An Open, CIFS-based, Client/Server Architecture for

the Media Enterprise

Presented by:John L. PittasVP Broadcast Products EngineeringSeaChange International

Parallel Access, Parallel Workflow

Ingest-in-Place, Edit-in-Place, Play-in-Place

> Key elements of tapeless workflow> Centralized Fault-Resilient Shared Storage

> Reduces/eliminates multiple storage platforms> Reduces cost and complexity

> Reduces/eliminates content movement> Accelerates user access and time-to-air

> Reduces/eliminates asset management layer> Reduces cost and complexity

> Open File Access Protocols> Eliminates proprietary protocols

> Accelerates system integration and stability> Reduces cost and complexity

> Assures interoperability across multiple Operating Systems> Applications use native file system calls

Ingest-in-Place, Edit-in-Place, Play-in-Place

> Key elements of tapeless workflow (cont’d)> Common Data Structures

> Eliminates/reduces proprietary essence and multiplexes> Accelerates system integration and stability> Reduces cost and complexity

> Promotes interoperability across multiple applications> Eliminates/reduces data conversion overhead> Reduces cost and complexity

Open, CIFS-based Client/Server Architecture

> Key elements of the architecture> Common Internet File System (CIFS) – Ubiquitous

> Server Message Block (SMB) protocols supported by Windows, Apple, Unix, Linux> Storage appears as remotely-mounted drive> Support for small files, hierarchical directories, advanced file security and authentification

> IP Networking – Ubiquitous and inexpensive > Jumbo frames and QOS for video applications> 1Gb/s for streaming tape drives, compressed SD/HD, uncompressed SD> Future migration to 10Gb/s for uncompressed HD and D-Cinema

> x86 – 32/64bit I/O and Processing Subsystems – Ubiquitous and inexpensive> Intel/AMD competition advances CPU price/performance > Windows/Linux competition advances OS price/performance> Multiple development teams advance applications price/performance

Open, CIFS-based Client/Server Architecture

IP-attached I/O and Processing Subsystems

> I/O subsystems bridge synchronous A/V I/Os to the asynchronous IP network of central storage

> Uncompressed SD or HD> Compressed SD or HD using SW-based codecs

> MPEG/IMX> DV25/50/100

> Requires high-end x86 platform> Specialized SDI/HD-SDI I/O HW

> Asynchronous subsystems provide content processing/transfer between third-party systems and central storage

> Require no specialized I/O HW

IP-attached I/O and Codec Subsystem

Command Interpreter

Real-time Record, Playand Codec

Engine

A/V I/O Card

Hardware Abstraction Layer

RS-422

IP

SDI/HD-SDI

GENLOCK

File SystemRe-director

Internal RAID

IPStack

Metadata Generators

> Creates metadata for content created on or imported into central storage by third-party applications using industry-wide standard codecs such as DV25/50/100> NLEs or> File imports via CIFS or FTP

> Requires inexpensive x86 platform> Content does not “pass through” the Generator> Continually scans the storage for content lacking associated

metadata> Automatically creates the metadata

Essence Gateways> Gateway solution for importing/exporting non-standard MPEG content between third-party systems and central storage> Tape and disk-based systems> File transfers via CIFS or FTP

> Requires high-end x86 platform> Content “passes-through” the Gateway> Processes/massages audio/video essence and multiplex> Creates index and metadata> Supports “play during transfer”> Performs multiple simultaneous real-time transfers or> Faster than real-time transfer depending on available device bandwidth