Meeting the Challenges of a File-Based Workflow - PBS
Meeting the Challenges of a File-Based Workflow - PBS
Meeting the Challenges of a File-Based Workflow - PBS
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<strong>Meeting</strong> <strong>the</strong> challenges <strong>of</strong> a<br />
file based work flow<br />
Moderator – Philip Schoene, Senior<br />
Systems Engineer, <strong>PBS</strong>
Panelists<br />
• Fred Engel - Senior Director <strong>of</strong> Technology,<br />
Kentucky Educational Television<br />
• Russ Abernathy - Station Manager Director <strong>of</strong><br />
Technology, WKNO-TV<br />
• Nancy Carter -Director <strong>of</strong> Marketing & Customer<br />
Relations, Myers Information Systems<br />
• Eugene Diana - Director <strong>of</strong> S<strong>of</strong>tware Operations,<br />
Myers Information Systems
<strong>Meeting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>of</strong> a<br />
<strong>File</strong> <strong>Based</strong> Work Flow<br />
Fred Engel<br />
Senior Director <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Kentucky Educational Television
The Mission<br />
• Serves over 4.3 Million Commonwealth residents<br />
• 16 full power transmitters, 3 translators<br />
• 3 broadcast channels<br />
• KET – KET’s HD service<br />
• KET2 – SD service with a variety <strong>of</strong> programs<br />
• KET KY – “The Kentucky Channel” – primarily<br />
programming produced in Kentucky, about<br />
Kentucky. Also includes state legislative<br />
sessions multiple times in year
The Mission Continued<br />
• Educational services<br />
• Traditional kids programming<br />
• Classroom educational products via web and<br />
traditional broadcast<br />
• Educator pr<strong>of</strong>essional development<br />
• GED
KET Project Goals<br />
RFP 2007<br />
• Rapid move to tape-less, file and IP based<br />
environment<br />
• Production and distribution systems to support<br />
creation, distribution and management <strong>of</strong> HD<br />
content<br />
• Secure, efficient integrated workflows created<br />
• Asset management system that bridges all areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> creation, broadcast, streaming, on-demand,<br />
rights management and content repurposing
KET Project Goals Continued<br />
RFP 2007<br />
• Properly schedule, manage and brand all services<br />
• Expandable system to allow for more channels <strong>of</strong><br />
content delivery through traditional or nonbroadcast<br />
• Consistent metadata standards throughout facility<br />
• Automated QC systems
<strong>Challenges</strong> Expected<br />
• Multiple vendors involved<br />
• Anticipated but not proven workflows to develop<br />
• Staff participation – interruption to daily routines<br />
• Potential disruptions to broadcast/production<br />
operations<br />
• Lack <strong>of</strong> Networking skills<br />
• System Security
Quote from Donald Rumsfeld:<br />
“There are known knowns. These are<br />
things we know that we know. There<br />
are known unknowns. That is to say,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re are things that we know we don't<br />
know. But <strong>the</strong>re are also unknown<br />
unknowns. There are things we don't<br />
know we don't know.”
Unexpected <strong>Challenges</strong><br />
• Large KET staff turnover<br />
• Frequent and lengthy meetings<br />
• Assumptions that proved troublesome<br />
• Storage<br />
• VTL vs. NAS<br />
• Defrag<br />
• Closed captioning<br />
• QC audio issues<br />
• Timeframe
Key Focus Areas<br />
• Master Control<br />
• Replacement Server<br />
• Archive<br />
• Quality Control<br />
• <strong>File</strong> pushes from Avid<br />
• Post Production<br />
• Expansion <strong>of</strong> existing Avid environment<br />
allowing for much larger group <strong>of</strong> users<br />
• Project Archive capability<br />
• Upgrade to Audio Post (Digi-Design)<br />
• Web integration
Key Manufacturer Players<br />
• Utah Scientific MC Switching/Routing – existing<br />
but expanded<br />
• Grass Valley “K2”<br />
• Nverzion Automation – existing<br />
• Masstech “MassStore”<br />
• Telestream “Flip Factory”<br />
• Copan/SGI MAID VTL<br />
• Qualstar LTO4 tape storage<br />
• Myers Information Systems “ProTrack” - existing<br />
• Harris “QuiC” – file evaluation system
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
