User authentication for the helix streaming server

I was working on User authentication for the helix streaming server and after few iterations I got it working. I went through following process...

   Initially I installed a helix server on my desktop (I am currently using a windows XP desktop ) with an installer       v111_servinst_nodist_win32-i386-vc7.exe. 

   The server got setup quickly and I was able to test the streaming manually.I  got a  very useful manual at 

   http://www.realnetworks.com/support/docs.html 

   With the help of this manual I went through the authentication and I tried the flat file authentication of users but unfortunately I couldn't do it.       Then I went for the database way of authenticating users ,I found some useful information at    http://na3.salesforce.com/_ui/selfservice/pkb/PublicKnowledgeSolution/d?orgId=00D500000007Hzn&id=501500000007tP8 

   Using that I installed mysql-connector-odbc-3.51.21-win32.msi to get the odbc drivers available for creating DSN.     For Linux the drivers are available at 

   http://mysqlmirror.netandhost.in/Downloads/Connector-ODBC/ 

   I created a database named smil on yogesh's machine which is hosting mysql. I found that the default DB schema is available  for the      MS-SQL server with the default installation of Helix server.This can be found under 

  [serverpath]\Commerce\database\odbc\mssql\ppvdemo.sql 

  I updated the schema to suite mysql and created the table structure for authentication.there are two main tables which are needed for the user   authentication. 

  Note:I am attaching the mysql compatible sql file with this email. 

 1. Users Table  Gives the list of user names and passwords. 

 2.Permissions Table  Linked to the users table through the userid, this identifies the specific clips  or directories and the type of access for each. 

 detailed information about the field is available at 

 http://docs.real.com/docs/server11/wireline/HelixServerAdmin.pdf - > appendix C AUTHENTICATION DATA  STORAGE 

Then I created a system DNS named smil_users on my machine.

  Then  I went to the administration panel for the helix server. And followed the following steps 

 Step 1 :

 I opened the User Databases link in the left menu.    step 1 

I selected the Content_Basic from the left List. I changed the database type from Flat File to ODBC .Then I supplied the DSN information and applied the changes.

Step 2 :

 I opened the Authentication link in the left menu. 

Step 2

I selected the SecureContent from the list at left.Then I made sure that all the setting match as shown in the above snap.I applied the changes. I Clicked the Add a User to Realm link in the bottom. I added a user with user name user1 and password as clarion.Internally this connected to the database smil via DSN and added an entry into the user table for the user name and password

Step 3 :

 I opened the Authentication link in the left menu.

Step 3

I clicked the Commerce link in the left menu and selected SecureUserContent.I made sure that the settings match the above snap.I selected the default Secure directory for keeping the protected media files(that is /Secure as a protected path).I got to know that if I put the media files into this folder, player is forced to ask for authentication before letting the video play.

Step 3.1 Then I clicked the Grant User Permission link in the bottom as in the snap.I granted the permission for the /secured directory to the user user1.We can even specify a single resource file.

Step 4 : Then when tried to open the file from the real player I got a pop up like below Login

For wrong user name password the players ask again for the user name and password and for user name user1 and password clarion it goes ahead and gives the following message Message after login

This message appears because I have installed a free - version of the software and which doesn't allow to stream content without commercial license

Earlier I tried few other versions of the helix streaming server like rs1113-ga-win32.exe ,v111_servinst_plus_win32-i386-vc7.exe but after going through some manual tests and internet resources, I got to know that the free servers which allow streaming don't allow authentication popping up and the ones which allow authentication don't allow streaming.