# Daily operations: Running channels and MPTSes
<a name="operations"></a>

To start and stop channels on AWS Elemental Live nodes that are in a cluster, use AWS Elemental Conductor Live. When the channel is running, you can control the inputs and the outputs.

**Topics**
+ [Starting and stopping a channel](starting-and-stopping-channels.md)
+ [Starting channels using a schedule](scheduling-channels.md)
+ [Controlling channels](controlling-channel-inputs.md)
+ [Starting or stopping an MPTS](starting-an-mpts-output.md)

# Starting and stopping a channel
<a name="starting-and-stopping-channels"></a>

## Starting and stopping one channel
<a name="starting-and-stopping-one-channel"></a>

On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **Channels**. Then choose the green **Start **button to the right of the channel that you want to start.

To stop a channel, choose the **Stop** button for that channel. When you stop a channel, it is displayed at the point at which it was stopped on the Conductor Live web interface. When the channel stops on the Conductor Live web interface, it also stops and is archived on the AWS Elemental Live web interface.

## Starting or stopping several channels at one time
<a name="starting-or-stopping-several-channels"></a>

### Step A. Create the task
<a name="ops-step-a-create-the-task"></a>

You can use the Tasks feature to start or stop several channels at once.

1. On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **Channels**.

1. On the **Channels** page, choose **Tasks**, then choose **Start Channels** or **Stop Channels**.

1. Select the channels for the action. On the **Start Channels** page, only channels that are currently not running appear in the list. On the **Stop Channels** page, only channels that are currently running appear.

1. On the final page, choose **Process Now** or **Save for Later**.

   **Process Now**: Conductor Live applies the change. The **Channels** page reappears, showing the change.

   **Save for Later**: This option lets you queue up several tasks and then perform them in one pass.
**Warning**  
**Save for Later **is intended to queue for a short time.  
Don't use **Save for Later** and then delay process the task in a few hours. Doing so might create undesired consequences.

### Step B. Monitor the status of the task
<a name="ops-step-b-monitor-the-status-of-the-task"></a>

When you choose **Process Now** to run the task, you can monitor the status of each stop or start in the task.

1. On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **Status**, then choose **Task Reports**. The **Task Reports** page appears, with a list of tasks in the panel on the left. Newer tasks appear first.

1. Select a task from the list. The details for the task appear. A line appears for each action in the task. Each line shows the current status of the action: Pending, Success, or an explanation of why the task failed.

   As the status of an action changes, the page automatically refreshes to display the latest information.

# Starting channels using a schedule
<a name="scheduling-channels"></a>

You can schedule channels to run once or repeatedly, and for a specified duration. Schedules must be at least 60 seconds in duration, with at least one minute between scheduled runs.

**To schedule a channel to run**

1. On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **Channels**.

1. Choose the channel by selecting its ID or name.

1. Select the **Schedules **tab on the left. Then choose the** New Schedule** button. Complete the **New Schedule** dialog:
   + **Duration**: Enter a duration. The minimum duration is 60 seconds. Or leave the duration empty to create a schedule without an end time. 
   + **Run once** or **Repeat**: Complete the fields to specify the number of times to run the schedule.

1. Choose **Save**. The new schedule is added to the list of schedules.

1. Choose **Enable**. The channel will run as specified.

   See also [View active schedules](#view-active-schedules).

## The procedure
<a name="scheduling-once"></a>

## View active schedules
<a name="view-active-schedules"></a>

After you have enabled at least one schedule, choose **All Active Schedules **to see a calendar view of all active schedules. You can change the display to show one day, week, or month. 

# Controlling channels
<a name="controlling-channel-inputs"></a>

When a channel is running, you can control its behaviour from the Conductor Live web interface in several ways. These features work in the same way as they work on the Elemental Live node.

1. On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **Channels**, then select the channel by ID or by name. The **Channel Details** page appears. 

1. On the **Channel Details** page, choose the **Status** tab. 

**Switching inputs**

If the channel is configured with more than one input, you can switch to a different input. 

The **Status** tab shows the inputs in the channel. The input that is currently being ingested has an active icon. It also shows a green line going from the input to the output panel.

To switch, choose the green **Start** button to the left of another input. The selected input turns blue and is represented by a rotating circle of dots while it connects. The buttons dim and additional actions are disabled until the input has switched.

**Controlling ad avail blanking for the channel**

If the channel has been configured for ad avail blanking, an Ad avail blanking viewer shows whether blanking is currently active.

To start or stop blanking, select the window.

**Starting, stopping, and pausing the output**

You can start, stop, and pause each output that is in the channel. 

In the output panel, there is a section for each output. In each section, buttons appear for the actions that apply to that output type. 

Select the button.

# Starting or stopping an MPTS
<a name="starting-an-mpts-output"></a>

On the Conductor Live main menu, choose **MPTS**. 

To start an MPTS, select the **Start** icon. Note that starting an MPTS doesn't automatically start the programs (channels) on the Elemental Live nodes.

To stop an MPTS, select the **Stop** icon at the right side of the MPTS. Note that the sources in the MPTS (the channels, passthrough programs, and passthrough streams) do not stop.