• Football analogy<br />
• Coach – ProTrack<br />
• Quarterback – Masstech<br />
• Skill position players – Nverzion, GV,<br />
Telestream, Archives<br />
• Heavy lifters – Infrastructure systems
Sat. Rec<br />
HD/SD SDI A/V<br />
VACP/Control<br />
XML/Data exchange<br />
Compressed A/V<br />
Copan VTL<br />
VTR<br />
GV K2<br />
Nverzion<br />
MassStore –<br />
all files<br />
Pass through<br />
Cache<br />
Qualstar LTO<br />
ProTrack<br />
Flip Factory<br />
To Web<br />
Avid Media<br />
Composer<br />
From<br />
“o<strong>the</strong>r”<br />
servers<br />
VTR<br />
Studio Feed<br />
Avid Airspeed<br />
W9 viewer –<br />
Every file in<br />
Cache has a<br />
Proxy created<br />
Avid Assist<br />
Avid Interplay<br />
ISIS<br />
QuiC<br />
<strong>File</strong> QC
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-MassStore<br />
• ProTrack to MassStore<br />
• Titles<br />
• Kill-dates<br />
• Copy-requests<br />
• WM9 view request<br />
• MassStore to ProTrack<br />
• Metadata – includes all instances <strong>of</strong> asset<br />
• Change notification <strong>of</strong> asset
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-Nverzion<br />
• ProTrack to Nverzion<br />
• Play-list(s)<br />
• Record List<br />
• Pull-list (server items needed from archive)<br />
• Push-list (items to be purged only from playout<br />
server)<br />
• Nversion to ProTrack<br />
• Media Durations
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
MassStore-Nverzion-ProTrack<br />
• MassStore – “passive mode” – relies on requests<br />
from Nverzion and ProTrack via VACP and XML<br />
• MassStore – “active mode” – used to manually<br />
move content<br />
• Caveat – only use ProTrack for deletion <strong>of</strong> content
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-MassStore-Telestream<br />
• ProTrack to Telestream<br />
• Initiate Telestream workflows<br />
(VOD – DVD – Web pushes)<br />
• Interfaces to MassStore
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
MassStore-Avid<br />
• Avid to MassStore<br />
• Transcode <strong>of</strong> DNxHD145, DV25 and XDCAM 50<br />
to K2 MPEG2 Long GOP and “Send to Playback”<br />
to K2 server<br />
• Transcode <strong>of</strong> MPEG 2 Long GOP 15 Mbps (SD)<br />
and 50 Mbps (HD) to WM9 for proxy viewing<br />
• Project Archive – metadata, sequences,<br />
referenced media files<br />
• MassStore to Avid<br />
• K2 MPEG2 Long GOP to XDCAM 50 (ingest)<br />
• Project Archive retrieval
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
MassStore-Harris QuiC<br />
• All files get Q/C’d<br />
• Special emphasis on manually ingested and<br />
“foreign” material<br />
• Key areas <strong>of</strong> concern:<br />
• Freeze detect<br />
• Gamut errors<br />
• Video levels<br />
• Black frames<br />
• Audio levels<br />
• Audio loss<br />
• Audio phase/polarity
Sat. Rec<br />
HD/SD SDI A/V<br />
VACP/Control<br />
XML/Data exchange<br />
Compressed A/V<br />
Copan VTL<br />
VTR<br />
GV K2<br />
Nverzion<br />
MassStore –<br />
all files<br />
Pass through<br />
Cache<br />
Qualstar LTO<br />
ProTrack<br />
Flip Factory<br />
To Web<br />
Avid Media<br />
Composer<br />
From<br />
“o<strong>the</strong>r”<br />
servers<br />
VTR<br />
Studio Feed<br />
Avid Airspeed<br />
W9 viewer –<br />
Every file in<br />
Cache has a<br />
Proxy created<br />
Avid Assist<br />
Avid Interplay<br />
ISIS<br />
QuiC<br />
<strong>File</strong> QC
Successes<br />
• Fully file based workflow dream achieved<br />
• Greatly increased collaboration for post-production<br />
• Single file for all broadcast programs – achieved<br />
by U/C or D/C in K2 server<br />
• Large, energy efficient spinning disc storage with<br />
LTO tape backup<br />
• Access to previously digitized library <strong>of</strong> over 5000<br />
KET programs<br />
• Automated file conversion and movement for Web<br />
• Secure network – Fortinet product<br />
• State <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> art facility
Surprises<br />
• Staff capabilities stretched<br />
• How fast can you fill 112 TB <strong>of</strong> storage<br />
• Miss-communication with vendors – never assume<br />
• <strong>File</strong> sizes greatly change with number <strong>of</strong> audio<br />
tracks<br />
• Cross technology issues – IT and traditional media<br />
• “controlling <strong>the</strong> asset”<br />
• LTO/VTL tape emulation
Thank you!
