Device Server Overview. Imagine communications v11 ADC

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ADC Device Server v11.61.4

Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference

Device Server Overview

About the Device Server

The ADC Device Server is the heart of the automation system. The Device Server controls devices either through RS-422 serial connections, General Purpose Interface (GPI) contactclosure triggers, or an Ethernet connection. The Device Server communicates with remote clients through a Local Area Network (LAN) connection. The Device Server runs the ADC

Device Server v11 application software.

Physically, the ADC Device Server is a rack mount PC. The Device Server contains a PCI

CPU card (motherboard), either four or eight PCI eight-port RS-422 serial boards to which the devices connect, two (or more) PCI GPI cards, a PCI timecode reader / video sync card, and a PCI dual-port network interface card. A Device Server installed with four eight-port serial boards can control a maximum of 32 devices via serial connection. A Device Server installed with eight eight-port serial boards can control a maximum of 64 devices via serial connection.

Both Device Server hardware configurations can control up to 16 lists (Transmission lists,

Compile lists, Record lists, Media lists or GMT lists) simultaneously. If more capacity is needed, additional Device Servers may be added to the system.

The ADC Device Server is configured remotely from any client PC in the Automation System containing the Configuration Manager application. The Configuration Manager incorporates common Windows usability features, such as drag and drop, cut and paste, and a point-andclick graphical user interface.

The system is highly flexible and may be configured for most broadcast operations and equipment. The ADC Device Server controls most types and models of broadcast devices, including cart machines, video servers, VTRs, still stores, character generators, routers, and master control switchers.

One of the ADC Device Server’s major strengths is its powerful software. The software interfaces with and controls the broadcast devices (instead of through hardware interface boxes). The software can be easily modified to incorporate new models or types of devices.

The ADC Device Server integrates the on-air playout system by using station timecode or reference video to maintain timing. The Master Control operator can control the on-air playout from an automation hardware control panel (similar to a Master Control Switcher

Panel). The system’s Transmission lists may also be started automatically by time of day, as well as remotely by a GPI trigger.

Clarification of Nomenclature

Historically, ADC used the term 'Device Server' for both the physical unit (chassis) and the software application.

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Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference Device Server Overview

Current nomenclature designates the chassis as the Device Controller and the software application as the Device Server.

Minimum System Requirements

The following are minimum system requirements for ADC Automation system components as of the release of this document.

Supported Database

The following databases are supported:

SQL 2005, SQL 2005 Express, SQL 2008, SQL 2008 Express

Supported OS Level

ADC Device Server v11.60/12.18 and higher and Client v4.18 and higher support operation on 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

Server Requirements

Type

Hardware

Software

Operating System

Network Interface Card

Requirements

- Device Server (PCI Chassis)

- Device Controller (CHP chassis: Common Hardware

Platform)

Device Sever v11.60.x or higher

Note: If an older version of Device Server is used, contact

Automation Technical Support for compatibility

Microsoft® Windows® Server 2008

- CHP chassis only

- GigE Ethernet

- NetBIOS-Over-TCP/IP

- (In conjunction w/ Windows 7 Clients)

- Requires Device Sever v11.55.12 or higher

Note: DSv11.60.19 and higher supports both 32 and 64bit

versions of the Operating System. (See above: Supported

OS Level.)

Note: If your facility utilizes multiple Device Servers and your upgrade plans do not include migrating all of them to the same version resulting in operating in a mixed version environment, please contact ADC Automation Technical

Support to confirm there will be no compatibility issues

between the versions utilized.

When communicating via NETBIOS over TCP/IP a Gigabit

NIC and switch is required

Client Requirements

IMPORTANT Note on Merge of Client V3 and V4 Development Streams:

Air Client / Media Client for Device Server v11 and Device Server v12 are merged into single

Air Client and Media Client streams. Starting with Clients v4.16 and higher, these versions

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Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference Device Server Overview are compatible with both the v11.59 and v12.15 and higher of Device Server software. For more details, please contact Automation Technical Support.

IMPORTANT Note on Windows Operating System Support:

Automation no longer tests nor provides support for Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or

Microsoft® Windows® XP configurations. However, for customers with existing client PCs running these OS versions, we believe there should be no issue with installing this ADC version on those existing PCs.



All future client versions, starting with v4.16 require Microsoft® Windows® 7 Pro operating system.



For more details, please contact Automation Technical Support.

Type Requirements

Hardware

Network Interface Card

Software

Processor – Pentium 4 3.0 GHz or greater

RAM - 512MB or greater

HD – 80 GB Hard Drive or greater (Required: 25MB of free

Hard Drive Space)

2 TCP 1000BT NICs

Additional Intel Network Interface Cards (Pro 100S) may be required for systems connecting to external networks, or a database using TCP/IP.

When communicating via NETBIOS over TCP/IP a Gigabit

NIC and switch is required.

- Air Client v3.58.x or higher / Air Client v4.16.x or higher

- Media Client v3.58.x or higher / Media Client v4.16.x or higher

Note: Client v4.18 and higher support both 32 and 64bit

Operating Systems. See above: Supported OS Level.

