Glоssary fоr Mediaserver
The Glossary section contains highly specialized terms used in the Mediaserver documentation.
Access
Access is a function that determines the administration and configuration of Mediaservers. Depending on the access level, different types of authorization are used:
Public. An access function that enables any Internet user with the corresponding stream URL to view its content.
Private. An access function where the stream is protected and only accessible to authorized users.
API
API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules, standards, and functions that allows different software applications to interact with each other.
Audio codec
An audio codec is a computer program or hardware device used for encoding or decoding audio data. The following audio codecs are used by Mediaserver: PCMA, PCMU, AAC, G711.
Archive duplication
Archive duplication is the process of creating a backup copy of archived data by moving it or writing it in parallel to long-term storage. This measure ensures the safety of information and frees up space for current tasks.
Callback
A callback function is a piece of code that you give to another function. This other function will execute your callback function once it has completed a particular job.
Ceph
Ceph is an open-source, software-defined distributed file system. It is a data storage solution that enables the creation of fault-tolerant clusters scalable to petabytes. Ceph provides reliable data storage and replication, as well as load balancing, ensuring high availability and performance.
Cloud
Cloud is a virtual storage space located on remote servers and accessible over the Internet.
Cluster
The use of a server in cluster mode allows for fault-tolerant stream capture in the event of a system failure or failure of individual components. In a two-server setup, if the primary server fails, the secondary server automatically takes over primary functions, maintaining system reliability.
DVR
DVR is a technology that enables the recording of live video streams from cameras for subsequent storage on physical devices. The primary functions of a DVR include saving content and playing it back.
Encryption
Encryption is a process used to secure video streams during transmission and reception.
fMP4
fMP4 (fragmented MP4) – a file format where the MP4 video and audio data is broken into smaller chunks or fragments. fMP4 is a common format used for video streaming over the HLS protocol.
HLS
HLS is a protocol for streaming media data over the Internet, allowing for both live and archive playback.
IDR
IDR (Instantaneous Decoder Refresh) – IDR frames are a specific type of key frames in video codecs as H.264 and H.265. IDR frames are complete and self-contained frames that do not rely on any other frames for decoding. They contain all the necessary information to represent a full frame of video.
Live
Live is a function that enables real-time streaming of the camera video. This is also used for the Camera preview function.
Microservice architecture
Microservice architecture structures an application as a collection of small, independent services, each of which can be deployed independently.
Multicast
Multicast is a network communication method that allows a single data packet to be sent to multiple recipients, reducing bandwidth consumption.
ONVIF
ONVIF is a streaming protocol that allows IP cameras to communicate with software applications.
Playback
This function provides camera footage streaming to users, supporting both HLS and RTSP protocols. It incorporates server-side authorization for secure access and automatic reconnection to handle interruptions in the server-camera connection.
Reconnect
Reconnect is a function that re-establishes the connection to the stream.
Preview
Typically refers to the process of viewing a segment or a specific frame of a video stream. This could be the last frame or any other specific part of the stream.
RTP
The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) is an application-level network protocol used for streaming of real-time traffic.
RTSP
RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is a command protocol from a subset of the HTTP protocol, a control protocol used to manage media streams. It operates on a subset of HTTP, primarily for establishing connections and issuing commands to control streaming content. RTSP allows users to interact with both archived and live media, enabling actions like play, pause, seek, and more.
RTSP TCP
RTSP TCP is an implementation of RTSP stream capture using the TCP protocol, which is one of the primary protocols for data transmission on the Internet.
RTSP UDP
RTSP UPD is an implementation of an RTSP stream capture over the UDP protocol (a user datagram protocol that is part of a set of Internet protocols).
SSL/TLS
SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that establish secure communication channels between two parties over a network. TLS, the successor to SSL, provides a secure tunnel for data transmission. SSL/TLS are widely used in various applications but are particularly prevalent in web traffic, where they are combined with HTTP to create the HTTPS protocol, ensuring secure data exchange between web browsers and servers.
S3
S3 is an object storage service designed to store and retrieve any amount of data from anywhere on the network. The principle behind S3 storage is creating containers and adding files, represented as objects, to those containers. This means that everything within a container can be viewed, moved, or deleted. The containers themselves can also be deleted if needed.
Stream
A stream is a continuous sequence of video, audio, and related data transmitted from a source.
Streaming
Streaming is the delivery of video, audio, and other data in a continuous flow over the internet. This means that the content is played as it is received, without the need to download an entire file first.
Stream capture
This is the process of receiving a video-, audio-, and related data stream from an external source and converting it into a digital format suitable for further processing, storage, or playback.
Stream recording
This function records a data stream to designated storage locations, enabling subsequent processing, archiving, or playback.
Stream thinning
Stream thinning is a term used in video processing and archiving to describe the selective removal of video frames to reduce the overall data size before archiving.
TCP
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a communication protocol that establishes a connection between devices on a network before data transmission begins. It ensures reliable data delivery by requesting retransmission of lost data and discarding duplicate packets.
UDP
UDP is a communication protocol that does not require a pre-established connection before sending packets. This means that data can be lost, corrupted, or delivered out of order.
Video codec
A video codec is a technology for compressing video for subsequent transmission over a protocol, a program or algorithm for compressing video data and restoring compressed data. Video compression methods:
H.264 and H.265 that are video codecs.
MJPEG is frame-by-frame video compression method, which is characterized by compressing each individual frame of the video stream using the JPEG image compression algorithm.
WebRTC
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a technology that enables real-time exchange of audio, video, and data with minimal delay (low latency) directly between browsers and applications, without the need to install additional plugins or software. WebRTC ensures near real-time data transmission with minimal delays (low latency) due to several key factors: P2P connection, UDP protocol, adaptive codecs, minimal buffering, and intelligent route selection.