moodle_filter_botr

(developed with the help of phpStorm IDE) Content Delivery Network - filter for moodle2.x using content at "Bits on the run". This filter turns bitsontherun video links into signed URLs. This effectively prevents leeching. No HTML or SCRIPT tags needed.

Bits On The Run is a comercial video CDN service and offers free professional CDN for everybody. This makes it very attractive for teachers and schools to put large size content there instead of loading videos to the moodle data server.

Example:

[botr 2lje3kQV] with default player (see settings)

[botr 2lje3kQV-g3rjbt3f] with individual player (see settings)

These plain text links can be inserted into any text (page, forum, quiz etc.) in moodle, that is filtered. A link will be translated into a singed link to the external resource at bitsontherun.com video CDN service.

Use the repository

moodle_repository_botr https://github.com/actXc/moodle_repository_botr plugin to get the links very easy from the Bits on The Run platform.

Option: signed links with timeout

If a timeout is specified, a link can not be used longer than the timeout defines. If the link is stolen, if becomes useless after a while. This does not protect you video from beeing screen copied, but it makes it really difficult to reuse the link some where else.

Settings

The settings need to be set in the moodle settings using the admin interface:

• API-Secret and API-Key (provided to every user of bitsontherun.com at http://dashboard.bitsontherun.com/settings/)

• Timeout (how long the link will remain)

• DNS-Mask (your content can have one. If you need one, DNS mask bitsontherun contentserver to serve feeds, players, thumbs and videos under your own domain. To make this work, set a CNAME record in your domain DNS settings. Contact your hosting provider.

• default player (create a player in http://dashboard.bitsontherun.com/players/ and add the code here to play every video with the same player, or add a player-code individual to a link.)

The filter was created by Guido Hornig, http://actXcellence.de and comes without any warranty. It worked for me and my environment. Do not expect any service.

Please comment and add your solutions. I am working also on a repository.

Installation:

1. put all files into the folder moodle/filter/botr
2. go to moodle site administration -> notification (the filter should be listed)
3. install
4. do the set up

Set up:

1. go to site administration -> plugin -> filter ->botr filter
2. add you credentials etc.
3. enable the filter where it is needed, by default the botr filter is disabled. You can change this under Plugins > Filters. The plugin in can be activated for every entity or for a whole course etc.

Report your experience here