaster Online users must be enabled within Infocaster Manager before they can access the Infocaster Manager content and players.
An error message displays the first time a user attempts to connect to Infocaster Manager, but this action adds the user to the Publishers list within Infocaster Manager.
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1. In Infocaster Manager, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab. Users that have attempted to connect to the Infocaster
Manager server are displayed in the Publisher list with a Disabled status.
3. Select the user in the Publisher list.
4. Check the Enable For checkbox.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button near the bottom of the Infocaster Manager window. The user is enabled and can now access permitted Infocaster Manager content and players.
Disable and Remove Infocaster Online Users
To disable a user, select it in the Publisher list, uncheck the Enable For checkbox and click the Apply New
Settings button. The user remains in the list, but its status is Disabled and it cannot access any Infocaster
Manager content or players.
To remove a user, select it in the Publisher list and click the Remove Publisher button. The user is removed from the list.
Set Update Content Players
Each Infocaster Online user can send updated content to all players, or to the players assigned to specific groups. To learn how to assign players to groups, see Group Network Components (on page
1. Within Infocaster Manager, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab.
3. Select an Infocaster Online user from the publisher list.
4. In the Update Content section of the tab, choose the players that the user can send content to.
• To allow the user to send content to all players, select the Allow to Send Content to All Players radio button.
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• To allow the user to send content to specific groups, select the Allow to Send Content to Players in These Groups radio button. Check the groups that the user can send content to in the Groups list.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button. The Infocaster Online user is granted permission to send updated content to the players.
Manage Content List
Use the Select Editable Regions window to set which content regions the Infocaster Online user can edit and publish.
1. Within Infocaster Manager, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Publisher Permissions subtab.
3. Select an Infocaster Online user from the publisher list.
4. Click the Manage Content List button near the bottom-right corner of the subtab. The Select
Editable Regions window opens.
5. Select a content project in the Infocast list.
6. If the content project contains more than one page, select a page from the Page list.
A thumbnail of the page is displayed. The Region Outline section of the window displays all the regions in the page.
7. Use one of the following methods to select a region.
• Click on a region in the Region Outline display.
• Select a region from the Region list.
Set Content Editing Permissions
Use the checkboxes to set editing permissions for the selected region.
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Permission
Graphics
Description
The Infocaster Online user can edit graphics in the selected region.
Clips
Text
The Infocaster Online user can edit video clips in the selected region.
The Infocaster Online user can edit text in the selected region.
Use Publishers
Press the Add Editable Region button to add the region permissions to the user’s Editable Regions list.
You can select and configure additional regions and content projects for the user in the Select Editable
Regions window.
When you are finished setting content editing permissions for the user, click OK. The updated permissions appear in the Web Editor section of the Publisher Permissions subtab.
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Manage Content
View, approve, and change content settings.
Manage Content
Infocaster Manager allows you to distribute published content to players and other Infocaster Manager servers. Use the Content tab to view and send content through the network, and use the Content
Settings dialog to change the settings and permissions for content.
Content List
The Content tab within Infocaster Manager lists all of the content on the Infocaster Manager system’s file servers. Infocaster Manager consoles may only display the content that the Infocaster Manager server allows.
By default, the content list displays all of the content projects available to Infocaster Manager. See
Search for Content (on page 85) to learn how to change the content that appears in the list.
Column Headings
Right-click the column headings in the Content list to select options for hiding or revealing columns.
You can sort the list by clicking on any of the column headings. Click again on a heading to reverse the sorting.
Column Description
Thumbnail A rendered preview of the content project, if available.
Content Name The name of the content.
Type
The content type. See Content Types (on page 83) for a list of
supported types.
Version The content version, represented by the date and time the content
was last published. See Content Versions (on page 89) for more
information.
Players
Resolution
The number of players with this content.
The resolution of the content.
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Column
Size
Expiry
Category
Archive
Description
The total size of the content project.
The expiry settings for the content, if applicable. See Content Expiry
(on page 90) for more information.
The category that the content is assigned to. See Categories (on page
The Archive column displays the archive status of content. The archive status can be Archiving, Archived, or Retrieving. See Archive
Expired Content (on page 94) for more information about content
archiving and retrieval.
Manage Content
Content Types
Infocaster Manager can manage several types of content. Each type of content has distinctive characteristics and can only be sent to or downloaded by supported systems. The following table lists the content types and their associated systems.
Content Receiver can receive all types of content, so it is generally not included in the table.
For information about publishing content, see .
Note: The following content types are not yet used by publishers or players, and are included in the
Content Type interfaces for future use: Animation, Audio, Font, Image, Template Library, and Video.
These types of content are currently processed as Media Asset files.
Table 1: Content Types Table
Content Type Published By
Ad Copy and
Schedule
• Punctuate
ChannelGuide
• Infocaster
DDS Data
Received By
• Infocaster
• Infocaster
• POS Gateway • Infocaster
Description
Advertising and scheduling information sent by a Punctuate installation. This content is processed automatically by Infocaster Manager without needing to be manually sent to Players.
A list of data streams and associated logos which viewers browse with a PC remote. ChannelGuide content can only be published or downloaded by
Infocaster publishers of version 4.3.1 or later.
Client data which is compiled and published by a POS Gateway. This content is processed automatically by
Infocaster Manager without needing to be manually sent to Players.
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Content Type Published By
Infocast • Infocaster
• Channel ONE
Media Asset • Via Shell
Extension
User Package
• Via Shell
Extension
Received By
• Infocaster
• Channel ONE
• Via Shell
Extension
• Automation
Receiver
Manage Content
Description
Multi-page layouts containing regions and scheduling information. Each region can contain multiple pieces of content. Supports playback logging and can be scheduled by Infocaster
Manager.
A piece of media, such as an image or video file.
Contains references to one or more
Media Asset files. Does not support playback logging and cannot be scheduled by Infocaster Manager.
Categories
Each content project can be assigned to a category. Use categories to help you organize and search for content.
Select Tools > Categories. The Categories window opens, displaying all the categories that are currently defined in Infocaster Manager.
To add a new category type its name into the field and click Add. Most publishers can access and assign these categories to content during the publishing procedure.
To remove a category from the list, select it and click the Remove button.
View Content List
If you are having difficulty finding content within your Content list or you want to display only the content that meets certain conditions, use the Search and Filter controls to display only the content you are interested in.
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Search for Content
Manage Content
Use the Search fields at the top of the Content list to display only the content that contains the search text.
1. Click the drop-down list to choose the elements of the content projects that you will search within.
• Content Name searches for the text within the name of the content project.
• File Name searches for the text within the content’s filename.
• Keywords searches for the text within the content’s keyword list. Keywords are assigned to content when it is published to Infocaster Manager.
2. Enter your search text in the Search field.
3. Click the Search button. Only the content which matches your search conditions appears in the
Content list.
To display all of your content again, remove the text in the Search field and click the Search button.
Filter Content
Use the Filter controls to only display content which meets certain conditions. If the Filter controls are hidden, click the disclosure triangle above the Content list to reveal them.
Choose the content you want to display from the drop-down lists.
Option
Filters
Description
Choose a query that has already been created. See
Manage Queries (on page 86) to learn how to save
queries.
Content Type Select the type of content you want to display. See
Content Types (on page 83) for a description of the
types.
Category Select an existing category that you want to display, or enter a new category in the field. See
Categories (on page 84) for more information
about categories.
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Option
Published
Description
Choose to display only content that was published on a certain date. The Between option requires you to set a date span for the filter.
Published By Choose to display only content that was published by a certain publisher. You can also enter a publisher name in the field if the publisher has not previously connected to Infocaster Manager.
Manage Content
After you are finished choosing your filter options, click the Search button. Only the content that matches your filter options is displayed.
Manage Queries
Queries are search and filter settings that you can save and reuse. If you are frequently using the same search and filter settings, consider saving them as queries.
1. Use the controls above the Content list to set up search and filter conditions.
2. Click the Save Query button. The Save Query window opens.
3. Enter a name for the query and click Save. The query is saved for future use.
4. To use a saved query, select it from the Filters drop-down list.
5. If you want to change some of the query conditions, edit the search and query controls.
You can revert to the saved query’s original settings by clicking the Reset Query button.
6. Click the Search button to display the content that matches your search and filter options.
If you need to delete a saved query, select it from the Filters drop-down list and click the Delete
Query button.
View Content List in Pages
When you have many content projects stored on your file servers, it can be useful to display them a page at a time.
In the Per Page field at the top of the Content list, enter the number of projects you want to display in each page. The Previous and Next buttons move forward and backward through the pages.
Remove Content
Follow these steps to remove content from the file server:
1. Switch to the Content tab.
2. Select the content you want to remove.
3. Click the Remove Content button below the list. All versions of the content are removed from the file server.
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Content is not automatically deleted from player or publisher systems.
Manage Content
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Content Details
The Content Details section of the Content tab displays information about the selected content project, including the history of the content and any additional versions that are stored on the file servers.
Preview Content Pages
If the selected content contains more than one page, click the up and down arrows next to the preview thumbnail to view different pages in the content. Double-click on the preview thumbnail to view a highquality still preview of the page in a resizable window.
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Content History
Manage Content
The Content History subtab displays all Infocaster Manager operations that have been performed on the selected content. Operations that appear in the Content History subtab include publishing, approval, and removal of content.
Content Versions
Infocaster Manager stores old versions of content projects each time they are re-published to the file server. If required, you can choose to use older versions when you send a content project to players.
All stored versions of the selected content appear in the Content Versions subtab.
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Content Expiry
You can set your content to automatically expire at specific times. Expired content is automatically deleted from file servers, player systems, or both.
Define Expiry Behavior for File Servers
Choose Tools > Server Preferences > Content Expiry to define expiry behavior for file servers.
Infocaster Manager checks its file servers periodically for expired content. Infocaster Manager deletes expired content from its file servers at a specific time every day. Use the Delete Expired Content field to set the time of day that Infocaster Manager deletes the expired content.
If you want to archive your expired content before it is deleted, check the Archive Expired Content
Before Deletion checkbox. See Archive Expired Content (on page 94) for more information.
Note: Players delete their expired content each day at 4:00am local player time. Only players of
Infocaster version 4.3.5 or later will expire and delete content.
Set Expiry Settings for Content in Infocaster Manager
In the Content tab, use the Content Expiry subtab to change the expiry settings for your selected content.
1. Within Infocaster Manager, switch to the Content tab.
2. Select the content you want to edit.
3. Switch to the Content Expiry subtab in the upper-right corner of the tab.
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4. Switch to the Server section to set the way the selected content expires on the Infocaster Manager file server.
• Content Will Not Expire: The selected content has no server expiry date.
• Content Will Expire On: The selected content expires on the server at a specific date.
5. Switch to the Player section to set the way the selected content expires on the player.
• Content Will Not Expire: The selected content has no player expiry date.
• Content Will Expire On: The selected content expires on the player at a specific date. This option will not be available for Ad Copy and Schedule content.
6. If want to cancel your changes, click the Reset Changes button. Otherwise click the Apply Changes button to save your new expiry settings.
How Shared Media Expires
Multiple Infocasts can reference media files which they all share. These files are published and downloaded as separate packages. To ensure that shared media files are only deleted when no more
Infocasts require them, Infocaster Manager and its players use a system of reference counting.
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Expiring Shared Media on the File Server
Manage Content
When shared media content is first published to Infocaster Manager along with an Infocast which references it, the reference count for the media is set to one and its expiry date is set to the expiry date of the Infocast.
When the shared media is referenced by a new Infocast, whether the media file has changed or not, the reference count for the shared media is incremented.
When an Infocast which references the shared media content expires or is deleted, the reference count for the shared media decreases by one.
When Infocaster Manager checks its servers for expired content, it checks the reference count and expiry date of each piece of shared media. If the shared media’s reference count is zero and its expiry date has passed, the shared media expires.
Expiring Shared Media on Players
All content downloaded by or sent to a player will include their expiry dates. Shared media files also include their current reference count.
When the player receives an Infocast which references a shared media file, the reference count for the shared media is incremented.
If a previous version of the Infocast contained references to shared media, but that media is no longer referenced in the current version, the reference count for the shared media is decremented.
When an Infocast expires, the Infocast is deleted from the player after being stopped and closed if necessary. The reference counts of all shared media referenced by the Infocast are decremented.
When the player checks for expired content, it checks the reference count and expiry date for each piece of shared media. If the shared media’s reference count is zero and its expiry date has passed, the shared media expires.
How Punctuate Media Expires
Multiple Ad Copy and Schedule messages can reference Punctuate media files which they all share.
These files are published and downloaded as separate packages. To ensure that Punctuate media files are only deleted when no more Ad Copy and Schedule messages are likely to require them, Infocaster
Manager and its players use a system of reference counting.
Expiring Punctuate Media on the File Server
When Punctuate media content is first published to Infocaster Manager along with an Ad Copy and
Schedule message which references it, the reference count for the media is set to one. Its expiry date is set to the current date plus a configurable interval (the default interval is three months).
When the Punctuate media is referenced by a message, whether the media has changed or not, the reference count for the media is incremented. The media’s expiry date changes to the current date plus the interval.
When a message which references the Punctuate media content expires or is deleted, the reference count for the Punctuate media decreases by one.
When Infocaster Manager checks its servers for expired content, it checks the reference count and expiry date of each piece of Punctuate media. If the media’s reference count is zero and its expiry date has passed, the media expires.
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Expiring Punctuate Media on Players
Manage Content
All content downloaded by or sent to a player will include their expiry dates. Punctuate media files also include their current reference count.
When the player receives an Ad Copy and Schedule message which references a Punctuate media file, the reference count for the Punctuate media is incremented, and the Punctuate media’s expiry date is set to the current date plus a configurable interval (the default is three months).
If the AdServer indicates that the new Ad Copy and Schedule message has successfully plotted, the
Punctuate media files referenced by the previous message have their reference counts decremented.
If, on the other hand, the AdServer indicates that the new message has failed to plot, the Punctuate media files referenced by the new message have their reference counts decremented.
When the player checks for expired content, it checks the reference count and expiry date for each piece of Punctuate media. If the media’s reference count is zero and its expiry date has passed, the media expires.
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Archive Expired Content
If you choose to archive expired content before it is deleted, the expired content is sent to a shared folder which you specify. You can search for media in the expired content and retrieve it if necessary.
Set Up Content Archive
Infocaster Manager moves archived content to a shared archive folder. To set the folder, choose Tools >
Server Preferences and switch to the Content Archiving tab.
Choose or enter a path to the shared archive folder where expired content will be archived.
If the folder does not already exist, Infocaster Manager creates the folder the first time that content is archived.
Configure Content Expiry
You must configure the Infocaster Manager system’s content expiry settings to set when and how
content is expired. See Content Expiry (on page 90) for instructions.
Enable Content Archiving
After configuring the Infocaster Manager system’s expiry settings, use the Content Expiry tab in the
Server Preferences window to enable content archiving.
Select Tools > Server Preferences and switch to the Content Expiry tab.
To enable content archiving, check the Archive Expired Content Before Deletion checkbox.
Archive to Invenio
If your network includes an Invenio® digital asset management system, you can use Invenio to create a database of expired content for archival purposes or for future retrieval.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard does not support Invenio archiving integration.
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To set up the Invenio web service, choose Tools > Server Preferences and switch to the Content
Archiving tab. In the Invenio Archiving Integration section of the tab, enter the user name and password for the account you will use to access Invenio.
Invenio’s Intelligent Media Mover tool monitors the shared archive folder you have defined. When the
Intelligent Media Mover tool detects that new content has arrived, it notifies the Invenio web server.
Invenio adds the content’s properties and details to its media database.
Note: Invenio does not move or copy content from the shared archive folder. If you delete content from the shared folder, Infocaster Manager will be unable to retrieve it.
Set Invenio Web Service Location
Follow these steps to set the location of the Invenio web service.
1. Close Infocaster Manager.
2. Stop the Infocaster Manager service. a. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The Services window opens. b. Select the HarrisNMServer service. c. Click the Stop the Service link. The Infocaster Manager service stops running.
3. Open the netmanserver.config file with an editing program such as Notepad. This file is located in your Infocaster Manager folder.
4. Within your editing program, change all localhost text in the netmanserver.config file to the name of your Invenio web service system.
For example, if your Invenio web service is installed on a computer called inveniosystem.net, change all localhost text in the file to inveniosystem.net.
Since this text appears in several places within the file, we recommend you use the Search and
Replace feature in your editing program.
5. Save the updated netmanserver.config file.
6. Restart the Infocaster Manager service. a. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The Services window opens. b. Select the HarrisNMServer service. c. Click the Start the Service link. The Infocaster Manager service starts running again.
7. Open Infocaster Manager. You can now access the Invenio media databases.
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Archive Content
Manage Content
When configured, Infocaster Manager automatically archives and deletes your expired content at the time specified.
Follow these steps if you wish to manually archive content regardless of its expiry settings.
1. Switch to the Content tab.
2. Select a content project in the Content list.
3. Click the Archive Content button below the list. The selected content is zipped and copied to the shared archive folder.
Note: When you manually archive content it is not deleted from your player systems or your file servers.
Set Status Messages
Use the Status tab to monitor some or all of the content archiving events. Content archiving events that you choose to log appear on the tab. By default no content archiving events are logged.
The Status tab provides two content archiving events that can be monitored.
Archive File Server Content.
Retrieve Content from Archive.
For information about setting and filtering status messages see Status Tab (on page 145).
Retrieve Content
Use the Archive Search and Retrieve feature to search for and retrieve any content that is stored in the shared archive folder.
