Content Protection in UMS
(Ustream Media Server)
Zoltán Németh
Engineering Manager, Core Systems

at a
glance
Live streaming
Free broadcastingSoftware as a Service
Enterprise clients with protected content
• Internal broadcasts
• Copyrighted materials
• Embed restrictions
• Monetizing

Streaming

UMS  Ustream Media Server
 Continuous connection to all clients
 Real-time push-based updates
 First use: viewer number display
 Channel status poll
 Viewer authentication and
authorization
 Stream information
 Java, kernel tweaks

UMS  The source of all information for
streaming clients
 Communication over RTMP /
Websocket / HTTP
 Secure is also available (WSS, HTTPS)
 Current: Zorp
 Next gen: own SSL termination
 DNS balanced, multiple clusters

Broadcaster
authentication
 Upon connect, on the Ingest Server
 Several methods
 FMLE – like Channel Key
 Ustream Session
 Oauth
 On fail
 Reject
 Allow but off air

Viewer
authentication
 UMS, on connect, based on Ustream
session
 Locks
 Password
 Email capture
 Geo, IP
 Referer (embed)
 3rd party auth integrations
 Reject on fail
 Revalidate in real time on changes

Protecting the
content on CDN
 Basic: frequently changing live URL
 Shared secret based hash
 Hash generated on UMS
 Different hash for each viewer
 Hash validated on Edge
 Specific TTL
 Lockhash – changes if locks are
modified

Questions
syntaxerror@ustream.tv