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MessageHi Gatoreye,
you are spot on. The admin features in FCS are laughable and insufficient and I
cannot believe that Macromedia expects developers to built their own admin
tools for what isn't a cheap product.
The product pages make the development of Flashcomm apps sound so easy - and
partly it is. But when you actually pull a big project and need to give your
client some answers in regards to the manageability of this beast you'll soon
realise how week the controls are that a FCS server admin is left with.
Bandwidth logging is the top weakest point IMO. FLV files are useless for
logging and too hard to manage. The logging process itself relies on a certain
application (for example Flogger) to be stable yet it isn't. We have had
setInterval bugs time after time - yes I know there will be a patch soon but it
has been a long time coming. It took a long time for Macromedia to pick up on
this.
On top of that - as you rightly said - if the server crashes all your counters
are being reset to 0. The calculations which you have to undertake are more
complex than they need to be.
Moreover if Flogger crashes or your setinterval gets stuck you will loose big
chunks of data and there is no way of recovering it while the bandwidth hungry
apps might keep running quite happily...
I'd love to see the admin tools in Breeze!
Coldfusion logs to text files, IIS takes care of the bandwidth logging (in
usual format). Not only should FCS provide this functionality I think it should
be a lot better than that because it can potentially be a bandwidth monster so
I think your wishlist has got some important points. Yes, we COULD build some
of it ourselves but I think it's cheeky that Macromedia expects it from us. And
without setinterval fixed this is even harder.
Stefan
PS: oh yeah give a loadvars object serverside too :-)
PPS: submit your stuff to the wishlist
-- -- Original Message -- --
From: GatorEye
To: flashcomm@(protected)
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 7:52 AM
Subject: [FlashComm] Sample App Suggestion For A FlashComm Book
This is my first post to the list after reading for a while. I'm a newbie who
cut his teeth on Flash with FlashComm. It was an interesting experience and was
helped greatly by Kevin's book and more recently by Bill's. Both books clearly
have their place. The idea of a more advanced book is exciting to me. I have
ideas and needs that have nothing to do with prebuilt components. With all the
experts in here I would offer up a suggestion of a sample application to touch
on some of the more detailed features that I'd love to see expanded on in an
online book.
IMHO the Admin console is the weakest part of Flashcomm. The technology is
fantastic so why is the server admin so weak? I don't understand the need for
log files to be generated in FLV's instead of .txt files that need another
Flash movie to be processed (most often unsuccessfully because they are too big
). Flogger proves useless as I find when the server crashes, the bandwidth data
is lost for periods of time. Beyond that I've found the information provided in
the Admin console could be greatly improved and I've written some code to get
what I need but I'd love to see the experts really show their stuff in this
area.
Here's some things to touch on in an "improved admin console":
First - some IP information. In the application inspector you drill down to
an application instance and then can see the streams that are being published
or played. Instead of showing the IP address, it shows a Client ID. How is that
useful? Unless I'm missing something there is no way through the current admin
tools to see any IP information. I have to dig it out of the client object
myself.
Bandwidth usage is crucial. I can see bytes/sec sent and received on an
instance. If our license is bandwidth restricted, wouldn't it make sense for
the server to show me the total current inbound/outbound bandwidth in real-time
instead of trying to rely on the logs which end up missing data when the server
dies? I looked all over the admin consol for this and couldn't believe I couldn
't find it.
Real time IP and bandwidth information to me seems critical in helping
determine if someone is hijacking (or attempting to) your server and resources
as well as keep an eye on your potential license restrictions. Here's a dream
sample app of enhancements to the Admin Console I'd love to see a coded example
of all wrapped up in a nice interface.
Show all IP's connected to the server (all applications)
Show all IP's connected to each application
Show all IP's connected to a specific application instance.
Show how many application instances a specific IP is connected to
Show current bandwidth usage in/out of the server.
Show current bandwidth usage in/out of each application
Show current bandwidth usage in/out of an application instance
Show connection speed of an IP and the amount of bandwidth consumed by each
IP (this is really crucial to find someone hogging resources).
Block/clear IP from server
Block/clear IP from application
Block/clear IP from application instance
Pause or stop the publishing and/or playing of a stream to an individual IP
or connection in a specific application instance
Click on the instance of any published stream and you would see it/hear it in
a video/audio preview window.
There are lots of areas something like this could touch on - SO, SSAS, some
of the new server side methods, admin API, etc. I'm not even sure if everything
in that list is even feasible, but most of it except for the last couple seem
like things the server should be telling me without the need to code it myself.
I think an app like this would be something a lot of us could put to good use
and the technique and details of coding it would be invaluable to intermediate
level users.
Should I keep dreaming? :)
Thanks so much for your help!
GatorEye
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Gatoreye,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>you are spot on. The admin features in FCS
are
laughable and insufficient and I cannot believe that Macromedia expects
developers to built their own admin tools for what isn't a cheap product.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The product pages make the development of
Flashcomm
apps sound so easy - and partly it is. But when you actually pull a big project
and need to give your client some answers in regards to the manageability of
this beast you'll soon realise how week the controls are that a FCS server
admin
is left with.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bandwidth logging is the top weakest point IMO.
