Testing CDN for Low Latency WebRTC Streaming

Example testing of the minimum CDN configuration for low latency WebRTC streaming based on Web Call Server

For testing, we deployed three WCS Demo servers in the data center: 1 Origin server and 2 Edge servers.

https://demo-origin.flashphoner.com:8444/
https://demo-edge1.flashphoner.com:8444/
https://demo-edge2.flashphoner.com:8444/

For instructions on deploying and configuring servers for CDN, see the Embedding page.

Test plan

Publish a video stream from a web camera to a demo-origin server
Play video stream from demo-edge1 and demo-edge2 servers
Estimate possible CDN latency

Scheme work of CDN for WebRTC low latency streaming

Getting a video stream by Edge servers from an Origin server (steps 4 and 5 in the diagram below) takes place “under the hood” of the WCS server unnoticed by the end user; for details, see the documentation.

Publish a video stream to CDN

We start testing by publishing the video stream on the demo-origin server.

1. Log in to the web interface of the demo-origin server

Login_CDN_low_latency_WebRTC_WCS_Origin_Edge

2. Select “Two-Way Streaming” from the menu on the left side of the page

2way streaming CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

3. Click “Connect”

Clicking Connect CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

4. Wait for confirmation of a successful connection to the server (usually 1-2 seconds). Then specify a convenient name for the stream (in our example “Stream1”) and click the “Publish” button

Established CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

Your local video stream is displayed on the web page.

Publish CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

For testing, we use a video with a countdown timer, which we publish using a virtual camera.

Playing a video stream from an Edge server

Start the stream playback from the demo-edge1 server in the browser

1. Log in to the web interface of the server demo-edge1

Login_to_Edge_CDN_low_latency_WebRTC_WCS_Origin_Edge

2. Select “Player” from the menu on the left side of the page

Player CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

3. Enter the name of the stream that you specified on the demo-origin server in the “Stream” field and click the “Start” button

Clicking Start CDN low latency WebRTC WCS Origin Edge

The video stream from the demo-origin server is played in the player on the demo-edge1 server. Repeat the steps for demo-edge2

Playing_CDN_low_latency_WebRTC_WCS_Origin_Edge

Test result

Thus, the stream “Stream1” was published on the demo-origin server, transferred to the CDN and played through the demo-edge1 and demo-edge2 servers. The timer on the video shows that the latency in playback is less than a second

Clicking_Connect_CDN_low_latency_WebRTC_WCS_Origin_Edge