24/7 Stream (Win 10) Disconnection Protection?

[TorontoGorilla]

Is there anyway to implement disconnection protection?
Such as if my power or internet goes out and I'm running a 24/7 continuous livestream (from an old, dedicated PC for this) either via some kind of plug-in or through a third party?

I know I can just run a backup stream from another location but I'd like to avoid that option. I don't mind paying for a service if need be.

Cheers

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

In part simple, and depending on exactly which failure scenario you are trying to protect against, expensive and/or complicated
and none of this has anything to do with OBS, so this isn't really the right forum

From a super simple perspective
1. Main OBS fails - failover to second PC running on same site
1. Main ISP connection fails - failover to second ISP connected to same site
1. Main OBS site is offline (site power outage, all ISP connections severed, etc) - failover to secondary streaming PC at another site

Now, you could have battery backup and a good cellular connection at Site A, and that might suffice? for a limited period of time. A backup generator (or whole house battery) will last longer, but if neighborhood outage, ISP links may fail after a while as well

So, simple in that you lay out each failure scenario (Pay attention to 24hr+ power outages on ISP infrastructure) and then have alternatives to cover each. But at some point, with an extended power outage in a given area, streaming from that area has a high chance of no longer working (depends on ISP / carrier Infrastructure specific area details.. in some places if you have an appropriately sized and installed generator you'd be fine for days. other places you'd be offline long before that with nothing you could do about it ... in general, more modern urban areas like to have longer uptime in extended grid outage than rural areas... but ymmv)

I have no idea what 'paying for a service' means. You have to get content out to livestream. If you don't have power to run livestream, or connectivity, then an outside service does you no good.
Now, do companies have workarounds? Yes, and they can get expensive to research ISP connection details (not consumer level, but those with carrier grade SLAs) and then put in place work-arounds (like long reach laser point-to-point, or dark fiber to telco sub-station with week long+ uptime SLA in power outage situation, etc.

 

[WP1]

Fundamental data center resiliency:

- Redundant utility power feeds (not generally available unless you are really big)
- Redundant UPSs (readily available for even small scale)
- Redundant backup generators (not low cost, but pretty modest cost automatic generators available few k$)
- Redundant ISP (generally at least a 4G/5G backup ISP option is available in most areas)
- Redundant network infrastructure i..e. routers, switches (not terribly expensive)
- Redundant servers (not generally expensive)
- Redundant sites (can get expensive, but could be friend/family place across town)

generally your biggest issues will be:

1. ISP outages, especially residential grade ISPS
2. Power
3. Hardware failure (router, switch, server)
4. Site

Site failure is really the least likely by far as most sites won't "fail" short of a fire/flood/tornado.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Yup, been there done that for datacenters.
But for home use, the most likely failure in my experience (by a LOT) is consumer grade PCs (a good mitigation measure being to use an auto-voltage regulating battery backup unit to provide clean power, pure sine wave version depending on power supply).
A related issue is PEBKAC, and not sure there is a reasonable fix for that... other than NOT logging onto PC a as local admin and understanding what one is installing?
In my SoCal experience, local utility power outages happen an order of magnitude more often than cable modem ISP connections (most common in this area). For many home users, a site outage only takes a car crash into utility pole for both power and wired Internet connection. For one wholesale plant nursery company I worked for, I recommended divergent path ISP connection (as property on edge of 2 cities and we already had telco feeds from 2 different sub-stations so relatively cheap to setup). Within a year of my leaving, a car crash took out power and T1 line.. estimated repair time for power was within 24 hours. The T-1 line repair was given as 2 weeks. And at other employers we have a number of branch offices taken offline by trenching/fiber line cut in metro areas.

In the end, one prioritizes based on likely failure scenarios and budget. For livestreaming, one has to consider the source of the content. IF there is something onsite, regardless of technical redundancies, streaming if that needs a person, live camera shot of a beach/volcano, cat or whatever, etc may NOT be capable of reproducing (without getting to alternate site).

So to the original poster... hopefully the above gives you some ideas. And again, almost none of this OBS specific. but for any more specificity, you'd need to indicate what type of content you are livestreaming, and your ability (if at all) of having that content available at an alternate location. Some folks 24/7 livestream can be created in advance, so having an alternate stream setup somewhere and use backup stream is easy... it just depends