1. Choose Tools > Archive Search and Retrieve. The Archive Search and Retrieve window opens.
2. In the Query field, enter the text you want to search for.
3. If your content is archived with the Invenio digital asset management system, choose the Search
Invenio radio button.
Otherwise, choose the Search the Archive Folder radio button.
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4. Click the Search button. All archived content projects whose names contain the Query text, and any archived projects which contain pages, regions, or items with the Query text in their name, display in the list.
5. To retrieve archived content, select it in the list and click either the Retrieve or Retrieve As button.
• Click the Retrieve button to retrieve the content with its existing name.
• Click the Retrieve As button to retrieve the content with a new name. A Retrieve As window opens, allowing you to choose a new name for the content.
All content projects which you are retrieving display in the Retrieve Content Status list until they have been completely retrieved.
Retrieved content is unzipped and sent to the Infocaster Manager file servers. The content is not deleted from the shared archive folder when it is retrieved.
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Content Approval
You can require that all content must be approved before it can be sent to players. Email notices are sent to approval personnel when content is published to Infocaster Manager, and notices are sent to download personnel when content is approved.
Content can be approved on both Infocaster Manager and publisher systems. See Use Different
Publishers (on page 59) to learn how to set permissions and approve content with your publisher.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Enable Content Approval
You must enable content approval and assign at least one Approved Content file server for storing your approved content.
1. Select Tools > Server Preferences.
2. Switch to the File Server tab.
3. Switch to the Approved Content Locations subtab.
4. Make sure the Content Update Requires Approval checkbox is checked.
If you haven’t assigned at least one Approved Content file server, see Assign Approved Content Main
File Servers (on page 36) for instructions.
Email Personnel
Infocaster Manager keeps a list of email personnel who are notified when content is published or approved. This is especially useful when the network includes offline players (see Offline Players (on
for more information.
Email List
Before you can assign email contacts to the Approval and Download personnel lists, you must add their email addresses to the main email list.
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1. Select Tools > Emails > Email List. The Email List window opens, displaying a list of the email contacts.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Enter a name for the email contact in the Name field.
4. Enter one or more email addresses in the Addresses field. You can enter multiple addresses on different lines or you can separate addresses with semicolons.
5. Click the Apply button to add the email contact to the Email list.
6. Click OK to finish adding email contacts.
To remove an email contact from the list, select it and click the Remove button. The email contact is also removed from the approval and download personnel lists.
Hold down the CTRL key if you want to select multiple contacts from the list.
Approval Personnel
When content is published to Infocaster Manager, an email notice is automatically sent to the contacts in the Approval Personnel list. In many networks the approval personnel are in charge of approving new content.
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1. To add an email contact to the Approval Personnel list, select Tools > Emails > Approval Personnel.
The Approval Personnel window opens.
2. Enter a phrase in the Start Email Subject with This Phrase field. This phrase will be part of the email subject when the notifications are sent to the Approval Personnel.
3. Click the Add button. The Email List window opens.
4. Select one or more email contacts from the Email List. If the email contact isn’t in the Email List, add it by clicking the Add button and entering a name and list a list of email addresses.
5. Click the OK button to add the selected email contacts to the Approval Personnel list.
To remove contacts from the Approval Personnel list, select one or more contacts from the list and click the Remove button.
Download personnel
When content is approved, an email notice is automatically sent to the contacts in the Download
Personnel list. In many networks the download personnel are in charge of all the content that is sent to players for display.
Download personnel must be notified if the network contains offline players. See Offline Players (on
page 109) for more information.
1. To add an email contact to the Download Personnel list, select Tools > Emails > Download
Personnel. The Download Personnel window opens.
2. Enter a phrase in the Start Email Subject with This Phrase field. This phrase will be part of the email subject when the notifications are sent to the Download Personnel.
3. Click the Add button. The Email List window opens.
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4. Select one or more email contacts from the Email List. If the email contact isn’t in the Email List, add it by clicking the Add button and entering a name and list a list of email addresses.
5. Click the OK button to add the selected email contacts to the Download Personnel list.
To remove contacts from the Download Personnel list, select one or more contacts from the list and click the Remove button.
Approve Content with a Publisher
Publishers can only approve content if the Infocaster Manager operator gives them permission.
set a publisher’s approval permissions.
Approve Content with Infocaster Manager
Follow these steps to approve content from within Infocaster Manager.
1. Switch to the Content tab.
2. Select the content you want to approve from the list.
3. Click the Approve Content button in the Content Details section of the tab. The content is moved to the approved content file server, and email notices are sent to the contacts in the Download
Personnel list.
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Content Settings
The Content Settings dialog allows you to set editing permissions, playback logging, and external data source options for content.
Changes do not take effect on the player systems until the updated content is sent to the players.
Open the Content Settings Dialog
To edit the settings for a piece of content, select it in the Content tab and click the Content Permissions button. The Content Settings dialog opens.
Note: Not all content types allow you to set content permissions.
Select Pages and Regions
Most of the settings in the Content Settings dialog are applied to specific regions in your selected content. Follow these steps to select a content region.
1. Open the Content Settings dialog to edit a content project.
2. If the content project contains more than one page, select a page from the Pages list.
A thumbnail of the page is displayed. The Region Outline section of the dialog displays all the regions in the page.
3. Use one of the following methods to select a region:
• Click on a region in the Region Outline display.
• Select a region from the Select Region drop-down list.
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Set Region Editing Permissions
Use the Content Permissions checkboxes to set player editing permissions for each region.
Note: Not all permissions are applicable to all types of content and player software.
Permission
Sequences
Add Item
Description
Delete Item
Add Sequence
Allows player to add items from the content library to the sequence list.
Allows player to delete items from the sequence list.
Allows player to add a new sequence to the region.
Edit Sequence Allows player to adjust options included in the sequence settings. Options include sequence start time, item durations, transitions, and speed settings.
Delete Sequence Allows player to delete a sequence from the region.
Content Library
Add Item
Delete Item
Edit Item
Duplicate Item
Allows player to add region items using the
Content Editors.
Allows player to delete items from the content library.
Allows player to edit existing items using the item library.
Allows player to make a copy of an existing item in the item library.
Rename Item Allows player to change the name of an existing item in the item library.
Manage Content
Set Regions for Playback Logging
Infocaster and Channel ONE players can log the playback of specific regions of content. When you set a region for logging the player system creates the log while the content plays.
To set a region to log, select the region and check the Log This Region checkbox in the Logging section of the dialog.
more information about enabling, collecting, and viewing logs.
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External Data Options
Manage Content
The External Data option allows you to set the storage location for external data files attached to content projects. Players that receive content containing data linked to an external data source, such as an ODBC database or text file, can access the data over a local area network or can store and access the file on their local computer.
Use the External Data radio buttons to set where the selected content’s external data sources are stored.
The Network and Custom options are only available for ODBC data sources that are stored in a system’s shared folder and are referenced with a path that includes the system’s machine name.
Network: Players access all external data over the network and link to the database originally specified by the publisher.
Local External Data: Players receive a copy of all external data with the content. Players access the external data locally, on the player system.
Custom: Administrators can customize which external data files are sent to players and which are accessed through the network. Click the Setup button to select the data sources that will be copied when the content is sent
External Data Locations
If data sources were originally stored in a local folder on a publisher, you can select which sources will be copied to identical folder paths on the player systems, and which sources will be moved to the content project’s own folder.
For instance, if an external data source was stored in C:\datasource\db.xls on the publisher, you can choose to store the data source in an identical location on all the player systems (C:\datasource\db.xls).
This allows other content projects to access the same data source if desired.
By default Infocaster Manager stores the data source within the content project’s folder (for example,
C:\Content\Movie Times\db.xls). In this case, other content projects on the player system are unable to connect to the data source. This ensures that the data source will not be accessed or overwritten by other content.
Click the Select Locations button to set which data sources are copied to the original file paths, and which are stored within the content project’s folder.
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Configure Punctuate Support
The Punctuate business management application allows you to schedule specially-targeted content within Infocast projects. If your network is integrated with the Punctuate business management application, use the Punctuate tab to configure Punctuate integration.
Configure Punctuate Integration
Within Infocaster Manager, choose Tools > Server Preferences > Punctuate. The Punctuate tab opens.
1. Configure the connection with the Local Post Office (LPO) web service.
• Enter the URL for the Sales Local Post Office web service.
• Enter the key that you are using to access the service.
The key value is normally masked for security reasons. If you require visual feedback while entering the key, check the Make Key Value Visible checkbox.
2. Configure the Punctuate web service.
• Enter the URL for the Punctuate web service you are using.
• Use the Interval field to set how frequently the server gets the state of the players from the web service.
3. Configure the Infocaster Manager Punctuate Adapter.
• In the Punctuate Agent Port field, enter the port that Infocaster Manager will use to receive connection requests from the Punctuate Agent.
• In the Publish Content to Manager On field, enter the machine name or IP address and port of the Infocaster Manager system which publishes Punctuate content.
• In the Infocaster Manager Port field, enter the port that Infocaster Manager will use to receive connection requests from the Infocaster Manager server.
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4. Check the notification checkbox if you want Infocaster Manager to notify Punctuate when the following events occur.
• A new Infocast is published to Infocaster Manager.
• A new player connects to Infocaster Manager.
• Infocaster Manager has collected AdReconciliation files from players.
5. Check the Collect AdReconciliation Files checkbox to periodically collect AdReconciliation files from players.
• Set when you want Infocaster Manager to collect reconciliation logs from the players and send them to the LPO web service. Infocaster Manager will ask players for playback logs every day at this time.
• Use the Check and Recollect Logs field to set the number of days that Infocaster Manager tries to collect missing logs. If Infocaster Manager does not receive an AdReconciliation log from a player, it will continue trying to collect that log for the number of days chosen.
• Players notify Infocaster Manager if they did not generate a log for a particular day, so
Infocaster Manager will not continue trying to collect them.
• Set the shared folder where Infocaster Manager stores the files.
• Normally players send their files to Infocaster Manager, and Infocaster Manager is responsible for writing the files to the shared folder. If you check the Players Can Write Directly to This
Folder checkbox, the players will write their files directly to the shared folder and then send a confirmation message to Infocaster Manager.
Punctuate users should consult the Punctuate documentation for more information.
Content Distribution to Players
Normally, communication between players and Punctuate is done through LAN, HTTP, or FTP. If you wish to use multicast folder transmission instead (to enable satellite transmission, for example) you must create multicast folders and pair them with player groups in the Punctuate tab.
1. Assign your players to one or more groups, as described in Group Network Components (on page
If you wish to send Punctuate content to all your players, you can skip this step and use the default
.All Players group instead.
2. Define one or more multicast transmission folders, as described in Multicast Mode Groups (on page
3. Choose Tools > Preferences > Punctuate. The Punctuate tab opens.
4. In the Content Distribution to Players section of the tab, check the Update Content Using Multicast
Mode Groups checkbox.
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5. Click the Add button. The Map Group to Multicast Mode Group window opens.
Manage Content
6. In the first drop-down list, select the player group you want to send Punctuate content to.
7. In the second drop-down list, select the Multicast Mode Group you want to send content through.
8. Click OK. The paired groups are added to the list.
9. Repeat steps 5-8 for any additional groups you want to pair.
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Players
View, control, and organize your players.
Players
Infocaster Manager Players
Infocaster Manager sends commands to the players, instructing them to download content from the file servers and play it with their output hardware. Player output can be monitored from Infocaster
Manager, and players can send detailed logs of their output back to Infocaster Manager for billing purposes.
Players run Infocaster software configured for remote playback. Most players can only edit content if they have been assigned permissions by the publishers or by Infocaster Manager.
If you do not want to connect a player to the Infocaster Manager through a network, you can set up
to learn how to set up and use offline players.
All players must have read access to the file servers they download content from.
Run Publishers as Players
A publisher can only respond to playback and scheduling commands from Infocaster Manager if the system is set to run as a player.
If you want to run a publisher as a player, look in the publisher’s Tools menu and ensure there is a checkmark beside the Run as Players option. If there is no checkbox, choose Tools > Run as Player to enable player operation.
Choose Tools > Run as Player again to use the player as a publisher instead. See Connect Publishers (on
page 48) to learn how to configure and manage publishers.
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Set Up Players
Players
Before players can communicate with a Infocaster Manager, they must be configured to connect with
the Infocaster Manager system. See Connect Infocaster Manager Players (on page 49) to learn how to
set up a player.
Offline Players
Offline players are player systems that never connect to the Infocaster Manager server. They need to be manually added to the player list. The offline operator is sent an email notice when content is updated to the player, and the operator manually retrieves the content and imports it into the player system.
Infocaster Manager will not display the status of offline players and they cannot be remotely controlled, restarted, or rebooted. Offline players are removed in the same way that online players are removed.
Offline player systems must have read access on the file servers they download content from.
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Add an Offline Player
Players
To add an offline player to Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Add New Offline Player. The Offline Player
Preferences window opens.
Enter the name for the offline player, as well as any additional information about the player and the operator.
In the On Update Send Email to this Address field, enter the email account that you’d like to send the update notice to.
Use Offline Players
When content is published (or approved, if content approval is required), Infocaster Manager sends an email to the offline player operator. The email contains information about the content, its version date, and where it can be downloaded from.
The offline player operator must manually download the content from the link provided, then import it into the player. The operator is also responsible for opening, starting, and stopping the content.
Add an Enseo STB as a Player
Infocaster Manager can control the display and channel settings of Enseo™ set top boxes that you have added to your player list.
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1. Select Tools > Add New Enseo STB. The Enseo STB Player Preferences dialog opens.
Players
2. Enter the name for the Enseo STB player, as well as any additional information about the player and the operator.
3. Enter connection information for the Enseo STB player.
• The IP address of the Enseo STB.
• The XML-RPC interface port and the data channel ports used by the Enseo STB.
4. Click OK. the Enseo STB is added to your player list.
You cannot send content to Enseo STB systems. See Control Content Playback (on page 131) to learn
system’s display settings.
Player Status
The Players tab displays all the players that are recognized by the Infocaster Manager console. Use the
Players tab to view the status of the players and the content they are playing. You can also select individual players to get more information about their settings, software versions, update queues, and playback queues.
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Player List
The player list within Infocaster Manager lists all the players on the Infocaster Manager system’s network.
Players
Filter Players in the List
Use the drop-down list at the top of the Players tab to choose which players are displayed in the list.
Column Headings
Right-click the column headings in the Content list to select options for hiding or revealing columns.
You can sort the list by clicking on any of the column headings. Click again on a heading to reverse the sorting.
Column
Player ID
Player Name
Player Type
IP Address
Description
The internal ID (GUID) of the player. This information is typically only used for troubleshooting player issues with Imagine
Communications technical support.
The name of the player. This can be changed using the
Configuration Utility on the player system (see Connect Infocaster
Manager Players (on page 49)) or with the Player Preferences
window within Infocaster Manager (see Player Preferences (on
The player’s type. Infocaster Manager supports Infocaster player software.
The network IP address of online player systems, if applicable.
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Column
Location
Description
The location of the player. This can be changed using the
Configuration Utility on the player system (see Connect Infocaster
Manager Players (on page 49)) or with the Player Preferences
window within Infocaster Manager (see Player Preferences (on
If the player has been mapped, a mapping icon appears in the
Locations column. See Player Maps (on page 136) for more
information.
Group
Manager
The groups the player is assigned to. If the player belongs to a particular Infocaster Manager server, the server’s name is displayed. To learn how to assign players to groups see Group
Network Components (on page 128).
The manager system which owns the player.
Status The current playback status of the player, if applicable.
• Not Connected: Infocaster Manager is unable to connect to the player through the network.
• Not Playing: The player is not playing content.
• Updating: The player is downloading content from the file server. Download progress is displayed as a percentage in the
Status column.
• Queued: The player is not playing content, but content is scheduled to play in the future.
• Playing: The player is playing content.
• Offline Player: The player is an offline player. Since offline players are not connected to Infocaster Manager through the network, Infocaster Manager is unable to determine the player’s
activity. See Offline Players (on page 109) for more information.
Playing Content The name of the content currently being played by the player, if applicable.
Playing Content
Version
The version of the content that is playing, if applicable.
Playback Status How long the player has been playing or stopped, if applicable.
• Playing Since: The player has been playing since the displayed date and time.
• Not Playing Since: The player has been stopped since the displayed date and time.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Resolution The player’s output resolution.
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Column Description
Connection Status Whether the player is connected or disconnected.
• Connected: The player is currently connected. The date and time when the connection began are displayed.
• Disconnected: The player is currently disconnected. The date and time when the disconnection occurred are displayed.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Channel Guide
Status
If the player is configured for Channel Guide display, this column shows information about the date that the currently-loaded
Channel Guide was last updated, the number of channels it supports, and the default channel setting.
PTP Status The current clock sync status of the player system, if applicable.
This information is only displayed for version 4.4 of Infocaster or later.
Punctuate Status A brief description of the player’s Punctuate status, if applicable.
Full status details are displayed in the Player Details section of the
Players tab. See Punctuate Status Details (on page 116) for more
information.
System Started The date and time that the player system last restarted. This information is only displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Software Started The date and time that the player’s software last restarted. This information is only displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Players
Multiple Instances in the Player List
When a player system is configured for multiple player instances, the Player list displays a separate entry for each instance.
Feature Note: You can only configure multiple player instances for Infocaster players with the Multi
Head option enabled. See the user guide for your player system for information about setting up multiple instances
Player Details
When you select a player in the Player list, the Player Details section of the tab displays detailed information about the player and its status.
Detail
Name
Description
The name of the player.
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Detail
IP Address
Description
The network IP address of online player systems, if applicable.
