Dynamic scaling of File QC on Cloud

Auto-scaling of QC resources in the Cloud
File-based QC is a necessary process in every professional content workflow. With the advent of
multi-screen delivery, content volumes have reached levels at which manual QC is no longer
feasible. There is an urgent need to adopt Auto File QC tools in the workflows to ensure that
required content quality is delivered to the viewers, simply because viewers today are not ready
to compromise with the quality – whether it is television or VOD delivery on the Internet.
While content providers embrace the multi-screen delivery and adopt file QC systems, what
complicates such cloud-based workflows is the unpredictable nature of the content volume,
either during the day or around key events, and the need for timely delivery of that content,
regardless of the drastic sudden increase in the volume.
To attain the above benefits, it‟s essential that the right processing tools including file QC are
used in the Cloud as OPEX, with the ability to exploit key Cloud capabilities such as auto-scaling.
In the absence of auto-scaling, users will have to make large upfront investments in buying QC
tools while the majority of that investment lies unutilized during low usage periods. And if such
investments are not made, content producers/providers will have to deal with large content
processing queues leading to delayed delivery of the content that may not be acceptable to the
intended audience, or risk sending untested content to the viewers.
Auto-scaling of QC resources in the Cloud offers significant value to content providers both in
terms of investment and SLA. This is a necessary capability for any file QC tool claiming to be
native cloud QC.
It‟s clear that traditional QC systems designed for on-premise cannot be used as effectively in the
Cloud. This can lead to severe bottlenecks on the Cloud workflows leading to either sub-optimal
QC or delayed content deliveries. It isn‟t enough to say that “On-premise QC systems are
compatible with Cloud storage and users can buy licenses to install on static VMs”. Users now
need native Cloud QC systems for use in their Cloud workflows and Quasar fits the bill perfectly.
QUASAR – Native Cloud File QC
Quasar, a Native Cloud File QC service is the only native service in the market allowing users to
ensure their content quality while exploiting full benefits of the Cloud. One of the key Quasar
capabilities is auto-scaling, with which it automatically spins up additional QC processing
resources as and when needed to eliminate the content queues. Moreover, Quasar is capable of
spinning up these additional resources automatically and dynamically in the same region as the
content. This capability allows for instant content validation, leading to a quick decision on the
content delivery.