# Introduction

Welcome to Helix™ Universal Server version 9.0, the most powerful server software available for streaming media files across an intranet or the Internet. This manual will help you use and optimize Helix Universal Server for real-time delivery of media files.

# What is Helix?

Helix™ from RealNetworks is a universal digital media delivery platform. With industry-leading performance, integrated content distribution, advertising, user authentication, Web services support, and native delivery of RealMedia, Windows Media, QuickTime, and MPEG-4, Helix from RealNetworks is a robust digital media foundation that meets the needs of enterprises and networking service providers.

# Audience for this Guide

This guide is intended for technical system administrators who will manage Helix Universal Server and its activities, but not necessarily create the content that's streamed. Content creation information is available in a companion book, the RealNetworks Production Guide. Information services professionals, server administrators, Web masters, and others who provide Web pages for the Internet and for intranets may also find this book useful.

| Tip: Helix Universal Server Administration Guide is also available online at http://service.real.com/help/library/index.html.

# How this Guide Is Organized

This administration guide contains the following chapters and appendixes.

#### Chapter 1: New Features

If you're familiar with previous versions of RealSystem Server, this chapter will give you a quick update on the new features found in Helix Universal Server.

#### Chapter 2: Overview

This chapter presents the "big picture" of how Helix Universal Server works with a Web server to stream media to client software such as RealOne Player.

#### Chapter 3: Installation and Quick Start

Find out how to install and start Helix Universal Server, and how to use the Web-based administration tool, Helix Administrator.

#### Chapter 4: Server Setup

This chapter covers the basic Helix Universal Server configuration options involving addresses, ports, and licenses. Most options are configured at installation and may need no changing.

#### Chapter 5: Clip Delivery

This chapter describes on-demand streaming features, and explains how to construct links to your streaming media clips.

#### Chapter 6: Multiple Servers

This chapter covers several features that you can use on a large network, including redundant servers, content caching, and proxy servers.

#### Chapter 7: Unicasts

Read this chapter to learn how to broadcast and archive live events in RealMedia, Windows Media, QuickTime, and other formats.

#### Chapter 8: Multicasts

This chapter discusses multicasting, which sends a single, live stream to multiple clients, rather than a separate stream to each client. Clients connect to this stream rather than to the Helix Universal Server computer.

#### Chapter 9: Transmitters and Receivers

Splitting is a method of server-to-server communication. This communication can be between two or more servers, or between Helix Producer and Helix Universal Server. Splitting enables you to distribute broadcasts broadly.

#### Chapter 10: Simulated Live Broadcasts

This chapter explains how to deliver archived or other on-demand content as if it were a live broadcast.

#### Chapter 11: Firewalls

If you're streaming media to users on the Internet, you'll need to know how Helix Universal Server and other RealNetworks products interact with firewalls. This chapter provides detailed information on the ports Helix Universal Server requires for various server feature configurations.

#### Chapter 12: Access Control

This chapter shows you how to limit access to Helix Universal Server through the IP addresses of clients attempting to connect.

#### Chapter 13: Authentication

You can control and limit who can view your content. This chapter describes the different Helix Universal Server authentication methods.

#### Chapter 14: ISP Hosting

If you're an Internet service provider (ISP), you can host streaming media on behalf of your customers. This chapter explains how.

#### Chapter 15: Targeted Ads

You can have Helix Universal Server automatically insert advertisements into presentations. This chapter describes the many options available within this feature.

#### Chapter 16: Access and Error Logs

If you want to look at trends, and see what content is most popular, Helix Universal Server offers basic reporting functionality.

#### Chapter 17: Custom Logging

Helix Universal Server includes advanced reporting functionality that can report on many aspects of Helix Universal Server operation, from server health to client connections.

#### Chapter 18: Activity Monitors

To provide the highest possible quality of service, you'll want to keep track of how many people request media from your Helix Universal Server. This chapter describes the features available in the monitoring utility.

#### Appendix A: Configuration File

This appendix presents a discussion on basics, editing guidelines, and XML syntax used in the Helix Universal Server configuration file.

#### Appendix B: Address Space Bit Masks

This appendix explains how to identify a range of IP addresses by assigning a bit mask to a 32-Bit IP address. A number of Helix Universal Server features can use these bit masks.

#### Appendix C: Authentication Data Storage

Helix Universal Server comes with different methods for tracking authentication information, as described in this appendix. You can use this data for billing purposes, or to track who's watching what.

# Conventions Used in this Manual

This section explains some conventional terms and formats used throughout the book.

## Terminology

- Because this manual is aimed at the Helix Universal Server administrator, the term "you" refers to the administrator. Those who play clips served by Helix Universal Server are referred to as "visitors," "viewers," or "users."

- RealNetworks clients, such as computers running RealOne Player, are referred to generically as "clients". Wherever information applies specifically to RealOne Player, this is clearly stated.

| Note: Although most clients currently in use are computers running RealPlayer or RealOne Player, RealNetworks also makes a software development kit (SDK) that enables other companies to develop their own players with which they can use to receive the various types of streamed data.

- RealNetworks production tools, which are used to create the files and data that Helix Universal Server streams, are referred to collectively as "encoders."

- "Clips," "content," "media files," "files", and "presentations" are used interchangeably to indicate the material that Helix Universal Server streams.

## Typographical Conventions

The following table explains the typographic conventions used in this manual.

Notational Conventions
Convention | Meaning
--- | ---
`syntax` | This font is used for syntax of configuration files, URLs, or command-line instructions.
`variables` | Italic text represents variables. Substitute values appropriate for your system.
emphasis | Bold text is used for emphasis.
. . . | Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from examples.
`[ ]` | Square brackets indicate optional material. If you choose to use the material within the brackets, don't type the brackets themselves. An exception to this is in the access log, where statistics generated by the `StatsMask` variable are enclosed in regular brackets.

## Sample Links

Links that point to Helix Universal Server take the following form:

    helixserver.example.com

where:

- `helixserver` is a placeholder for the name of the computer on which you are running your Helix Universal Server. Substitute the name of your organization's Helix Universal Server computer wherever you see this syntax.

- `example.com` is a placeholder for a domain name. Substitute the domain name of your organization's computers wherever you see this syntax.

## Default Locations and Values

In all of the examples given in this book, it's assumed that you've installed Helix Universal Server in the default location for your operating system and that you're using default values for all settings. Of course, you can customize Helix Universal Server however you want to meet your specific needs. Default values are used here for clarity of illustration. On Windows-based platforms, the default installation directory is:

    C:\Program Files\Real\Helix Server

# Additional Resources

In addition to this manual, you may need one or more of the following RealNetworks resources, which are available at http://service.real.com/help/library/index.html.

- Helix Universal Server Readme File

This file contains supplemental information not covered in this guide. To view this guide, click Readme in Helix Administrator.

- RealNetworks Production Guide

This manual explains the basics of creating streaming clips. You'll learn how to calculate bandwidth needs, and how to put a multimedia presentation together.

- Helix Universal Proxy Administration Guide

If you're using Helix Universal Proxy, or are working with someone who is, this manual describes the use of Helix Universal Proxy and configuration information.

| © 2002 RealNetworks, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, visit RealNetworks Click here if the Table of Contents frame is not visible at the left side of your screen.