System Started The date and time that the player system last restarted. This information is displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Software Started The date and time that the player’s software last restarted. This information is only displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Connection
Status
Whether the player is connected or disconnected.
• Connected: The player is currently connected. The date and time when the connection began are displayed.
• Disconnected: The player is currently disconnected. The date and time when the disconnection occurred are displayed.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Playback Status How long the player has been playing or stopped, if applicable.
• Playing Since: The player has been playing since the displayed date and time.
• Not Playing Since: The player has been stopped since the displayed date and time.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Punctuate Status A brief description of the player’s Punctuate status, if applicable.
See Punctuate Status Details (on page 116) for a list of status
messages.
Player Version The version of the software the player is using.
Player Flavour Infocaster Manager supports Infocaster player software.
Disk Free Space The amount of free space available on the drive which holds the player’s content.
Operator The name of the player’s operator, if provided.
Phone
Description
Location
Groups
The contact email of the operator, if provided.
The phone number of the operator, if provided.
A brief description of the player
The location of the player.
The groups that the player is assigned to. If the player belongs to a particular Infocaster Manager server, the server’s name is displayed. To learn how to assign players to groups see Group
Network Components (on page 128).
Players
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Punctuate Status Details
Players
If the selected player is part of a Punctuate implementation, the Punctuate Status box in the Players tab displays a list of warnings, errors, and other messages related to the player’s Punctuate operations. The following messages can appear.
Message Type Message
Warning
Critical
Error
• NO Punctuate status received from Punctuate web service
• UNKNOWN Punctuate player state
• WRONG Punctuate player state
• UNKNOWN Punctuate AdCopyAndSchedule state
• WRONG Punctuate AdCopyAndSchedule state
• NO player AdServer status received from AdServer web service
• UNKNOWN player AdServer state
• NO player AdServer web server access
• WRONG player AdServer state
• Booking
• Message
• Filler only
• Out of date
• No bookings
• Wrong booking code
• Message failure
• Message wrong code
• Played error
• Content skipped
Success • Punctuate plot successful
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View Player Content
Players
Within the Players tab, switch to the Content on Disc subtab to view the content that has been sent to the selected player.
The Content on Disc subtab displays the following information about each content project.
The name of the content project, with a color-coded icon representing the page’s state.
The version of the content that the player has downloaded. See Content Versions (on page 89) for
more information.
The content’s current state on the player system. Content projects can be in one of the following states:
State
Downloading
Not Playing
Color Description
The content is downloading from the file server. Download progress is displayed as a percentage in the Activity column.
The content is not playing.
Queued
Playing
Unknown
The content is not currently playing, but is scheduled to play in the future.
The content is playing.
Infocaster Manager is unable to determine the status of the content because the player is not connected.
Delete Content
Click the Delete Content button in the Content on Disc subtab to delete the selected content from the player system. The content is not deleted from the Infocaster Manager system’s file servers.
Start and Stop Playback
You can control player playback by clicking the Start Playback and Stop Playback buttons in the Content
on Disc subtab. See Control Players (on page 130).
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Playback Queue
Players
For players, switch to the Playback Queue subtab to view the content that is queued for playback on the selected player.
The Playback Queue subtab displays the name of the queued content and the time each content project is scheduled to start playing.
To remove content from the queue, click the Remove From Queue button.
Update Queue
When you send content projects to a player they are added to the player’s update queue. The player downloads the first content project in the update queue, then starts downloading the next project in the queue. The player continues downloading projects one-by-one until the queue is empty.
Within the Players tab, switch to the Update Queue subtab to view the content in the update queue.
The Update Queue subtab displays the names of all content projects waiting to be downloaded by the player. Download progress is displayed as a percentage in the Activity column for the first project in the queue.
To stop content from being downloaded, click the Remove From Queue button.
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View Player Playback
Players
The Players Playback tab allows Infocaster Manager operators to see live playback from online player systems.
Use the Filter Players controls to set the players which appear in the tab. See Filter and Display Players
(on page 125) to learn how to use the filter controls.
Click the Map It button to view the player in a player map. See Player Maps (on page 136) for more
information.
Configure Picons
Use the controls on the right side of the Players Playback tab to set the size and update frequency for the picons.
Player Preferences
You can edit player preferences for players from within Infocaster Manager.
1. Within Infocaster Manager, switch to the Players tab.
2. Select a player from the Player List.
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3. Click the Player Preferences button. The Player Preferences window opens.
Players
Player
In the Player section of the window, enter the name and physical location of the player, as well as a brief description. By default the description displays the log-in ID of the individual who installed the player.
The player’s name is used by Infocaster Manager to select the player when sending content.
Use the If Content Download Fails fields to set how often the player tries to download content from
Infocaster Manager if the initial download is unsuccessful. Enter the number of times to try to download in the first field, and the amount of time between attempts in the second field.
Check the Check File CRC After Download checkbox to set the player to check the content for errors that may have occurred during download. Selecting this option ensures the integrity of your files, but they may take longer to download.
Connect to Server
The Connect to Server section of the window allows you to change the way the player connects with
Infocaster Manager.
In the Server Name field, enter the name of the system that the Infocaster Manager is installed on.
Enter the port used to communicate with Infocaster Manager in the TCP/IP Port field.
To change how often the player checks for a connection with Infocaster Manager, enter a new value in the Check Interval field.
Operator
Player systems can provide Infocaster Manager with information about the system’s operator. Use the
Name, Email, and Telephone fields to enter or update the operator’s contact information. This information is displayed when player systems are selected within Infocaster Manager.
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Maintenance Restart
Players
If you need to schedule regular player restarts, use the Maintenance Restart section of the window to set how often the player system is restarted.
Select Never to never automatically restart the player.
Select Daily to set the player to restart every day, and enter a time in the Start Time field.
Select Weekly to set the player to restart every week, and select a day of the week in the Weekly drop-down list and a time in the Start Time field.
Select the System Reboot radio button to completely reboot the player system, or select the Application
Restart radio button to simply shut down and restart the player software.
Check Player Frequency
Within Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences > Connections to set how often Infocaster
Manager checks the players.
In the Check Players section of the tab, change the Request Status values to get status updates more or less frequently.
Change the Ping Players value to check player system connections more or less frequently.
Troubleshoot Players with Commands
To help you troubleshoot players from within the Infocaster Manager interface, you can add commands which access command line applications. A "Ping Player" command is installed by default.
Ping a Player
Follow these steps to ping a player using the default Ping Player command.
1. Switch to the Players tab.
2. Select the player you want to ping.
3. Click the Troubleshoot Player button. A pop-up menu appears.
4. Select the Ping Player option in the pop-up menu. The player’s IP address is pinged using the
Windows command line "ping -t" command.
Add a Custom Command
You can call Windows applications by writing custom commands. In your commands, the TARGET_IP placeholder is replaced by your selected player’s IP address when the command is run. This is useful for passing an IP address to the application via a command line parameter.
1. Switch to the Players tab.
2. Click the Troubleshoot Player button. A pop-up menu appears.
3. Select Configure Tools > Add New Tool. The Troubleshooting Tool window opens.
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4. Enter a name for your command in the Name field.
5. In the Action field, enter the Windows command line text that will be run when the command is selected. Type TARGET_IP in places where you want your selected player’s IP address to be substituted.
For example, if you want to create a command which launches an executable called genericvnc.exe, and passes the IP address of the selected player to the executable using a -connectip parameter, enter the following command line text for your action (assuming the executable is located in the
Infocaster Manager system’s c:\vnc folder):
"c:\vnc\genericvnc.exe" -connectip TARGET_IP
6. Click OK. Your command is saved.
Note: Commands are saved within the Windows registry in encrypted format, so sensitive information such as system passwords can be included in the text if required.
Run a Command
Follow these steps to run a command.
1. Switch to the Players tab.
2. If the command you want to run contains a TARGET_IP placeholder, select the player whose IP address you want to use.
3. Click the Troubleshoot Player button. A pop-up menu appears.
4. Select the command you want to run within the pop-up menu. The command’s action text is run within the Windows command line, with the selected player’s IP address replacing any TARGET_IP placeholders.
Export and Import Player Lists
Infocaster Manager allows you to export and import information about your players, groups, and displays. This is useful if you wish to duplicate group assignments across multiple machines, or if you wish to edit the exported files before importing to customize player groups.
Export Selected Players to File
Within the Players tab, click the Export Selected Players to File button to create a file with information about your selected players.
You can choose to export either an Excel® file or a tab-delimited text file.
1. Switch to the Players tab.
2. Use the Players list to select the players whose information you want to export.
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3. Click the Export Selected Players to File button. The Select Columns dialog opens.
Players
Within the dialog, the Selected Columns list displays the columns that will be exported to the file.
The columns are exported in the order that they appear in the list.
Additional columns are displayed in the Available Columns list.
• To add columns to the Selected Columns list, select a column in the Available Columns list and click the Add button.
• To remove columns from the Selected Columns list, select a column in the Selected Columns list and click the Remove button.
The following columns are available.
Column
Player ID
Description
The internal designation of the player.
Player Name
IP Address
The player’s name.
The player’s IP address.
Player Type
Location
The type of software on the player.
The location of the player.
Software Version Build information about the player’s software version.
Resolution
Groups
Playing Content
Playing Content
Version
Status
Channel Guide
Status
The player’s resolution, if applicable.
The player’s group membership, if applicable.
The content that is currently being played by the player, if applicable.
The version of the content that is currently playing, if applicable.
The current status of the player, if available.
If the player is configured for Channel Guide display, this column shows information about the date that the currently-loaded Channel Guide was last updated, the number of channels it supports, and the default channel setting.
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Column Description
Connection Status Whether the player is connected or disconnected.
• Connected: The player is currently connected. The date and time when the connection began are displayed.
• Disconnected: The player is currently disconnected. The date and time when the disconnection occurred are displayed.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Description
Disk Free Space
Display Mute
The player's description.
The amount of free space on the player, if available.
The mute status of the player's display, if applicable.
Display Power
Display Source
Display Type
Display Volume
Manager
Operator
Phone
Playback Status
The power status of the player's display, if applicable.
The source of the player's display, if applicable.
The type of the player's display, if applicable.
The audio volume of the player's display, if applicable.
The player's email address.
The manager system that owns the player.
The player's operator.
The phone number used to contact the player's operator.
How long the player has been playing or stopped, if applicable.
• Playing Since: The player has been playing since the displayed date and time.
• Not Playing Since: The player has been stopped since the displayed date and time.
Dates and times are only shown for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
Player Flavour
PTP Status
The player's type.
The current clock sync status of the player system, if applicable. This information is only displayed for version 4.4 of Infocaster or later.
Punctuate Status A brief description of the player’s Punctuate status, if applicable. Full status details are displayed in the Player Details section of the Players tab.
Software Started The date and time that the player’s software last restarted. This information is only displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
System Started The date and time that the player system last restarted. This information is only displayed for version 4.3.5 of Infocaster or later.
4. When you are finished selecting your columns, click the Continue button. A Save As dialog opens.
5. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, and give the file a name.
If you are going to use this file to establish group membership in the future, ensure you export an
Excel file instead of a text file. See Import Group Membership (on page 125 ) for more information.
6. Save the file. The exported file contains a row of data for each player. If the player controls multiple external displays then each display receives its own row in the spreadsheet.
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Import Group Membership
Players
Within the Players tab, click the Import Group Membership button to import an Excel file which contains
files from Infocaster Manager.
When you import an Excel file into your console, Infocaster Manager attempts to assign your console players to the groups as described in the spreadsheet. Infocaster Manager attempts to recreate the player/group structure of the spreadsheet as closely as possible using the following rules.
Console players are added to all the groups which are listed in their spreadsheet row.
If a group in the spreadsheet does not exist on the console, the group is automatically created.
If console players are already part of a group which is not listed in their row of the spreadsheet, the players are removed from the group.
If a player in the spreadsheet does not exist on the console, the information for that player is ignored. Players are not automatically created.
Remove Player
To remove a player from the Player list, switch to the Players tab, select the player from the list, and click the Remove Player button at the bottom of the tab. The player is removed.
Filter and Display Players
When you are viewing or managing a large number of players on your network, you often need to filter the player lists in Infocaster Manager so that only relevant players are displayed.
All Infocaster Manager tabs which display player lists also contain standardized filter and display controls. These controls allow you to display only the players you are interested in, and also limit the number of players which can be displayed at once.
Filter Players
To filter the players that are currently displayed in any of the tabs, use the Filter controls. The controls appear above the player lists.
The Filter Players drop-down list allows you to quickly select a standard filter query. Infocaster Manager comes with several useful queries, and the drop-down list also includes any additional queries that you have created.
After you have selected a filter query with the drop-down list, click the Search button to filter the player list using the selected query.
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Create a New Filter Query
Players
Follow these steps to create a new filter query using the Filter controls.
1. Click the Filter Editor button. The Search Players dialog opens.
If you have already selected a filter query with the Filter Players drop-down list, the settings of the query are copied into the Search Players dialog.
2. To fill the fields in the Search Players dialog with the settings from an existing query, select the query with the Query Name drop-down list.
3. Use the fields in the Search Players dialog to define your filter query.
Most fields allow you to use the keywords and, or, and not to refine your filter. For example, entering weather and east in the Name field will only display players whose names contain both
"weather" and "east" in their names.
4. Click the Save Query button. The Save Query dialog opens.
5. Enter a name for the query.
6. Click the Save button. You are returned to the Search Players dialog, and your query will become available in the Filter Players drop-down lists.
7. If you are finished creating queries, click the OK button.
Field Name
Name
Group
Type
Description
The name of the player.
The group the player is in. You can type in a group name, or click the drop-down arrow to see existing groups.
See Group Network Components (on page 128) for more
information.
The player type. See Content Types (on page 83) for a list of
player types and the content they support.
The player’s location. Location
Description
IP Address
The player’s description.
The player’s IP address, if applicable.
Display Resolution The player’s display resolution.
Software Version The version of the software currently installed on the player system.
Owned by Manager The manager system which owns the player. You can type in a manager name, or click the drop-down arrow to select additional options.
• Any Manager: Players are not filtered by manager.
• This Manager: Players which are owned by your current manager will pass the filter.
• Not This Manager: Players which are not owned by your current manager will pass the filter.
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Field Name Description
Connection Status The connection status of the player.
• Any: Players are not filtered by connection status.
• Connected: Infocaster Manager can connect to the player through the network.
• Not Connected: Infocaster Manager cannot connect to the player through the network.
• Unknown: Infocaster Manager is unable to determine the connection status of the player.
Online Type Whether the player is an online or offline type.
• Any: Players are not filtered by online type.
• Offline: Players do not connect directly to Infocaster Manager
through the network. See Offline Players (on page 109) for
more information.
• Online: Players connect to Infocaster Manager through the network.
Playing Content
Has Content
The name of the content currently being played by the player.
You can type in a content name, or click the drop-down arrow to select additional options.
• Any Content: Players are not filtered by the name of their playing content.
• Not Playing: Players that are not playing any content.
Content that the player can access.
Updating Content The name of the content currently being updated to the player.
You can type in a content name, or click the drop-down arrow to select additional options.
• Any Content: Players are not filtered by the name of their updating content.
• Not Playing: Players that are not receiving new content.
Updating Software The name of the software that is currently being updated to the player. You can type in a software name, or click the drop-down arrow to select additional options.
• Any Software: Players are not filtered by the name of their updating software.
• Not Updating: Players whose software is not being updated.
Players
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Field Name
Punctuate Status
Description
The player’s Punctuate status.
• Any: Players are not filtered by their Punctuate status.
• Player Not In Punctuate: Players which are not in Punctuate will pass the filter.
• Punctuate Player: Players which are in Punctuate will pass the filter.
• Punctuate Player - No Errors: Players which are in Punctuate and have not logged any errors will pass the filter.
• Punctuate Player - Errors: Players which are in Punctuate and have logged errors will pass the filter.
Delete Queries
Follow these steps to delete a filter query using the Filter controls.
1. Click the Filter Editor button. The Search Players dialog opens.
2. Use the Query Name drop-down list to select the query you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete Query button.
Display Players in Pages
When you are connect to many players, it can be useful to display them a page at a time.
Players
In the Per Page field at the top of the list, enter the number of players you want to display in each page of the list. The Previous and Next buttons move forward and backward through the pages.
Group Network Components
It is useful to organize your players, servers, and Multicasts into groups when you have a large number of components on your network. You can send content, triggers, and rules to all of the components in a specific group, and view player information and status according to the groups they are assigned to.
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Select Tools > Groups to open the Groups window. The Groups window allows you to manage groups and assign components to them.
Manage Groups
Use the buttons at the bottom of the Groups window to manage your groups.
To create a new group click the Add New Group button in the Groups window. The New Group window opens, allowing you to give the group a name and a description.
The new group is added to the groups list when you click OK in the New Group window.
To change the name or description of the selected group, click the Edit Group button. The New
Group window opens and allows you to change the name and description of the group.
To remove a group, select it in the list and click the Remove Group button.
.No Group
.No Group is a special group that contains all network components that aren’t currently assigned to a group.
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Assign Network Components to Groups
Players
Click the Add and Remove buttons to assign network components such as players, servers, and
Multicasts to different groups.
1. Select the group you’d like to manage from the list of groups at the top of the window.
The list at the right side of the window displays all of the network components currently assigned to that group. The list at the left side displays all of the components which aren’t assigned to that group.
2. To add components to the group, select them in the left list and click the Add button. You can multiple select components by clicking them while holding down the SHIFT or CTRL keys.
