The Distributed Video Server (DVS) system provides a comprehensive solution for the management and distribution of a major future electronic commodity service, Video on Demand (VOD). Key contributions of DVS include a scalable architecture that combines the global accessibility of the Internet with an acceptable quality of service through an optional private high-speed backbone, novel adaptive algorithms for server selection and movie distribution that are sensitive to load, storage capacity and changing user demands, and a reliable management layer that is resilient to failures of individual nodes. DVS has been implemented (mostly) in Java/RMI, it has a Web interface for end-users, and comes with several utilities, including a runtime monitor that tracks the dynamic aspects of the system and can be used for instrumentation and for manual administration in addition to automatic management.