How to config bigbluebutton to work with external Red5 server - nginx

Question

From high level architecture overview for bigbluebutton http://docs.bigbluebutton.org/overview/architecture.html I understand that red5 server communicates with client using rtmp or by tunning rtmp via nginx. And then red5 server communicate with FreeSwitch using redis (with fsesl-akka). It mean we are able to desploy red5 in separately server. The result should be 3 servers:
Server for nginx/tomcat7 to run client, bbb-web
Server for Red5 + redis which handle rtmp for module videoconf/sharing/call/audio
Server for Freeswitch
Currently, I am able to config module to use rtmp from separately Red5 server by changing client/conf/config.xml
<config>
<localeversion suppressWarning="false">0.9.0</localeversion>
<version>VERSION</version>
<help url="http://10.0.121.16/help.html"/>
<javaTest url="http://10.0.121.16/testjava.html"/>
<porttest host="10.0.121.16" application="video/portTest" timeout="10000"/>
<bwMon server="10.0.121.16" application="video/bwTest"/>
<application uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton" host="http://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton/api/enter"/>
<language userSelectionEnabled="true" />
<skinning enabled="true" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/branding/css/BBBDefault.css.swf" />
<shortcutKeys showButton="true" />
<browserVersions chrome="CHROME_VERSION" firefox="FIREFOX_VERSION" flash="FLASH_VERSION" java="1.7.0_51" />
<layout showLogButton="false" defaultLayout="bbb.layout.name.defaultlayout"
showToolbar="true" showFooter="true" showMeetingName="true" showHelpButton="true"
showLogoutWindow="true" showLayoutTools="true" confirmLogout="true"
showRecordingNotification="true"/>
<meeting muteOnStart="false" />
<logging enabled="true" target="trace" level="info" format="{dateUTC} {time} :: {name} :: [{logLevel}] {message}" uri="http://10.0.121.16"/>
<lock disableCamForLockedUsers="false" disableMicForLockedUsers="false" disablePrivateChatForLockedUsers="false"
disablePublicChatForLockedUsers="false" lockLayoutForLockedUsers="false" lockOnJoin="true" lockOnJoinConfigurable="false"/>
<modules>
<module name="ChatModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/ChatModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
dependsOn="UsersModule"
privateEnabled="true"
fontSize="12"
position="top-right"
baseTabIndex="701"
colorPickerIsVisible="false"
maxMessageLength="1024"
/>
<module name="UsersModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/UsersModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
allowKickUser="true"
enableEmojiStatus="true"
enableSettingsButton="true"
baseTabIndex="301"
/>
<module name="DeskShareModule"
url="http://10.0.121.16/client/DeskShareModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/deskShare"
publishURI="10.0.121.16"
useTLS="false"
showButton="true"
autoStart="false"
autoFullScreen="false"
baseTabIndex="201"
/>
<module name="PhoneModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/PhoneModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/sip"
autoJoin="true"
listenOnlyMode="true"
presenterShareOnly="false"
skipCheck="false"
showButton="true"
enabledEchoCancel="true"
useWebRTCIfAvailable="true"
showPhoneOption="false"
echoTestApp="9196"
dependsOn="UsersModule"
/>
<module name="VideoconfModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/VideoconfModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/video"
dependson = "UsersModule"
baseTabIndex="401"
presenterShareOnly = "false"
controlsForPresenter = "false"
autoStart = "false"
skipCamSettingsCheck="false"
showButton = "true"
showCloseButton = "true"
publishWindowVisible = "true"
viewerWindowMaxed = "false"
viewerWindowLocation = "top"
smoothVideo="false"
applyConvolutionFilter="false"
convolutionFilter="-1, 0, -1, 0, 6, 0, -1, 0, -1"
filterBias="0"
filterDivisor="4"
displayAvatar = "false"
focusTalking = "false"
glowColor = "0x4A931D"
glowBlurSize = "30.0"
priorityRatio = "0.67"
/>
<module name="WhiteboardModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/WhiteboardModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
dependsOn="PresentModule"
baseTabIndex="601"
whiteboardAccess="presenter"
keepToolbarVisible="false"
/>
<module name="PollingModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/PollingModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
dependsOn="PresentModule"
/>
<module name="PresentModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/PresentModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
host="http://10.0.121.16"
showPresentWindow="true"
showWindowControls="true"
openExternalFileUploadDialog="false"
dependsOn="UsersModule"
baseTabIndex="501"
maxFileSize="30"
/>
<module name="LayoutModule" url="http://10.0.121.16/client/LayoutModule.swf?v=VERSION"
uri="rtmp://10.0.121.16/bigbluebutton"
layoutConfig="http://10.0.121.16/client/conf/layout.xml"
enableEdit="false"
/>
</modules>
</config>
Where 10.0.121.14 - run Red5 + redis. 10.0.121.16 run nginx + tomcat7. Any document/help/suggestion from expert for solve this issue?

Answer 1

Seperate Red5 servers can distribute video and deskshare modules, just need to get the archiving scripts to pull the .flv files from stream directory when processing. I would leave the basic red5 on bbb server to handle the rest of messaging with local redis store.
If you want to not have red5 on server all together, then you would need to enable the red5 server to have access to connect to redis. Be careful. downt think and password is set, so you dont want to expose this on public interface without using correct iptable rules.
regards,
Stephen
hostbbb.com