Common Terminology
Service (e.g. Apache) - A computer program that runs as a background process and provides a core functionality such as indexing, database or web server.
Batch job (task) - A job that runs periodically that performs a specific task.
Batch manager (scheduler / daemon) - A service that is responsible for coordinating, starting and stopping batch jobs.
API Architecture
Kaltura Server Roles
API: Responsible for the core logic of Kaltura. All workflows utilize the API server role to work objects or tasks through the Kaltura Platform
Memcache: Used as a caching mechanism
Sphinx: Responsible for real-time search indexing of metadata
Batch: Responsible for performing and maintaining all jobs in the platform
Transcoding: Responsible for converting and ensuring that the video assets are correctly transcoded
Analytics: Aggregates data from multiple sources (including player beacons, CDN logs, API database), in order to generate usage reports (e.g. plays, player impressions, bandwidth, storage)
Admin Console: Responsible for creating and managing publishers, monitoring batch jobs, investigating entries, seeing overall health of batch servers, and performing test API calls
MySQL: Responsible for storing all database data in the platform
Media Server: Responsible for the Delivery and webcam recording features
Shared Storage: Responsible for sharing and storing all media assets
Redundancy
Server Role | Redundancy Type | Description |
API | Load balanced | |
Memcache | None | Impact of this service going down does not hinder any feature use, however there is a small performance impact with it off. |
Sphinx | Application-level | If a sphinx server becomes unreachable, the Kaltura application will use an available sphinx server. Sphinx is not hardware load balanced. |
Batch | Load balanced | Since Batches connect with API load balancer, the API load balancer provides redundancy. |
Transcoding | Load balanced | Since Batches(transcoders) connect with API load balancer, the API load balancer provides redundancy. |
Analytics | API + Database | Access logs are rotated out to the content share. |
Admin Console | None | Multiple admin console servers can be behind a load balancer. |
Media Server | Load balanced | Load balancer can distribute to each server. |
MySQL | Master/Slave | Manual failover is required from the Master to the Slave, or if you want to promote the Slave to Master. |
Network Map
The following diagram illustrates the Kaltura Connection Server Role Break-out
System Overview
- Architecture
- Directory Structure
- Configuration Files
- Caching
- Wowza
Kaltura Chaching Mechanisms
API cache – caches API calls, stored on local API servers.
SWF widgets cache – caches rendered Flash player widgets.
APC - opcode caching. APC is local on each Apache machine
Memcache - Publisher info and some uiconf data – local on each API server.
Administration
- Admin Console
- Logging
- Troubleshooting
- Monitoring
- Backup and Restore