FLV
files are useless for logging and too hard to manage. The logging process
itself
relies on a certain application (for example Flogger) to be stable yet it isn't
.
We have had setInterval bugs time after time - yes I know there will be a patch
soon but it has been a long time coming. It took a long time for Macromedia to
pick up on this.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On top of that - as you rightly said - if the
server crashes all your counters are being reset to 0. The calculations
which you have to undertake are more complex than they need to be. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Moreover if Flogger crashes or your setinterval
gets stuck you will loose big chunks of data and there is no way of recovering
it while the bandwidth hungry apps might keep running quite happily...
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'd love to see the admin tools in
Breeze!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Coldfusion logs to text files, IIS takes care of
the bandwidth logging (in usual format). Not only should FCS provide this
functionality I think it should be a lot better than that because it can
potentially be a bandwidth monster so I think your wishlist has got some
important points. Yes, we COULD build some of it ourselves but I think it's
cheeky that Macromedia expects it from us. And without setinterval fixed this
is
even harder.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stefan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS: oh yeah give a loadvars object serverside too
:-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PPS: submit your stuff to the wishlist</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT:
#000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">-- -- Original Message -- -- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gatoreye@(protected)
href="mailto:gatoreye@(protected)">GatorEye</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=flashcomm@(protected)
href="mailto:flashcomm@(protected)">flashcomm@(protected)
</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 11, 2004 7:52
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [FlashComm] Sample App
Suggestion For A FlashComm Book</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>This is my first post to the list after reading for a while
.
I'm a newbie who cut his teeth on Flash with FlashComm. It was an interesting
experience and was helped greatly by Kevin's book and more recently by Bill's
.
Both books clearly have their place. The idea of a more advanced book is
exciting to me. I have ideas and needs that have nothing to do with prebuilt
components. With all the <SPAN
class=413310107-11032004>experts</SPAN> in here I would offer up a suggestion
of a sample application to touch on some of the more detailed features that
I'd love to see expanded on in an online book.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>IMHO</SPAN> the Admin
console is the weakest part of Flashcomm. <SPAN
class=413310107-11032004>The technology is fantastic so why is the server
admin so weak? </SPAN>I don't understand the need for log files to be
generated in FLV's instead of .txt files that need another Flash movie to be
processed (most often unsuccessfully because they are too big). Flogger
proves
useless as I find when the server crashes, the bandwidth data is lost for
periods of time. Beyond that I've found the information provided in the Admin
console could be greatly improved and I've written some code to get what I
need but I'd love to see the experts really show their stuff in this
area.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Here's <SPAN class=413310107-11032004>some things
to touch on in an</SPAN> "improved admin console":</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>First - some IP information. In the application inspector
you drill down to an application instance and then can see the streams that
are being published or played. Instead of showing the IP address, it shows a
Client ID. How is that useful? Unless I'm missing something there is no way
through the current admin tools to see any IP information. I have to dig it
out of the client object myself.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Bandwidth usage is crucial. I <SPAN
class=413310107-11032004>can see</SPAN> bytes/sec sent and received on
an
instance. If our license is bandwidth restricted, wouldn't it make sense for
the server to show me the total current inbound/outbound bandwidth <SPAN
class=413310107-11032004>in real-time </SPAN>instead of trying to rely on the
logs which end up missing data when the server dies? I looked all over the
admin consol for this and couldn't believe I couldn't find it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>Real time </SPAN>IP and
bandwidth information to me seems critical in helping determine if someone is
hijacking (or attempting to) your server and resources<SPAN
class=413310107-11032004> as well as keep an eye on your potential license
restrictions</SPAN>. <SPAN class=413310107-11032004>Here's a dream
sample
app of</SPAN> enhancements to the Admin Console I'd love to see a coded
example of<SPAN class=413310107-11032004> all wrapped up in a nice
interface</SPAN>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Show all IP's connected to the server (all
applications)<BR>Show all IP's connected to each application<BR>Show all IP's
connected to a specific application instance.<BR>Show how many application
instances a specific IP is connected to<BR>Show current bandwidth usage in
/out
of the server.<BR>Show current bandwidth usage in/out of each
application<BR>Show current bandwidth usage in/out of an application
instance<BR>Show connection speed of an IP and the amount of bandwidth
consumed by <SPAN class=413310107-11032004>each </SPAN>IP (this is
really
crucial to find someone hogging resources).<BR>Block/clear IP from
server<BR>Block/clear IP from application<BR>Block/clear IP from application
instance<BR>Pause or stop the publishing and/or playing of a stream to an
individual IP or connection in a specific application instance</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN><FONT size=2>C<SPAN
class=413310107-11032004>lick on the instance of any published stream and you
would see it/hear it in a video/audio preview window.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>There are lots of areas
something like this could touch on - SO, SSAS, some of the new server side
methods, admin API, etc. I'm not even sure if everything in that list is
even feasible, but most of it except for the last couple seem like things the
server should be telling me without the need to code it myself. I
think an app like this would be something a lot of us could put to
good use and the technique and details of coding it would be invaluable to
intermediate level users. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>Should I keep dreaming?
:)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>Thanks so much for your
help!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004>GatorEye</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=413310107-11032004></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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