# Fields for the RTMP connection
<a name="rtmp-connection"></a>

The following fields configure the logic for reconnection attempts:
+ **RTMP settings** – **Authentication scheme**
+ **RTMP settings** – **Additional settings** – **Cache length**
+ **RTMP settings** – **Additional settings** – **Restart delay**
+ **RTMP settings** – **Additional settings** – **Cache full behavior**
+ **RTMP outputs** – **Output settings** – **Connection retry interval**
+ **RTMP outputs** – **Output settings** – **Num retries**
+ **RTMP outputs** – **Output settings** – **Additional settings** – **Certificate mode**

**To configure a secure (RTMPS) connection to the destination**

1. **Authentication Scheme** – Specify the type of scheme. Typically, choose **Common**. Choose **Akamai** only if instructed to do so by the downstream system. 

1. For **Certificate mode**, choose the option that is required by the downstream system. 

   If you connect over RTMP, MediaLive ignores both these fields.

**To configure for reconnection**

There are several fields that control how MediaLive behaves if the connection to the RTMP server seems to drop:
+ **Cache length** specifies how long to hold the output in memory, waiting for the RTMP server to respond.
+ When that time expires, **Cache full behavior** specifies whether to disconnect immediately or wait 5 minutes.
+ If MediaLive disconnects, then **Restart delay** specifies how long to wait before trying to reconnect.
+ When MediaLive tries to reconnect, **Connection retry interval** specifies how often to retry. **Num retries** specifies how many times to retry. When the retries expire, this output stops. The channel stops because the single output has lost its connection.