MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

Q: OK, what is the Media Downloader Application (MDA) and how does it work?

A: The Extreme Reach Media Downloader is an automated delivery tool. It runs as a service and is managed via the Manage Downloader page in your account (no local GUI). It is a lightweight java-based application and takes about 5 minutes to install and set up. Within several minutes a full delivery test can be completed, verifying full functionality.  

Once it is up and running, the Media Downloader performs the following:    

● Checks in with the Extreme Reach data center then into your account, via HTTPS (using the token and passkey in your account), authenticates, receives a manifest of pending deliveries and supplies a status update.

● After it receives a manifest (spots and/or XML, and target destinations), it then creates a temp file in the designated folder for the spot being downloaded and starts pulling the spot.

● The spot is delivered directly from our CDN (Content Delivery Network) via HTTP. If one spot is going to multiple destinations, it is downloaded once, and copied by the Media Downloader to the other target destinations/folders.

● After the spot is downloaded, the file is verified and a status is sent back indicating completed delivery. It also sends back progress status concerning in-process or pending deliveries.

 Q: What kind of application is this? Does it run on my desktop?   A: The Media Downloader runs as a 'service' on the installed computer—it does NOT run on your desktop. This service runs in the background. There is no user interface or GUI to manage the application on the installed computer and there is no program to “launch”. You manage the application by logging into your Extreme Reach Account and clicking on the 'Media Downloader' page, where you will find configuration options and an Audit Log where communication can be monitored.    Q: What are the installation requirements for the Extreme Reach Media Downloader?  

A: Media Downloader System Requirements... Hardware Requirements are based on the operating system computing platform requirements. In general, if the system is properly supporting the OS, then it will work fine with the Extreme Reach Media Downloader and Java Runtime Environment. The Media Downloader is a very small lightweight java-based application running as a service. Operating Systems Supported:  

● Windows Server 2000/2003/2008/2012, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 NOTE: For use with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, the MDA software may need to be installed in “Compatibility Mode” with “Run as Windows 7” selected. Please contact Extreme Reach Support with any questions.  

● Mac OS, Leopard (10.5.8+) and later. (Intel-based Macs) ● **PLEASE BE ADVISED** — While the MDA software will install on a very limited number

of “flavors” of Linux, installs on this OS still require several script modifications. Therefore, Extreme Reach is unable to support MDAs installed on Linux. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Media Downloader Application (MDA) FAQ User Guide  

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

  Software required:  

● Windows-based computers require Java Runtime Environment 6.0 or higher. ● Mac OS computers require Apple Java Runtime Environment 6.0 or higher.

You can get the latest version of Java for your platform from here: http://www.java.com/en/ Hard Disk Space Required:  

● Minimum 10MB for Extreme Reach Media Uploader Agent ● Minimum 75MB for Java Runtime Environment 6.0 or greater ● Spot storage space - depends on file format chosen and uploads expected.

Please Note, Extreme Reach stores the spots for you long-term in our Content Delivery Network, so you only need to maintain locally the most immediate spots for broadcast. You can re-queue/re-send an Extreme Reach spot in your account at any time.  

Q: Where can I find the MDA so I can install it?  

A: Log into your Extreme Reach account. Go to the Media Downloader page. If you don’t already have an MDA, please contact your Network Relations representative and they will be happy to add one to your account for you!    

   Once an MDA is added to your account and you access it via our website, you should be able to see a page similar to the one above. Just click on the “Click here to install” link on the website and follow the install instructions specific to your Operating System. NOTE: The Registration Token and the Passkey above will NOT work for your install! They are there as an example only! The MDA in your account will have a unique set of characters to copy and paste during the install and will not work properly for any other MDA installation!    Q: What local account permissions do I need to install the Media Downloader?   A: For a proper installation, the user who is logged into the machine and performing the installation needs to be a local administrator. In other words, have full rights on the computer to install and configure software.  

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

Q: When and where do you specify the delivery folder location for the spots and metadata files?   A: It is best to specify the download folder location(s) in your Extreme Reach account, in the Manage Downloader web page, Local Download Folders section, PRIOR to installation. But not to worry—if the folder does not exist after the install, and the service has the rights to create the folder (see below), then the folder will be created when the Media Downloader checks-in and grabs the settings from your account.    

   

 Q: Can a single Media Downloader handle multiple Stations and drop into different folders accordingly?  

A: Yes. The Media Downloader can deliver XML, SD spots, and HD spots to different folders per destination/station. If the same spot is sent to multiple stations in the same account, only one download of the spot will take place and then be copied to the other destination folders.

  Q: How can the Media Downloader access network shares? e.g. //192.168.5.9/remoteShareName  

A:    If  you  are  using  a  remote  share,  the  path  may  be  a  little  different.    The  syntax  varies  between  Windows  and  Mac  OS  X.  

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

     

● In  Windows,  it  needs  to  be  specified  by  full  IP  and  path  name,  like  \\192.168.1.10\share_directory\subfolder.    Do  Not  use  mapped  drives  (like  Z:)  as  they  may  contain  cached  credentials  and  login-­‐specific  mappings  that  can  interrupt  transfers.  

● On  Mac  OS  X,  network  shares  are  treated  like  your  hard  drive  or  other  external  disks  and  are  visible  inside  the  /Volumes/  directory  (not  automatically  visible  in  Finder).    In  this  circumstance,  the  path  would  be  formatted  as  /Volumes/disk-­‐or-­‐share-­‐name/subfolder/.    Note  that  Mac  OS  X  interacts  with  file  server  shares  differently  from  Windows  and  they  are  not  available  until  you  log  in  to  the  system  and  connect  to  the  network  share.    

