Events Scheduling

StreamSchedule is a monitoring and logging tool for running scheduled encodes via the Digital Rapids Stream software. Instead of using the Stream Application directly, the user sets up his preferred encoding schedule (using the Windows task scheduler, or any other program like WinCron, LaunchPad etc), and StreamSchedule performs the task of starting & stopping the Stream encode process, and logging events. Stream Schedule is appropriate for Windows XP users only.

Windows Task scheduler is located in: Start / All Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Schedule Tasks

StreamSchedule accepts command line arguments specifying the Stream project you want to load and run. It must be running standalone before calling it with a project value - place a shortcut to it in the Startup group to make sure it always runs at startup.

If Stream software is not running, streamSchedule will launch it.

If Stream is already running, StreamSchedule then stops any current encoding session, and loads the provided project name. 10 seconds after being invoked, it will begin streaming - this gives enough time to launch the Stream app or to stop a previous encode.

EXAMPLE: How to

Requirement is to archive a station output in 1 hour segments, for later review.

Step 1:
 Set up the required encoding project, making sure to use the %D_% and %T_% tags in the output filename(s) to pass the date and time stamps into the filename.

Step 2:
Add a scheduled task using the Windows Scheduler or other, to run once every hour. Create a SetupHourlySchedule.cmd file as indicated at the end of this section. It will configure the Windows XP scheduler to run the command once every hour, every day - you can modify this to change the scheduled timings - i.e. to match station output times. You must also change the /ru and /rp values to match the machine name, username and password that you are logged in as.That is in the CMD example files, change the following:

YELLOW, to be YOUR project name

COMPUTERNAME, to be YOUR Digital Rapids Stream system

USERNAME, to be YOUR login for the system.

PASSWORD to be YOUR password for the above user

All you need to do once you finish editing the file is double click it and it will load the commands into the task manager.

Step 3:
 As the scheduled times are reached, the previous encode (if any) will be stopped, and a new one started, to a new time stamped filename.

Remember, for the tasks to run, StreamSchedule must be running.



SetupHourlySchedule.cmd (Text file)

schtasks /create /sc DAILY /tn "StreamSched01" /tr "\"c:\Program Files\Digital Rapids Stream\StreamSchedule.exe\" c:\Program Files\Digital Rapids\Stream\Projects\YELLOW.prj" /st 00:00:00 /ru COMPUTERNAME\USERNAME /rp PASSWORD

schtasks /create /sc DAILY /tn "StreamSched02" /tr "\"c:\Program Files\Digital Rapids\Stream\StreamSchedule.exe\" c:\Program Files\Digital Rapids Stream\Projects\YELLOW.prj" /st 01:00:00 /ru dan-6850\dan.englert /rp password

Continue "StreamSched03" for st 02:00:00 to StreamSched24" for st 23:00:00

Result when CMD file is run:
Notes:
  • if no instance of Stream is launched, Stream Schedule will launch one, and start encoding
  • if first instance is already running, but not encoding, it will load the project and start encode
  • if first instance is running & encoding, it will launch a second, load the project, and start encode
  • if both instances are running, it will check which one is not encoding & load there
  • if both instances are running & encoding - failure message in log