This article will capture the different situations that can lead to bandwidth overages when it is unclear based on the reporting in Salesforce.
Increased Bandwidth Consumption Due to Multizone Channels and Idle Behavior
You may observe increased bandwidth consumption on devices that frequently utilize multizone channels in channel browsing mode. Understanding how these channels and device idle behavior interact can help explain these overages.
Understanding Multizone Channels (Preview Mode)
Multizone channels are conceptually similar to what was previously referred to as advanced channels or signs in channels within the Appspace. They operate primarily in a preview mode when accessed through channel browsing. A key characteristic of this type of preview mode is that the application does not locally cache the content being displayed. Essentially, the device streams this preview content in real-time whenever the channel is browsed.
Impact of Idle Behavior
Further contributing to bandwidth consumption is the configured idle behavior on many devices. Investigations have revealed that these devices are often set to continuously stream card content, which includes images and scripts, even when seemingly inactive. This constant streaming in the background, especially for multizone channels in preview mode, can accumulate significant data usage over the course of a day.
How to Differentiate
A simple test can help illustrate this behavior:
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Enable local caching: On a ChromeOS device, navigate to the application settings and enable full content caching (e.g., set play.cache to all).
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Initiate sync and disconnect: Allow the application to synchronize content with the enabled caching setting. Once synchronization is complete, disconnect the device from the internet.
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Observe the channel’s behavior:
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Multizone/advanced playlist channels: You will likely observe a no channel preview available message. This is because these channels were operating in preview mode, and their content was not cached locally.
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Fullscreen playlist channels: These channels, which typically operate differently, should remain playable as their content is cached locally.
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In Summary
Devices heavily relying on multizone channels in channel browsing mode, combined with an idle behavior that continuously streams content, are highly susceptible to increased bandwidth consumption. The lack of local caching for previewed multizone channel content means that data is actively being downloaded whenever these channels are viewed, and the idle streaming further exacerbates this issue.
By understanding this interaction, administrators can better diagnose and potentially adjust device configurations or usage patterns to mitigate unexpected bandwidth overages.
Related AEs
- AE-12221: Customer Exceeding their Bandwidth Consistently