3. To remove components from the group, select them in the right list and click the Remove button.
4. Click the Done button when you are finished managing groups.
Export and Import Group Information
Infocaster Manager allows you to export and import information about your players and groups. This is useful if you wish to duplicate group assignments across multiple machines, or if you wish to edit the exported files before importing to customize player groups.
Auto Assignment
Use the checkboxes at the bottom of the Groups window to automatically assign players, peers, and
Multicasts to groups.
If a network component’s name contains the name of a group, the component can be automatically assigned to that group. For instance, a group named "Sports" will automatically contain players called
"Generic Sports," "Sports East Coast," and "Sports West Coast."
Check the checkboxes to set which network components the currently selected group will auto assign.
Control Players
Infocaster and Channel ONE player software can be scheduled and controlled remotely by Infocaster
Manager. You can also change the channel and closed captioning settings of the players.
You can remotely control players using the Players tab. Select a player to control from the Player list, then switch to the Content on Disc subtab to control playback. You can also relaunch and reboot players using the buttons on the bottom of the Players tab.
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Control Content Playback
In most situations, playback is scheduled when content is sent to the player.
Use the buttons in the Content on Disc subtab when it is necessary to manually play or stop playback on a player system.
1. Switch to the Players tab.
2. Select the player you want to control from the Player list.
3. Switch to the Content on Disc subtab near the bottom-right of the Players tab.
4. To start playback, select a content project from the list and click the Start Playback button. The player immediately opens and plays the selected content.
5. To stop playback, click the Stop Playback button. The player stops playing any content it was playing.
6. If your player supports the channel guide feature and you wish to change the player’s channel, enter a new channel in the Current Channel field and press Set.
If the tuner supports minor channels, enter the minor channel as a decimal. For example, enter
27.100 for minor channel 100 of major channel 27.
7. To enable the display of closed captioning on the player, check the Closed Captioning checkbox and click the Set button.
Control Player Operation
Use the player operation buttons at the bottom of the Players tab to control player operation.
Restart Player
If you need to restart the player software that is running on a system, click the Relaunch Player button at the bottom of the Players tab.
The player’s output will be blank while the software relaunches. Output resumes when the relaunch is complete.
Reboot Player
To completely reboot a player system, click the Reboot Player button at the bottom of the Players tab.
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The player’s output will be blank while the player system reboots. Output resumes when the reboot is complete and the software automatically relaunches.
Send Triggers to Players
You can configure Infocaster Manager Pro to send virtual "Player GPIs" to players in response to serial or software GPI triggers. Content with GPI Initiated conditional playback rules will respond to the Player
GPIs.
Use the Triggers tab to convert regular GPI triggers to Player GPIs within Infocaster Manager.
Feature Note: Triggers are only supported in Infocaster Manager Pro.
Set Up External Triggers
Before you can configure Infocaster Manager Pro to send Player GPIs in response to external triggers, you must use the Configuration Utility to set the external triggers that Infocaster Manager can respond to.
See Configure Infocaster Manager (on page 187) to learn how to set up external triggers.
Add New Player GPIs
Switch to the Triggers tab to add new Player GPIs within Infocaster Manager Pro software.
1. Click the New button. The Create Trigger window opens.
Note: If the New button is not available, your console may not have permission to manage triggers.
See Set Console Permissions (on page 168 ) for more information.
2. Use the On GPI drop-down list to select the trigger that you want Infocaster Manager to respond to.
These are the external triggers set up in the Configuration Utility.
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3. Type a name for the Player GPI in the Trigger Name field.
Players
4. By default, Player GPIs are only sent when an external trigger is fired. If you want to schedule Player
GPIs or to cause them to recur, check the On Schedule checkbox and define the schedule for your
Player GPI.
See Schedule Player GPIs (on page 134 ) for details.
5. In the Send To section of the window, choose the network components you want to send the Player
GPIs to.
• Select Multicast to send the Player GPIs to a network multicast, specified in the IP and Port fields. Players which are set to listen to this multicast can respond to the Player GPIs.
• Select All Players to send the Player GPIs to every player system on the network.
• Select Single Player, Group, or Multiple Players to send the Player GPIs to specific players.
• Select Multicast Folder to send Player GPIs to transmission folders, for distribution to players via
third-party software. See Multicast Mode Groups (on page 162) for more information.
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• Select Peer Servers to send the Player GPIs to a remote Infocaster Manager server, which will
then send the GPIs to its own players. See Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172) for more
information about servers.
6. Type the GPI numbers that you want to send to the players, clicking the Add button when finished.
You can add a range of GPIs by separating numbers with a minus sign, and add individual GPIs by separating them with commas.
To remove a GPI from the list, select it and click the Delete button.
7. Use the Trigger the GPI at Destination section if you want to change how quickly players respond to
Player GPIs.
• If you select the Immediately radio button, players respond to the Player GPIs as soon as they receive them.
• If you select the Immediately Offset By radio button and enter an offset value in the field, players will respond to Player GPIs after the offset time has elapsed. This is useful if several triggers are fired at the same time but you want them to be performed in sequence.
8. If you do not want to send Player GPIs to offline players, check the Send Only to Connected Players checkbox.
9. Click the Save button to save the Player GPI.
When Infocaster Manager receives an external trigger it activates the Player GPIs associated with the trigger received. Create conditional playback rules in your content projects to trigger actions in response to the Player GPIs.
Schedule Player GPIs
Use the Trigger Schedule dialog If you want to schedule your Player GPIs or cause them to recur. This dialog opens when you check the On Schedule checkbox or when you click the Edit Schedule button in the Create Trigger window.
1. Use the Fire At fields to set the time and date the Player GPI is sent after the external trigger is fired.
The Player GPI is sent when the console’s clock reaches this time, plus any offset value you set in the
Create Trigger window.
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2. Select a recurrence pattern with the radio buttons. Each radio button reveals a set of options for that pattern.
• None: The Player GPI is only sent once.
• Daily: The Player GPI is sent once a day. You can choose to send the Player GPI on every weekday, or to send it on every second day, every third day, etc.
• Weekly: The Player GPI is sent every week, on the days which are checked.
• Custom: The Player GPI is sent repeatedly at the interval chosen with the Hours and Minutes fields.
3. By default, recurring Player GPIs continue to recur until you change their schedule.
If you want a recurring Player GPI to stop recurring at a certain date, select the End By radio button and choose the ending date.
4. Click the Save button to save the schedule for your Player GPI.
Note: If you are firing triggers in a time-sensitive capacity, consider synchronizing your system’s clock to
the other systems in the network. See Clock Synchronization (on page 188) for more information.
Manage Player GPIs
View and manage your Player GPIs with the controls in the Triggers tab.
Option Description
View Player GPIs To view the details of one or more Player GPIs, select the GPIs in the list and view the information in the GPI Details window.
Edit Player GPI Double-click a Player GPI to edit it. You can also select a GPI and click the Edit button.
Remove Player
GPIs
Disable/Enable
Player GPIs
Select one or more Player GPIs and click the Remove button to remove them from the list.
To disable or enable Player GPIs, select one or more GPIs and click the Disable/Enable Selected button.
You can also check or clear the Active checkbox for each Player GPI.
Fire GPIs
To manually fire Player GPIs:
Select one or more GPIs and click the Fire Selected Triggers button.
Click the buttons on a custom trigger web page. See the Infocaster Manager Web Triggers document to learn how to create custom web pages for your triggers.
Fire External Triggers
You might find it useful to simulate the firing of your external triggers, to ensure that your Player GPIs are properly configured.
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In the Triggers tab, click the Fire GPI button to open the Fire GPI window.
Players
Select the external triggers you want to fire and click the Fire Selected button. Infocaster Manager simulates firing the external triggers, which trigger the Player GPIs associated with them.
Player Maps
Player Maps allow you to visually represent the locations of all the players in your network. You can place displays on custom-made maps and floor plans, assign players to the displays, and navigate within the maps to get instant information about each player in a particular region or location.
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Manage Maps
Players
Infocaster Manager uses image files as maps. Once you have created these image files in a third-party product, add them to Infocaster Manager within the Player Maps tab.
When you first switch to the Player Maps tab, the Maps window opens so you can add new maps to
Infocaster Manager. You can re-open this window by clicking the Maps button in the Player Maps tab.
The Maps window shows a list of maps that you have added to Infocaster Manager. Click the maps in the list to see a thumbnail of each map in the Preview window.
Add Maps
To add a new map, open the Maps window and click the Add Map button.
In the Add Map window, click the Choose button and navigate to the image file you want to use. Enter a name for the map in the Map Name field and then click OK. The map is added to Infocaster Manager.
Edit Map
Within the Maps window, click the Edit Map button to change the selected map’s name or to assign a new image file to it.
Remove Map
To remove a map from Infocaster Manager, select it in the list and click the Remove Map button.
Editing Mode
Maps are locked by default and cannot be edited. To add or edit displays within a map, select the map from the Map drop-down list and click the Edit button to switch to editing mode.
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When you have finished making changes to the map, click the Save button to exit editing mode. Click the
Cancel button to exit the editing mode without saving your changes.
Add Displays to Maps
While in editing mode you can add displays to the current map. Each display represents a player in your network.
To add a new display to your map, grab the display rectangle and drag it to the proper location. When you drop it on the map you are prompted to give the display a name. You can add additional displays to each map as needed.
Click on the Displays subtab to view a list of all the displays in the current map. When you select a display in the list, the corresponding display rectangle is highlighted in the map.
Assign Players to Displays
Follow these steps to assign a player system to a display rectangle.
1. Switch to the Players subtab to view all of the players on the network. To filter the players in the list, choose a group or a mapping category from the Showing drop-down list.
2. To get more information about the player, click the triangle beside the player’s name. The player’s IP address, connection status, group (if applicable), display resolution, software version, map filename, map status, and operator name are listed.
3. Drag a player from the list and drop it on a display rectangle. You can only drag players that have not already been assigned to a display.
If you drop a player in an area without a display, a new display is created for it.
When you select a player in the list the corresponding display rectangle is highlighted in the map.
Double-click on a display rectangle to view its player in the Players tab.
Remove Players and Displays
While in edit mode, right-click on display rectangles to remove players from the displays or to delete displays from the map.
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Log Playback
Players
Infocaster and Channel ONE players can log the playback of specific regions of content. When you set a region for logging, the player system creates the log while the content plays.
If Infocaster Manager is configured to collect playback logs, the players periodically send their log files back to the Infocaster Manager system where the logs are compiled according to the settings in the
Playback tab.
Information Logged
Log files contain the following information:
Information
Player Name
Groups
Page Name
Region Name
Event Name
Start Date and
Start Time
Stop Date and Stop
Time
Duration
Log Note
Display On/Off
Volume
Description
The name of the system playing the content.
The groups the player belongs to.
The content page being played, if applicable.
The page region being played.
The region event being played, if applicable.
When the event started playing.
When the event stopped playing.
The total duration of the event.
When content is created, each event can be given a Log Note.
When the content is played the Log Notes are added to the log.
When content is created, each event can be given a Log Note.
When the content is played the Log Notes are added to the log.
State of the display monitor at the time the content played.
For more information about content, see Manage Content (on page 82).
Enable Player Logging
By default items are not set to be logged on player systems. Players can enabled or disable logging, change the storage folder for log files, and change the number of days that log files are stored on each player system.
Follow these steps to enable playback logging for a player.
1. On the supported player system open the Configuration Utility by choosing Start > Programs >
Imagine Communications > [player software name] > Configuration Utilities > Configuration Utility.
2. Within the Configuration Utility, switch to the Playback Logging tab.
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3. Check the Enable Logging checkbox.
4. Click the Choose button and navigate to where you want to store the playback log files.
Players
5. Use the Keep Logs for the Last __ Days field to set the number of days the player keeps the finished log files. After a log file has been stored for the specified number of days, the player deletes the log file.
6. When working with multiple player instances, use the Instance Name drop-down list to select the instance you want to configure. Each instance can be configured separately.
Set Log Collection Options
Within Infocaster Manager select Tools > Server Preferences > Playback to change the log collection options for Infocaster Manager.
1. Check the Enable Log Collection From Players checkbox.
2. To set a time for collecting playback log files from the player systems, enter a time in the Collect
Logs At field. Infocaster Manager will ask players for playback logs every day at this time.
3. Use the Check and Recollect Logs field to set the number of days that Infocaster Manager tries to collect missing logs. If Infocaster Manager does not receive a playback log from a player, it will continue trying to collect that log each day for the number of days chosen.
Players notify Infocaster Manager if they did not generate a log for a particular day, so Infocaster
Manager will not continue trying to collect them.
4. To set the number of days that you want to keep the log files, enter a number in the Keep Logs For
__ Days field. After a log has been stored for the specified number of days, Infocaster Manager deletes the log.
5. To set where the player logs are stored, click the Choose button beside the Store Logs In field and select a folder for storing the log files.
6. Normally players send their files to Infocaster Manager, and Infocaster Manager is responsible for writing the files to the shared folder. If you check the Players Can Write Directly to This Folder
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7. Use the radio buttons to choose a logging method.
• Select the Use Database Logging radio button to store the logs in a Microsoft SQL Server database. If you choose this option, the folder you selected in step 5 is used as a temporary storage location.
Before you can use database logging you must configure your system as described in Configure
Database Logging (on page 30 ).
• Select the Use Standard Logging radio button to store the logs in one or more files, according to the Storage Options you select.
8. Click the OK button to save your logging settings.
Set Regions for Logging
When content is created, each region can be set to store log information. Regions do not store log information by default.
If you want to change the logging settings for content within Infocaster Manager, use the Region
more information.
View Log Files
If your log was saved with database logging, use a third-party database tool to view the log database.
If your log was saved with standard logging, select Tools > Log Viewer to view a log file. The Log Viewer opens, displaying the log file for the current day.
To open a different log file, select File > Open in the Log Viewer window and choose the log file you want to view.
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Display Control
Players
You can use the Display Control dialog to control the power status, input source, and volume level of
Infocaster and Enseo STB player displays.
Choose Tools > Display Control to open the Display Control window. Your players and their display statuses appear in the Player list. You can view whether the displays are on or off, and also see their input sources and their current volumes.
Filter Players in the List
Use the drop-down list at the top of the Display Control window to choose which players are displayed in the list.
Add Additional Displays
If any of your players are connected to multiple displays, select the players in the list and click the Add
Additional Displays button. An additional display is added to the list.
Assign Display Types to Players
You must assign players to specific display types before you can view their display status or change their display settings.
1. Within the Display Control dialog, select the player or display that you want to assign to a display type.
If many players use identical display types and communicate with them using the same COM port number, you can assign all the players at the same time by selecting them all in the list. Hold down the SHIFT key to select multiple players with identical display types in the Player list.
To select all the players and displays in the list, click the Select All Players and Displays button.
2. In the Display Settings section of the window, use the Display drop-down list to select the display type attached to the selected players.
Infocaster Manager comes with a list of pre-configured displays. Displays with the word "Delay" in their name enforce a standard delay between commands to the display.
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You can add new displays to the list's DisplayControl.xml file if necessary. See the Infocaster Display
List document on your Infocaster install disk for full instructions.
Note: Do not edit the DisplayControl.xml file while Infocaster Manager is running.
3. Select the method used to send commands to the display.
• If the display is connected to the player through a COM port, select the Serial Port Control radio button. Use the drop-down list to select the COM port that the player sends commands with.
• If you want to send commands through the network, select the IP Control radio button. Enter the display’s IP address in the field.
4. If you want to allow a player to control its displays with its own Display Control dialog, check the
Enable Local Display Control checkbox.
5. If you want to allow a player to control its displays with a PC remote, check the Enable Display
Control from Infocaster Remote Control checkbox.
6. If you want to turn the display on and off with an external trigger, check the Toggle On/Off Using GPI checkbox and select the trigger from the drop-down list.
See External Triggers Tab (on page 191 ) to learn how to configure your triggers.
7. Use the Display Check Interval field to choose the number of seconds that elapse between each display check. Shorter intervals will ensure more accuracy of the Display Status fields but may negatively impact CPU and display performance.
8. Check the Apply These Settings checkbox.
9. Click the Apply Settings button. The players are configured to use the COM port and display type you have selected.
View Player Display Status
Select a player in the list to view its status in the Display Status section of the window. You can view the display’s power status, its input source, its volume, and its mute status.
Manually Control Displays
The Manual Control section of the window allows you to control the display of the selected player.
1. With the display selected, use the Manual Control checkboxes and drop-down lists to choose the desired status of the display.
• To turn the display on or off, check the Power checkbox and choose the power setting from the drop-down list.
• To change the display’s source, check the Set Source checkbox and choose the source from the drop-down list.
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• To change the display’s volume, check the Set Volume checkbox and enter a new volume level in the field.
• To mute or unmute the display, check the Mute checkbox and choose the mute setting from the drop-down list.
2. If you only want to change the display status of players that are currently connected, check the Send
Only to Connected Players checkbox.
If you do not check this checkbox, players that are currently disconnected will change their status as soon as they are reconnected to the network.
3. Click the Send Command button. Infocaster Manager instructs the players to change their display settings, and the players send the appropriate instructions to their displays.
Note: Enseo STB systems receive commands directly, not from the players they are connected to. See
Add an Enseo STB as a Player (on page 110) for more information.
Automate Display Control
Use the Control Automation section of the window to create automated rules for controlling displays.
1. Select the display you want to create rules for.
2. With the display selected, click the Add button in the Control Automation section of the tab. The
Add Rule dialog opens.
3. Use the On drop-down list to set the days when the rule is activated.
4. Use the At drop-down list to set the time when the rule is activated.
5. Use the checkboxes to choose the actions that the rule performs.
• Turn the display on or off.