See below: Important Note about nbios32.dll and

apilib32.dll.)

Operating System Microsoft® Windows® 7

- (In conjunction w/ Windows Server 2008 Device

Servers.)

Note: Client v4.18 and higher support both 32 and 64bit versions of the Operating System. See above: Supported OS

Level.

Configuration/Parameters System needs to be set up to use ODBC

Important Note about nbios32.dll and apilib32.dll:

Care should be taken with regards to the support .dll files- nbios32.dll and apilib32.dll- used on various components of the system. The Device Servers and all clients should use the

3.4.1.0 version .dlls supplied with this release and this same version should be used on all clients interconnecting with this release. The current and recent versions of Air Client and

Media Client- all versions of Air Client from 3.14.6.0A forward and all versions of Media

Client from 3.5.3.0 forward- will normally install the same versions. However, the versions installed on each client should be verified, as it is possible for earlier .dlls to have been substituted.

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Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference

About GigE Ethernet Environments

Device Server Overview

It is recommended that a full GigE Ethernet environment be used for both client and server.

While a mixed GigE /100M or 100Mb environment will work, it will result in a maximum

100Mb performance!

Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mb) networks are strongly recommended for all 11.x installations. The majority of development and testing of ADC is done in this environment and certain assumptions have and will be made based on this. However, this impacts all aspects of existing installations- device controllers, clients, file servers, network switches, and wiring.

Therefore, testing has been done to assure that ADC 11.x can be successfully deployed on existing LAN networks. Note that this assumes that there are no major changes to the system scope from the existing operation- the 11.x is built and configured in the same general manner as the previous version that it replaces.

While a complete replacement or upgrading of all the affected components is the ideal course of action, this is of course not possible or practical in all cases. It is acceptable to replace or upgrade portions of the system, but be aware that doing so may provide no immediate benefit- depending on the combination of devices, portions of the system, or the system as a whole, may be limited by the lowest speed component still in place, regardless of other factors. Contact your Imagine Communications representative for assistance in the planning and deployment of new and upgraded components.

Hardware Chassis

The Device Server can be run on a single chassis or as a dual redundant pair.

NOTE: The current chassis is referred to as H-Class ADC Device Controller. For information on the installation and setup of this chassis reference: “ADC Device Controller Hardware

Reference”.

ADC Device Controller

The ADC Device Controller is the computer dedicated to communicating and controlling the broadcast devices and client workstations. This computer runs the Device Server application which controls devices via an RS-422 point-to-point serial connection, a GPI contact-closure trigger, or an Ethernet connection. It also sends and receives frame-accurate information across the Local Area Network (LAN) to and from remote client workstations.

There are two models of Device Controller; a 2RU model and a 4RU model. Both chassis are built around the same single board computer. The chassis model used in a given installation depends on the needs and budget of the customer.

The 2RU Device Controller Chassis

The 2RU model offers a smaller rack footprint and includes limited hardware redundancy with dual power supplies. Serial device control is supported in the following manner:



Up to 3 PC slots can be fitted with ADC 8-Port Serial cards, supporting up to 24 high speed serial ports for device control. It is available in 8, 16 and 24 port configurations.



Up to 2 PC slots can be fitted with ADC 16-Port Serial cards, supporting up to 32 high speed serial ports for device control. It is available in 16 and 32 port configurations.

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The 4RU Device Controller Chassis

The 4RU model offers greater expandability and hardware redundancy with dual power supplies and (optionally) raided hard drives. Serial device control is supported in the following manner:



Currently up to eight PC slots can be fitted with ADC 8-Port Serial cards, supporting up to 64 high speed serial ports for device control.



Currently up to four PC slots can be fitted with ADC 16-Port Serial cards, supporting up to 64 high speed serial ports for device control.

Backup (Redundant) Device Controller

(Optional) Redundancy is an important part of automation. The ability to recover immediately from hardware failure in a broadcast environment is crucial. Protection against

Device Controller failure can be achieved through a backup (redundant) Device Controller.

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The backup Device Controller is a computer that is identical to the main Device Controller and is configured the same way. If the main Device Controller fails, the backup Device

Controller takes over the tasks handled by the main Device Controller. If the main Device

Controller fails, device control may be manually transferred to the backup Device Controller.

The transfer is accomplished by an RS-422 switching device.

Supported Broadcast Devices

The ADC Device Server is designed to interface with most devices commonly found in broadcast operations including:

• Cart Machines

• Video Servers

• VTRs

• Routing Switchers

• Master Control Switchers

• Still Stores

• Character Generators

• Audio Carts

• External Encoders And Decoders

• Subtitling Systems

• Satellite Systems

• Archive Systems

Most broadcast devices may be controlled by the Device Server through a point-to-point RS-

422 serial connection. Some broadcast devices do not accept RS-422 serial control. These devices may be triggered by a GPI contact closure. Archive systems may be controlled by an

Ethernet connection to the archive manager. See Appendix A of this manual for a list of

supported broadcast devices.

