April 2017
X-PLATFORM 39
An easy path to cloud for media
by janet lafleur
Media companies today understand the cloud as much more than a simple , economical option for long-term content archiving . They are finding , however , that without custom integration , storing assets in the cloud is more likely to disrupt normal workflow operations than deliver the benefits promised by cloud storage , such as cost savings , flexibility and scalability .
The new FlexTier feature within StorNext 5.4 , the newest release of Quantum ’ s workflow storage platform , eliminates the complexity of integration and makes it easy to include the cloud as part of a tiered storage model .
Quantum ’ s StorNext FlexTier feature enables integration of existing public cloud storage accounts and third-party object storage ( private cloud ) as archive tiers in a StorNext-managed media environment .
StorNext readily supports not only LTO , disk and object storage as primary disk and tape storage tiers , but also public and private cloud use cases as extended online and scalable content repositories . As a result , media companies can protect their prior cloud storage investments while reducing the cost and complexity of cloud storage administration .
In day-to-day operations , this means that file-based editors and workflow solutions can archive to private or public cloud as simply as they would to any other second ary tier of storage , such as LTO tape or object storage . Files can be independently and automatically moved into and
out of the media company ’ s existing public and private clouds according to policies set in StorNext Storage Manager or through an integrated media asset management ( MAM ) solution .
FlexTier extends content access across sites and the cloud to help optimise storage resources and ensure efficient collaborative workflows . This approach affords creative teams convenient access to all stored content , regardless of the medium on which it is stored , and in turn enables media companies to monetise their complete content libraries more effectively .
Because Quantum ’ s StorNext is tightly integrated with many of the industry ’ s most popular MAM solutions , it offers seamless , automated movement of assets across storage resources with the robust capabilities today ’ s asset management systems provide . Support for a variety of third-party WAN acceleration tools and high-speed connectivity options for high-volume data transfers combine to bring further efficiency gains .
Whether working with public or private cloud , or a combination of the two , media companies realise the greatest benefits when the cloud is part of an optimised end-to-end tiered storage system that works seamlessly with MAM systems and other content management tools . StorNext FlexTier supports adoption of this model , offering media companies a straightforward and cost-effective solution for taking full advantage of their cloud storage resources .
Janet Lafleur is Senior Product Marketing Manager , Quantum . important parts of their ad business with broadcast to new screens , increase profitability and drive the long-term strategic control of their businesses .”
While there should be little doubts that the cloud offers many benefits , it cannot be overlooked how moving large content files to the cloud can introduce delays that are simply “ not acceptable ” for broadcast workflows , cautions Francois Quereuil , senior director of worldwide marketing at Aspera .
“ Traditional transfer software technologies are slow and unreliable , and shipping physical disks is time-consuming and expensive and exposes valuable content to unnecessary security risks ,” he notes , going on to describe how typical file transfer acceleration ‘ gateways ’ upload content to cloud object storage in two phases .
First , content is uploaded over the wide area network ( WAN ) and written to the local VM-attached storage . This is followed by a second phase , where content is copied from the local storage to the target object storage .
The result , says Quereuil , is a “ significant delay ” from when the transfer is started to when the content is readily available for use , as well as increases in local storage costs and machine compute time and costs .
Instead , cloud services need a high-speed transport mechanism that addresses two main bottlenecks . Quereuil identifies these as : the degradation in WAN transfer speeds that occurs over distance using traditional transfer protocols ; and the ‘ last foot ’ bottleneck inside the cloud data centre caused by the HTTP interfaces to the underlying object-based cloud storage .
To overcome these obstacles , Aspera is offering the new multi-cloud Aspera High-Speed
Francois Quereuil , senior director of worldwide marketing at Aspera : While there should be little doubts that the cloud offers many benefits , it cannot be overlooked how moving large content files to the cloud can introduce delays that are simply “ not acceptable ” for broadcast workflows .
Transfer Service ( ATS ), a hybrid multi-tenant service for fast and secure transfers of large files to , from and across cloud object storage systems connecting public and private clouds with on-premises infrastructure .
Quereuil continues : “ ATS provides high availability and automatic scale-out , supporting data transfers with cloud storage at up to 20Gbps per region from any distance , and provides back-of-cloud services to meet variable demands , significantly reducing operational complexity .”
ATS includes Aspera ’ s directto-cloud transfer technology to enable high-speed transfers to , from and across cloud storage . By tightly integrating transfers with the native APIs of cloud-based object storage , transferred data is written directly to object storage and is available immediately when the transfer is completed .
Aspera is also continuing to work with partners such as EVS to build cloud-based live production workflows to deliver complete , end-to-end solutions for fast turnaround of live sports , news and entertainment production . The companies offer a combined solution based on Aspera ’ s FASP technology for high-speed transfer of content , and EVS ’ portfolio of live and near-live broadcast applications .
This integration , according to Quereuil , is to eliminate the need for production to be co-located at an event . He explains : “ For example , time-critical , high-resolution content can be transferred over a
Because cloud-based production workflows can connect live content with production teams and viewers , production teams enjoy not only “ significant cost reductions ”, but also flexibility in how they deploy equipment and infrastructure .
The Aspera High-Speed Transfer Service ( ATS ) is a hybrid multi-tenant service for fast and secure transfers of large files to , from and across cloud object storage systems connecting public and private clouds with onpremises infrastructure .
WAN at maximum speed from the sporting venue to a remote facility for editing , and ultimately back to the studio and on to broadcasters for near-live broadcast .”
Because cloud-based production workflows can connect live content with production teams and viewers , production teams enjoy not only “ significant cost reductions ”, but also flexibility in how they deploy equipment and infrastructure . “ This gives them the confidence to deliver the richest content in the shortest possible time frame , and in turn to create an excellent viewing experience ,” Quereuil concludes .
Deploying cloud-based solutions in live production can be “ tricky ” because of the need for live encoding , and for over-thetop ( OTT ) services , the need to transcode for multiple playout profiles equates potentially to delay .
More VMs also means more process time , ponders Magna Systems ’ Pegg , although he is quick to add : “ New compression techniques and offloading processing of the multiple profiles are reducing the time it takes and at some point in the relatively near future , we will be close to real-time [ processing ].”
Pegg goes on to cite a recent project , where Magna Systems helped a customer to develop and install a solution that helps route video and enables processing of Barclays Premier League ( BPL ) football content in a way that allows for the delay or switching of alternative sources during live transmission . “ Single applications such as transcoding , emergency playout material and switching in this new workflow can now be run on individual servers or done on a VM .”
Essentially , many aspects of live production can now be conducted in a virtualised environment , including transcoding , graphics creation and playout , suggests Pegg . Within this ecosystem , cloud-based solutions allow savings on the cost of hardware , and because the same software applications are used across distributed offices , operational savings are also realised , he reiterates .
For broadcasters who are only beginning to build cloud-based infrastructures , the wise bet is to choose a fully redundant and secure cloud supplier , alongside a top-rated technology provider , offers SintecMedia ’ s Marcovich .
This , he says , will ensure broadcasters gain access to roundthe-clock support and the assurance that the cloud environment is 100 % stable and secure .
“ An additional element to consider is access ,” Marcovich adds . “ For the busy executive or CTO , secure access to data should be agnostic , and available when and wherever you need it . All together , the cloud experience is a business opportunity . Creative and flexiblethinking broadcasters should be ready for the future — and the future is the cloud .”