Windows Media Server Cache Proxy Functionality
A Windows Media server can cache and proxy content as long as it has an enabled cache proxy plug-in present to define what actions to take in response to a client request. For example, if the requested content is found in cache and is up to date, the plug-in can direct the server to play it on demand. If the requested content is not found, the plug-in can do any of the following:
Direct the server to disconnect the client.
Redirect the client to an alternate URL.
Redirect the client to an alternate proxy.
Proxy the content to the client from an origin server.
It is important to understand that the plug-in does not perform any work other than specifying policy decisions. The cache proxy server, not the plug-in, contacts upstream servers and proxies content to the client or caches it locally.
Windows Media Services does not include a cache proxy plug-in, but you can create your own to define the policy that the Windows Media server must follow in response to a client request. The following sections discuss the functionality used by the server to respond to policy decisions made by the plug-in.
Section |
Description |
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Discusses how a Windows Media server caches and proxies a broadcast. |
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Discusses how a Windows Media server caches and proxies an on-demand stream. |
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Discusses how the server determines whether a client has requested content on the local computer or on another server. |
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Discusses refreshing content in the cache to make it reflect content on the origin server. |
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Discusses how a cache proxy server determines whether content is up to date. |
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Discusses how a cache proxy server uses via headers and user agents to identify itself to an upstream server. |
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Discusses the protocols that clients can use to connect to upstream servers. |
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Discusses how a windows Media server acting as a proxy handles authentication challenges from origin servers. |
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Discusses how to guard against server attacks that either disable the downloading process or attempt to download too much data. |
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Discusses how a Windows Media cache server can download multiple bit rate Windows Media files. |
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Discusses how a Windows Media server redirects clients to alternate URLs and proxy servers. |
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Discusses how to make a Windows Media server act as a reverse proxy. |
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Discusses how a cache proxy plug-in can bind one server to another. |
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Discusses the event notifications triggered when an internal cache proxy event occurs. |
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Discusses the external events that you can trap by using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). |
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Discusses how a Windows Media server acting as an origin server can receive remote cache events from a downstream cache proxy server and how a cache proxy server sends the events to an origin server. |