WMS Logs Show X-duration Field with Very Large Numbers

• Microsoft Windows Media Services version 4.1

SYMPTOMS

Windows Media Server log files can have a value of 4294967 in the x-duration field, which equates to a client connect time of more than thirty days. In most cases, this value is incorrect.

CAUSE

When a client connects to the server, the x-duration value is initialized to an artificially high value (4292967 or 0xFFFFFFFF). In some cases, for example when the client connects, and then immediately disconnects, this value is actually reported to the log file, where it appears as 4294967.

When this problem occurs, the x-duration value reported is the same (4294967), and the number of packets and bytes reportedly sent by the server is zero. This suggests that in cases where clients report an abnormally large x-duration value, that in fact, no streaming occurred, and no data was sent.

The greatest impact occurs when creating usage reports, where the connection time appears as being artificially inflated or has unnatural spikes at certain times of the day.

WORKAROUND

If the x-duration value is 4294967, but the bytes sent and received are zero, it is safe to assume that the client connected, and then immediately disconnected, causing the erroneous entry in the log file. In these cases, the x-duration value can safely be set to zero; after parsing the log files accordingly, reports should show the correct data.

Additional query words: netshow wms smt wmp

Keywords : kbwms41
Version : :4.1
Platform :
Issue type : kbprb