• Set the display’s input source.
• Set the display’s volume level.
• Mute or unmute the display
6. Click the Add Rule button to add your rule to the Control Automation list.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 to add any additional rules for the display.
8. Click the Apply Settings button. The rule is sent to the selected player and will run at the specified times.
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Status Tab
Players
Use the Status tab to monitor player and Infocaster Manager events, and to send email notifications when certain events occur. The Filter Events drop-down list selects the player or group of players to view. The events shown for the selected players include the time the event occurred, the event type, the player the event occurred on, and a description of the event.
If you want to see events from a previous date, click on the Display Status On drop-down list and select a date from the calendar. Use the checkboxes in the tab to choose the event types that you want to display in the Status tab.
Set Information to Log
All events and event types are logged by default. If you don’t need all information to be logged, use the options in the Settings window to select which events are recorded.
1. Switch to the Status tab on the Infocaster Manager system.
2. Select a player, network component, or group from the Filter Events drop-down list. The status settings will be applied to the selection.
• .All: Selects all players connected Infocaster Manager servers, and the current Infocaster
Manager system.
• .All Players: Selects all of the Infocaster Manager server’s players.
• .All __: You can choose to select only the players that run a specific type of player software.
• .All Peer Servers: Selects all of the connected peer Infocaster Manager servers.
• .No Group: Selects only players that are not part of a group.
• .Infocaster Manager: Selects the connected Infocaster Manager server.
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3. Click the Settings button. The Settings window opens.
Players
4. Select an event in the list.
5. Use the log checkboxes to set when that type of event is logged. Not all checkboxes are applicable for all events.
• To log errors, check the Log Error checkbox.
• To log successes, check the Log Success checkbox.
• To log warnings, check the Log Warning checkbox.
6. If you want the event to result in an email notification, use the email checkboxes to send emails when errors, successes, and warnings occur.
In the Email Contact section of the window, enter a subject line for the email notification and the email address where the notification will be sent.
7. Check the Show Events Time As This System’s Local Time checkbox if you want events to be displayed using the time from the Infocaster Manager system’s internal clock. Clear the checkbox to display events using Universal Time.
8. Enter the number of days the Infocaster Manager will keep logging information into the Keep Logs for the Last __ Days field.
9. Click the Set button to save your settings.
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Export and Print Events
Players
In the Export Events section of the Status tab, click the Save to File button to save the displayed events to a text file.
Click the Print button to print the displayed events.
Set Status Update Frequency
You can set how frequently Infocaster Manager requests status updates from players.
1. Choose Tools > Server Preferences. The Server Preferences window opens.
2. Switch to the Connections tab. The update frequency controls are in the Check Players section of the tab.
3. Use the Request Status fields to set how often Infocaster Manager requests status reports from the players, and how long it waits for a reply before reporting a failure.
4. Use the Ping Players fields to set how often Infocaster Manager tests player availability through the network, and how long it waits before reporting a failure.
5. Click OK to save your changes.
Send Software Updates to Players
You can use Infocaster Manager to send software updates to Infocaster and Channel ONE player systems. The player systems automatically go offline, install the software updates, and reboot. Sending software updates is an effective way to remotely upgrade all the players on your network.
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Software updates are uploaded to the Imagine Communications Software Update Distribution Server as they are released.
View Software Updates
Follow these steps to filter the list of software updates and view update details.
1. Within Infocaster Manager, choose Tools > Player Software Updates to open the Player Software
Updates window.
2. Use the Product drop-down list at the top of the window to select the type of update you want to view.
The update list displays the version, name, size, and date of all available updates. The player list updates to display only the players that match the selected product.
3. The Player Software Updates window does not refresh its list while the window remains open. If you believe that you are not seeing the most updated list of available updates, click the Check for New
Updates button. The list refreshes.
4. Select an update from the list to view its release notes.
Send Software Updates
Follow these steps to send software updates to players.
1. Use the Product Type drop-down list to choose the type of player software you want to update.
2. Press the Check for New Updates button to display the software updates available.
3. In the Available Updates list, select the patch or service pack update that you want to send to the players. A description of the update appears in the Release Notes section of the window.
4. Select the players who will receive the update.
Use the Filter controls to choose the players which will receive the update. See Filter and Display
Players (on page 125 ) for more information about the Filter controls.
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If you are going to send the update via multicast, use the drop-down list at the bottom of the window to choose the Multicast Mode Group which the update will be sent to.
Players
5. Send the update to the players, either through the network or via multicast.
• To send update through the network, click the Send Update button. Players download the update according to the settings in the Configure Player Software Updates window, and the status of the update appears in the Software Update Package list.
• To send the update via multicast, click the Send Update via Multicast button. All players in the selected Multicast Mode Group will receive the update, but only the players which match your
Filter settings will install it.
If you need to cancel the updates, click the Cancel Updates button.
Player output stops while the software shuts down, the update is installed, and the system reboots.
Output resumes after the system has rebooted and the software has automatically opened.
Add User Custom Updates to Your File Server
By default, software updates are accessed from the Imagine Communications Software Update
Distribution Server. If you do not wish to connect to this server you can store updates on your Infocaster
Manager file server.
1. On a system that is connected to the internet, use a browser to navigate to
ftp://ftp.inscriber.com/updates/infocaster. A list of available update folders is displayed. Each folder contains an executable update file.
2. Find the executable update file you wish to add to your custom updates file server.
If you do not know the name of the folder you are looking for, sort the folders by date and look inside the more recent folders. The executable update files have descriptive names.
3. Download the executable update file to your local drive.
4. Transfer the file to your Infocaster Manager system.
5. Within Infocaster Manager, choose Tools > Player Software Updates to open the Player Software
Updates window.
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6. Click the Add User Custom Update button. The Add User Custom Software Update dialog opens.
7. Select the player product with the Product radio buttons.
8. Enter the version of the update in the Version field.
9. Enter a name and description of the update.
10. Click the Choose button to choose the downloaded executable update file.
11. Click OK. The executable is added to your file server, and it appears in your list of available updates as a "Custom" update.
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Send Content
Send content through the network.
Send Content
Send Content
Use the Content tab to send content to players and other network components, and schedule playback times for content output.
Instead of sending content through the network, Infocaster Manager can also burn content projects to a
CD for manual import into players. Content can also be sent to other Infocaster Manager servers and can be distributed via satellite using third-party software.
Note: If the Approve Content option is selected in Infocaster Manager, all content must be approved
before you can send it to players. See Content Approval (on page 98) for more information.
Workflow
Sending content generally involves the following steps.
1. Select the content you want to send.
2. Choose where you want to send the content.
3. Set when you want to send the content.
4. Set when you want the content to start playing.
5. Send the content.
Select Content to Send
The Content tab within Infocaster Manager lists all of the content projects available to Infocaster
Manager. Infocaster Manager consoles may only display the content that the Infocaster Manager server allows.
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Use the Content list to select the content projects you want to send.
Send Content
To select a single content project, click on it in the list.
To select multiple consecutive projects, click on the first content project in the range, hold down the
SHIFT key, then click on the last content project in the range.
To select additional content projects or to deselect a project that is already selected, hold down the
CTRL key and click the project.
to learn how to use the Search controls to filter the content in the list.
Select Content Version
Infocaster Manager stores old versions of content projects each time they are re-published to the file server. The Content Versions subtab displays all the stored versions of the selected content.
If the file servers contain multiple versions of your selected content project, and you have only selected a single content project in the Content list, use the Content Versions subtab to select the version you want to send.
For more information about content versions see Content Versions (on page 89).
Select Content Destination
In the Send To section of the Content tab, select where you want to send the content.
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Option
All Players with
This Content
Description
Sends the content to all the players which currently have a version of the content. This is a useful way to quickly update players with a new content version.
Player
Group
Multicast
Peer Server
Custom
Sends the content to the player selected from the drop-down list.
Sends the content to the group selected from the drop-down list. See
Group Network Components (on page 128) for more information.
Sends the content to the Multicast Mode Group selected from the drop-down list. This is often used for distributing content through satellite transmission or ATSC-M/H software. See Multicast Mode
Groups (on page 162) for more information.
Sends the content to the Infocaster Manager server selected from the
drop-down list. See Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172) for
information about connecting to other Infocaster Manager servers.
Sends the content to the selected players. Enable the Custom radio button, then click on the players in the Destination list. Use the CTRL and SHIFT keys while clicking to select multiple players.
Send Content
Select Update Time
In the Start the Update section of the Update tab, select the Immediately radio button to send the content as soon as you click the Update Content button.
To send the content at a specific time instead, select the At radio button and enter a date and time.
Note: By default content is sent to a player when the player’s system clock reaches the specified time. If you want to send the content based on the Infocaster Manager system’s clock instead, select the This
Console Local Time radio button.
Schedule Content Playback
The Start Playing Updated Content section of the Content tab allows you to schedule the playback of the content.
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Select the Immediately radio button to play the content as soon as the player receives it.
Send Content
To play the content at a later time instead, select the At radio button and enter a date and time to play the content. If the content is scheduled to play before the player has finished downloading it, playback occurs when the content is completely downloaded.
If you do not wish to schedule content playback, select the Never radio button.
Note: By default content is set to play when the player’s system clock reaches the specified time. If you want to set the content’s playback based on the Infocaster Manager system’s clock instead, select the
This Console Local Time radio button.
Send the Content
Click the Update Content button when you are ready to send the content to its destination. The destination system begins to download the content at the specified time and outputs it as scheduled.
If the destination system has already downloaded the version of the content that you are sending, it does not need to download the content before playing it.
Note:The Update Content button is disabled if the content needs to be approved. See Content Approval
(on page 98) to learn how to set up and approve content.
Send Content Via Multicast
If you want to send content via multicast instead of through a network connection, use the drop-down list at the bottom of the window to select the Multicast Mode Group you wish to send the content to,
then click the Update Content via Multicast button. See Multicast Mode Groups (on page 162) for more
information about setting up your groups.
You do not need to send content to all the players within the selected Multicast Mode Group. The destination you choose in the Send To section of the tab determines which multicast players will use the content that they receive.
Option
All Players
All Players with
This Content
Player
Description
Sends the content to all players in the selected Multicast Mode
Group.
Sends the content to all players in the Multicast Mode Group which already have a version of the content.
Sends the content via multicast to the player selected from the dropdown list.
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Option
Group
Description
Sends the content via multicast to the group selected from the dropdown list.
Peer Server
Custom
Sends the content via multicast to the Infocaster Manager server selected from the drop-down list.
Sends the content via multicast to the selected players. Enable the
Custom radio button, then click on the players in the Destination list.
Use the CTRL and SHIFT keys while clicking to select multiple players.
Send Content
Send User Packages
Multiple package assets may be sent when you send a single user package to a network component.
When you send a media asset package, any of its combined files will also be sent.
When you send a user package, all the media asset packages that it references are sent.
View Update Status
There are two ways to view the status of your content updates.
About Update Content Window
Within the Content tab, click the About Update Content button. The About Update Content window opens, showing detailed messages about your updates.
You can use the drop-down menu to only view errors, warnings, or successes.
Updates Tab
If you need to see a list of all content updates that are being sent to all players and peers, switch to the
Updates tab.
Use the radio buttons to select whether to view player or peer content updates.
Use the Filter controls to filter the players which are displayed in the list. See Filter and Display
Players (on page 125 ) to learn how to use the controls.
Select an update to see information about the content being sent and the system that is downloading it.
Click the Cancel Update(s) button to cancel the selected updates.
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Send Content with Rules
Send Content
Rules allow you to automatically send content to players, groups, and peers. Each rule consists of one or more events and one or more actions. Events are conditions which the content must meet before it is sent, and actions specify the targets the content is sent to and when it is sent.
If Infocaster Manager is configured to require content approval, rules are run on the content when the content is approved. Otherwise rules are run when content is published.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Manage Rules
Choose Tools > Rules to open the Rules window. The Rules list displays all the rules currently defined on the Infocaster Manager system.
To enable or disable a rule, check or uncheck the rule’s checkbox in the list. Disabled rules are not run but they remain in the list.
To view the events and rules associated with a rule, select it in the list. The information is displayed in the Rule Details pane.
To delete a rule, select it and click the Delete Rule button.
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To duplicate a rule, select it and click the Duplicate Rule button. This is useful if you are creating many rules with few differences in their events and actions.
To edit a rule, select it and click the Edit Rule button. You can change the rule’s events and actions with the Rule Properties window.
Create New Rules
Within the Rules window, click the Create Rule button to create a new rule. The Rule Properties window opens.
Name the Rule
Use the Rule Name and Rule Description fields to give your rule a name and description.
Create Events
Each rule must have at least one event. When content is published (or approved if Infocaster Manager is configured to require approval), the content’s details are compared to all of the rule’s events. The content must satisfy every event before the action is run.
Click the Create Event button to add an event to your rule. The Event Properties window opens, allowing you to choose a description, field, condition, and one or more search terms.
Field
Name
Type
Category
Keyword
Conditions Available Description
Contains, equals, begins with, ends with
Matches the search term with the names of your content projects.
Comments Contains, equals, begins with, ends with
Publisher Contains, equals, begins with, ends with
Equals
Contains, equals, begins with, ends with
Contains, equals, begins with, ends with
Matches the search term with the comments that have been added to your content projects.
Matches the search term with the names of your publishers. Click the drop-down button to view a list of publishers that are currently connected.
Matches the search term with content types.
Click the drop-down button to view a list of content types.
Matches the search term with content categories. Click the drop-down button to view a list of categories that are currently recognized by Infocaster Manager.
Matches the search term with the keywords in your content projects. See View Content List
(on page 84) for more information.
Use parentheses and the special keywords to add multiple conditions to your search terms.
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The and keyword requires the conditions to be met in two search terms. For example, the event
"Comments Contains sports and afternoon" only applies to content projects which have both the words "sports" and "afternoon" somewhere in their comments.
The or keyword requires the conditions to be met in either of two search terms. For example, the event "Type Equals Infocast or User Package" applies to content projects which are either Infocasts or user packages.
The not keyword requires the condition to not be met in a search term. For example, the event
"Name Begins With not test" applies only to content projects whose names don’t start with the word "test."
Use parentheses to avoid ambiguity in complex search terms. Conditions which are enclosed in parentheses are evaluated before conditions which are not enclosed. For example, the event
"Comments Contains sports and (afternoon or evening)" only applies to content projects which have the words "sports" and either "afternoon" or "evening" in their comments. Project comments such as "afternoon weather" or "morning sports" would not satisfy the event.
Create Actions
Each rule must have at least one action. The actions are run when content has satisfied every event in the rule.
Click the Create Action button to add an action to your rule. The Action Properties window opens, allowing you to choose action targets and an optional time for their execution.
1. If you wish to add a description to your action, enter it in the Action Description field.
2. Select a target type from the Target Type drop-down list.
• Groups are collections of players, servers, and Multicasts. To learn how to create groups see
Group Network Components (on page 128 ).
• Multicast Mode Groups send content via transmission folders. See Multicast Mode Groups (on
page 162) for more information.
• Peers are remote Infocaster Manager servers. See Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172) for
more information.
• Players are any of the players available to your Infocaster Manager system.
3. Based on the selected target type, choose targets with the Available Targets and Selected Targets lists.
In the Available Targets list, select the targets you want to add to the Selected Targets list and click the right-arrow button. The selected targets are added to the list. You can select multiple targets by holding down the SHIFT or CTRL keys.
To remove targets from the list, select them in the Selected Targets list and click the left-arrow button.
4. Use the Update Targets radio buttons to choose when the action is performed.
• Select the Immediately radio button to perform the action as soon as the content satisfies the event conditions. All actions in the rule that are set to run immediately are performed simultaneously.
• To perform the action at a specific time of day, select the At radio button and choose a time.
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By default the action is performed when the Infocaster Manager server’s system clock reaches the specified time. If you want to perform the action based on the target’s clock instead, select the Target Local Time radio button.
5. Click the OK button. The action is added to your rule.
6. If you are satisfied with your rule, click OK to save it. The rule is added to the Rules list and is automatically enabled.
Send Content Manually
You may not want to connect one or more player systems to the network, or the network may be temporarily down. In this case Infocaster Manager is unable to send content to the player or to monitor the player’s status.
Infocaster Manager systems can burn content to recordable CD ROMs along with auto-load and scheduling instructions. Player systems can import the content and either play it at a scheduled time or manually choose a playback time. Content can also be exported from Infocaster Manager and imported into player systems.
Save Content to CD
Follow these steps to save content to a CD.
1. Insert a recordable CD ROM into the Infocaster Manager system’s CD ROM drive.
2. On the Content tab, select the content that you want to send to the player. Select a version from the
Content Versions subtab if required.
3. Select Tools > Save Content to CD. The Save Content to Disc window opens.
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4. Enter a name for the CD ROM in the Please Name This Disc field.
5. Enter any notes about the content in the Comments area. Comments appear in the dialog which appears when you import the content into a player system.
6. If the content type supports scheduling, checking the Enable Auto-Load checkbox sets the player to automatically load CD content when the CD is inserted.
If the CD is set to auto load, select the Start Playing Content checkbox if you also want to choose an automatic playback option.
• To play the content as soon as it is auto loaded on the player system, select the Immediately
Upon Loading Content radio button.
• To choose a specific playback time for the content, select the At radio button and choose a date and time.
7. Check the Save Shared Media Files checkbox to save any shared media files to the CD ROM.
8. Click the Burn CD button to store the content on the CD.
After you have finished burning the content, click the Done button to close the Save content to CD window. Repeat these steps if you want to store more content on the CD.
