How to Update Wowza Streaming Engine

Keeping your streaming infrastructure up-to-date is essential for maintaining security, performance, and compatibility with the latest technologies. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about updating the Wowza Streaming Engine, including prerequisites, step-by-step update procedures for both Windows and Linux/macOS, and important tips to ensure a smooth upgrade experience.

Understanding Wowza Streaming Engine Updates

Wowza Streaming Engine updates are distributed as ZIP archive files. These files follow a specific naming format:

WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version].zip

Here, [version] represents the version number of the update.

To access these updates, you must have an active Maintenance and Support contract with Wowza. This contract grants you access to major version upgrades, minor dot-release updates, and technical support via email.

If you have a valid license key for Wowza Streaming Engine, you can create an account on Wowza’s portal and access available updates from the "Downloads" tab within your Account Management page.

Before You Begin

Before applying an update, you need to ensure that your system meets Java compatibility requirements. The version of Java required depends on both the version currently installed and the version to which you’re upgrading.

Updating to Version 4.8.18 or Later

• Install a supported version of Java, such as Java 11 or 12.
• You can also use the OpenJDK Java SE JRE 11.0.2, which is included with Wowza Streaming Engine 4.8.18. It's available in the "Downloads" section of your Wowza account.
• Follow Wowza’s official guide to manually install and configure Java.

Note: If you've created custom modules built for older Java versions, these may need updates to work with Java 11.

Updating to Version 4.7.8 Through 4.8.17

• Use Java versions 9 through 12.
• Java SE JRE 9.0.4, available in the download section of your Wowza account, is recommended.
• Configure Wowza Streaming Engine to use this Java version by following the same setup instructions.

Note: Versions 4.8.8 to 4.8.17 require the java.scripting module. This is included in the Wowza-provided JRE 9.0.4 but is not installed by default.

Note: When updating to versions between 4.7.8 and 4.8.5, your winstone.properties file will be replaced. Reapply any custom configurations to tomcat.properties manually.

How to Apply an Update

General Requirements

• Administrator or root privileges are required.
• Stop both Wowza Streaming Engine and Manager services before updating.
• Update may overwrite scripts like startmgr.sh or startmgr.bat. Backup and reapply modifications if needed.

Step-by-Step: Apply an Update on Windows

1. Extract the ZIP archive. Copy the folder WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version] into [install-dir]/updates.
2. Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).
3. Change to the update directory:

   cd [install-dir]/updates/WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version]/windows

4. Run the update:

   update.bat

5. Follow the prompts to complete the update.
6. Restart the Wowza server.

Important: Do not delete the original ZIP file. You will need it if you want to roll back the update later.

Step-by-Step: Apply an Update on Linux and macOS

1. Extract the ZIP archive. If needed, create a folder named WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version] and move the contents there.
2. Move this folder to [install-dir]/updates.
3. Open a terminal and change directory:

   cd [install-dir]/updates/WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version]/linux

   or

   cd [install-dir]/updates/WowzaStreamingEngine-Update-[version]/osx

4. Restore execute permissions if needed:

   sudo chmod +x *.sh

5. Run the update:

   sudo ./update.sh

6. Follow the prompts and restart the server.

Conclusion

Keeping Wowza Streaming Engine updated ensures your media server is secure, fast, and compatible with new features and protocols. Whether you’re running Windows, Linux, or macOS, the process is straightforward as long as you follow the guidelines and prepare your environment accordingly. Don’t forget to back up any custom configurations and keep your update archives safe for potential rollbacks.