Forum, Support | Wowza Media Systems - How to troubleshoot error messages

This article contains a partial list of messages from the wowzamediaserver_access.log and wowzamediaserver_error.log files, scenarios that can cause these messages to be logged, and suggestions for resolution.

Wowza Media Server Logging

Code:

server    ERROR    500    -    server core failure: java.net.BindException: Address already in use
vhost     WARN    200    _defaultVHost_    Bind failed, try again ([any]:1935): java.net.BindException: Address already in use

Cause: Typically caused because another instance of the Wowza Media Server that's already running. The wowzamediaserver_service.log records a history of what was installed and may have been started. Shut down all instances of Wowza Media Server and then re-launch. Wowza can run as a service, or in standalone mode, or in the Wowza IDE, but only one at a time. To re-configure JMX access, see Management and Monitoring (JMX and JConsole).

Code:

comment    server    ERROR   500    -    Failed to connect: org.apache.mina.common.RuntimeIOException: Failed to get the session[ConnectException: Connection refused].    
comment    server    WARN    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasic.getStreamIn  fo: RTSP/RTP re-streaming. Cannot connect to server: rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/myStream.sdp

Cause: Attempt to connect to IP camera with improper credentials.

Code:

server    WARN    200    -    LiveStreamPacketizerSmoothStreaming.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream]: Fragment duration greater than suggested range of 1-4 seconds. Adjust keyframe interval accordingly: Fragment durations: [5.0,5.0,5.0]

Cause: For Silverlight Smooth Streaming (live streaming only), the key frame frequency (which can be set directly in some encoders or is gop/fps), needs to be between 1 and 4 seconds. 2 seconds is recommended. Anything greater than 4 seconds can cause playback to freeze. If you aren't using Smooth Streaming, remove smoothstreamingpacketizer from Streams/LiveStreamPacketizers.

Code:

comment    server    WARN    200    -    RTPPacket.write: Bad packet: Incomplete NAL Units.

Cause: Packet loss in most cases. Try turning on packet loss logging to verify if this is the problem. (See Configure an RTP jitter buffer and packet loss logging (RTP/MPEG-TS over RTP).)

Code:

comment server ERROR 500 RTPDePacketizerMPEG4LATM.handleRTPPacket: Bad packet length: 200:105

Cause: This indicates a network connection problem. Try to stream the same file on your localhost or your local network to eliminate network problems as the issue.

Code:

ERROR    server    comment    HTTPUtils.HTTPRequestToByteArray: java.io.FileNotFoundException: http://[ip-address]/latest/meta-data/product-codes
WARN    server    comment    Server.run: License key specified in [install-dir]/conf/Server.license file is malformed.
ERROR    server    comment    error: java.lang.NullPointerException
ERROR    server    comment    ERROR: Cannot write to license key file:

Cause: This error is caused from using the wrong license key. For example, if you used a Wowza Media Server 2 license key with a Wowza Media Server 3 installer.

Code:

server   comment    ERROR   com.wowza.wms.server.LicensingException: Server.license

Cause: When using the Load Test Tool, it's expected behavior that you'll see 2 Server license errors each time the performance script is run. This is noted in the Load Test Tool documentation and the errors can be ignored.

Code:

ERROR server comment - The Wowza Media Systems Software licensing system has determined that your serial number is not valid. Please validate that your are using the correct serial number. If this problem persists, please visit http://www.wowzamedia.com/subscriptionsupport.php for up to date information.
ERROR server comment - system.exit

Cause: This error is due to an unpaid subscription. Contact billing@wowza.com to resolve.

Code:

comment    server   ERROR    PushPublisherRTMP: com.wowza.wms.server.LicensingException: Server.license

Cause: This error can be seen when a user is using an old Amazon EC2 AMI in conjunction with the Push Publishing API. The behavior is exhibited is when the Wowza Media Server functions as expected locally or on staging, but the deployment server throws this licensing error. This particular licensing restriction has since been lifted. Updating to a current AMI will resolve this problem.

Code:

comment    server    ERROR    500    -    invoke(onHTTPCupertinoStreamingSessionDestroy): java.lang.NullPointerException: com.ptin.wms.module.AbortSession.onHTTPCupertinoSt  reamingSessionDestroy(EndSession.java:10)

Cause: In this example, there is an error in the custom module named AbortSession at line 10. The custom module developer must troubleshoot.

Code:

Comment  server    WARN    200    Application folder ([install-location]/applications/_defapp_) is missing

Cause: This error is generated when you connect to Wowza Media Server with no application name.

Code:

comment    server    WARN    200    -    Application folder ([install-location]/applications/:80) is missing

Cause: Usually caused by ffmpeg being used as an encoder and not properly sending application name.

Code:

comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.create[9936743]    -    -    -    2.469       
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.init[9936743]    -    -    -    2.47       
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.Reconnector[9936743:live/_definst_:live/customer.stream]: start: 1    -    -    -    2.473      
comment    server    INFO    200    -    VHost.startStartupStreams: Stream successfully started [live/_definst_]: flv:live/customer.stream    -    -    -    2.486       
comment    server    ERROR   500    -    Failed to connect: org.apache.mina.common.RuntimeIOException: Failed to get the session[java.net.NoRouteToHostException: No route to host].    -    -    -    5.603   
comment    server    WARN    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasic.getStreamIn  fo: RTSP/RTP re-streaming. Cannot connect to server: rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/customer.mp4    -    -    -    5.618    
comment    server    ERROR   500    -    Failed to connect: org.apache.mina.common.RuntimeIOException: Failed to get the session[java.net.NoRouteToHostException: No route to host].