Import CD ROM Content into the Player
Insert the burned CD into the player system’s CD ROM drive. If the CD was set to auto load, the content is automatically imported into the player. Any content that was scheduled for playback will play at the scheduled times.
If the CD was not set to auto load you must manually import the content into the player system.
1. Insert the burned CD into the player system’s CD ROM drive.
2. Within the player application, open the Get Content from Disc window with one of the following methods.
• If no content is open in the application, select File > Get Content from CD.
• If content is already open, select File > Infocast > Get From CD.
The Get Infocast from Disc window opens.
3. Select a content project from the drop-down list.
4. Check the Overwrite Old Shared Media Files to save any shared media files on the CD to the player’s shared media files directory.
5. Click the Get Infocast button. The content is imported into the player system.
To import more content from the CD, select another content project from the drop-down list and click the Get Infocast button. When you are finished importing content click the Done button.
You can open any imported content on the player by selecting File > Open.
Export Content
The Export Content window allows you to export a copy of your content to a folder, with all its file resources included. These folders can then be moved to other systems and imported into players.
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Note: When manually moving content between systems, always move folders that were exported with this method. Never move the content folders that are stored on the file server. The file server folders contain references and resources that are not maintained when the folders are moved.
1. On the Content tab, select the content project that you want to export. Select a project version from the Content Versions subtab if required.
2. Select Tools > Export Content. The Export Content window opens.
3. Click the Choose button and navigate to where you want to save the content project.
4. If the project uses shared media files, check the Save Shared Media Files checkbox to save the media files with the content.
5. Click the Export button.
6. When the content is finished exporting, click Done.
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Multicast Mode Groups
Send Content
Infocaster Manager can send content to transmission folders for distribution to players via third-party software.
The third-party software (satellite transmission software or ATSC-M/H transmission, for example) monitors the transmission folders and sends the content to reception folders on player systems. The players import any content they find in the reception folders, and will also respond to commands and triggers sent from Infocaster Manager.
Since players used in Multicast Mode distribution are not usually connected to the network, Infocaster
Manager is unable to send content directly to the players and cannot check player status. Players which do have a network connection, however, can use it to report download errors to Infocaster Manager.
See Player File Download Correction (on page 165) for more information.
Multicast Mode distribution must be configured on both the Infocaster Manager and player systems.
The transmission and reception folders must be created with appropriate permissions, and the
Infocaster Manager and player systems must know the locations of the folders they will access.
To configure your third-party transmission software to access the transmission and reception folders, follow the instructions that came with the software.
Set Up Transmission Folders
Create one or more transmission folders where Infocaster Manager will store content. The Infocaster
Manager operator must be able to access the folders through a network share and must have full write access.
Enable Transmission Folders
Follow these steps to enable the transmission folders in Infocaster Manager.
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1. Within Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Multicast Mode Groups. The Multicast Mode Groups window opens.
2. To create a new transmission folder, click the New button. The Add New Multicast Mode Group window opens. a. Enter a name for the folder in the Name field. b. Enter the folder’s file path in the Folder field, or browse to the folder by clicking the Browse button. The file path must begin with the name of the machine that the folder is on. c. Set the properties for the multicast mode group. d. Click OK to add the transmission folder to the Multicast Mode Group list.
3. Check the checkboxes beside the transmission folders you want to enable. You will be able to send content to any of the enabled folders.
Property
Mode
Description
The method Infocaster Manager uses to store Multicast Mode files.
• Generic: Infocaster Manager writes the files in the root of the Multicast Mode folder, or in separate Cmds and Data subfolders if the files aren’t zipped.
• Roundbox: Infocaster Manager writes the files in a manner which complies with the Roundbox® standard.
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Property
Write All Files in the
Content Package
Every Time
Description
Whether Infocaster Manager only writes new content files to the Multicast Mode folder when content packages are sent.
• Checked: Infocaster Manager writes all content files to the
Multicast Mode folder, regardless of whether any of the files are new or different from the ones that were written previously.
• Unchecked: Infocaster Manager will only write new or different content files to the Multicast Mode folder. Files in the content package which have been previously written are excluded from the folder.
Note: This setting does not change the way shared media is written.
Package Data and XML
Command Into a
Single Zip File
Whether content files are zipped.
• Checked: All content files and folders are packaged into a single ZIP file.
• Unchecked: Content files and folders are not zipped.
To create an additional file containing an MD5 checksum of the ZIP file, also check the Write an Additional File Containing the MD5 Checksum of the Zip File checkbox. This file uses the same name as the ZIP, with an MD5 file extension.
Shared Media dropdown list
Write Shared Media
Files Into Individual
Zip Files
How any referenced shared media files are distributed.
• Do Not Write Shared Media Files: Shared media files are not written at all.
• Write Shared Media Files to Shared Media Folder: Any shared media files which are referenced by content packages are written to the Multicast Mode Folder’s Shared
Media subfolder.
• Write Shared Media Files as Dependent Packages: Shared media files are written to the Multicast Mode Folder as individual subfolders.
Whether shared media files are zipped.
• Checked: Each shared media file is converted into a ZIP file.
• Unchecked: Shared media files are not zipped.
To create an additional files containing an MD5 checksum for each ZIP file, also check the Write an Additional File Containing the MD5 Checksum checkbox. Each file uses the same name as the corresponding ZIP, with an MD5 file extension.
Send Content
Click the Edit button to edit a selected transmission folder. Click the Remove button to permanently remove a transmission folder from the Multicast Mode Group list.
Note: If you want to send Punctuate content to your Multicast Mode folders, you must assign folders to
groups in the Punctuate tab. See Content Distribution to Players (on page 106) for more information.
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Player File Download Correction
Send Content
If your player has a network connection to Infocaster Manager, you can enable file download correction.
When this feature is enabled, the player will check downloaded multicast content and compare it with the original download commands sent by Infocaster Manager. If any files are missing or corrupt, the player sends an error report to Infocaster Manager, and Infocaster Manager recopies the missing/corrupt files to the multicast transmission folder for retransmission.
Note: File download correction requires players with Infocaster version 4.3.5 or later.
After you have checked the Enable File Download Correction checkbox in the Multicast Mode Groups window, use the settings to configure download correction behavior.
Setting
Process Player Reports and Recopy Files to
Multicast Folders Every
__ Minutes
Download Commands
Which Generate Reports
Are Relevant For __
Hours
After Sending a
Command, The Server
Will Not Process Related
Reports For __ Minutes
Files Are Only Recopied to Folders If They Failed
On At Least __ Players
Files Are Recopied a
Maximum of Once Every
__ Minutes
Description
How often Infocaster Manager processes player error reports.
If a player is disconnected for a long period of time, it may generate a large number of error reports when it is finally reconnected and attempting to act upon old download commands.
To prevent Infocaster Manager from responding to reports in this situation, Infocaster Manager will ignore any error reports which were generated by commands sent previous to the selected interval.
For example, if the selected time interval is 2 hours,
Infocaster Manager will only respond to error reports that were generated by download commands which it sent within the last two hours. Other reports are ignored and deleted.
If an error report is in response to a download command which was sent more recently than the defined interval, the error report will be ignored until the interval has elapsed and the next processing period has arrived.
This provides the transmission software enough time to complete its operation.
Files must fail to be downloaded by at least the specified number of players before Infocaster Manager recopies them to the transmission folder.
To provide the transmission software enough time to complete its operation, each file will only be sent once during the specified interval.
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Clear Content History
Send Content
When you send content to a transmission folder that already contains an earlier version of the content,
Infocaster Manager will only send the updated files to the transmission folder.
If you want to force Infocaster Manager to send the entire content project for selected projects, click the Clear History button and clear the projects you want to send.
Delete All Content
If your third-party transmission software does not automatically delete content from the transmission folders once the content has been sent, click the Delete Commands and Data button to delete content manually.
Create Reception Folders
Create one or more reception folders which the player system will monitor for content. The player operator must be able to access the folders through a network share, and must have read access.
Monitor Reception Folders
On the player system, choose Start > Programs > Imagine Communications > [software name] >
Configuration Utilities > Configuration Utility. The Configuration Utility opens.
Within the utility, switch to the Multicast Mode Distribution tab. Any reception folders you have already added are displayed in the folder list.
To add a new reception folder to the list, click the New button and navigate to the folder you want to monitor. The folder must be referenced via a network share.
To remove a reception folder from the Multicast Mode Distribution list, select the folder in the list and click the Remove button. The folder is removed and is no longer monitored by the Player Server.
Note: If you chose to package your transmitted content in a single ZIP file, the players automatically unzip the files they find in the reception folder. It is the responsibility of your transmission software to verify any MD5 checksums.
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Infocaster Manager Consoles
Use consoles in your network.
Manage Infocaster Manager Consoles
Infocaster Manager consists of both console and server components. The console component displays the Infocaster Manager user interface, and it sends commands to the server component it is connected to. The server components are never visible but are responsible for communicating with file servers, players, and Infocaster Manager servers.
Infocaster Manager can be installed on a system as either a console or as a console/server combination.
Consoles must always be able to connect to at least one console/server combination through the network.
Consoles can be given full administrator status, or they can have only reduced functionality. Consoles can also have customized access to the players and content on the network.
Consoles are useful when you wish to have Infocaster Manager installed on several systems that are distributed throughout the network, all accessing the same content through a Infocaster Manager server. Consoles are also useful when you want to give reduced permission to a Infocaster Manager or when you want to control a subset of players with different Infocaster Manager systems.
To learn how to connect consoles and servers, see Connect Infocaster Manager Consoles (on page 55).
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Console Types
Infocaster Manager Consoles
There are three types of consoles that offer different permission levels:
When you install a console/server combination on a single system, the console has default administrator permissions. Default administrators have full permission to use all the features within
Infocaster Manager.
Default administrators can also choose the content and players that are accessible to remote console systems, and whether the consoles can manage Multicast Mode Groups or Infocaster
Manager servers.
Consoles that connect remotely to a server can be given remote administrator permissions by the default administrator on the server system. Remote administrators cannot add or modify file servers, set preferred file servers, or change port settings. They also cannot view or set auto update lists, email lists, player maps, or triggers.
Remote consoles without administrator permissions have additional limitations. They cannot change playback or debug logging settings and they cannot add or remove offline players.
Set Console Permissions
Follow these steps to set the permissions for a remote console.
1. On the Infocaster Manager default administrator system, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Console Permissions subtab.
3. Select the remote console from the list.
4. Use the options in the right-hand side of the tab to set the console’s permissions.
• To give remote administrator permissions to the console, check the Administrator Access checkbox.
• Check the Manage Multicast Mode Groups checkbox to allow the console to define new
transmission folders for content. See Multicast Mode Groups (on page 162) for more
information.
• Check the Manage Peer Servers checkbox to allow the console to manage Infocaster Manager
servers. See Infocaster Manager Servers (on page 172).
• Check the Manage GPI Triggers checkbox to allow the console to manage server triggers. See
Send Triggers to Players (on page 132).
5. When you are finished setting the remote console’s permissions, click the Apply New Settings button to finalize the changes.
Add Players to a Console
Use the Manage Players section of the Permissions tab to choose the players that the remote console can control.
1. On the Infocaster Manager default administrator system, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Console Permissions subtab.
3. Select a console from the list.
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4. Use the drop-down list in the Manage Players section to set which players the remote console can view and control.
• Choose No Players to prevent the console from controlling any players.
• Choose All Players to allow the console to control all players.
• Choose Selected Players to only allow the console to control players which meet certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the player properties which allow the player to be controlled by the console. Players can be added according to their name, their type, or their group membership.
5. Click the Set Players Permissions button to choose the type of access that the console Infocaster
Manager has to the players.
6. Click the Apply New Settings button in the Permissions tab to finalize your changes.
Permission Description
The console can send content to the players. Send Content
Updates to Players
Control Player
Playback
The console can choose to start or stop playback.
Control Player
Display
Delete Content on the Player System
Remote Restart
The console can control the displays attached to supported
player systems. See Display Control (on page 142) for more
information.
The console can delete content on the player systems.
Change Player
Preferences
View Player Playback
Picon
View Player Status
Messages
Receive Player
Playback Logs
The console can restart the software or completely reboot the systems.
The console can edit the preferences for the players, including their names, debug log levels, and maintenance restart settings.
The console can view the playback picons for the players.
The console can view the status messages for the players.
The console can request playback logs from the players.
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Add Content to a Console
Infocaster Manager Consoles
Use the Manage Content section of the Permissions tab to choose the content that the remote console can view, edit, and send.
1. On the Infocaster Manager default administrator system, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Console Permissions subtab.
3. Select a console from the list.
4. Use the drop-down list in the Manage Content section to set which content projects the remote console can view and control.
• Choose No Content to prevent the console from controlling any content.
• Choose All Content to allow the console to control all content.
• Choose Selected Content to only allow the console to control content which meets certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the content names, comments, publishers, types, categories, and keywords that can be controlled.
5. Check the Approve Content checkbox to allow the console to approve and disapprove the selected content projects.
6. Click the Apply New Settings button in the Permissions tab to finalize your changes.
Add Publishers to a Console
Use the Manage Publishers section of the Permissions tab to choose the publishers that the remote console can manage.
1. On the Infocaster Manager default administrator system, switch to the Permissions tab.
2. Switch to the Console Permissions subtab.
3. Select a console from the list.
4. Use the drop-down list in the Manage Publisher section to set which publishers the remote console can manage.
• Choose No Publishers to prevent the console from managing any publishers.
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• Choose All Publishers to allow the console to manage all publishers.
• Choose Selected Publishers to only allow the console to manage publishers which meet certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the publisher names that can be controlled.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button in the Permissions tab to finalize your changes.
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Infocaster Manager Servers
Connect your Infocaster Manager servers.
Infocaster Manager Servers
Networks may contain more than one Infocaster Manager server. These "peer" servers are independent but can be configured to access each other’s players and content, allowing you to carefully organize your network with servers that are capable of sharing information.
Since each Infocaster Manager server can choose the options for its connections, you can create a hierarchy of file servers, Infocaster Manager servers, and players that are controlled with a branching or top-down approach.
You can also use the content replication feature to connect the file servers of different Infocaster
Manager servers. Content that is published to one Infocaster Manager server can be automatically published to the Infocaster Manager servers it is connected to. This is especially useful for creating emergency backup or storage systems.
Enable/Disable Communication
To quickly disable all Infocaster Manager server communication to and from your Infocaster Manager, choose Tools > Server Preferences > Connections and clear the Allow Communication checkbox. Check the checkbox to enable communication again.
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Install Infocaster Manager Servers
Before you can connect two servers, both of them must be installed on the network. See Install
Infocaster Manager (on page 28) to learn how to install and configure Infocaster Manager servers.
Choose the Console and Server option when installing a new server.
Unlike console systems, each Infocaster Manager server must connect to one or more file servers.
Infocaster Manager Name
When you connect Infocaster Manager servers their names appear in the Peer Servers tab. Servers use their machine names by default.
To change the name of your Infocaster Manager, select Tools > Server Preferences > Connections.
Type a name for your Infocaster Manager and click the OK button.
Set Status Messages
Use the Status tab to monitor some or all of the content replication events. Content replication events that you choose to log appear on the tab. By default no content replication events are logged.
The Status tab provides two content replication events that can be monitored.
Replicate content from Peer Server.
Replicate Approve content from peer Peer Server.
For information about setting and filtering status messages see Status Tab (on page 145).
Set Replication Frequency
You can set how the Infocaster Manager servers behave when content replication fails.
1. Select Tools > Server Preferences.
2. Switch to the Content Distribution tab.
3. Set how many times your Infocaster Manager will try to contact a server if replication fails.
4. Set how many seconds your Infocaster Manager will wait between each try.
5. Click the OK button to return to Infocaster Manager.
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Infocaster Manager Server Connections
The Peer Servers tab allows you to set up connections between Infocaster Manager servers. Information is exchanged through these connections.
It is important to remember that a single connection can be configured differently by the servers on either end of the connection. Server A can configure a connection in a certain way, and Server B can configure the same connection in a different way.
For instance, Server A can configure a connection to allow Server B to replicate Server A’s content and share Server A’s players, but Server B can configure the same connection to not allow replication or player sharing in the other direction.
Outbound and Inbound Connections
Setting up connections between two servers requires operators to follow steps on both systems. If
Server A initiates the connection, the connection is referred to as an "outbound connection" on the
Server A system, while on the Server B system the same connection is called an "inbound connection."
There is no difference between the two types of connections. Information can flow in both directions through both types of connections. The information that is sent through a connection depends entirely on the way that Server A and Server B configure their ends of the connection.
Multiple Connections
If you set up multiple connections between the same two servers, the connections all share the same configuration settings. You may want to set up more than one connection to protect against network failures.
Method
Single Connection
Description
One outbound connection from Server A to Server B. If connection fails, communication will not occur until the connection is reestablished.
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Method Description
Reciprocal Connection One outbound connection from Server A to Server B, and another outbound connection from Server B to Server A.
If one server is unable to resolve the other server’s machine name because its DNS server is down, the other server will still be able to establish the connection successfully.
Multiple Connections Two outbound connections from Server A to Server B, and two outbound connections from Server B to Server A.
By using the server’s machine name in one outbound connection and using the server’s static IP address in the other, connection will succeed through the IP address even if the machine name cannot be resolved.
Set Up a Server Connection
Setting up a server connection requires steps to be completed on both Infocaster Manager systems.
First, Server A must set an outbound connection to Server B
On Server A, switch to the Peer Servers tab.
