Chapter 6: Planning the Streaming Media Site

Overview

Every deployment needs a plan, regardless of the size of the deployment. The plan can be as complex as detailed specifications and network diagrams or as simple as a drawing on a cocktail napkin. What’s important is the process. By thinking about what you want—given your schedule, budget, hardware, or other constraints—you can design a system that meets your needs while avoiding escalating costs and unforeseen delays along the way.

The plans discussed in this chapter are appropriate for a small Internet streaming scenario, such as the site of our fictional company, the Coho Winery. They provide examples of the types of information any deployment needs, and a way to organize the information and get the process rolling. Even if your deployment is comparatively simple, you should go through a similar thought process to make sure you have considered every angle, understand the risks, and know exactly what you have to do to make your vision a reality.

The original objective of the Coho Winery deployment was to create a streaming media system using Windows Media 9 Series that will enhance the existing Web site with streaming audio and video. The topics that follow describe their planning process.