|
|
This chapter contains step-by-step instructions for configuring and controlling theCisco 6920 using the RateMux Manager software. The chapter contains the following sections:
The RateMux Manager is the graphical software that you use to configure and control the Cisco 6920. Start up the Cisco 6920 by powering up the unit then launching an Internet browser from your PC. Use the Internet browser to access and use the RateMux Manager software, which resides in the memory of the PowerPC module of the Cisco 6920. Follow the steps below to start up the RateMux Manager software.
 |
Note Make sure the Cisco 6920 is properly installed with all cables connected. Then turn on the Cisco 6920 and wait at least 30 seconds before proceeding. See Chapter 3, "Installing the Cisco 6920" for more information. |
The RateMux Manager software runs on a web browser. Start by launching a web browser such as Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer on your PC.
A unique IP address is assigned to each PowerPC module. This IP address is printed on a label on the Cisco 6920. Your web browser uses this address to communicate exclusively with the Cisco 6920 with the corresponding IP address.
To access the RateMux Manager software, enter the preassigned IP address in the web browser.
|
Note For Netscape Users: enter the Cisco 6920 RateMux multiplexer IP address in the line LOCATION. For Microsoft Internet Explorer Users: enter the Cisco 6920 IP address in the line LOCATION/URL. |
|
Note This version of the product does not support reverse address resolution protocol for automatic assignment of Internet addresses. Cisco recommends using a direct Internet connection as apposed to a proxy server - if your proxy server caches responses from the RateMux, this might yield inaccurate responses. |
After a connection is successfully established with the Cisco 6920, the Transponder Map appears.
|
Note If the web browser indicates it cannot find the IP address you have entered, verify that you are entering the correct IP address. The IP address for your Cisco 6920 is located on the upper left corner of the right side of the chassis. |
The RateMux Manager software is loaded into your PC from memory using the most recent committed configuration.
Step 2 Choose Preferences from the Edit menu of the browser. This displays the browser Preferences dialog box.
Step 3 With the Cisco 6920 address displayed in the Location field of the Home page panel, click Use Current Page.
Step 4 Click Advanced.
Step 5 Click Use Direct Connection.
Step 6 Click OK.
|
Note You can also "bookmark" the Cisco 6920 address. Bookmarking works well when multiple Cisco 6920 units are managed from a single browser. |
When you configure the Cisco 6920 you use the RateMux Manager software to confirm and assign transponder feeds, enable channels, and activate and allocate output bandwidth.
This section shows you how to configure transponder inputs and outputs.
The RateMux Manager scans all connected video input and output streams. The Transponder Map feature displays the slot and connector of the Input/Output and input cards to which video input and output streams are connected.
For example, the label "s4c0" from the Transponder Map in Figure 4-2 stands for Slot 4, Connector 0. Note that the slot number sequence is from the top connector on the I/O board and starts at 0. (See Figure 4-3.)
|
Note The transponder outputs for DVB-ASI I/O boards share the default name sNc3. These two output connectors are configured as a "Y" connector, so you can connect one or two output cables. |
|
Note OPTIONAL: The names of the inputs and outputs can be changed using the Transponder Map feature. Simply click on the Transponder Name field you wish to edit and type in the new name. This might help to identify the input source or output destination with mnemonic names (such as, HITS 5, Local Feed A, DVD 2). |
Step 2 Click Apply to activate the changes you made. This displays the Program Select page and applies the names you entered for the Transponder I/Os.
To display the Cisco 6920 hardware configuration, click Hardware on the menu bar at the top of the RateMux Manager page. This displays the Hardware Map. (See Figure 4-4.)
The Hardware Map displays the board, slot and component configuration of your Cisco 6920.
In the sample configuration shown in Figure 4-4, there are DSP boards in slots 2, 3, and 6, each with three DSP chips. Figure 4-3 shows slot and connector configurations. A DVB-ASI I/O board occupies slots 5 and 6 with three transponder feeds (inputs), an on-board DSP, and two output connectors. (The map shows only one output connector, which is "Y" configured to form two output connectors). The powerPC board resides in Slot 7.
The DSPs that reside on DSP boards are named using the following convention: s0mk, for slot number (beginning with "0") and module number (starting with "0"). The module number refers to the physical DSP chip on the DSP card.
