File-based workflows are the result of the transition from analog to digital production. This transition has created an explosion of digital media content which must be integrated into widely-dispersed production processes and workflows. New business opportunities also place new demands on companies to move content to more places more quickly than ever before. To respond to this critical need, Signiant® developed its Content Distribution Management (CDM) software, the only integrated and open software solution that manages, secures, automates and accelerates digital media workflows.
Signiant CDM consists of Media Controllers and Managers; Media Agents; and Media Exchange. Signiant is the leader in delivering the advanced software technology required to meet today's digital content movement challenges. Signiant technology makes it possible to:
- Easily implement an enterprise-wide digital media distribution system using file-based workflows
- Deploy a complete solution while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure
- Rapidly monetize new and emerging digital media business models
Centralized Control with Superior Capability and Performance
Signiant's CDM capabilities are best understood by categorizing them into the four major requirements for effective automation of file-based workflows:
Centralized Web-based Management
- Policy-based network traffic control
- Business-based policy prioritization
- Tracking, scheduling, reporting and auditing
- Multi-Manager job initiation and file movement
- Certified delivery, data confidentiality and integrity
- Multiple operating system support
- Dashboard status views
- High availability and warm stand-by manager solutions
- Template-based job creation and execution of data movement in conformance with business policies
Security
- Secure file delivery
- Data confidentiality and integrity
- SSL, TLS Cryptography
- Mutual authentication using x.509
- Selectable payload encryption (AES 256/128/64)
- Certified delivery using Public Key Infrastructure
- Firewall traversal
- Network resiliency including file "check-pointing"
Automation
- Industry-standard applications including watch folders, encoding, watermarking, transcoding, content playout and distribution
- Integration with common media applications and flexible modeling of custom production workflows
- SOAP interface, web services enabled
Acceleration
- WAN transport acceleration including protocol failover
- Bandwidth management
- Advanced data differencing techniques, dramatically reducing the amount of data to be transferred
- Carrier grade reliability and resiliency
- Minimization of data (compression for some file types) and round-trip delays caused by network latency
- Latency compensation through optimization of application and transport layers (e.g., adaptive window sampling, selective acknowledgment)
- Automatic restarts with file check-pointing after network disruptions
Major CDM Elements
Media Controller: Web-based centralized management of fast file transport over IP networks. Customers who need more managed file transfers require a Media Manager.
Media Manager: In addition to centralized scheduling and reporting for fast file transport, the Media Manager provides a web-based interface for operators and administrators to build workflows, schedule jobs, control media applications, monitor progress and report on media assets as they move through the Signiant network.
Media Agents: Application software designed to run on enterprise class servers that execute Signiant jobs including WAN accelerated file transport plus interfacing to policy based 3rd party applications for content automation.
CDM Software Modules
The flexibility and power of CDM can be realized by installing a variety of software modules on the Media Manager to work along with Media Agents. The following modules are available in the Media Manager:
Template and Component Developer: Available with the Media Manager these modules include example workflow templates allowing users to build or modify existing jobs, workflows or even user interface selections to meet specific business needs. Also included is the software SDK for creating customized components which can be used to build media workflows.
Media Drop Box, Aggregator and Distributor: Available on both the Media Controller and Media Manager, these modules enable bi-directional accelerated file transfer between 2 or more locations using a variety of transport mechanisms including UDP, TCP, FTP or HTTP. Also included is a variety of security, file check-pointing and certified delivery options.
Additional Transport
Media Exchange (MX): A Java-based web application for end users accelerating the upload or download of rich media to a central location. Utilizing the same acceleration features and transport technology available in Signiant's Media Agents, MX is effective for quickly moving user or field generated content to and from any location with a broadband connection. Media Exchange can operate as a stand-alone solution or as part of the Media Manager for automating pre-defined business policies including file transfers, QC, watermarking, transcoding and a variety of other media applications.
Signiant's Workflow Modeling Engine
Available on the Media Manager is Signiant's Workflow Modeling Engine (WME) technology. The WME allows media components to be used to create custom workflows addressing specific business needs. With the Workflow Modeling Engine the system can interoperate with third party technologies including encoders, format converters, playout servers, DAMs and watermarking technologies. Using APIs, the Media Manager can set parameters, initiate processes, track status and move content through the digital media supply chain.
Component Media Plug-Ins: Using the Media Manager, customers can use the plug-ins offered by Signiant (Apple Final Cut Pro; AVID Transfer Manager; Anystream Agility; Thomson Nexguard; Interra Baton and Rhozet Carboncoder) or build their own with the available toolkit.
Signiant Workflow Automation
3 Steps to automating your workflows:
- Signiant's product can easily be equipped with a number of technology components like editing systems, transcoders or watermarking systems and many others.
- Once the components have been selected or developed, users can link all the components together to create the workflow templates that meet the specific needs of their business.
- Through the Signiant User Interface users can select the various settings like encryption, email, acceleration, source/target Agent etc., and save the workflow in the Media Manager as a Signiant Job.
For more information, please download the Content Distribution Management datasheet.