<strong>Meeting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>of</strong> a<br />
<strong>File</strong> <strong>Based</strong> Work Flow<br />
Russ Abernathy<br />
Station Manager Director <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
WKNO-TV
Station & Project Background<br />
WKNO is a Community Licensee<br />
WKNO has limited Capital Funding<br />
WKNO must implement multi-phase projects
Project Background<br />
1996 1st Server installed for interstitials only<br />
2002 Pr<strong>of</strong>ile Server served both interstitials &<br />
programs<br />
2008 K2 Server all programs and interstitials<br />
2009 <strong>File</strong> based production<br />
2011 <strong>File</strong> <strong>Based</strong> work flow for Broadcast Ops &<br />
Prod
Operational Philosophy<br />
Strive for most efficient work groups<br />
Equipment purchases support work groups<br />
Attempt to mitigate resistance to change<br />
Do not unnecessarily change job responsibilities.<br />
Listen to your staff
Project Goals<br />
• Eliminate Physical media from day to day<br />
operations<br />
• Long Term “asset” protection<br />
• No expensive “middleware”<br />
• Utilize “<strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong> shelf” hardware
Major <strong>Challenges</strong><br />
1- Operator training<br />
2- Pre-conceived Notions<br />
3- Staff computer “experts”<br />
4- Legacy Equipment<br />
5- The all or nothing nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> move<br />
6- Moving into a new facility<br />
7- The loss <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> physical asset
A Solution in 3 Acts<br />
1- Broadcast Operations<br />
2- Production Operations<br />
3- Ingest/ Transcode/ Archive Operations
Station Networks<br />
1. Enterprise Network<br />
(10-100 E<strong>the</strong>rnet)<br />
2. Technical Network<br />
(10-100 E<strong>the</strong>rnet)<br />
3. Media Network<br />
(Gig-E E<strong>the</strong>rnet)
Overall Network Block Diagram
Broadcast Operations
Broadcast Operations<br />
Myers ProTrack traffic system<br />
Sundance Titan automation system<br />
(running 4 schedules)<br />
Grass Valley K-2 Server<br />
(3 play, 6 record, 2 media prep ports)<br />
CUC Archive System<br />
(75TB spinning Disk, 75TB LTO Tape)
Broadcast Network
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
M-1 Pull List<br />
MAM Operations<br />
8 day look-ahead for all channels<br />
runs daily, 4 times, every 3 hours<br />
some assets may require a<br />
double pull<br />
M-2 Server-cleanup (space management)<br />
14-day look-ahead ensuring clip doesn’t air<br />
runs M-F 10:00AM only
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
M-3 Archive:<br />
MAM operations<br />
3-day look-ahead to ensure kill date is far<br />
enough in <strong>the</strong> future, Media update from<br />
automation is <strong>the</strong> trigger, runs in coordination<br />
with Media Prep workflow, ProTrack scans<br />
every 15 minutes<br />
M-4 Kill-confirm:<br />
Keeps metadata (status & kill date) in<br />
ProTrack and real status <strong>of</strong> inventory up to<br />
date, runs every 15min daily
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
MAM Operations<br />
M-5 Media Locations<br />
Keeps inventory snapshot, refreshes every<br />
2 min, 24/7, if M-5 is faulty in any way,<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r M (n) operations will not perform
Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
Automation Operations<br />
A-1 Play-List<br />
Clock-starts occur after events that are<br />
deemed ‘approximate-length’<br />
A-2 Record List<br />
Each recording is diverted to a particular<br />
port based on <strong>the</strong> HD/SD metadata
Production Control
Production Systems<br />
1. 3 Final Cut Pro Suites<br />
2. 1 Avid Adrenalin (SD legacy editor)<br />
3. 2 Grass Valley Edius NLE edit systems<br />
4. XD Cam HD cameras & recorders<br />
5. XD Cam HD EX cameras (uses CF type storage)<br />
6. Evertz Pro-Cap Closed Captioning<br />
7. Rhozet 8 Transcoding Engine w/8TB storage*<br />
*lives in all three environments
Production/Media Network<br />
GigE
“The Core” Server Row
Transcode & Ingest Operations<br />
1- Out <strong>of</strong> House to Edit/Production<br />
