Connecting to an Encoder with HTTP Using Reverse Proxy (241327)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Services 4.0
  • Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0

This article was previously published under Q241327

SUMMARY

You can connect a Windows Media Server or Windows Media Player to a Windows Media Encoder that is inside of a network protected by Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 has a feature that allows internal Web servers to publish to the outside of the proxy by creating a map of request translations. A client on the internet can make an HTTP request to the proxy server. The proxy interprets the request based on the publishing rules and exceptions and forwards the request to an internal Web server.

You can also do this by redirecting the request to a Windows Media Encoder through the proxy. Since the proxy server only supports HTTP redirection, your encoder must be set up to receive HTTP requests. To do this in the encoder, select Properties from the Encode menu. Click the Output tab. Make sure HTTP on port is selected and that there is a valid port listed. Typically port 80 is used.

To set this up on your proxy server, start the Microsoft Management Console for proxy. Under Internet Information Server, expand the machine name. Select Web Proxy. From the Action menu, choose Properties, and then click the Publishing tab. Make sure the Enable Web publishing checkbox is selected. If you are not doing any publishing to any other Web servers, including the proxy server itself, you can select the sent to another Web server option and provide the encoder's machine name and the HTTP port the encoder is using. If you are planning to publish to other Web servers, you can add an exception for the encoder machine.

Keep in mind that because the Windows Media Server and Windows Media player themselves do not support HTTP redirects, you must have a forward slash on the end of your HTTP request. When setting up your server station source pointing to an encoder, the following is incorrect:
http://proxyserver
				

This is the correct way. Note the trailing slash:
http://proxyserver/ 
				

If the trailing slash is not added onto the request, the proxy server will ask the client, in this case the Windows Media server or player, to make an additional request with the trailing slash added. The server and player do not understand this type of redirection and will stop responding.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/3/2003
Keywords:kbinfo KB241327