Cause: This MediaCaster problem is most commonly caused by some kind of network error. For example, the SHOUTcast server isn't turned on. Here we see a live stream started, then warnings and errors that indicate that the Wowza Media Server was impacted by a dependency failure.

Code:

Application (vod) is not defined

Cause: If this error is displayed when using one of the example players, and the application 'vod' is defined properly, another application is already using the same port as Wowza Media Server. In this scenario, http://localhost:1935 won't return the build number as expected and no other activity is recorded in the logs because the server can't be reached.

Code:

ERROR server comment RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPConnecti  on.connect[wowza-ip-address]:[port-number]: Failed to connect: org.apache.mina.common.RuntimeIOException: Failed to get the session[ConnectException: Connection refused: no further information]. 
WARN server comment LiveMediaStreamReceiver.doWatchdog: streamTimeout: Resetting connection

Cause: Wowza Media Server can't connect to a MediaCaster stream. It could be a problem with the network or a problem with the source. For example, the camera was reached, but rejected the connection. Wowza Media Server will continue trying to reconnect until the stream is available again.

Code:

comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.bind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:6000    -    -    -    556.803  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.bind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:6001    -    -    -    556.803    
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.bind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:6002    -    -    -    556.804    
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.bind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:6003    -    -    -    556.804    
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.s  essionStart: PLAY: rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/myStream.3gp/   
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.p  rocessResponse: PLAY: rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/myStream.3gp/      
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.Reconnector[30149247:live/_definst_:live/myStream.stream]: done: 2    -    -    -    556.805  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    UDPTransport.firstPacket: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5984    -    -    -    557.044       

-----other log lines removed for clarity -----------------

comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.shutdown[30149247:live/_definst_:live/myStream.stream]: live/myStream.stream  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.disconnect[30149247:live/_definst_:live/ myStream.stream]    -    -    -    853.437  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPMediaCaster.closeRTPSession[30149247:live/_definst_:live/ myStream.stream]    -    -    -    853.437 
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.c  lose closeSession    -    -    -    853.437    
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.unbind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5988    -    -    -    853.438  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.o  nClose    -    -    -    853.438    
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPSessionTracker.remove[rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/myStream.3gp]: 0:true    -    -    -    853.439  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.unbind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5989    -    -    -    853.439  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.unbind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5982    -    -    -    853.439  
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.unbind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5983    -    -    -    853.439
comment    server    INFO    200    -    RTPUDPTransport.unbind[live/_definst_]: 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0:5983    -    -    -    853.439

Cause: 2 or 4 bind lines, followed quickly by 2 or 4 unbind lines indicate a failed UDP session, ports blocked. Typically the problem is with the firewall on the computer where Wowza Media Server is installed. It could also be the router, proxy in the environment, or carrier network in RTSP streaming application.

Code:

server  WARN    200 - RTPDePacketizerWrapperPacketSorter.packetLoss\[live/_definst_/streamOne.sdp:trackID=2\]: last:13066 curr:25584    
server  WARN    200 - RTPDePacketizerWrapperPacketSorter.packetLoss\[live/_definst_/streamTwo.sdp:trackID=1\]: last:63732 curr:14634 
server  WARN    200 - HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreaming.getAppInstan  ce: Stream not found \[live/_definst_/streamThree.sdp/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1234567890\]: myStream.sdp  68998.779

Cause: Another encoder on the same network was pushing packets for those same channels and were conflicting. The behavior is that it looks like some streams are losing packets.

Another troubleshooting tip: Note the big discrepancy in the last and current values. If RTP, the values should be close. The packet sorter will only work if the stream is RTP. We use a sequence number in the RTP header to do packet re-ordering. Because the numbers are so far apart, it most likely means that the stream in question isn't RTP. Possibly the stream(s) that are causing these issues are MPEG-TS that aren't RTP-wrapped.

Code:

comment client connectionClosed [236894567] watchdog

Cause: When watchdog is disabling the connection, it means that the Wowza Media Server is no longer receiving requests from the Flash player application. The Flash player, when doing RTMPT, uses a polling mechanism. It polls about every 500 milliseconds (ms). If Wowza Media Server doesn't receive a message from the client in 90 seconds, the internal client object is disabled assuming the connection is dead. Try doing Wireshark tests to see if the proxy is continuing to send the requests from the client through the proxy to Wowza Media Server.

Code:

 
RTPDePacketizerWrapperPacketSorter.handleRTPPacket["+contextStr+":"+rtpTrack.getTrackId()+"]: Stream is MPEG-TS which is not supported by packet sorter. Packets will be forwarded.

Cause: (New in Wowza Media Server 3.0) Packet sorter will forward MPEG-TS packets and report to the log. The part in brackets will be the appName/appInstanceNAme/streamName:trackname.

Code:

Error parsing VHosts.xml (file:///usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/conf/VHosts.xml): java.util.ArrayList cannot be cast java.util.ArrayList cannot be cast to org.w3c.dom.NodeList
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com.wowza.wms.server.Server
   at java.lang.Class.initializeClass(libgcj.so.7rh)

Cause: These messages occur when trying to start Wowza Media Server. "libgcj.so" indicates that it's an old version of Java that could have been part of a Linux distribution. Install the latest Oracle Java and validate that it's installed properly before re-starting Wowza Media Server.

Code:

server    WARN    404    [path-to-video-file]     MediaReaderH264.open[2]: java.lang.Exception: QTUtils.parseQTMediaContainer: File is missing 'moov' atom.