Before you can allocate bandwidth, you must first select and enable channels. Click Program Select at the top of the RateMux Manager page. This displays the Program Select page. (See Figure 4-5.)
The buttons on the Program Select Page are as follows:
Apply - Submits selected channels to the RateMux Manager for implementation. If conflicts are detected, the proposed configuration is rejected. This feature can be used to deselect all selections for a particular Output by clicking on Apply when no programs are selected.
EditMaps - Displays the EditMaps page, which allows editing of the following Program Select fields (for information on PID fields, see the ISO/IEC 13818-1:1994 [E]):
ProgPid
VideoPids
AudioPids
PcrPid
EcmPid
EditQOS - Displays the EditQOS page, which allows you to set module routing and allocate channel bandwidth by editing the following Program Select fields:
QOS (Quality of Service)
DSP (Digital Signal Processor)
Source (Transponder input)
EditPassThrough - Allows the passing of low bit rate CBR streams directly from the Input to the Output without any processing by the Cisco 6920 RateMux multiplexer.
EditList - Allows you to return to edited but not yet applied selections.
Rebuild - Copies the current configuration (as stored in flash RAM) to the Program Select page for editing. Information about the DSP assignment is not copied from the current configuration. Instead, DSP assignment is always re initialized to default values ("--"). Click Program Select to start over with a clean slate (no prior configuration selections).
ForceMap - Lets RateMux Manager use your selections to automatically calculate and re-sequence PID values. If conflicts are detected, RateMux Manager resolves them. You must still click the Apply button to reconfigure.
|
Note The Program Select function (at the top of the page) always refreshes the input channel information and will erase any un-applied edits within the current Edit or QOS maps. This function applies to all RateMux Manager pages. This can be useful if you want to "start from scratch". Simply select Apply with no programs selected and no changes to other information and the RateMux Manager will start fresh. |
You can select and enable channels on the Program Select page. All other fields are passive. You must go to either the EditMaps or EditQOS page to edit these fields.
When you enable channels, you perform a number of important functions:
The Cisco 6920 supports up to two outputs on two different I/O cards. To edit or review a specific Output:
Step 2 Change the Output field to the desired output name (example: s5c3, s4c3). The Output field will always end in c3.
Step 3 Click EditList to change to the desired output.
To enable channels:
Step 2 Click Program Select. This displays the Program Select page.
Step 3 Each input source is highlighted a different color. You can determine the input source by referencing the Source column.
Step 4 Click check boxes in the Select column that correspond to the Video PID/Audio PID of the desired programs.
Step 5 Review the Program numbers of the channels you selected. You might have duplicate Program numbers from different input sources. You must modify the Program number of one of these channels or the RateMux Manager will issue an error message. You can have the RateMux Manager reassign the Program number(s) simply by clicking on the ForceMap selection; or you can reassign the Program numbers manually by selecting EditMaps. (See Figure 4-6.)
Step 6 When you are satisfied with the channel lineup you have selected, click Apply to submit your changes. If video was running, it will go blank for a few seconds while the Cisco 6920 RateMux multiplexer reassigns the channel setup.
RateMux Manager assigns the transponder source and output to the channel. If you receive a warning notifying you of conflicts in channel selection, scroll down the Program Select page to check other transponder sources and channel selections, make changes accordingly, and then repeat this procedure. Otherwise, click the ForceMaps button to resolve conflicts by letting RateMux Manager resequence all selected channels and PID values.
|
Note When you use the ForceMaps feature, PIDs are assigned to channels in groups of 64, starting with a base of 0. For each channel from the base, the 16th PID is assigned to Video and the 17th PID to audio. The PCR follows the video PID. The PMT PID is assigned base +41. |
You can use the Rebuild feature to save time and keystrokes when making changes to configurations. As mentioned earlier, when you click Rebuild, the RateMux Manager writes the current configuration (channel selections, Editmaps, and QoS parameters) to the Program Select page, so you don't have to re-enter parameters. This is helpful when you want to change parameters. The Rebuild feature recalls the latest "Applied" set of parameters. If you have made changes to the parameters but have not yet selected Apply, and you want to maintain those new parameters, you might want to select EditList.
Use the EditList feature when you select an Output and you want to make changes to the channel selections. When you click on the EditList feature, the RateMux Manager recalls the current channel lineup for you to review and edit.
