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Version History

Kraken v4.0 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Argon Interface with Confidence Monitoring: This version includes an enhanced user interface to provide a more streamlined and intuitive experience. The Argon design includes preview thumbnails of running streams and real time streaming statistics for confidence monitoring. 
    See Exploring the Web Interface
  • OS Update: Kraken's base operating system has been updated to Oracle Linux 9. 
  • User Analytics: Kraken users can now enable or disable the gathering of anonymous user analytic data originating from the client device. This user analytic data helps to direct future Kraken features and enhancements.  
    See Signing in to the Web Interface
  • Cryptography Library Update: The Cryptography Library in Kraken has been updated to OpenSSL 3.0.
  • Unified Streaming Output Module:  In version 4.0, Bypass, Transcoder, and Transcoder + Passthru stream modes all leverage the same Kraken Output module, providing unified streaming experience for Kraken Outputs for HLS, RTSP, and RTMP formats.  See Input Settings and Output Settings
  • HLS Output Support : In version 4.0, HLS PULL outputs are available in all stream routing modes (Bypass, Transcoder, and Transcoder + Passthru).  Preview these HLS outputs in the web with the Kraken preview player.
    See Output Settings
  • Retire hvrouted service:  In version 4.0, Kraken ceases using the Haivision router service, hvrouted, as a back-end service.  Routing behavior is maintained through use of a unified Kraken Output module.
  • Improved Stream Status Reporting: In version 4.0, the REST api provides a new endpoint enumerating the operational streaming status of configured Kraken Streams.
    See Streams List View
  • Retain 12M SEI Timestamps upon transcode: In version 4.0, transcoding between HEVC and H.264 (and vice-versa) now preserves the SMPTE 12M timestamp information.
  • TLS Version Update: In version 4.0, Kraken adds support for TLSv1.3, and depreciates selection and use of less-secure TLSv1.0 and TLSv1.1 methods.
  • Certificate Alert: In version 4.0, certificates show an alert when within 30 days of expiration to account for best industry practices for shorter certificate viability.
    See Managing Certificates
  • VMware Version Requirement:  Kraken 4.0 supports VMware ESXi 7.0 hosts and later.
    See Kraken OVA Deployment Guide
  • Update Kraken Disk Partition Scheme: In version 4.0, Kraken uses an updated partitioning scheme following security best practices.

Kraken v3.10.1 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • RTSP Server Improvements: Kraken has enhanced support for video-only RTSP outputs to downstream systems (e.g. Milestone and Genetec). 
    See Transcoder Parameters for RTSP and Configuring RTSP Outputs  
  • Port Usage for RTSP Outputs: Documentation has been updated with detailed instructions on proper port usage for RTSP outputs. 
    See RTSP Server Service
  • Automatic Source Recovery: Retry source connections when lost for RTSP, MJPEG, and similar source types that rely on TCP-based connections.
  • Multi-Network Streaming: 3.10.1 features an improved network interface affinity for Kraken Inputs and Kraken Outputs, including multicast.
  • Preserve KLV Sync: 3.10.1 has addressed an issue where Synchronous KLV was corrupted through Bypass and Transcode streams.

Kraken v3.10 introduced the following features and enhancements:

Kraken v3.9 introduced the following features and enhancements:

Kraken v3.8 introduced the following feature and enhancement:

  • wolfSSL Integration Changes - wolfSSL allows Kraken appliances to support FIPS cryptographic requirements. The use of wolfSSL is available in version 3.8, but is disabled by default. To manually enable the wolfEngine within Kraken, please contact your Haivision account representative, or our technical support team at tickets@haivision.com. 

Kraken v3.7 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Security Improvements — Corrective action to resolve identified security issues affecting certification. Including:
    • Account Lifecycle — Core features include:
      • Locking accounts upon multiple failed login attempts
      • Disabling accounts after login inactivity
      • Allowing Administrators to disable accounts from Active or Locked account states, as well as enable accounts from Locked or Disabled account states
      • Prompting users to change password when nearing expiration
      • Allowing administrative adjustment of account settings via configuration file
      • Logging account events including creation, modification, disabling, enabling, and removal
    • User Sessions — Core features include:
      • Enforcing security flags on cookies
      • Limiting the number of concurrent login sessions
      • Enforcing logout upon idle timeout
      • Clearing client session data upon logout
      • Allowing administrative adjustment of session settings via configuration file
      • Logging user session events
    • Password Lifecycle — Core features include:
      • Enforcing password complexity for length and character types
      • Enforcing a minimum number of character changes between successive passwords
      • Preventing reuse of old passwords over a configurable period
      • Enforcing a minimum and maximum password lifespan
      • Allowing administrative adjustment of password settings via configuration file
      • Logging password creation and modification events

      See Password Requirements.

      Tip

      For details on administrative adjustment of account, session, and password settings via configuration file, please contact your Haivision representative.