Cause: Attempt to stream a file while it's being recorded. When the stream is unpublished, Wowza Media Server will write the moov atom data to the end of the file. You can use the IMediaWriterActionNotify listener to listen for files to be completed. If you use the nDVR AddOn, then you can record while playing back a live stream.

You may also get this error if you try to playback a file that has H.264 content but isn't an mp4 file and you use the mp4 prefix. Example, you have published H.264 video from your encoder and Wowza Media Server has recorded it as an FLV file. If you use the mp4 prefix in this case, you'll get this error. The correct way is to treat the file as a standard FLV file.

Code:

WARN	server	comment		MediaReaderH264.open[2]: java.lang.Exception: QTUtils.parseQTMediaContainer: Atom size is invalid: 0.

Cause: Occurs when there is an attempt to playback a file that's not an MP4 file. This error is thrown by the MP4 file parser indicating that it can't find information that it expects. Typically the problem is that the wrong prefix is being used. For example, if you are trying to playback an FLV file and use "mp4:" as the prefix, you'll get this error.

Code:

ERROR server comment QTWriterUtils.loadForAppend[path-to-video-file][index]: Bad atom length: -8
WARN server comment QTWriterUtils.loadForAppend[path-to-video-file][index]: MOOV Atom is missing
WARN server comment QTWriterUtils.loadForAppendParseMOOV[path-to-video-file]: WARNING: Append: The 'stsc' atom has incorrect sample count information: missingSampleCount:26 lastChunkCount:1 lastSamplesPerChunk:25 totalSampleCount:79926 samplesAccountedFor:79900

Cause:
When recording a video, if the file is moved before the recording is completed (unpublished), then the file isn't playable and you'll see the missing moov atom error. When the stream is unpublished, Wowza Media Server will write the moov atom data to the end of the file. The resultant recording would have a problem if there was an issue with the unpublish mechanism, say if the server was shut down or the unpublish wasn't triggered for some reason.

Code:

ERROR server comment  QTWriterUtils.loadForAppend[path-to-video-file][index]: Bad atom length: -8
WARN server comment  QTWriterUtils.loadForAppend[path-to-video-file][index]: MDAT Atom is missing

Cause: Caused during the recording of the file. For example, a problem writing out to the specified target file name for the recorded video could cause this error. mdat atom is a required top-level atom.

Code:

WARN server comment MediaReaderFLV.open: Metadata appears to be bad: [stream-name]

Cause: Could be a file-specific problem with the FLV format. This error indicates that the file doesn't include the onMetaData packet. Provide sample problematic file for analysis.

Missing prefix for MP4 type files (for example, sample.mp4 instead of mp4:sample.mp4). Wowza Media Server ignores the file extension so if the prefix is missing then the server will load the MediaReaderFLV by default but the MediaReaderH264 is actually required. Adding the prefix may fix it. JW Player adds a prefix if you don't and it can detect what it should be. Other players may or may not add the prefix. The Wowza example players don't add the prefix automatically.

Code:

ERROR server comment MediaReaderFactory.getInstance: Missing definition for mov

Cause: Attempt to playback a file with a .mov prefix when the file isn't that stream type.

Code:

java.io.IOException: Too many open files
	at sun.nio.ch.ServerSocketChannelImpl.accept0(Native Method)
	at sun.nio.ch.ServerSocketChannelImpl.accept(ServerSo  cketChannelImpl.java:152)
	at org.apache.mina.transport.socket.nio.SocketAccepto  r$Worker.processSessions(Unknown Source)
	at org.apache.mina.transport.socket.nio.SocketAccepto  r$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
	at org.apache.mina.util.NamePreservingRunnable.run(Un  known Source)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

Cause: Make sure Wowza Media Server is properly tuned following the General Performance Tuning Guide. See step #9 in the Tuning Guide for more information about this error.

Code:

4001 AG_E_NETWORK_ERROR.

Cause: This message is generated by the Microsoft Silverlight player, not Wowza Media Server so it won't be recorded in the Wowza logs. This error is typically caused by the port not being opened or an incorrect URL. Test if you can playback using our Silverlight demo.

Code:

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at com.wowza.wms.httpstreamer.cupertionstreaming.file  .MediaReaderH264Cupertino.fillChunk (Unknown Source)
	at com.wowza.wms.httpstreamer.cupertionstreaming.file  .HTTPStreamerCupertionIndexFile.fillChunk (Unkown Source)
	at com.wowza.wms.httpstreamer.cupertionstreaming.file  .HTTPStreamerCupertionIndexBase.getChunk (Unkown Source)
	at com.wowza.wms.httpstreamer.cupertionstreaming.http  streamer.HTTPSstreamerAdapterCupertionStreamer.onM  ediaFile (Unknown Source)
	----

Cause: This is an error related to the file structure. Test with other files or our demo files to determine if it's file specific. Provide your live stream or VOD file to Support for further analysis.

Code:

Access Forbidden (403)

Cause: This error is seen on an encoder that tries to connect to Wowza Media Server. It's not recorded in the Wowza logs. It can be caused by specifying a Wowza application that's not configured on the Wowza Media Server. It can also be caused by trying to play the files from Wowza Media Server as if it were a web server. This won't work. The sample .html files should be opened up directly in a web browser.

Code:

comment	server	WARN	404	mpegts.stream	MediaReaderH264.open[1]: java.io.FileNotFoundException: C:\Program Files (x86)\Wowza Media Systems\Wowza Media Server 3.0\content\mpegts.stream (The system cannot find the file specified)

Cause: Occurs when the stream can't be found. Common causes are if Streams/StreamType isn't set correctly in Application.xml or if the stream is being started using StreamManger and the wrong MediaCaster Type is selected when starting the stream.