1. Click the New Connection button. The New Server Connection window opens.
2. Enter a description of Server B in the Name field.
3. Enter Server B's machine name in the Server field. You can enter Server B's IP address instead if you prefer.
4. In the Port field, enter the port number Server B will use to receive information from Server A.
5. Click the OK button. Server B appears in the Out Connections list with a "Not Connected" status.
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Next, Server B must enable the inbound connection
Infocaster Manager Servers
On Server B, switch to the Peer Servers tab. Server A appears in the Inbound Connections list with a
"Disabled, Not Connected" status.
1. Select Server A from the Inbound Connections list.
2. Check the Online checkbox.
3. Click the Apply New Settings button. Server A is now "Enabled, Not Connected".
Finally, Server A must finalize the connection
On Server A, switch to the Peer Servers tab.
1. Select Server B from the Outbound Connections list.
2. Click the Connect button. Server B's status in the Outbound connections list changes to
"Connected".
If you want to create an outbound connection from Server B to Server A, repeat these steps again, this time from Server B to Server A.
Remove Connections
To remove a server connection, select it in the Inbound Connection or Outbound Connection list and click the Remove Server button below the list.
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Configure Server Connections
After you have established a connection between two Infocaster Manager servers, use the Peer Servers tab to configure file server access, content replication, and player sharing.
Content Replication
Use the content replication feature to share content between the file servers belonging to two different
Infocaster Manager servers. If Infocaster Manager is configured to require content approval, content is automatically replicated when the content is approved. Otherwise, content is replicated when it is published.
You can define which content is replicated and when replication occurs.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Content Replication in a Server Hierarchy
Content replication only occurs when content is published from publishers, not when content is received from other Infocaster Manager servers.
If content is sent from Server A to Server B, for example, Server B will not automatically replicate the content to any servers further down in the hierarchy. For this reason, content replication can occur between only two servers in a network.
If you need to replicate content between three or more servers that are arranged in a hierarchy, use
rules to automatically update your content. See Send Content with Rules (on page 156) for more
information.
File Server Access Settings
If the connected server’s file server requires a proxy server or specific account settings, use the Access
Settings window to configure your access settings.
1. In the Peer Servers tab, select the connection you want to configure from either the outbound connections or inbound connections list.
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2. Click the Setup button in the Content File Server section of the tab. The Access Settings window opens.
3. Enter a user name and password to use when connecting to the server’s file server. If you want to access the file server through a different port, enter the port number in the Port field.
4. To access the file server through a proxy server, check the Use a Proxy Server checkbox.
Enter the proxy address and port number in the Address:port field, and enter any address exceptions in the Bypass for Addresses field.
5. Click OK when you are done configuring your access settings.
Replication Settings
You can configure connections to specify what sort of content is replicated on the Infocaster Manager server, when it is replicated, and whether the content can be overwritten.
1. Switch to the Peer Servers tab.
2. Select a connection from the Inbound Connections or Outbound Connections list. The Infocaster
Manager server attached to the connection is the one that will replicate your local Infocaster
Manager system’s content.
3. Check the Replicate Publish checkbox to automatically publish content to the connected Infocaster
Manager server when it is published to the local Infocaster Manager.
4. Set when replication occurs.
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• Select the Immediately radio button to replicate the content immediately, or select the At a
Specified Time radio button to replicate it only at certain times of the day. You can specify multiple times for replicating content.
• Check the Replicate Approve checkbox to automatically approve the connected Infocaster
Manager server’s content as soon as it is approved on the local Infocaster Manager.
5. Use the drop-down list in the Update Content section of the tab to change the content updating permissions for your selected peer.
• Choose No Content to prevent the peer from updating any content.
• Choose All Content to allow the peer to update content without any restrictions.
• Choose Selected Content to only allow the peer to update content files whose names meet certain conditions.
Click the Create Condition button to specify the text that the content names must or must not contain.
6. Click the Apply New Settings button to apply your changes.
Feature Note: Infocaster Manager Standard only supports one file server and does not support content approval or disapproval.
Share Players
You can configure a connection to allow a remote Infocaster Manager server to access your local
Infocaster Manager system’s players.
1. Switch to the Peer Servers tab.
2. Select a connection from the Inbound Connections or Outbound Connections list. The Infocaster
Manager server attached to the connection is the one that will be able to access your local
Infocaster Manager system’s players.
3. In the Share Players section of the tab, check the first checkbox to allow the connected Infocaster
Manager server to access your Infocaster Manager system’s players.
4. Check the second checkbox to allow the connected Infocaster Manager server to access players from other servers you are connected to.
5. Click the Apply New Settings button to apply your changes.
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Players can be shared through a hierarchy of peers, but a server must not share the same player through multiple peers.
© 2014 Imagine Communications Corp. Proprietary and Confidential.
Set Access Permissions
Click the Set Permissions button to choose the type of access that the connected Infocaster Manager server has to the players.
Permission Description
Send Content to Players The connected server can send content to your players.
Control Player Playback The server can choose to start or stop playback on your players.
Control Player Display The server can control the displays attached to player
systems. See Display Control (on page 142) for more
information.
Delete Content on the
Player System
The server can delete content on your player systems.
Remote Restart
Change Player
Preferences
The server can restart software or reboot players.
The server can edit the preferences for your players, including their names, debug log levels, and maintenance restart settings.
The server can view the playback picons for your players. View Player Playback
Picon
View Player Status
Messages
The server can view the status messages for your players.
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Permission
Receive Player Playback
Logs
Infocaster Manager Servers
Description
The server can request playback logs from your players.
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Install Web Servers
Suggestions for installing Web Servers.
Install Web Servers
If your file servers are accessed using the http or https communications protocols, you will need to install web server applications on your file servers. Web server applications are responsible for handling requests from your Infocaster Manager and its players.
This section contains instructions for installing the Microsoft
®
IIS http server and the Apache Web Server.
These server applications have been tested with Infocaster Manager.
Use Microsoft IIS HTTP Server
You can use Microsoft’s Internet Information Services IIS http server to receive and store files for
Infocaster Manager. You will need to add the IIS http server to your system, set up a Virtual Directory on the http server, and set the server location in Infocaster Manager.
Enable IIS http Server
Add version 5.1 or later of the Internet Information Services http server to your system.
1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Add or Remove Programs.
3. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click the Add/Remove Windows Components button.
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4. In the Windows Components Wizard, check the Internet Information Services (IIS) check box.
5. Click on the Details button. The Internet Information Services window opens.
6. In the Internet Information Services window, check the World Wide Web Service check box.
7. Click on the Details button. The World Wide Web Service window opens.
8. In the World Wide Web Service window, check the World Wide Web Service check box.
9. Clear the Printers virtual directory check box.
10. Click on OK to add the service and close the window.
11. Click on OK to close the Internet Information Services window.
You return to the Windows Components Wizard window.
12. Back in the Windows Components Wizard window, ensure that there is a check mark beside the
Internet Information Services option and click on the Next button.
Follow the instructions in the Wizard as it adds the service to your system.
Set Up Virtual Directory
Set up a Virtual Directory on the http server that points to the folder where your Infocaster Manager files are stored.
1. Right-click on the My Computer icon on your computer Desktop or Start Menu and select Manage.
2. In the Computer Management window, navigate to Services and Applications > Internet Information
Service and click on the Web Sites folder.
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A Default Web Site appears in the right-hand pane.
Install Web Servers
3. Right-click on the Default Web Site in the right-hand pane and select New > Virtual Directory.
4. In the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard, click on the Next button.
5. Enter the name of your Virtual Directory in the Alias field.
Use a descriptive name because this name will be part of your http address.
6. Click on the Next button.
7. Click the Browse button and navigate to the folder where the Infocaster Manager files will be stored on the http server.
8. Click on OK.
9. Set permissions for your Virtual Directory.
• Check the Read check box.
• Check the Browse check box.
• Clear the other check boxes.
10. Click on the Next button.
11. Click on the Finish button.
Your Virtual Directory is ready to be used as a file server.
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Use the Apache Web Server
Install Web Servers
To use the Apache Web Server you need to download the application, install it on your file server, and configure it to communicate with Infocaster Manager.
Download the Apache Web Server
1. On the file server system, go to http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi.
The web page indicates the best available version of the Apache web server.
2. Download the Win32 binary installer for the best available version.
Set Up the Apache Web Server
1. Run the installer, and change default settings as required to suit your application. Typically no changes to the default settings are required.
2. Test the Apache installation. a. Launch a web browser. b. Browse to your computer or enter the name (http://your_computer_name) in the browser’s
Address box.
If you do not know your computer name, right-click on the My Computer and select Properties from the menu. In the System Properties dialog, switch to the Computer Name tab and view the name beside the Full Computer Name entry.
Once you enter your computer name you should see a page saying "If you can see this, it means that the installation of the Apache web server software on this system was successful."
3. Create a folder on your file server system to use as a file server for storing published content. You can also create a folder for approved content if you are using the Approve Content option in
Infocaster Manager.
4. Select the folder you are using as your file server.
The Apache install sets a default root folder where the web server looks for files (C:\Program
Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs). Use the following steps to select your file server folder. a. Right-click on My Computer, and choose Manage > Services And Applications > Services. b. In the list of services, select the Apache2 service and stop it. c. Right-click on the file C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf. Select Open
With from the menu and choose Notepad as the application for opening the file. d. Find the line DocumentRoot = "C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs". Replace the file path with the file path to your file server folder. e. Save and close Notepad. f. Right-click on My Computer, and choose Manage > Services And Applications > Services. g. In the list of services, select the Apache2 service and start it.
5. Determine the http address for your Apache web server when accessing it from the internet.
• If the Apache web server computer is NOT behind a firewall, the http address is http://your_IP_address. To locate your IP address, open the Command Prompt on your system
(Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt) and type "ipconfig". Press enter to display your IP address.
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• If the Apache web server computer is behind a firewall for security, the firewall must be configured to route a port to the Apache web server computer on port 80. The external http address is http://your_firewall:PORT, where PORT is the routed port on the firewall.
6. Record the http address for the Apache web server so you can enter the download location for your file server in the Infocaster Manager preferences.
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Configure Infocaster Manager
How to use the Configuration Utility.
The Configuration Utility allows you to configure Infocaster Manager settings and the devices connected to the system.
If Infocaster Manager is sharing a system with a publisher or player, the Configuration Utility includes options that apply to both Infocaster Manager and the other application. See the user guide for the publisher or player to learn about the options specific to that software.
Launch the Configuration Utility
From the Windows Start Menu choose Programs > Imagine Communications > Infocaster Manager >
Infocaster Manager Configuration Utility. The utility opens.
You may need to re-launch Infocaster Manager or reboot your system after making changes in the
Configuration Utility. The utility will prompt you if a reboot or re-launch is necessary.
Configuration Utility Tabs
The Configuration Utility contains a number of tabs. Each tab allows you to view and modify a certain group of settings. See the following table for details.
Tab Description
Clock Synchronization Configures the way your system clock is synchronized.
Email Settings Sets the way notification emails and log files are sent.
External Triggers
Infocaster Manager
Server Account
Configures the triggers attached to your system so Infocaster
Manager can recognize them.
This tab sets up the Infocaster Manager Server account.
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Clock Synchronization
If you are using features which require extreme timing accuracy such as timed triggers, use the Clock
Synchronization tab to configure the way your clock is synchronized.
Configure Synchronization
Follow these steps to synchronize your system.
1. Check the Synchronize Clock checkbox to enable synchronization for the system.
2. Synchronization uses a UDP multicast and network cards to keep systems in sync. To prevent multicasts from creeping too far into networks and clogging bandwidth, multicast packets have a
Time to Live (TTL) number which specifies the number of network hops a packet can take before being discarded.
Use the Multicast Time to Live field to specify the TTL number for the UDP multicast. The default is one.
3. Use the Multicast Network Adapter drop-down list to choose the system network card which will enforce the synchronization.
4. To ensure that synchronization is consistent, one system on the network needs to be set as Master, others as Backup Masters, and the rest of the systems as Slave Only. Use the Clock Priority dropdown list to choose your system’s type.
Systems set to Slave Only will never become clock masters, even if the network’s Master and Backup
Masters fail.
Note: All synchronized systems must be on the same subnetwork.
5. If you are configuring a Master system and you do not wish it to use the Windows NTP implementation, check the Disable Windows Time Service checkbox. This should not be checked in most configurations.
6. Click OK to exit the Configuration Utility.
Monitor Synchronization Status
After you have configured your system with the Clock Synchronization tab, you can use the Clock Sync
Status utility to monitor the synchronization status of your system.
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From the Windows Start Menu choose Programs > Imagine Communications > Infocaster Manager >
Clock Sync Status. The Clock Sync Status utility opens.
The utility displays your system’s current synchronization status.
Field
Synchronized
Time Last
Synchronized
Description
Whether the system is synchronized. If you have not enabled synchronization in the Clock Synchronization tab, this value will be Disabled and all other fields will display N/A.
See Configure Synchronization (on page 188) to learn how to
enable synchronization.
The time the system last received (or sent, if the system is a
Master) a time sync message.
Synchronized Since The length of time the system has been synchronized.
Master Whether the system is a Master.
Master IP Address The IP address of the system that is the Master clock.
Master MAC Address The MAC address of the system that is the Master clock.
Clock Priority
Network Adapter
Whether the system is the Master, a Backup Master, or a Slave
Only system.
The network card which enforces the system’s synchronization.
Multicast Time to Live The TTL number for the synchronization UDP multicast.
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Email Settings Tab
The settings in the Email Settings tab are used to send notification emails and collect log files. You can choose to use Microsoft Outlook or the Imagine Communications email, or you can prevent the
Infocaster Manager system from sending any emails.
Use Microsoft Outlook
If you have Microsoft Outlook installed on your system, click the Microsoft Outlook radio button to send
Infocaster Manager emails with Outlook.
Use Imagine Communications Mailer
Infocaster Manager provides an Imagine Communications Mailer feature which allows you to send email through an existing mail server without installing a third-party email application. You may need to contact your Network Administrator to get information about your mail server.
To send Infocaster Manager emails with the Imagine Communications Mailer:
1. Click the Imagine Communications Mailer radio button.
2. Enter the sender’s email address in the Sender Address field.
3. Enter the name of the mail server in the Mail Server Name field. This mail server must be connected to your system and configured to send emails using the Sender Address.
4. Choose the Mail Server Type of your mail server by clicking one of the radio buttons.
• Click the SMTP radio button to send email using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
• Click the NNTP radio button to send email using the Network News Transfer Protocol.
• Click the POP3 radio button to send email using Post Office Protocol version 3.
5. If the mail server requires authentication, enter a name and password in the User Name and User
Password fields. Imagine Communications Mailer uses this information to access the mail server.
Disable Email
To prevent Infocaster Manager from sending any emails from this system, click the No Email radio button.
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External Triggers Tab
Infocaster Manager supports different external triggers for triggering Player GPIs. See Send Triggers to
Players (on page 132) to learn how to use external triggers within Infocaster Manager.
This section describes how to connect external triggers to your system, then to add them to the GPI list in the External Triggers tab. You must add triggers to the External Triggers tab before they become available within Infocaster Manager.
Connect External Triggers
Infocaster Manager supports serial port GPIs, USB triggers, and the LIVE!Link board.
Serial Port GPI
Infocaster Manager supports serial port GPI triggers for controlling output. The serial port GPI trigger type allows you to trigger output with an external button press. A serial GPI takes the voltage from a serial port pin to close a switch and complete the circuit, triggering the selected event.
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The following diagram shows the pin closures for 25-pin and 9-pin serial port connectors. Reverse movement is not supported.
Connect USB Trigger
Infocaster Manager supports GPI triggers connected to the USB U2IO device for controlling output.
The U2IO device supports 14 GPI connections and 10 GPO connections. The following diagram shows the
GPI pin connectors for the U210 device
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LIVE!Link Board
Configure Infocaster Manager
To support a LIVE!Link board, insert it in a PCI slot in the computer system. The PCI slot connectors are dummy connectors and perform no function other than support. Use the following illustrations to make
GPI, timecode, Host RS232, and power connections:
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LIVE!Link Board
Configure Infocaster Manager
GPI Connector Pin-Out
1. GPI 1 2. GPI 2 3. GPI 3 4. GPI 4 5. GPI 5
8. GPI 8 9. GND 10. GND 11. GND 12. GND
6. GPI 6 7. GPI 7
13. GPO 1 14. GPO 2
15. GPO
3
16. GPO 4 17. GPO
5
18. GPO 6 19. GPO 7
22. GND 23. GND 24. GND 25. GND 26. NOT
CONNECTED
20. GPO 8 21. GND
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Host RS232 Connector Pin-Out
Configure Infocaster Manager
1. NOT
CONNECTED
6. NOT
CONNECTED
2. TX
7. NOT
CONNECTED
3. RX
8. NOT
CONNECTED
Power and XLR Connector Pin-Outs
4. NOT
CONNECTED
9. NOT
CONNECTED
5. GND
10. NOT
CONNECTED
HD1 – CODEIN (600 OHM balanced audio input)
Pin 1 - GND
Pin 2 – XLR+
Pin 3 – XLR -
HD3
Pin 1 – MONVID
Pin 2 – GND
HD5
Pin 1 – CAM-IN
Pin 2 – GND
HD7
Pin 1 – 5VDC
Pin 2 – GND
HD9
Pin 1 – LTC_LED
Pin 2 – GND
HD2 – CODEOUT (600 OHM balanced audio output)
Pin 1 – GND
Pin 2 – XLR+
Pin 3 – XLR-
HD4
Pin 1 – VTRVID
Pin 2 – GND
HD6
Pin 1 – CMP-OUT
Pin 2 – GND
HD8
Pin 1 – VITC_LED
Pin 2 – GND
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Add External Triggers
Configure Infocaster Manager
By adding external triggers to the GPI List you make them available within Infocaster Manager. You can add three types of triggers to the list.
