--- Documentation.txt | 64 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 64 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation.txt
diff --git a/Documentation.txt b/Documentation.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f7485c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation.txt @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +About +----- + +In its current for this is a HTTP live-streaming server. A media file can be +streamed to a number of clients with the correct media file being muxed on- +the-fly for each client starting at the current position in the stream. +The stream received by the clients is simply a HTTP response to an HTTP +request. + + +Documentation +------------- + +The current implementation has three different types of work that is done in +different threads. These types are: reading a stream, accepting HTTP +connections and writing media data to clients. + +The design tries to follow a Publisher-Subscriber-Pattern. The PublisherContext +struct contains buffers of read media data and the list of clients. Clients +themselves contain a buffer of media data that still has to be sent to them. + +The reading thread takes care of segmenting the stream into independent chunks +of data and pushing it to the PublisherContext, which publishes the new Segment +to connected clients. This publishing only adds this Segment to the client's +buffer. + +The writing thread does the actual writing of data over the network. It checks +each client's state and if there is data available that can be written to that +client it is sent. + +The accept thread accepts new clients over HTTP and if not all client slots are +in use, writes the stream-header and adds the client to the PublisherContext. + +A Segment is only stored in memory once and is refcounted. Buffers in the +PublisherContext and clients contain pointers to Segments. + +Buffers are implemented using AVFifoBuffer. + +Client states are protected by pthread-mutex-locks, making it possible to run +multiple write threads. + +Usage +----- + +Currently streams can be supplied as a stream through stdin or any ffmpeg- +compatible URI, e.g. files or network locations. Examples: + +cat somefile.mkv | ./ffserver + +./ffserver somefile.mkv + +./ffserver http://somehost/somefile.mkv + +This will start reading the file and open port 8080 for HTTP client connections. +The stream is read in real time from whatever resource it is retrieved. +Currently a maximum of 16 clients is implemented. + +The server responds to any GET request with the mediastream. Any other request +is answered with a HTTP 400 error. +If the maximum number of clients is reached the server responds with a 503 HTTP +error if a new client wants to connect. + +Once the stream ends the server will write all the remaining data to all +connected clients before closing the connections and exiting. -- 2.16.2 _______________________________________________ ffmpeg-devel mailing list ffmpeg-devel@ffmpeg.org http://ffmpeg.org/mailman/listinfo/ffmpeg-devel