Code:

comment server	ERROR	Close RTSP/RTP session. Session timeout: 90000

Cause: Timeout threshold exceeded. The value can be set in RTP/RTSPSessionTimeout in [install-dir]/conf/[app-name]/Application.xml. The value is milliseconds. Set to 0 to never timeout. For problematic MediaCaster streams, take a look at How to enable advanced monitoring and resetting of MediaCaster streams. Stream Monitor will monitor these streams and reset them if they become unhealthy.

Code:

WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSanJoseStreamer.onPlaylist: Application context not loaded [dvr/myStream/manifest.f4m?DVR]: dvr/_definst_]: dvr/_definst_
WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSmoothStreamer.onPlaylist: Application context not loaded [dvr/myStream/manifest.f4m?DVR]: dvr/_definst_]: dvr/_definst_
WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onPlaylist: Application context not loaded [dvr/myStream/manifest.f4m?DVR]: dvr/_definst_]: dvr/_definst_

WARN	server	comment	HTTPStreamerAdapterSanJoseStreamer.onMediaFile: Application context not loaded [vod/mp4:sample.mp4/media.ts?wowzasessionid=532002815]: vod/_definst_
WARN	server	comment	HTTPStreamerAdapterSmoothStreamer.onMediaFile: Application context not loaded [vod/mp4:sample.mp4/media.ts?wowzasessionid=532002815]: vod/_definst_
WARN	server	comment	HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onMediaFile: Application context not loaded [vod/mp4:sample.mp4/media.ts?wowzasessionid=532002815]: vod/_definst_

Cause: This message occurs when the the application name or URL is invalid. If using the sample players, a frequent cause is that your application name is different than the application name provided by default. Check the URL.

Code:

WARN	200	server	comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSanJoseStreamer.service: Request timeout: 12000
WARN 	200	server 	comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSmoothStreamer.service: Request timeout: 12000
WARN 	200	server 	comment HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.service: Request timeout: 12000

Cause: No stream connection within timeout value. Check live source and encoder.

Code:

WARN	server	comment	HTTPStreamerAdapterSanJoseStreamer.onPlaylist: Application context not loaded [[live/myStream/manifest.f4m]: live/_definst_]: live/_definst_
WARN	server	comment	HTTPStreamerAdapterSmoothStreamer.onManifest: Application context not loaded [live/myStream/Manifest]: live/_definst_

Cause: Occurs when the HTTPStreamers property in Application.xml doesn't include the type of streaming that you are trying to playback, cupertinostreaming, smoothstreaming, sanjosestreaming. Sample Silverlight player gives: "Streaming Error: Failed to download manifest: d"

Code:

HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onPlaylist[live/_definst_/myStream/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=639247249]: Session not accepted[639247249]

Cause:The stream is invalid or the session has timed out.

Code:

comment server ERROR 500 - ModulePushPublishSimpleExample#StreamNotify.onPubl  ish: com.wowza.wms.server.LicensingException: Server.license 
comment server ERROR 500 - ModulePushPublishSimpleExample#StreamNotify.onPubl  ish: com.wowza.wms.server.LicensingException: Server.license
comment server ERROR 500 - ModulePushPublishSimpleExample#StreamNotify.onPubl  ish: com.wowza.wms.server.LicensingException: Server.license

Cause: Make sure you have the latest Push Publishing module. Contact sales@wowza.com to request the module.

Code:

ERROR	server	comment	HTTPUtils.HTTPRequestToByteArray: java.io.FileNotFoundException: http://[wowza-ip-address]/latest/meta-data/product-codes

Cause: This message occurs when running on an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) with a Bring Your Own (LicKey) Monthly or Daily subscription or Perpetual Edition license key. You can ignore this message.

Code:

WARN 200 RTPPacketFragmentListReader.skip: Bad skip count: -123456789

Cause: This indicates packet loss or an incomplete packet. This message can occur when CPU utilization or GPU utilization for acceleration is at maximum capacity or beyond workable threshold, or if there is too much network traffic. Make sure Wowza Media Server has been tuned. See the Performance Tuning article.

Code:

ERROR 500 - addDataA[this.size:248620 this.dataA.length:248620 this.startDataLoc:278333 this.dataLoc:278333 data.length:4016 offset:152 size:32 missing:22 ]: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException

Cause: The correct amount of data for the packet to be received isn't present. This message can occur when CPU utilization or GPU utilization for acceleration is at maximum capacity or beyond workable threshold, or if there is too much network traffic. Make sure that Wowza Media Server has been tuned (see Performance Tuning article). Packet loss can occur when CPU/GPU utilization or network throughput is maximized.

Code:

WARN 200 - RTPDePacketizerWrapperPacketSorter.handleRTPPacket[:mpegts]: Stream is MPEG-TS which is not supported by packet sorter. Packets will be forwarded.

Cause: Remove the packet sorter from your Application.xml configuration if it doesn't apply to your stream.

Code:

Server ERROR	403	ModuleRTMPAuthenticate.checkSecureToken: Action before response received: kill connection:

Cause: A client is trying to connect without responding to the secure token request. Check that the code is properly integrated into the player.

Code:

DirectRandomAccessReader.read: java.io.IOException: The specified network name is no longer available

Cause: Network-related error. Check that the StorageDir property in [install-dir]/conf/[app-name]/Application.xml points to a mapped drive or UNC path that's available.