Play lists and Transmission Lists

Play lists are files that contain the schedules of events to be played, recorded or compiled. In a play list, each event contains information such as start time, event type, material identifier

(ID), title, segment number, duration, start-of-message time (SOM), and audio/video output.

Play lists may be created locally at the Air Client workstations or from traffic schedules. Play lists are stored on the file server and are available to all users on the system for viewing and editing. When a play list is ready for transmission, the play list file is loaded into the transmission window where it becomes a Transmission list. A Transmission list can contain a maximum of 2,500 events by default. (This number may be increased if necessary.)

When an event in the Transmission list is activated, the event performs a predefined function such as Play, Record, Switch or Cue. The ADC Device Server supports multiple

Transmission lists; each list may be made up of several appended play lists.

When the system is initially configured, each broadcast device is assigned to a specific

Transmission list. During playout of the Transmission list, the devices assigned to the list are available to run the events in the list. Each Transmission list represents a separate playout channel. This feature allows for simultaneous multichannel operations. Additionally, cart machine VTRs may be assigned to two or more Transmission lists for two (or more) channel

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Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference Device Server Overview operation, if each VTR in the cart machine has a separate audio/video path through a router.

Cart machine VTRs may be assigned different tasks. For example, two VTRs might be used for playout, one for recording, and one for compiling (see Chapter 4, Compile list). Video servers with multiple decoder ports may be shared among Transmission lists as well.

The ADC Device Server runs each event in the list sequentially for its full duration, unless the operator manually intervenes or until specific types of events, such as live events or timetriggered events, are encountered. If changes to the list are needed during playout, the operator may directly edit an event in the list.

Playout may be controlled by the control panel (software or hardware). Using the control panel buttons, it is possible to skip events, hold events beyond their duration, re-cue events and then restart them. An on-air event may also be edited by either adding or subtracting seconds to the event’s duration using the control panel.

Automated Recording

(Optional) An ADC Device Server record function allows automated recording of material. A recording may be set up for a specific time and duration. Record events may be placed on a

Record list - similar to a play list but containing only primary record events. Like a play list, the Record list is loaded into a transmission window to run the record events in the list. The

Record list has only recording devices assigned to it as resources.

A secondary record event, also an ADC Device Server option, is available to record live events as they play out on a Transmission list. The secondary record event feature uses a play list that has both record and playout events. This feature can store program segment information (for future replay of a live event).

The ADC Device Server may use any VTR or video server encoder port in the system for a recording. For long VTR recordings that require several tapes, or to create duplicate copies of a show, several VTRs may be assigned. This also allows multiple recordings to take place simultaneously using the same Record list.

The ADC Device Server controls input audio and video switching when the recording begins.

Recordings may be made from program output or from external satellite feeds.

NOTE: AutoSat system is available to automate acquisition and recording of satellite feeds.

AutoSat works as an integrated part of the automation system, using a simple menu-driven

system. Contact your autiomation representative for more information on AutoSat.

Global Media Transfer

(Optional) Global Media Transfer (GMT) is the Automation system’s technology for controlling media movement within a broadcast facility. GMT is an integrated component of the automation system. Each Transmission list may request that GMT find media that is not available in the playout devices assigned to the list. GMT finds the media in other devices

(VTRs, cart machines, other video servers on a fibrechannel or wide-area network, or data archives) and copies the media to a destination device (the playout device - a video server) assigned to the Transmission list. The Transmission list is then able to air the media.

The main tasks of GMT are:

• Find media needed by an on-air Transmission list

• Copy that media to a video server assigned to that Transmission list

• Monitor the transfer of the media

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• Log the transfer of the media

• Provide automatic media duplication on multiple video servers for air protection

• Copy media to or from an archive

By accomplishing these tasks, GMT extends the level of automation beyond the basic on-air system. By allowing the automation system to handle the movement of media, less manual operator intervention is required.

Device Server Display Overview

The Automation Device Server(s) operates from a rack mounted computer that is away from normal operational areas of the facility. The Device Server(s) is extremely active in the dayto-day operation of the facility, and it is strongly recommended that no other applications be operated from the Device Server(s).

When installed and running there is actually little to see. The following is only the Device

Server display – visible: the current date, the timing source to the Device Server, timing mode, the current time, software build version and the date of compilation.

Timing sources include:

• TC for local timecode generator

• V for house video reference

• PC for internal clock from the Device Server

Timing modes include:

• DF for drop frame

• NDF for non-drop frame

Main Menu

File menu

Option Description

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Installation, Configuration, and Operations Reference

Option Description

Server Handle

Device Server Overview

Used to configure/change the Global Server Number for the

Main Device Server.

Alternate Handle

TCP/IP for WAN addressing

Exit

In an environment utilizing Cloning, this option is used to configure the server handle (Global Server Number) of the backup, or “clone” Device Server.

Note: This option is available only when a customer has

purchased a Cloning build of the Device Server.

In an environment utilizing a Remote Air Client, this option is used to configure the Device Server’s “listen port” (TCP/IP

Socket Listen Port).

Exit and closed the Device Server application.