Install and configure Wowza Streaming Engine

Before you start

You should complete the following tasks:

• Confirm that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for running Wowza Streaming Engine by reviewing the Wowza Streaming Engine Specifications. We recommend installing on 64-bit operating systems.
• Ensure that the ports you use for streaming are open on your firewall. In many enterprise environments, you'll need the approval and the assistance of a network administrator to modify settings in the core router or firewall. In home or small-office environments, you may have to configure "port forwarding" traffic of the port you're using to the port and IP address of your server. For more information, see your router or firewall documentation. For information on ports used for streaming with Wowza Streaming Engine, see Configure streaming ports.

You should also be aware of the following best practices:

• Use the version of Java that installs by default for optimal performance and stability.
• Install and run only one version and instance of Wowza Streaming Engine on a single computer.

Download and install Wowza Streaming Engine

Wowza Streaming Engine is a powerful Java-based media server. When you install Wowza Streaming Engine, it automatically installs the server version of Java that it requires. In addition, an installation wizard guides you through the process, making it easy to get Wowza Streaming Engine up and running.

1. If you don’t already have the Wowza Streaming Engine installer on your system, go to the Wowza Downloads webpage and click Download for the installer for your desired operating system. 
2. When the download completes, do one of the following:
    
   • Windows – Double-click the file WowzaStreamingEngine-4.8.21+6-windows-installer.exe.
   • macOS – Double-click the file WowzaStreamingEngine-4.8.21+6-osx-installer.dmg and then double-click the WowzaStreamingEngine-4.8.21+6-osx-installer package icon.
   • Linux – Navigate to the folder that contains the downloaded package and then execute the following commands:
      Copy

     sudo chmod +x WowzaStreamingEngine-
     4.8.21+6
     
     -linux-x64-installer.run
     
     sudo ./WowzaStreamingEngine-
     4.8.21+6
     
     -linux-x64-installer.run

3. In the installation wizard, accept the terms of the license agreement.
4. Enter a valid product license key.

If you acquired a new license key, you'll find it in the email that you received from Wowza Sales. If you have a previous version of Wowza Streaming Engine installed, look for the license key in the [install-dir]/conf/Server.license file.

5. Create a user name and password for an Administrator account. You'll use these credentials to sign in to the browser-based Wowza Streaming Engine Manager. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
6. Confirm or change the install location.

By default, Wowza Streaming Engine installs files in the following locations:

• Windows – /Program Files/Wowza Media Systems/Wowza Streaming Engine4.8.21+6/  
• macOS –
  • /Applications/Wowza Streaming Engine4.8.21+6/
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/
  • /Library/WowzaStreamingEngine/ (an alias)
  • /Library/WowzaStreamingEngine-4.8.21+6/
• Linux – /usr/local/WowzaStreamingEngine-4.8.21+6/ (as the root user)

7. Confirm or change the Startup Configuration option to use.

Wowza Streaming Engine can run as a system service or in standalone mode from a command shell. By default, the Start Wowza Streaming Engine automatically check box is selected, which instructs the server software and Wowza Streaming Engine Manager to start automatically as system services.

• Running as a system service is often used for server deployments where the server must continue to run after you log off the computer or must be automatically started when the computer is rebooted.
• Running in standalone mode is best for developing custom applications because the server can be started and stopped quickly, and server log messages can be viewed immediately in the console window. For information about running Wowza Streaming Engine in standalone mode and manually starting and stopping the server software, see Start and stop Wowza Streaming Engine.

8. Click Finish.

Confirm that Wowza Streaming Engine is running

Confirm that Wowza Streaming Engine is running by opening a web browser and entering the URL:

http://[wowza-ip-address]:1935/ServerVersion

where [wowza-ip-address] is the IP address or domain of the Wowza Streaming Engine server. For example:

http://localhost:1935/ServerVersion

If Wowza Streaming Engine installed correctly, the browser displays the Wowza Streaming Engine version number. If it doesn't, check to see if the server software installed correctly and that TCP port 1935 is open on your router, firewall, and in your iptables.

Sign in to Wowza Streaming Engine Manager

Now that you know Wowza Streaming Engine is installed correctly, sign in to Wowza Streaming Engine Manager.

You can use Wowza Streaming Engine Manager with the latest version of most modern browsers that support HTML5 and Cascading Style Sheets level 3 (CSS 3). For best results, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

By default, Wowza Streaming Engine is configured to accept connections from Wowza Streaming Engine Manager on the localhost. For information about how to connect to Wowza Streaming Engine on a remote (non-localhost) computer, see Connect to remote Wowza Streaming Engine instances.

1. Open a web browser and enter the URL:

where [wowza-ip-address] is the IP address or domain of the Wowza Streaming Engine server that you want to test. For example:

http://localhost:8088/enginemanager

2. Enter the User Name and Password you specified when you installed Wowza Streaming Engine.

3. Click Sign In.