Code:

ERROR 500 - server core failure: java.lang.NullPointerException

Cause: Possible corrupt installation. Try re-installing Wowza Media Server.

Code:

ERROR server comment Failed to connect: org.apache.mina.common.RuntimeIOException: Failed to get the session[ConnectException: Connection timed out: no further information]
ERROR server comment RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasic.getStreamIn  fo: RTSP/RTP re-streaming timeout.

Cause: Both errors are related to network connectivity problems, an inability to connect to the MediaCaster stream. Look at previous log lines for clues. This could also be caused if hitting the upper limit of the number streams that the server can handle. Another server may need to be added. Recommend installing Advanced Stream Monitor, which will monitor and reset unhealthy streams and Server monitoring with JConsole.

Code:

ERROR server comment RTPMulticastListener.unbind:java.net.SocketExcepti  on: error setting options

Cause: Typically caused by network connectivity problems.

Code:

ERROR server comment packetSizeReset: 12:345
ERROR server comment Zero sized function (client): type:20 size:0 index:123
ERROR server comment Data format incorrect, killing client connection.

Cause: This could be caused by many factors, but is typically caused by a TCP or communication error. It usually indicates that the Wowza Media Server is overwhelmed in some way--CPU, I/O, network, or even the garbage collector (GC) is running for too long. The Performance Tuning article outlines possible changes to GC and other areas to check.

Code:

INFO smoothstreaming connect 123456789 -
INFO stream create videos/myStream.smil -
[Fatal Error] :2:7: The element type "smil" must be terminated by the matching end-tag "</smil>".
ERROR server comment MediaListReaderSMIL.readMediaList[vod/_definst_:videos/myStream.smil]: org.xml.sax.SAXParseException: The element type smil must be terminated by the matching end-tag "</smil>".
WARN server comment HTTPStreamerSmoothStreamerIndexPlaylist.indexFile[vod/_definst_/smil:videos/myStream.smil]: MediaList is empty.
WARN server comment HTTPStreamerCupertinoIndexPlaylist.indexFile[vod/_definst_/smil:videos/myStream.smil]: MediaList is empty.
WARN server comment HTTPStreamerSanJoseIndexPlaylist.indexFile[vod/_definst_/smil:videos/myStream.smil]: MediaList is empty.

Cause: Malformed .smil file, missing <head> tag.

Code:

Media Error: 3016 An error has occurred.

Cause: This error is displayed in the SimpleVideoStreaming/clientSilverlight (Wowza Media Server 3.1.2) or VideoOnDemandStreaming/SilverlightPlayer (Wowza Media Server 3.5) example clients when the .smil file is malformed, missing quotes around streamname. No errors will appear in Wowza Media Server console or logs. INFO messages will be logged reporting stream create/play/stop/destroy.

Code:

INFO 200 - ShoutCastReceiver.internalConnect: http://www.mywebsite:1234/
INFO 200 - ShoutCastReceiver.internalConnect: http://www.mywebsite:1234/ - - - 
INFO 200 - ShoutCastDecoder.checkHeader[default.stream]: ICY response: ICY 401 Service Unavailable

Cause: Typical causes for why a connection with a SHOUTcast/Icecast stream is failing are:

Ports are blocked. Check that ports aren't blocked or in conflict with another application.
The SHOUTcast/Icecast server is offline and therefore a connection and re-tries fail.
Incorrect URL. See the first note in the troubleshooting section of the How to re-stream audio from SHOUTcast/Icecast article. You need to use the media URL, not the playlist URL.
If this is an intermittent problem, a likely cause is that the SHOUTcast/Icecast stream isn't stable and consistently available.

Code:

WARN server comment - RTPDePacketizerMPEGTS.handleRTPPacket: Out of sync: 0x[nn]

Cause: This could be a result of two encoders sending a stream to the same port. It could also be that the stream isn't aligned. Try setting videoIsAligned property to false as described in the How to troubleshoot live streaming article with the latest version of Wowza Media software installed. Latest development build can be found here.

Cause: The MPEG-TS encoder might not be aligning the TS packets correctly in UDP packets. Add the following property to the RTP/Properties container in [install-dir]/conf/[application]/Application.xml (be sure to get the correct <Properties> container - there are several in the Application.xml file):

Code:

<Property>
    <Name>rtpDePacketizerWrapper</Name>
    <Value>com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPDePacketizerWrap  perReChunkMPEGTS</Value>
</Property>

Note that Wowza Media Server only allows a single rtpDePacketizerWrapper value. If you have configured a jitter buffer or packet recorder that uses the same rtpDePacketizerWrapper, they must be removed.

Code:

WARN server comment - RTPDePacketizerBase.checkRTCPSSRC: ssrc error: e8b92a:6319b7c8

Cause: This usually means that the encoder has started and stopped and the session hasn't timed out. When this happens, the ssrc property of the RTP packets changes. Wowza Media Server will block the incoming packets because this value has changed. There's a stream timeout of 12 seconds set for RTP streams. As long as the encoder is down for more than 12 seconds, then the stream should reset and be OK.

Code:

comment server  WARN    200     -       Waiting for RTCP packet. See docs for (Application.xml: RTP/AVSyncMethod and RTP/MaxRTCPWaitTime).

Cause: Sender Report (SR) packets, which are sent over the Real-time Control Protocol (RTCP) channel, did not arrive within the timeout period specifed by the RTP/MaxRTCPWaitTime property in [install-dir]/conf/[application-name]/Application.xml. SR packets provide timing information between the audio and video in the incoming RTP stream. If Wowza Media Server doesn't detect SR packets for the incoming RTP stream, it will write this message to the log file and try to use RTP timecode values in the RTP packets to synchronize the audio and video channels.

