The IT Department Plan

The IT department will integrate Windows Media Services into the current intranet infrastructure, and then maintain the system. Their tasks consist of deploying the origin servers, deploying cache/proxy servers, enabling routers and switches for multicast, developing a client download package, and developing a system for usage reporting. These tasks are very broad. Within each task is potentially one or more layers of subtasks, which will be assigned to various managers in the department. For example, the task of deploying cache/proxy servers includes subtasks such as selecting and ordering the hardware and coordinating with remote IT personnel.

Origin Servers

In phase I of the deployment plan, the IT department will configure and install the Windows Media server farm in the Toronto data center. The IT department will purchase the computers and any supporting hardware, and then configure them with Windows Media Services and the NLB service. They will do all configuration on their test bench before installing the computers in a rack in the data center.

Installing Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Media Services is fairly straightforward. That part should take a technician only a few hours. However, keeping the computers on the bench will give them a chance to try out features and test scenarios before putting the server farm online. For example, they can run Windows Media Load Simulator to emulate the effect of multiple clients connecting to a server.

Once in place, the server farm will be administered remotely from the data center control room using Microsoft Management Console (MMC). They also plan to install Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web and give certain people in the Media department permission to administer the server and add files. For example, the production assistants who work with the Media Guide will be able to create and configure publishing points for broadcasts and copy Windows Media files to the server.

Client Download Packages

In phase I of the deployment, the IT department will create a custom download package for Windows Media Player. Every employee in the company will then be required to install the package before they can play company content. The package will ensure that everyone in the company has the same version of the Player, and that it is configured properly. For example, Stuttgart users will install a special download package that properly configures Windows Media Player to access content from the Stuttgart servers. Managers may decide to turn off features that corporate users won’t need. The primary location from which users can download the package will be the Media Guide site.

Cache/proxy Servers

In phase II of the deployment plan, the IT department will work with their subsidiaries to install cache/proxy servers in nearly 100 remote sites in North America and Europe. Lessons learned during the installation of the Toronto servers will be applied to the installation.

An administration and content management system will also be installed. The system will enable IT personnel in Toronto to administer the remote servers, manage the content on them, and eventually gather usage data. The content management part of the system will enable personnel to view the content that is on the servers, and then add to or remove content. For example, they will be able to prestuff files and remove dated material.

The IT department will also create and distribute configuration files (commonly referred to as Pac files) to all end users. The files automatically configure proxy settings in Internet Explorer, so the browsers send URL requests through the appropriate proxy servers.

After the cache/proxy servers are in place, on-demand content will be available to every desktop in the company. Live broadcasting will also be available on a small scale.

Perimeter Network Server

Also during phase II, a Windows Media server will be installed on the company’s perimeter network located in the data center. The server will be configured similarly to the origin servers, except it will not use the NLB service. Because the server will be exposed to the Internet, it will host its own content and operate in isolation from the intranet servers.

Multicast-enabled Network

At the end of phase III of the deployment, the routers, switches, and other devices on the worldwide corporate network will be enabled to pass multicast packets. Three months have been allocated for this task in order to provide small teams of technicians in each subsidiary enough time to check each network segment. In a system as large as Fabrikam’s, it is not unusual to find hundreds of routers and switches located in all points of an enterprise. Hubs and switches cannot segment multicast traffic. Many of these devices may need to be replaced. Routers simply need to be checked to make sure multicasting functionality is enabled.

After all devices have been enabled to pass multicast traffic, multicast broadcasting will reach most points of the company. For areas of the network that cannot be multicast enabled, end users can receive a unicast stream from the cache/proxy server. The cache/proxy server used by Fabrikam will include the ability to split live streams. This means that the server can receive one unicast stream from the origin server, and then split it among multiple local clients.

Usage Reporting

During phase III of the deployment, a system will be developed that collects usage information and creates reports. This information can be used by various groups to plan future use of the streaming media system. For example, the training department might receive reports showing the number of users who actually streamed course content, which courses they were selecting, and for how long they played the presentation. This information could give them a better idea of how to design courses. IT planners could study usage reports to gauge network bandwidth usage. Media guide production assistants could use the reports to better schedule live broadcasts and to inform producers and potential clients.

During the final month of the deployment, IT developers will look at a number of solutions, including specialized, third-party solutions that automatically retrieve logging data from any number of servers, compile the information, and then create a variety of reports.