  • Reverse-Path Filter — Kraken now has Reverse-Path filtering (a Linux Kernel feature, defined in RFC 3704, designed to ensure that packets that are not routable are dropped). Reverse path filtering drops packets with source addresses that should not have been able to be received on the interface they were received on. Two options are available: Strict or Loose . See Managing Security Policies .

  • Configure Webserver to use specific Network Interface — Kraken has multiple physical interfaces that are intended to provide redundancy and bandwidth, not network segregation. Because of this, the system will listen on all available physical interfaces regardless of IP address and respond to web requests. This new feature allows configuration of the web server to listen on a specified IP address and port . See Enabling and Disabling Services.

  • Introduction of Bypass Licensing — Kraken Bypass Streams can now be licensed and counted separately from Kraken Transcode Streams. This follows introduction of stream-based licensing in Kraken 3.6 which adjusted how the Kraken runtime stream capacity related to license limits for any stream type (Bypass or Transcode). See (4.0) Status Settings .

  • Deprecate v1 API — The legacy v1.0 REST API is now deprecated. See Kraken API v2.0 Integrator's Guide for information on the v2.0 REST API.
  • Update Webserver Host — Kraken 3.7 has retired usage of Apache and 32-bit libraries in favor of NodeJS-based microservices.
  • Security Audit — Kraken 3.7 addresses known vulnerabilities discovered through security scans during development.

Kraken v3.6.1 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Configurable Program Clock Reference (PCR) — Kraken 3.6.1 provides controls to adjust the Program clock Reference (PCR) in outgoing Kraken Transport Streams. See Transcoder Settings.
  • MPEG1 Audio with H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) Video Codecs — Audio codec choice is no longer restrained by video codec selection. MPEG1 Layer II may now be selected for all video codecs. See Transcoder Settings.
  • Security - Password Length and Complexity — Kraken 3.6.1 enforces password length and complexity requirements when changing user passwords . See Password Requirements.

  • Security - Account Logging (KRAK-2977) — Kraken 3.6.1 l ogs Local User login, logout, and timeout events.

  • Security - Dependency Updates (KRAK-2497) — Kraken 3.6.1 addresses known package vulnerabilities with applicable updates.

Kraken v3.6 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • New Stream Licensing Model — Kraken v3.6 supports more granular licensing based on stream capacity for Kraken virtual instances on AWS, Azure, and other customer hardware. This enables flexibility for the Kraken Small Form Factor hardware, Virtual Machines, and Cloud offerings to match desired stream throughput.
  • Expanded NVIDIA Support — Kraken v3.6 enables support for the latest series of NVIDIA devices (for example, updated Cuda version to 11.2 and Nvidia drivers version to 460.32).
  • Kraken on AWS — A BYOL Kraken offering is now available for the AWS and AWS GovCloud marketplaces. See Kraken AWS Quick Start Guide.
  • Ability to enable/disable/configure Services — Administrators can now control the running state of certain Kraken services. See Enabling and Disabling Services .

  • Add SSL/TLS Security Policy Setting — The Web Interface now provides options to specify which TLS versions are accepted from the HTTPS client. See Managing Security Policies.

  • EMS Integration — Kraken can now be paired with a Haivision EMS (Element Management System) to discover, manage and monitor all of your Haivision devices from one place.
  • Network Device Interface (NDI) Input — Kraken now supports and encodes video from NDI sources. See Configuring Input Parameters .

Kraken v3.5 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Support for Encoding GigE Vision Input — Kraken now supports ingest of GigE Vision input over Ethernet for routing into the supported encoders within the transcoding pipeline. GigE Vision streams can be encoded using H.264/H.265 transport streams and distributed as output from Kraken as transport streams over UDP or SRT. GigE Vision encoding and output is supported across any device that conforms to the GigE Vision 2.1 standard. See Configuring Input Parameters.
  • Warning Indication for Unsaved Configurations — The Kraken Web Interface now displays a warning indication in the title bar when changes to Streams, Inputs, Transcoders, Outputs, or Metadata have been applied but not saved to a preset. The indication is displayed when a user signs out or in to Kraken. See Saving and Loading Presets.

Kraken v3.4 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Introduction of Kraken Edge – This new Haivision appliance offers a small form factor transcoder where ruggedization is not required. Setup instructions are provided in the Kraken Edge Quick Start Guide .*

  • Kraken UI Branding – The Kraken Web Interface can now display corporate branding. This "white labeling" allows customers to import their corporate logo for display in the following areas: banner graphic, Sign-in page graphics, browser favicon and title, as well as to switch between dark or light color scheme. For more information, see (4.0) Re-Branding the User Interface.
  • SRT Enhancements – The Kraken Web Interface now provides SRT statistics and graphs, and allows selection of the network interface for SRT inputs and outputs. New SRT statistics and graphs provide a diagnostic tool for troubleshooting network packet loss issues, and help users to make informed decisions on configuring SRT latency and bandwidth overhead. For more information, see Viewing Kraken Statistics .