LIVE!Link
If you have one or more LIVE!Link boards installed in your system, check the Live Link Installed checkbox.
Eight LIVE!Link GPIs are added to the GPI List.
Serial GPI
Serial port GPI triggers take the voltage from a serial port pin to close a switch and complete the circuit, triggering the selected event. Each COM port on your system can be connected to one serial GPI.
To add serial GPIs that are connected to your system check the Serial GPI checkbox. In the Serial GPI
Configuration section of the tab, choose the port number and name for each of the serial GPIs. Only one
GPI can be attached to each serial port.
USB U2IO
Infocaster Manager supports GPI triggers connected to the USB U2IO device for controlling output. A
USB U2IO device supports 14 GPI triggers.
Check the U2IO Installed checkbox to add the 14 USB U2IO triggers to the GPI List.
Software GPIs
You can use a software GPI instead of a hardware GPI to trigger Player GPIs in Infocaster Manager.
Software GPI events are triggered by clicking a link on the maxisoftgpi web page.
To add software GPIs to the GPI list, check the Software GPIs checkbox and enter the number of triggers you want to enable in the Count field. The requested number of GPIs are added to the GPI list. The maximum number of software GPIs you can use is 4096.
Trigger Software GPIs
Since no hardware is involved with software GPIs, they are set up in the Configuration Utility then triggered by clicking a link on the maxisoftgpi web page.
Follow these instructions to trigger the software GPIs that have already been set up:
1. Open Infocaster Manager to initialize the software GPI drivers.
2. Open your web browser.
3. In the Address field, type: http://localhost:8009/
A locally stored web page opens. You do not need to be connected to the internet.
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4. Click on the maxisoftgpi link.
The maxisoftgpi web page opens. This page contains as many hyperlinks as you have enabled. These links are the triggering devices for your software GPI.
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Infocaster Manager Server Account Tab
The Infocaster Manager Server Account tab allows you to set the account used by the Infocaster
Manager Server to access content on the Infocaster Manager system’s file server.
Local System Account
The Local System Account is a built-in default account on all Windows machines. It is designed to allow services to run, but it does not often have permission to access the network.
If the Infocaster Manager system’s file server is being accessed through HTTP/FTP, it is okay to run the
Infocaster Manager Service with the Local System Account, though it is recommended that you use an
Administrator account for this service instead.
To use the Local System Account, check the Local System Account checkbox.
Allow Service to Interact with Desktop
Check the Allow Service to Interact with Desktop to allow the Infocaster Manager Server to open windows on the desktop when necessary. This also allows the Infocaster Manager Server to place a monitor icon in the Windows task bar.
Set Infocaster Manager Service Account
If you are not using the Local System Account, uncheck the Local System Account checkbox and enter the account’s username, password, and domain information. Do not enter a domain if you are using a workgroup.
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.
Index
.NET framework • 20
A
About Update Content window • 155 actions • 158
Ad Copy and Schedule content • 83, 92 and (event keywords) • 157 and (player query keywords) • 126
Apache Web Server • 185 launch server • 11 approve content assign file servers • 36 email personnel • 98 publisher permissions • 75 with Channel ONE • 67 with Infocaster • 67 with server • 101 approved content file servers • 36 archive content display archive status • 82 enable • 94 archive files (ZIP)See ZIP files • 42 archive folder • 94 assets. See Media Assets • 83 content types • 83 auto assign to groups • 130 auto-load content • 159 automate display control • 144 preferences • 119 software updates • 147
B
Backup Master (synchronization) • 188
C captions • 131 categories • 84 assign to content • 84 managed by consoles • 170 rule events • 157 search for • 85 set on publishers • 61, 64, 69 channel guide • 112, 131
Channel ONE • 17, 18
Index approve content • 67 connect as player • 49 connect as publisher • 60 download content • 64 playback logging • 139 preferences • 119 publish from • 61 restart players • 131 schedule players • 130 software updates • 147
ChannelGuide content • 83 download • 65 publish • 64 check logs • 140
CIFS • 26 clients. See consoles • 55
Clock Priority list • 188 clock sync • 112
Clock Sync Status utility • 188 closed captioning • 131 columns ( • 122 commands (troubleshoot players with) • 121 comments • 157, 170 confirm content download • 74
Confirm Content Download checkbox • 68 connection status • 114 connectionStrings element • 32 consoles add content • 170 add publishers • 170 disable • 57 dongle • 28 import group membership • 125 install • 28, 55 port connections • 43 remove • 57 set permissions • 168 content • 82 add to consoles • 170 archive. See archive content • 82 assign to Infocaster Online users • 80 categories • 61, 64, 69, 84 channel guide • 112, 131 comments • 157 confirm download • 74 data sources • 104 delete • 117 error checking • 61, 64, 69
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Infocaster Manager™
User Guide export from server • 160 filter • 85 history • 89 pages • 88 preview • 82 publish • 72 queued • 118 remove • 86 replication • 178 resolution • 82 rule events • 157 schedule playback • 153 search for • 85 set editing permissions • 103 set playback logging • 103 shared media files • 159 start playback • 131 states • 117 stop playback • 131 types • 83 update queue • 118 versions • 89, 117 view in pages • 86 content expiry in Infocaster • 62 shared media files • 91
Content History subtab • 89 content types • 83
Content on Disc subtab • 117 software updates • 147
Content Receiver • 51 connect as player • 51 content replication • 173, 177
Content tab • 82 column options • 82 content types • 83 managed by consoles • 170 rule events • 157 search for • 85 content version (playing) • 112
Content Versions subtab • 89, 152
CRC • 61, 64, 120 creation station licensing • 52 critical (Punctuate status) • 116 current channel • 131 custom updates • 149
Index
D daily Player GPIs • 134 data sources • 104 data streams (ChannelGuide content) • 83 database logging • 140 configure • 30
DCOM • 30
DDS Data • 83 delay sending content updates • 40 delete content • 117 delete expired content • 90 description (players) • 114 disable Windows Time service • 188 disk space • 43, 114
Display Check Interval field • 142 display control • 142 add new display types • 142 export display information • 122 rules • 144
DisplayControl.xml file • 142 domains • 23 dongles • 28 operate Infocaster without • 52 download content confirm content download • 74 with Channel ONE • 64 with Infocaster • 64, 65 download correction • 165
Downloading state • 117 downloads download personnel • 100 from file servers • 34, 38 permissions • 75
E editing permissions • 103 email (players) • 114 email personnel • 98 approval personnel • 99 enable error checking. See error checking • 61,
64 enable Infocaster Online users • 78 enable publishers • 72
End By field • 134
Enseo STB • 110 add as player • 110 display control • 142 error (Punctuate status) • 116
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Infocaster Manager™
User Guide error checking • 61, 64, 69 events • 157
Excel file (player list) • 122 export content • 160 export selected players to file • 122 external triggers • 132 add to GPI List • 196 control display with • 142
See also Player GPIs • 132 simulate firing • 135
F file servers • 44 approved file servers • 36 content replication access • 177 downloads • 34, 38 free disk space • 43 internet • 25
IP addresses • 25 main published file server • 33 preferred file servers • 40
Punctuate media expiry • 92 remove content • 86 shared folders • 23, 36 shared media expiry • 92 store archived (ZIP) files • 42 filter content • 85 queries • 86 filter queries • 125 keywords • 126
Fire At field • 134 firewalls • 26 exceptions • 29 free disk space • 43
FTP • 25, 26, 198
G group membership file • 125 groups • 128 add Multicast Mode Groups • 130 add peers to groups • 130 add players to consoles by • 168 assign to Infocaster Online users • 79 auto assignment • 130 filter by • 126 import group membership • 125 playback logging • 139 preferred file servers • 40 receive Player GPIs • 132
Index
H send content to • 152 send content via multicast • 154 software updates • 147 history (content) • 89 content types • 83 layout content types • 83
HTTP • 26, 198
I
Imagine Communications Software Update
Distribution • 147
Import Group Membership button • 125 inbound connections. See peer connections •
174
Infocaster • 17, 18 approve content • 67 connect as player • 49 connect as publisher • 60 content expiry • 62 content types • 83 display control • 142 download content • 64, 65 monitor reception folders • 166 operate without a dongle • 52 playback logging • 139 preferences • 119 publish from • 61, 64 restart players • 131 schedule players • 130 software updates • 147
Infocaster Manager. See server • 17, 18
Infocaster Online enable users • 72, 78
Infocasts • 83 approve • 67 download • 64 publish • 61 install peers • 173 pre-installation requirements • 20 through remote desktop • 28 instances (players) • 49 playback logging • 139
Intelligent Media Mover tool • 94 interlock device • 28 internet • 21
Invenio web service • 94
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Infocaster Manager™
User Guide
IP addresses • 25
K keywords • 85, 126 categories • 84 filter queries • 125 managed by consoles • 170 rule events • 157
L
LAN • 21, 23 domains • 23 workgroups • 23 launch Configuration Utility • 187 launch server • 11 level (display control) • 143 license manager • 52
LIVE!Link board • 193 local area network. See LAN • 21
Local Post Office service • 105
Local System Account • 198 localhost (Invenio web service) • 95 location (players) • 114
Log Viewer • 141 logos (ChannelGuide content) • 83 logs
AdReconciliation logs • 105 playback logging • 139 status logging • 145
M
MAC address (of master) • 188 main published file server assign • 33 maintenance restart • 121 major channels • 131 map players • 136
Master (synchronization) • 188 maxisoftgpi links • 196
Media Assets • 83 publish • 69
Media Player • 20
Microsoft .NET framework • 20
Microsoft IIS HTTP Server • 182
Migrate Files to the New Storage checkbox • 45 minor channels • 131 mirrored content • 40 delay sending content • 40
Miscellaneous content • 83
© 2014 Imagine Communications Corp. Proprietary and Confidential.
Index monitor control. See display control • 142
Multicast Mode Groups add to groups • 130 file download correction • 165 receive Player GPIs • 132 send content to • 154 send content with rules • 158 shared media files • 162
Multicast Network Adapter list • 188
Multicast Time to Live field • 188 multicast triggers • 132 multiple player instances • 49, 114 mute (display control) • 143
N
NAT device • 26
NetManMTServer.exe.config file • 30, 45 netmanserver.config file • 95 network firewalls • 26 internet • 21
LAN • 21, 23
NAT device • 26 set up • 16
Network Address Translation • 26 network components • 17, 145 firewalls • 26
NAT device • 26 port connections • 43
Network Manager Server account • 28
Network ManagerSee server • 17, 18 not (event keywords) • 157 not (player query keywords) • 126
Not Playing state • 117
NTP (disable) • 188
O
ODBC • 104 offline players • 109 send triggers to • 132 on file servers • 42
On Schedule checkbox • 134 operator (players) • 114 or (event keywords) • 157 or (player query keywords) • 126 outbound connections. See peer connections •
174
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P pages (in content) • 88 pages (view content list in) • 86 pages (view players in) • 128 parentheses (event keywords) • 157 peer connections content replication • 177 remove • 176 peers group peers • 130 install • 173 preferred file servers • 40 receive Player GPIs • 132 send content to • 152 send content via multicast • 154 share players • 179
Permissions tab • 168 phone (players) • 114 ping • 54, 121 with commands • 121 playback logging • 103, 139 database logging • 140 enable • 139 standard logging • 140 view logs • 141
Playback Queue subtab • 118 playback status • 114
PlaybackLogDB database • 30 player flavour • 114
Player GPIs • 132 add to GPI list • 196 fire manually • 135 multicast triggers • 132 recurrence pattern • 134 schedule • 134 send to offline players • 132 trigger at time • 132 trigger with web browser • 196 web triggers • 135 player licensing • 52
Player Maps tab • 136 player reports • 165
Player Server • 49, 53 player software updates • 147 player types • 83 player uptime • 114 player version • 114 players • 108
© 2014 Imagine Communications Corp. Proprietary and Confidential. add to consoles • 168 channel guide • 112, 131
Channel ONE • 49, 166 check file CRC • 120 closed captioning • 131 configure Player Server • 49 connection status • 114
Content Receiver • 51 control • 130 data sources • 104 delay updates during mirroring • 40 delete content • 117 description • 114 display control • 142 email • 114
Enseo STB players • 110 expire content • 90 export selected players to file • 122 file download correction • 165 filter queries • 125 group membership file • 125 groups • 128
IconStation • 166
Infocaster • 49 location • 114 maintenance restart • 121 maps • 136 multicast triggers • 132 multiple instances • 49 offline players • 109 operate without a dongle • 52 operator • 114 phone • 114 ping • 121 playback logging • 139 playback status • 114
Player Server • 53 port connections • 43, 49 preferences • 49, 119 preferred file servers • 40
Punctuate media expiry • 93 queued content • 118 reboot players • 131 receive Player GPIs • 132 remove • 125 restart players • 131 schedule • 130 schedule content playback • 153
Index
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User Guide send content to • 152 send content via multicast • 154 share with peers • 179 shared media expiry • 92 software started • 114 start playback • 131 stop playback • 131 system started • 114 troubleshoot connection • 54 troubleshoot with commands • 121 update queue • 118 update software • 147 version • 114 view in pages • 128 view player content • 117 view player playback • 119 view status • 111
Players Can Write Directly checkbox • 140
Players Playback tab • 119
Players tab • 111 column options • 112
Playing Content Version column • 112
Playing state • 117 port connections • 43 power (display control) • 143 preferred file servers • 40 pre-installation requirements • 20 preview content • 82 private IP addresses • 25
Pro • 18 projects. See content • 17 proxy server • 177
PTP status • 112 public IP addresses • 25 publish content with Channel ONE • 61 with Infocaster • 61, 64 with Via Shell Extension • 68 publishers add to consoles • 170 approve content permissions • 75 categories • 61, 64, 69
Channel ONE • 60, 61, 64, 67 content replication • 178 disable • 72 download permissions • 75 enable • 60 error checking • 61, 64, 69
Index filter players by status • 126
Infocaster • 60, 61, 64, 65, 67 operate without a dongle • 52 port connections • 43 publish content • 72 publish permissions • 73 remove • 72 rule events • 157 run as players • 60, 108 search for • 85 software • 17, 18 status messages • 116
Via Shell Extension • 68
Punctuate application
Multicast Mode distribution • 106
Punctuate media (expiry) • 92
Q queries • 86
Query Name drop-down list • 126 queued content • 118
Queued state • 117
R reboot players • 121, 131 recollect logs • 140 recurrence pattern • 134 remote consoles. See consoles • 55 remote desktop • 28 install through • 28 remove content • 86 remove players • 125 replicate content. See content replication • 173 reports (players) • 165
Reset Query button • 86 resolution (content) • 82 restart players • 121, 131 rules create actions • 158 create events • 157 disable • 156 event keywords • 157 rules (display control) • 144
S
Sales Local Post Office • 105 save content to CD • 159 schedule player GPIs • 134 scheduleSee Ad Copy and Schedule • 83
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User Guide
6.0 version • 83 search for content • 85 queries • 86 search for players • 125 select columns dialog • 122 send content cancel updates • 155 container packages • 155 media assets • 155 select multiple content projects • 151 serial port GPI triggers • 191 server • 12 configure • 12 delay updates during mirroring • 40 dongle • 28 enable consoles • 57 enable publishers • 72 launch • 11 name • 173 peer connections • 175 port connections • 43
Pro version • 18 save content to CD • 159 set console permissions • 168 share players • 179
Standard version • 18 status logging • 145 update player software • 147 upgrade • 30 workflow • 10 set top boxes. See Enseo STB • 110 share players • 179 shared archive folder • 94 shared folders • 23, 25, 34, 36, 38 shared media files • 159 content expiry • 91 simple file sharing • 19
Slave Only (synchronization) • 188
SMB • 26 software started • 114 software updates • 147 user custom updates • 149 software version (players) • 114 source (display control) • 143
SQL database (logging) • 140 configure • 30
Standard • 18 standard logging • 140
Index start playback • 131 status logging • 145 archiving • 96 email notifications • 145 peers • 173 status messages
Punctuate • 116
Status tab • 145 stop playback • 131 success (Punctuate status) • 116 synchronization (clock sync) • 112 system started • 114
T
TARGET_IP (commands) • 121 targets (rule actions) • 158 telnet • 54 text file (player list) • 122
Time to Live number • 188
TitleOne • 17, 18 toggle display on/off • 142
Triggers tab • 132 troubleshooting with commands • 121 types (of content) • 83 types (of players) add to consoles by • 168 filter by • 126
U
Unknown state • 117
Update Content list • 79 update player software • 147 update queue • 118
Updates tab • 155 updates. See software updates • 147
USB U2IO device • 192
Use Database Logging • 140 configure • 30
Use Standard Logging • 140 user accounts • 19 user custom updates • 149
User Packages • 83 publish • 69
V versions (content) • 89, 112, 117, 152
Via Shell Extension • 68 connect as publisher • 68 publish from • 68
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User Guide
User Packages • 83 volume (display control) • 143
W warnings (Punctuate status) • 116
Web Editor. See Infocaster Online • 80 web servers • 25 web triggers • 135 websites • 25, 38 weekly Player GPIs • 134
Windows Desktop Experience • 20
Windows Media Player • 20
Windows remote desktop • 28
Windows Time service (disable) • 188 workgroups • 23, 28
Z
ZIP files • 42
MD5 checksums • 162 on file servers • 42
Index
© 2014 Imagine Communications Corp. Proprietary and Confidential. 12/1/2014 | Page 206
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