You can extend the amount of time that the server will wait to receive SR packets by changing the RTP/MaxRTCPWaitTime property in [install-dir]/conf/[application-name]/Application.xml or you can change the default method by which Wowza Media synchronizes the audio and video by changing the RTP/AVSyncMethod property in [install-dir]/conf/[application-name]/Application.xml from the default value (senderreport) to either rtptimecode or systemclock. If set to rtptimecode, Wowza Media Server will synchronize the audio and video channels based on RTP timecodes in the RTP packets (as previously mentioned). If set to systemclock, Wowza Media Server will synchronize the audio and video channels based on the system time that the first audio and video packets arrive at the server, assuming that they arrive at the same time.

Code:

comment server INFO 200 - Server.startShutdownHook: Start server shutdown hook

Cause: This logging line is part of the standard startup lines for Wowza Media Server 3.1 or later. The startup line is no cause for concern. Additional logging was added to help troubleshoot shutdowns.

Code:

WARN server comment - HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onEncKey[live/_definst_/myStream/key.m3u8key?wowzasessionid=1063299536]: onEncKey is not enabled.

Cause: This warning indicates that the onEncKey delivery isn't enabled HTTPStreamer/Properties in Application.xml. It's turned off by default for security reasons.

Code:

     <Property>
          <Name>cupertinoEnableOnEncKey</Name>
          <Value>true</Value>
          <Type>Boolean</Type>
     </Property>

Code:

HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onPlaylist[[application]mp4:anyfile.mp4/playlist.m3u8]: Over license limit

The Over license limit indicates an issue other than implied license limit. This typically occurs in scenarios where other errors are taking place and the streamer code misinterprets the failure as a license failure. This was fixed in the latest Wowza Media Server 3.5.2 Development Build.

Wowza nDVR Logging

Code:

comment    server    WARN   DvrApplicationStoreManagerBase.removeStream() stream foo does not exist in this DVR.

Cause: This is a valid warning if:

A player requested chunks from foo, but foo no longer exists because the user deleted it.
The ArchiveStrategy property is set to delete in Application.xml.

Code:

comment    server    WARN   Current DVR time tried to move backwards.  Ignored new time.  Old time=422310.  New time=0.
WARN server comment - DvrPacketHandler.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream.stream]: Timecode out of order [audio]: 8166079375 : 8166079384

Cause: There is a problem with the encoder sending packets with odd packet times. nDVR reports the issue, but can't fix it.

Code:

WARN LiveStreamDvrRecorder.endChunk[live/_definst_/myStream]: Recalculating duration by estimating.  Was -601.  Is now 811.

Cause: This is a built-in safeguard in Wowza nDVR AddOn. If Wowza Media Server detects an invalid chunk, it will try to fix it by recalculating if the clock was reset. Or, if it can't fix it, the chunk will be thrown out.

Code:

WARN  DvrPacketHandler.handleHolder(): Skipping holder that cannot be re-aligned. Holder: {DvrPacketHolder: type:V pt:3332574 utc:1335872445912 dur:1230 (KEY, ) codec:7 numPackets:0 dataLen:18513 enc.n:0 pkt:{{DvrAMFPacket: size:18513, type:9, src:1, seq:0, absTimecode: 3332574, timecode:1230, utcTc:1335872445912}}}

Cause: This is a built-in safeguard in Wowza nDVR AddOn. This warning message reports that the chunk couldn't be re-aligned.

Code:

WARN  DvrPacketHandler.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream]: Tossing packet with excessive duration: {DvrAMFPacket: size:6785, type:9, src:32185, seq:126, absTimecode: 35557077, timecode:131362, utcTc:1337890914597}

Cause: This is a built-in safeguard in Wowza nDVR AddOn. Wowza nDVR expects the incoming audio and video to be aligned. When the audio and video are out of alignment beyond the allowable tolerance, you'll see this WARN message in the logs. It indicates dropped packets and a problematic source stream. See dvrAllowableAVPacketDelta in the Wowza nDVR Advanced Configuration article to try to compensate for out-of-alignment issues.

Code:

WARN    server    comment        myStream     MediaReaderH264.open[1]: java.io.FileNotFoundException: /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/content/myStream (No such file or directory)

Cause: The StreamType value is set to default instead of live in the Application.xml file. Wowza nDVR supports live streaming only. This message indicates Wowza Media Server is looking for a VOD file in the content directory. Change the Streams\StreamType property to live.

Code:

WARN    server    comment        ApplicationInstance.setdvrList[dvr/_definst_]: dvr is not valid: dvrrecoder

Cause: 'dvrrecorder' is spelled incorrectly in [install-dir]\conf\[app-name]\Application.xml. Look carefully at the last word of the message.

Code:

ERROR    server    comment        LiveStreamDvrRecorderBase.initProperties[live/_definst_/myStream] : DVR/Store 'foo' is not a known DVR store.  DVR is unable to record.

Cause: 'foo' isn't a valid DVR store. Set the DVR/Store property to dvrfilestorage if single server or origin. If edge, leave empty.

Code:

ERROR    server    comment    LiveStreamDvrRecorderBase.initProperties[live/_definst_/myStream] : DVR/Store not set in Application.xml.  DVR is unable to record.

Cause: No value is specified for the DVR/Store property as expected. Set the DVR/Store property to dvrfilestorage.

