Stream Patrol: Monitoring Solution for Microsoft Windows Media Streams
Click here for start monitoring your windows media streamsStream Patrol: Screen shots on checking streaming mediaFrequently asked Questions on Microsoft Stream Monitoring SolutionDownload Stream Patrol to Monitor Windows Media Audio and Video Streams About Stream Patrol - Specializing in Monitoring and Auditing Microsoft Media Streams
    Stream Patrol: Monitoring your Streaming Media
 


General Questions about Stream Patrol - Monitoring Streaming Media

Frequently Asked Questions about Streaming Media

What kind of IP streams does StreamPatrol monitor?

StreamPatrol is able to monitor both video and audio Windows Media streams.

How does it monitor the video or audio streams?

The player would automatically load the URL the same way any user would. Then, after one minute (yes, this is a configurable parameter!), the engine would check the status of the player. If the player is still “Playing”, the test passed. If it is buffering or unable to load the stream, then it means that it failed.

How accurate are the results of this test?

This test will literally emulate the end user loading the streams via the Windows Media Player. It is also possible to run multiple instance of StreamPatrol in different geographical locations to be able to gauge the streams’ quality from different locations. Also, in addition to placing StreamPatrol next to the media servers in the data centers, it is suggested to put the StreamPatrol on PC’s connected to DSL or cable modems to emulate a “real” user experience.

Are there any known technical issues?

Yes, we have had several complaints that Windows Media Player 10 causes problems in conjunction with StreamPatrol.  Upgrading to Windows Media Player 11 seems to have solved the problems.

 

 
 
Using Stream Patrol
 
How many simultaneous media players can StreamPatrol run?

In our various tests, we have used up to 20 media players to test streaming audio. However, there is no hard limit on using more media players. For video streams, it is recommended to use up to 4 media players.

We need to monitor a lot of streams, and doing it thru the configuration screens is not easy. Is there an alternative way?

Yes! The configuration is in XML file (monitor.xml) and can be configured via notepad to add the channels, etc.

Where can I edit the configuration file manually?

The configuration file is named monitor.xml in the default folder where your application resides.

Alert Messages
 
How often does it send alert notification?

The engine will send out the alert immediately after discovering the problem. In situations where one server (which hosts multiple channels) goes down, administrators are often weary of being bombarded with alerts. StreamPatrol allows the administrator to set the minimum interval notification per server for this reason.

Can it send alerts to my mobile phone?

Yes. As long as your mobile phone carrier can support email messages (i.e. 3105551212@mycingular.net or 2125551212@tmomail.net), it is possible to send alerts to such devices.

Can I configure the subject and the body of the email message?

Yes. The subject and the body can be customized to your needs. Different tags are available for this purpose: $server, $channel, $url, $date can be used to be placeholder for the variables.
Network and Stream Patrol
 
Will StreamPatrol work in an internal network with no external connectivity?

Yes, StreamPatrol does not need to register or connect to our licensing server. Hence, it is possible to do this.

Will StreamPatrol be smart enough to notice any network issues before sending alerts?

Yes. StreamPatrol has built-in capabilities of monitoring the network by ping-ing various hosts and making sure that its connection is stable before sending alerts. Up to 5 different hosts can be configured to be pinged, and the administrator can specify a “network score” (from 0% to 100%) to gauge if the network is stable.
Downloading and Installing
 
What are the minimum requirements of StreamPatrol?

Below are the recommended hardware and software configuration to run StreamPatrol:
256mb RAM
10mb Hard Drive Space
Windows XP/2003 & similar OS
Microsoft.NET Framework Version 2

Where can I download Microsoft.NET Framework?

Microsoft .NET Framework is available from here.
Logging
  Does it provide historical logs?

Yes, two different logs are created: one log file for the engine, and one to indicate which channels are not functional.

Example:
2005-06-12 21:41:03,506 [9] ERROR - Error experienced with streaming from (http://domain.com/tv/7758.asx). Server: WTV. Channel: 7758

Where are the logs stored?

The logs are stored in a subfolder called ‘logs’ where your application resides.
Technical Support
 
Where can I report bugs and issues?

Please email developers@StreamPatrol.com for any bugs or technical difficulty you experience.
Others
 
Can I request for additional features?

Yes. Ideas are definitely welcome and will be considered in the product’s roadmap. Please email sales@StreamPatrol.com for your creative ideas.

We need to customize StreamPatrol for our own specific needs, can you help?

StreamPatrol tries to incorporate features and functions that we deemed are useful for most of our clients. However, in situations where there's a unique need, our professional services may be able to help. Alternatively, we can make our libraries available for an inexpensive price.
   

Streaming Media Related Links:

 
Stream Patrol: Ensuring uptime of your windows media streams  

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