Skip to content

Red Hat Streaming Install

#1 Big Picture Streaming Diagrams

Here's a diagram showing how the different components of this installation fit together.


Streaming is optimized so that Stream API inputs are threaded as they arrive on the Row64 Server.


#2 Install Components

Sublime Text Editor

For quick cross-platform setup, we often use Sublime Text. It can be installed with the following commands:

sudo update-crypto-policies --set LEGACY

sudo rpm -v --import https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-rpm-pub.gpg

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.sublimetext.com/rpm/stable/x86_64/sublime-text.repo

sudo dnf install sublime-text -y


To open a file in sublime, you can use the subl command. To keep things simple, we show editing with Sublime in these instructions

Install Row64 Server V3.5

Follow the instructions in the Server documentation to install Row64 Server V3.5.

Install ByteStream Viewer

ByteStream Viewer is useful for debugging both .ramdb and .dash files. You can watch streaming changes as they happen, so it’s great for diagnostics.


Download row64bsviewer-3.5_amd64.rpm here:
https://app.row64.com/Install/V3_5/RedHat/row64bsviewer-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm


From the terminal, run:

sudo rpm -ivh row64bsviewer-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm


Pin Bytestream to Favorites

Open the Red Hat app system tray:

Type “ByteStream and right click “Pin To Dash”


Test ByteStream

Navigate in Nautilus (Ubuntu File Explorer) to the folder: 

/var/www/ramdb/live/RAMDB.Row64/Examples

Drag in the file Atari.ramdb. Note Table/Text switcher on the top right.

Install Row64 Stream

Download row64stream-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm here:
https://app.row64.com/Install/V3_5/RedHat/row64stream-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm

From the terminal, run:

sudo yum install librdkafka -y
sudo rpm -ivh row64stream-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm

Note: librdkafka is a dependency of the Row64 Stream API

Next, connect the streaming API to the server.

From the terminal, run:

cd /opt/row64server/row64stream/install
sudo python3 Connect_Stream.py

Verify row64stream is running

From the terminal, type:

sudo systemctl status row64stream

You should see:

Other useful commands:

sudo systemctl start row64stream
sudo systemctl stop row64stream

#3 Test Examples

Test: motion - turn ON

Edit the config file by typing in the terminal:

subl /opt/row64server/conf/apiconfig.json

Turn the example “Motion” to “ON” and save the file

Restart the Stream API with:

sudo systemctl stop row64stream
sudo systemctl start row64stream

Be sure to stop & start rather than restart; it forces the systemctl to update the interacting services better.

Study PlayerMotion.ramdb In ByteStream Viewer

Open Nautilus and drag the following file into the ByteStream Viewer:

/var/www/ramdb/live/RAMDB.Row64/Examples/PlayerMotion.ramdb

Wait for a few seconds, and you should see the UPSERT update running slowly through the player list. If you want to update faster, modify the apiconfig.json for a lower "SAMPLE_RATE" which is the time in milliseconds between updates.

Study Motion Analytics In The Browser

Navigate to the following link:
http://localhost/dash/examples/motion

If it's working, you'll see the player locations update and move around.

Study The Cyber Demo

Edit the streaming config file by typing in the terminal:

subl /opt/row64server/conf/apiconfig.json

And turn all other tests to OFF

Turn the example “Cyber” to “ON” and save the file.

Restart the Stream API with:

sudo systemctl stop row64stream
sudo systemctl start row64stream

Navigate to the following link:
http://localhost/dash/examples/cyber

Study The Fleet Demo

Edit the streaming config file by typing in the terminal:

subl /opt/row64server/conf/apiconfig.json

And turn all other tests to OFF.

Turn the example Fleet to “ON” and save the file.

Restart the Stream API with:

sudo systemctl stop row64stream
sudo systemctl start row64stream

Navigate to the following link:
http://localhost/dash/examples/fleet

#4 Debug Any Issues

Changing config files can occasionally lead to this error:

Warning: run 'systemctl daemon-reload'.

This means you need to reboot systemctl to update all changes and dependencies. Just run:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Study The Log Files

Stream logs are saved in the same location as the server logs:

/var/log/row64server/

Streaming API logs all have the prefix: Row64ServerAPI

Example name: Row64ServerAPI_250602165720.log

#5 Install Local Kafka

Turn OFF all Streams

Before you install Local Kafka, set all your tests in apiconfig.json to OFF.

Also, run the following command:

sudo systemctl stop row64stream

Local Kafka Features:

For quick testing of row64server & Kafka on the same server/VM:

  • Automatically installs Kafka as a service & all dependencies (including Java)
  • Installs row64kgen (a Kafka producer that streams the Motion example)
  • Good for learning and getting used to the features
  • You can switch out your own Java/Python/Rust/Go producer with the same setup

Requires that row64server and row64stream is already installed.

Local Kafka Install - row64kgen:

Download row64kgen-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm here:
https://app.row64.com/Install/V3_5/RedHat/row64kgen-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm

This will install both kgen and a local Kafka service.

From the terminal, run:

sudo rpm -ivh row64kgen-3.5-0.x86_64.rpm

Next, connect Local Kafka & kgen

From the terminal, run:

cd /opt/row64server/row64kgen/install
sudo python3 Connect_Ubuntu.py

Test Running KGen (Kafka Producer / Generator)

Run row64kgen from the terminal:

cd /opt/row64server/row64kgen/
./row64kgen

The log should begin to repetitively output a success message.

Second Terminal: See Producer Output

You can log the Kafka producer output in another terminal.

Type:

/opt/kafka/bin/kafka-console-consumer.sh --topic r64_kafka_stream.topic --bootstrap-server localhost:9092


See Local Kafka Drive Dashboard Browser

Edit the streaming config file by typing in the terminal:

subl /opt/row64server/conf/apiconfig.json

And turn all other tests to OFF.

Turn the example Motion_LocalKafka to “ON” and save the file.

Restart the Stream API with:

sudo systemctl stop row64stream
sudo systemctl start row64stream

Navigate to the following link.
http://localhost/dash/examples/motion

And see the player motion driven by the local Kafka feed.

#6 Connect Cloud Kafka

Cloud Connection Example

Open the apiconfig.json file and study the settings on “Motion_DeltaStream”

It shows an example of an AWS connection.

Other than extra “METADATA” tags, it works in the exact same manner as the Local Kafka example. If you have multiple BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS, you can comma separate them.

#7 API Configuration Diagram