Code:

ERROR    server    comment    LiveStreamDvrRecorderBase.initProperties[live/_definst_/myStream] : DVR/StorageDir not set in Application.xml.  DVR is unable to record.

Cause: No value is specified for the DVR/StorageDir property as expected. The default value is <StorageDir>${com.wowza.wms.context.VHostConfigHom e}/dvr</StorageDir>.

Code:

WARN    server    comment    DvrStreamStoreBase.startRecording[live/_definst_/myStream/myStream_0] : Attempt to start recording stream that cannot record.

Cause: See other DVR/Store property errors. Typically one of those precede this warning message.

Code:

ERROR	server	comment	DvrStreamStoreBase.storeChunks[DVR/_definst_/myCamera.stream/myStream.0] : Skipping chunk. A/V packet times differ by 3025 ms, more than allowed 2000 ms.   aTime=3749903889 vTime=3749906914

Cause: This kind of error in the log indicates a problem with audio/video alignment. Because of this alignment problem, chunks aren't being recorded and will degrade the recording. The best way to fix this is upstream from Wowza nDVR AddOn (typically in the encoding process). While we strongly recommended that you fix any audio/video alignment issue before recording, there are nDVR AddOn properties that you can set in Application.xml to try and compensate for this problem. Note that these properties won't fix the alignment problem but may help to work around it. See dvrPacketSortTime and dvrAllowableAVPacketDelta in the Wowza nDVR Advanced Configuration article.

Code:

comment	server	WARN	200	LiveStreamDvrRecorder.reportCodecInformation[live/_definst_/myStream][avc1.77.31]: H.264 (Video may not be playable on older iPhone and iPod touch devices where Baseline/Level 3.0 or lower is required) Video info: : {MediaCodecInfoVideo: codec:H264, profile:77, level:31, frameSize:320x240, displaySize:320x240, frameRate:29.970000}

Cause: This warning is to inform you that, based on the stream code, the video may not be playable on older Apple iOS devices. Consult Apple technical specifications for your desired playback device to determine the supported codecs.

Code:

comment	server	ERROR	500	-	DvrStreamStoreBase.storeChunks[live/_definst_/myStream] : AudioDuration=30624 > 20000 ms.  Skipping chunks.
comment	server	ERROR	500	-	DvrStreamStoreBase.storeChunks[live/_definst_/myStream] : VideoDuration=30600 > 20000 ms.  Skipping chunks.

Cause: This occurs when the chunk duration exceeds the value set. See dvrAudioOnlyChunkTargetDuration property in Wowza nDVR Advanced Configuration.

Code:

WARN	server	comment	DvrPacketHandler.handlePacket[liveDVR/_definst_/myStream]: Timecode out of order [video]: 71500:71580

Cause: Generally this indicates an encoder issue. It also could be an issue when the machine CPU utilization or GPU utilization is maximized. To debug, see How to debug AAC or MP3 timecode issues with cupertino packetization. Try using Advanced Stream Monitor to monitor the streams and reset them if they become unhealthy. If you see this message immediately after the stream is published before packetization starts, it can be ignored.

Code:

WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSanJoseStreamer.onISMVData: Application context not loaded [live/ngrp:myStream_all]: live/_definst_
WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterSmoothStreamer.onISMVData: Application context not loaded [live/ngrp:myStream_all]: live/_definst_
WARN	server comment HTTPStreamerAdapterCupertinoStreamer.onISMVData: Application context not loaded [live/ngrp:myStream_all]: live/_definst_

Cause: This message occurs when the the application name or URL is invalid. If using the Wowza example players, a frequent cause is because your application name is different than the application name provided by default. Check URL.

Code:

ERROR server comment - MediaReaderFactory.getInstance:java.lang.ClassCast  Exception: com.wowza.wms.mediareader.smil.MediaListReaderSMIL cannot be cast to com.wowza.wms.stream.IMediaReader

Cause: Incorrect playback of SMIL file to Adobe Flash Player (RTMP). This error will occur if you tried to playback using the [install-dir]/examples/LiveVideoStreaming/FlashRTMPPlayer/player.html (Wowza Media Server 3.5) or [install-dir]/examples/LiveVideoStreaming/client/live.html (Wowza Media Server 3.1.2 or earlier) example players with Stream: smil:mySmilFile.smil. See section named "Adaptive Bitrate Streaming" in all the Live Tutorials for information on playing back using Adobe Flash Player (RTMP).

Code:

WARN server comment - Missing function: DVRSubscribe
WARN server comment - Missing function: DVRGetStreamInfo

Cause: Wowza nDVR supports playback over any HTTP protocol already supported by Wowza. These warnings occur when you try to use DVR with an unsupported protocol or with unsupported functionality with Flash Media Live Encoder.

Wowza Transcoder Logging

Code:

WARN    server    comment    LiveStreamTranscoder.isTranscoderAvailable: Transcoder is not available for your platform: platform:null architecture:32

Cause: 64-bit platform is required for the Transcoder AddOn. This warning will occur if the Wowza Media Server installation isn't on a 64-bit operating system or if an older version of Java is installed on your computer. See this article to resolve the Java version issue: After installing latest Java version, java command is still using old Java (fix).

Code:

WARN    server    comment    ApplicationInstance.setLiveStreamTranscoderList[live/_definst_]: LiveStreamTranscoder is not valid: transcoder

Cause: The Transcoder isn't started properly and other errors exist in the log pointing to a faulty installation or permissions issue. Before re-installing, back up [install-dir]\conf files for reference when reconfiguring. Another cause could be that "transcoder" is spelled incorrectly in [install-dir]\conf\[app-name]\Application.xml. Look carefully at the last word of the message.