*QSV encoding is not supported on Kraken Edge in v3.4; however, QSV is supported in the 3.4.1 maintenance release. Please contact your Haivision Account Manager to obtain the 3.4.1 update.

Kraken v3.3 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • SDI Capture Using SDI SFP adapters with IP Encapsulation - Phase 2 — Kraken may now be used to capture and encode SDI input using an SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) SDI-to-IP gateway adapter. Phase 2 of this feature provides support for multiple SDI inputs, interlaced video, audio and ancillary data (KLV, CC).
  • RTMP Bypass Support — Kraken 3.3 supports RTMP input and output in Bypass mode for transmuxing and stream routing with RTMP .

  • BYOL Kraken for the Azure Marketplace — Kraken is now available in the Azure marketplace. Streams from a variety of sources may be sent to the cloud-based Kraken for transcoding and routing to other locations.

Kraken v3.2 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • SDI Capture Using SDI SFPs with IP Encapsulation — Kraken may now be used to capture and encode SDI input using an SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) SDI to IP gateway device. The initial implementation supports Embrionix SDI-SFP devices that support SMPTE 2100 IP encapsulation. Setup instructions are provided in the Kraken OVA Deployment Guide.
  • Certificate Management — Kraken now provides certificate management from the Web Interface. Administrators can now use the Web Interface to generate self-signed certificates and certificate signing requests (CSRs), as well as importing certificates or private keys. See Managing Certificates.
  • Improved UI/UX for Software Upgrades — Kraken 3.2 provides an improved user experience for software upgrades. This includes a more accurate progress indicator, additional status feedback in the Web Interface, and efficiency improvements.

  • Transport Protocol Selection for RTSP Input — The transport protocol can now be set for RTSP inputs. Users can select from UDP, TCP, UDP Multicast and HTTP. See Configuring Inputs.

Kraken v3.1 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Enhanced Stream Routing and RTSP Transmuxing — Ability to bypass the transcoder for transmuxing and stream routing for live streams.

    Note

    If you have an existing stream, you need to delete the stream and create a new one in Bypass mode (i.e., you can't switch an existing stream).

  • New MISB ST 0601.15 tags added to UAS KLV Tag Filtering — Tags 106 - 141 added to the full 0601 UAS KLV Tag Filtering set on the Transcoders page.

  • New Shutdown button on the Kraken Web Interface — Users can now shut down Kraken from the Administration>Status page.

  • Kraken VMs now recognize new virtual network interfaces — Newly added virtual network interfaces are displayed on the Network page after rebooting.

Kraken v3.0 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • Role-Based User Account Management — Ability to add, edit and remove user accounts within each user role: A dministrator, Operator and Viewer. See Role-based Authorization .

  • API Updates — Public offering of REST API v2.0 and JSON Web format. API v2.0 provides all functionality from the Kraken Web GUI and is also harmonized with other Haivision appliances. Note that REST API v1.0 is still available and unchanged with this release.
  • NVIDIA Support — (On qualified hardware) Offloads encode processing from the Kraken transcode pipeline to NVIDIA GPUs. Assumes Kraken is running as a VM in an ESXi 6.5+ environment. See Configuring Transcoder Parameters and the Kraken OVA Deployment Guide.
  • Infrastructure Upgrades — Architecture Transition to CentOS 7 64-bit.

Kraken v2.9 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • KLV Metadata Filtering — Filter out undesired or unused MISB 0601 UAS KLV metadata tags to reduce the outbound metadata bitrate. This allows more bandwidth to be allocated to video on limited capacity network links. See Filtering UAS KLV Metadata Tags.

  • KLV Metadata Decimation — Configure the transcoder to frame-decimate KLV (Key Length Value) metadata. This can reduce the rate at which metadata is transmitted from Kraken to allow better control of the outbound metadata bitrate. See Configuring Transcoder Parameters.

  • Improved System Feedback — A new feedback component features stream event reporting within the Web Interface with the option to download the stream event log. This feature is intended to aid in diagnostics and debugging sessions. See Monitoring Stream Health.

  • Security — A continual commitment to security. Updates to the kernel and other related mitigations to ever-evolving vulnerabilities.

Kraken v2.8 introduced the following features and enhancements:

  • SRT 1.3.1 — Integration of the latest SRT 1.3.1 libraries. Expanded configurability of SRT to include MTU, and TTL. SRT Passphrases is now protected in logs and Kraken configuration files.
  • Improved UX — Enhanced debugging logs per transcode session. Alpha version of v2 API available upon request to Haivision Technical Support.
  • Streaming — Added MPEG4 (Part 2) Encoding capability. Improved and enhanced the interoperability with RTSP camera sources. Updated underlying QSV libraries.
  • Security — Continual commitment to security. Updates to the kernel and other related mitigations to ever-evolving vulnerabilities.

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