Second, the account that the Media Downloader service runs as, by default, is the ‘local system account’ that only has permissions to access shares on the local machine - not network shares. If you are installing the Media Downloader on a PC that needs to reach across the network and access a share elsewhere, then you will need to install the Media Downloader with an account that has permissions to do this. During installation you are presented with an option to use a different account for the Media Downloader service - enter an account with permissions to access the network share. Or, after installation, you can edit the “Extreme Reach Media Downloader” service directly, and modify the ‘logon’ permissions.  Contact Extreme Reach Support for assistance with properly setting up remote share delivery. Support@extremereach.com  

   

Q: How can I test to see if the Media Downloader can access my network share?   A: Here's a quick test to know that the account you wish to use has the right access to a network share: 1. Logon to the computer where the Media Downloader is installed (or will be installed), using the special account you wish to use. 2. Using your file navigation tool, access the network share that you want the Media Downloader to access. This should be the same path that you would enter in the Media Downloader page.

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

3. Verify that you can write a file to this path. If you are unable to write to the network share, then either the account you have chosen does not have the appropriate permissions, or the specified path is incorrect.  Contact Extreme Reach Support for assistance with properly setting up remote share delivery. Support@extremereach.com    Q: What protocols are utilized with the Media Downloader when communicating with Extreme Reach. Are we talking HTTP/HTTPS? Ports 80, 443?  

A: The Media Downloader communicates on both ports 443 (Secure Socket Layer protocol for authentication) and port 80 (HTTP protocol, for downloads). Port 443 SSL HTTPS with app.extremereach.com, agents.extremereach.com, and updates.extremereach.com. And using port 80 HTTP for pulling downloads from Extreme Reach storage.

IMPORTANT: The MDA always initiates the communication with an outbound request to Extreme Reach. We cannot reach the MDA unless it first initiates the communication with our servers.  

Q: How does the MDA work with firewalls?  

A: If your firewall allows outbound requests from internal servers, then you should be all set. If your firewall requires ACL’s (access control lists) to be set, then it is best to use the DNS names noted above. If specific IP addresses and netblocks are required, please contact Extreme Reach Support.  

Note: IP's (Internet Protocol numbers) may change in the future, but the URL's will remain the same.  

Q: I have the Media Downloader set to poll every minute - but don't want Video spots to download until the early morning hours - how do I address this?  

A: There is an Advanced option in the Manage Downloader section of your Extreme Reach account where you can set a window of time for non-priority deliveries. This can be changed at any time by you or by Extreme Reach Broadcast Relations personnel if spots need to be downloaded immediately.  

   Q: Can I install multiple MDA’s? Are there any high-availability options?   A: Yes. For most broadcasters, the default setup is all that is needed. However, the MDA has a number of additional installation options which are designed for high-availability scenarios. These installation options include; Backup MDA, Mirror MDA, Split-deliveries MDA. For all three of these, an additional MDA would be installed on different computers, and must use different token and passkeys during the installation process.  

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

Backup MDA: Installation of a second MDA which can be used as a fail-over in the event the primary MDA is not available. The switch-over to the backup MDA is performed via the web application, Manage Downloader section of your account. Remember: only one Primary MDA can be active at a time.  

Mirror MDA: Installation of a second MDA which completely mirrors the deliveries of the primary MDA. Basically, if a spot is downloaded via the primary MDA, the mirror MDA will also download the same spot. This type of installation is meant to facilitate simultaneous delivery to different, geographic locations.  

   

Split-Deliveries MDA: Installation of a second MDA to process spots for a portion of the total station properties in an account. This installation works well for broadcasters who manage a large number of properties within their account and wish to split deliveries amongst 2 or more MDAs based on predetermined criteria. At any point, one of the MDA’s can be reconfigured to download spots for ALL destinations.  Note: There are many ways that the MDA can be configured for disaster recovery, failover, and geographic configurations. Contact Extreme Reach Support to review the options based on your specific requirements.    Q: Do you keep any logs locally?   A: Yes, and if you encounter a failure that requires forensics (very rare), you may be asked by Support to collect and send the following files to support@extremereach.com for analysis and resolution:  

Note: The paths referenced below are for a typical installation, and may vary depending on where you installed the application:  For Windows installs:  

● C:\Program Files\Extreme Reach Media Downloader\etc\MDA.properties ● C:\Program Files\Extreme Reach Media Downloader\log\MDA.log

For Mac installs:  ● /Applications/Extreme Reach/Media Downloader/log

 

Q: What happens if the MDA stops functioning? Will I be notified? A: Yes. The MDA communicates with the Extreme Reach data center on a set polling cycle, usually once a minute. If the ER DC does not receive an update from your MDA within 3 polling cycles, an alert will be sent to the email addresses you have setup in the Advanced section of the Manage Downloader configuration page.            

 

MDA FAQ 2014 Copyright ©2014, Extreme Reach, Inc. 12/14

 

 

       

 

Q: What happens if I turn off the computer that has the MDA installed? Will I still get spots? A: Well, if you turn off the computer hosting the MDA, automated delivery of spots will stop. However, spots will still be delivered and available via your online Extreme Reach account. What you would lose is the ability to have those spots automatically downloaded to your local target folder (along with any associated metadata). Some computers set to “Sleep” (and even some screensavers) can interrupt the Internet connection and cause downloads to fail. In other words, spots are available in your account, but you would have to manually download them. Please be sure to turn off any screensavers and disable “Sleep Mode” on the computer with the MDA installed on it.  If you have additional questions please call our support team at 877.769.9382.