Code:

WARN    server    comment    TranscoderStreamNameGroups#DelayStart.run[live/_definst_/myStream]: Name group could not be resolved: myStream_all reson:[bitrateMissing:true videoCodecIdMissing:true audioCodecIdMissing:false sizeMissing:true]
Endoder failure.

Cause: Expected data stream not being sent to Wowza Media Server. Check input source.

Code:

WARN    server    comment    HTTPStreamerCupertinoIndexPlaylist.indexFile[live/_definst_/ngrp:myStream_IOS]: MediaList is empty.

Cause: There are multiple causes that can generate this error:

Malformed URL or an error in the transcoder template. Verify that the value of <StreamNameGroup>/<Name>, not <StreamName>, is what is specified as the stream group name in the URL. In this example, the source stream name is myStream and the problem is that the value of <StreamNameGroup>/<Name> isn't myStream_IOS.
There is a mis-match between the <encode>\<Name> and the <StreamNameGroup>\<Members>\<Member>\<EncodeName >. In the sample template, you'll see <Name>360p</Name> has the same matching name in <EncodeName>360p</EncodeName>.
Transcoder template loaded isn't the one expected, so stream name specified in URL is incorrect. Wowza Media Server uses the first template listed in Transcoder/Templates in Application.xml. Review log to validate template name being loaded.
Other errors that indicate an issue with the resultant stream, such as no audio.

Code:

WARN 200 - TranscoderStreamNameGroup.validateMembers[live/_definst_/myStream]: StreamNameGroup[160p] audio codec is not valid for name group: UNKNOWN (unknown)

Cause: Source has no audio.

Code:

WARN 200 - TranscoderStreamNameGroup.addInternal[live/_definst_/myStream]: Name group was not added, it is empty: myStream_all

Cause: The stream name group wasn't created because Wowza Transcoder can't transcode the stream. Make sure that the source stream uses supported codecs (see Supported video and audio codecs for ingest). Also, make sure that the Enable property value for all <Encode> blocks in the template file are set to true.

Code:

comment	server	INFO	200	-	TranscodingSession.updateBehindFilter[live/_definst_:myStream]: Video behind filter state change. New state: SKIP1FRAME	
comment	server	INFO	200	-	TranscodingSession.updateBehindFilter[live/_definst_:myStream]: Video behind filter state change. New state: SKIP2FRAME	
comment	server	INFO	200	-	TranscodingSession.updateBehindFilter[live/_definst_:myStream]: Video behind filter state change. New state: ALLFRAMESON

Cause: These INFO messages indicate that Wowza Media Server is overworked and can't process the packets in time. Typically occurs when CPU utilization or GPU utilization for acceleration is at maximum capacity or beyond workable threshold. Make sure that Wowza Media Server has been tuned. See General Performance Tuning and Wowza Transcoder AddOn Performance Benchmarks.

Code:

WARN	server	comment		200	SanJosePacketHandler.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream]: Timecode out of order [video]: 27:25191
WARN	server	comment		200	CupertinoPacketHandler.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream]: Timecode out of order [video]: 27:25191
WARN	server	comment		200	LiveStreamPacketizerSmoothStreaming.handlePacket[live/_definst_/myStream]: Timecode out of order [video]: 120000:306630000
WARN	server	comment		200	SanJosePacketHandler.resetStream[live/_definst_/myStream][0:11]: Timecodes jumped back in time.
WARN	server	comment		200	CupertinoPacketHandler.resetStream[live/_definst_/myStream][0:11]: Timecodes jumped back in time.
WARN	server	comment		200	LiveStreamPacketizerSmoothStreaming.resetStream[live/_definst_/myStream][0:11]: Timecodes jumped back in time.

Code:

comment	server	ERROR	500	-	MediaReaderFactory.getInstance: java.lang.ClassCastException: com.wowza.wms.stream.MediaListReaderNGRP cannot be cast to com.wowza.wms.stream.IMediaReader

Cause: The application StreamType isn't set to one of the live types. This causes the wrong stream classes to be invoked.

Code:

WARN	server	comment	2012-02-17	10:27:55	55.77	Application folder ([install-location]/applications/registry) is missing

Cause: This message is known to be generated when the Adobe Flash Media Gateway service is running in the background. This service is set to start automatically by default.

Code:

WARN server comment - Missing function: createStream

Cause: This likely means the Application.xml file is malformed. Start again with a new copy from the [install-dir]/conf folder.

Wowza DRM Logging

Code:

comment    server    WARN    200    -    ModuleDRMEZDRM.getPlayreadyLicense[vod/_definst_]: EZDRM content key is not set.
comment    server    WARN    200    -    ModuleDRMEZDRM.onHTTPSmoothStreamingPlayReadyCreat  eVOD[vod/_definst_/sample.mp4]: Key request failed. ifFailFakeKey:false

Cause: If you unexpectedly see this kind of message in wowzamedia_access.log, check that your EZDRM username and password information has been set correctly in Application.xml.

Code:

ERROR server comment - PlayReadyEncryptor.initKey: java.security.InvalidKeyException: Illegal key size or default parameters

Cause: Microsoft PlayReady encryption keys should be 128-bits long (16 bytes long). This message occurs when the key length does not conform. Wowza only supports 128-bit key lengths.

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How to troubleshoot error messages

Contents

Wowza Media Server Logging

Wowza nDVR Logging

Wowza Transcoder Logging

Wowza DRM Logging

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