Local hosting: Dynamic server stepdown

[danielwang]

I would like to note that it may be useful, immediately or in the future, to have an option availible where a user/member could download the same video at different file sizes or preview the stream.

Although with the advent of Broadband file size is quickly becoming a negligible issue (theoretically), people are now browsing the videos by downloading videos they may or may not like, and then viewing them. This decreases efficiency and places unnecessary stress on the servers.

It is possible to dynamically step down stream and file sizes using the Windows Media 9 Series system. 9 Series Producer allows files to be generated from any format to a ASF file of your choice, while 9 Series Services allows server-based streaming.
With the Windows .NET Gundam (now .NET Hacker) system of bloatware, IIS directories can be configured to dynamically generate content on-the-fly by mounting a application service to a Virtual Directory. It's like mounting an audio CD as a WMA folder.

If it is, for some reason, undesired to have Windows .NET Gundam, you can just hack a command line content generator and put it in the executable bin folders. There should be a app somewhere that'll take:
a-m-v.org/cgi-bin/convert?b="128"&path="/content/video.rm"
and actually pipe out the results instead of writing a file.
Forget the security problems. Go ahead, post your root password. It doesn't matter if you're running PHP. Especially if it's on Apache running as root. Swiss cheese.

[Phade]

Hey,

Most good video creators are very particular about the visual quality of the vids they carete. Most do not use WMV as the output format. Stepping down the visual quality is just not a desired option for most creators. The stress on the server is currently not that great. If the stress increases, more bandwidth will be applied. Plus, I think it would be more stress on the server to stream a low quality version of the vid and then a high quality one right after it.

Phade.

[derobert]

This decreases efficiency and places unnecessary stress on the servers.

So? The server has plenty of bandwidth to spare. We averaged 7.9Mbit over the last 24 hours, out of a 20Mbit link. More bandwidth can be obtained if needed.

It is possible to dynamically step down stream and file sizes using the Windows Media 9 Series system.

Yeah, it's also very easy to view, compared to open formats like MPEG.

IIS directories can be configured to dynamically generate content on-the-fly

.org doesn't run on IIS, and doesn't run on Windows, either.

There should be a app somewhere that'll take:
the Org/cgi-bin/convert?b="128"&path="/content/video.rm"
and actually pipe out the results instead of writing a file.

I assume the assertion that serving dynamic files is less efficient than serving static ones is a nice joke, right?

Especially if it's on Apache running as root.

I really need to stop feeding the trolls. What kind of idiot runs apache/mod_php as root? Or just plain Apache as root? Or, for that matter, much any network service as root?

[danielwang]

Ok then. So, with the advent of broadband and cheap hosting, everyone has lost and lots of bandwidth and a few unnecessary streams is negligible. But, wouldn't it be interesting to have a "Preview function"? Yes, it take processor time and degrades video quality - but a postage stamp sized RM file is much smaller than a 60MB Mpeg.

If there was a system that allowed a small file, say, 5mb, to be downloaded and previewed; then upgraded to increased quality after a download, that would be an ideal solution. However, it might not even be of that much use...
My assumption was that people were downloading files based on abstracts and summaries and possibly even deleting them. But, if you saw it at a convention and know it's good, or it has a good rating, I guess it's not likely anyone will be wasting pipe anytime.

P.S.
I run *all* my network services as LocalSystem/NT_AUTHORITY. That includes IIS with all sorts of .NET Gundam bloatware plugins, RealServer, Windows Media Server, IIS-ftp, Windows-telnet, NonOpen-ssh, NonOpen-cvs, TightVNC, and even RPC. I additionally login as "root" (windows SID 500) whenever I need to install a virus.
Microsoft stuff has few security flaws. If anyone exploits them on my system they're probably not script kiddies.

[EarthCurrent]

Wang,

why don't you just make your own site since you know so much?

[danielwang]

I don't have broadband. Or good internet access for that matter.

[trythil]

Wang,

why don't you just make your own site since you know so much?

The problem is that he doesn't.

Basically he wants to turn a simple, already-functional system into something that's stupidly hypercomplex and fragile. It's like UNIX versus Windows.

</flame>

[derobert]

[quote="danielwang"I run *all* my network services as LocalSystem/NT_AUTHORITY.[/quote] Bah! Who needs operating systems! I run mine without an operating system in REAL MODE. Take that!

[EarthCurrent]

is it a bad sign when the main coder for the site messes up quotes?

[derobert]

is it a bad sign when the main coder for the site messes up quotes?

I'm not the main coder (Phade still is, by far), but, yes, it's probably a bad sign. Expect the .org to be down soon with some PHP error about a missing right square bracket...