2- Out <strong>of</strong> House to Broadcast<br />
3- Production/Edit to <strong>PBS</strong> Cove<br />
4- Production/Edit to “You-Tube”<br />
5- Production/Edit to American Archive Project<br />
6- Production/Programming to in house Proxy Server<br />
7- Production/Edit/Programming to internal FTP site
Transcode Network
Remaining Issues<br />
1- NGIS Implementation<br />
2- Watch Folders (automatic transcoding)<br />
3- .GXF extension<br />
4- Sundance SQL DB purge <strong>of</strong> metadata relating to<br />
programming purged from K-2 and Archive under<br />
Myers control<br />
5- LTO Library partitioning between Broadcast<br />
operations and Production operations.<br />
6- The need for a single file format
<strong>Meeting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>of</strong> a<br />
<strong>File</strong> <strong>Based</strong> Work Flow<br />
Nancy Carter<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Marketing & Customer Relations<br />
Myers Information Systems
Broadcast Management &<br />
Traffic Systems -<br />
Where <strong>the</strong> metadata resides and<br />
<strong>the</strong> business rules begin!
Metadata Overview<br />
• <strong>Workflow</strong> from Content Acquisition through<br />
Broadcast<br />
• Knowing Your Information and<br />
Understanding <strong>the</strong> BIG Picture<br />
• Metadata in <strong>the</strong> Broadcast Lifecycle<br />
• Basic Required to Best Integrated Communications<br />
• Best Methods <strong>of</strong> Communications Between<br />
Traffic/Ops and Engineering
BRINGING BUSINESS<br />
RULES TO LIFE<br />
Eugene Diana<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> S<strong>of</strong>tware Operations<br />
Myers Information Systems, Inc.
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-MassStore<br />
• ProTrack to MassStore<br />
• Titles<br />
• Kill-dates<br />
• Copy-requests<br />
• WM9 view request<br />
• MassStore to ProTrack<br />
• Metadata – includes all instances<br />
<strong>of</strong> asset<br />
• Change notification <strong>of</strong> asset
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-Nverzion<br />
• ProTrack to Nverzion<br />
• Play-list(s)<br />
• Record List<br />
• Pull-list (server items needed from<br />
archive)<br />
• Push-list (items to be purged only<br />
from playout server)<br />
• Nversion to ProTrack<br />
• Media Durations
<strong>Workflow</strong>s<br />
ProTrack-MassStore-Telestream<br />
• ProTrack to Telestream<br />
• Initiate Telestream workflows (VOD<br />
– DVD – Web pushes)<br />
• Interfaces to MassStore
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
M-1 Pull List<br />
MAM Operations<br />
8 day look-ahead for all channels<br />
runs daily, 4 times, every 3 hours<br />
some assets may require a<br />
double pull<br />
M-2 Server-cleanup (space management)<br />
14-day look-ahead ensuring clip doesn’t air<br />
runs M-F 10:00AM only
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
M-3 Archive:<br />
MAM operations<br />
3-day look-ahead to ensure kill date is far<br />
enough in <strong>the</strong> future, Media update from<br />
automation is <strong>the</strong> trigger, runs in coordination<br />
with Media Prep workflow, ProTrack scans<br />
every 15 minutes<br />
M-4 Kill-confirm:<br />
Keeps metadata (status & kill date) in<br />
ProTrack and real status <strong>of</strong> inventory up to<br />
date, runs every 15min daily
The Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
MAM Operations<br />
M-5 Media Locations<br />
Keeps inventory snapshot, refreshes every<br />
2 min, 24/7, if M-5 is faulty in any way,<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r M (n) operations will not perform
Rules <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Road<br />
Automation Operations<br />
A-1 Play-List<br />
Clock-starts occur after events that are<br />
deemed ‘approximate-length’<br />
A-2 Record List<br />
Each recording is diverted to a particular<br />
port based on <strong>the</strong> HD/SD metadata
Questions<br />
• Fred Engel – fengel@ket.org<br />
• Russ Abernathy - rabernathy@wkno.org<br />
• Nancy Carter -ncarter@myersinfosys.com<br />
• Eugene Diana - eugene@myersinfosys.com
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