The RateMux Manager can dynamically allocate bandwidth. By default, all channels are eligible for reassignment, with a Medium quality of service (QoS) rate reduction value. You can also assign a QoS value to channels. These assignments rank channels in terms of eligibility for bandwidth swapping.
To display the EditQOS page, click EditQOS on the Program Select page. This displays the EditQOS page. (See Figure 4-7.)
The EditQOS page has the following features:
When you select QoS, you assign bandwidth allocation priorities to discrete channels. Your QoS selections determine how the RateMux Manager allocates bandwidth. You make these selections on the EditQOS page.
To select quality of service:
Step 2 Click EditQOS on the Program Select page. This displays the EditQOS page.
Step 3 For a selected channel, click the QOS pull-down menu.
Step 4 Choose a QOS from the menu. The choices are:
Step 5 Optionally, click the PsiOmit box to remove program information about this channel from the output stream. This parameter applies only if the PSIrate is not 0.
Step 6 For each selected channel, enter "---" in the DSP field to let the RateMux Manager allocate DSPs for the rate reduction. By default, the RateMux Manager assigns one DSP to each channel in a round robin fashion until DSPs are allocated for all channels. The system assigns no more than three programs to a DSP.
OR
Enter a number in the DSP field. The RateMux Manager interprets DSP numbers as follows: All programs with the same number are assigned to the same DSP, and no other programs are assigned to that DSP. In this case, the limit of three programs per DSP is not enforced. In effect, you are setting aside a DSP to handle all the programs (and only the programs) with that number. The DSP allocation is displayed in the Output Report.
Step 7 Click Apply. RateMux Manager assigns the QoS selections to the selected channels and displays the results in an Output Report on the Program Select page. If you click Apply and RateMux Manager detects a conflict, the submitted selections are rejected. Try resolving the conflicts, or click ForceMap to allow the RateMux Manager to resolve them for you. Then click Apply.
When you remap PIDs, you reassign values that correspond to the PAT and PMT tables as defined in the MPEG-2 standard (see the ISO/IEC 13818-1 MPEG-2 standard). You can remap channels, Program PIDs, Video PIDs, and Audio PIDs precisely to accommodate bandwidth swapping. Or you can let the RateMux Manager perform remapping for you.
To remap PIDs:
Step 2 Click check boxes in the Select column that correspond to the channel numbers you want to remap.
Step 3 Click checkboxes in the Re-Map column to designate channels for remapping.
Step 4 If changing channels, enter the new channel in the Number column.
Step 5 If changing PIDs, enter the new PID values in the Prog, Video and Audio PID columns, or click the Re-map setting for the channel to let RateMux Manager determine new PID values.
Step 6 Click Apply.
Step 7 RateMux Manager re-maps according to your selections. If you click Apply and RateMux Manager detects conflicts, the system attempts to resolve conflicts using those channels with the Re-Map setting turned on. If conflicts cannot be resolved, the submitted selections are rejected. Try resolving the conflicts, or click ForceMap to allow the RateMux Manager to resolve them for you. Then click Apply.
|
Note You cannot manually remap the PCR (Program Check Reference). This value changes only when you execute a ForceMap, which resequences all the selected programs and PID values. In the case of ForceMap, the PCR points to the video PID. When you or the RateMux Manager alter the PID value of an elementary stream in a program that is used as the PCR PID, then the PCR PPDI is automatically changed to reflect your selection. |
The EditPassThru feature allows low bit rate (less than 256 kbps) CBR video streams for any channel to be passed directly from the input source to the output destination without any processing.
To edit passthrough PIDs:
Step 2 Scroll down the page and locate the table of read-only Nit Pids for each input.
Step 3 To select a PassThru PID, simply enter the Input Pid, the Output Pid (only needed if different from the Input Pid), the Input that PID should be extracted from and whether theCisco 6920 is allowed to remap the Output Pid to a different value in case of conflict ("Remap" box).
Step 4 If a PassThru PID is recognized as a Nit Pid from the Nit list then the Cisco 6920 will assume that the PID should be used as the Nit Pid.
The Monitor Rate feature allows you to view a table of input and output bit rates for each video stream selected in your channel lineup. The total input and output bit rates are also calculated and displayed. (See Figure 4-12.)
Posted: Fri Jul 21 10:24:52 PDT 2000
Copyright 1989-2000©Cisco Systems Inc.