Table Of Contents
Overview of Cisco MXE 3000
Cisco MXE 3000 System Components
Enterprise Control System (ECS)
Local Control System (LCS)
Workers
WebUI
Client User Interface (CLUI)
Folder Attendant
Job Profiles
Encode and Transcode Process
Data and Video Pipeline
Job Submission
Job Submission Channels
Input Formats (File-Based Inputs)
Output Formats
Overview of the Five-Step Process
Overview of Cisco MXE 3000
Revised: October 10, 2008, OL-16995-01
This section includes the following topics:
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Cisco MXE 3000 System Components
•Encode and Transcode Process
•Data and Video Pipeline
•Job Submission
Cisco MXE 3000 System Components
This section briefly describes the basic components of the Cisco MXE 3000 and includes the following topics:
•Enterprise Control System (ECS)
•Local Control System (LCS))
•Workers
•WebUI
•Client User Interface (CLUI)
•Folder Attendant
•Job Profiles
Enterprise Control System (ECS)
The ECS is the control system that drives all of the intelligence behind the Cisco MXE 3000.
•The ECS communicates with the SQL database when logging and job/task scheduling, tracking, and monitoring.
•The ECS controls the entire Cisco MXE 3000.
•The ECS is responsible for:
–Validating licenses
–Connecting to the database
–Submitting jobs to the LCS
–Monitoring jobs
–Scheduling jobs
–Providing Redundancy/Fault Tolerance
•The ECS is set up to run as a Windows service.
Local Control System (LCS)
•The LCS is the application that drives all of the encoders and other workers that accomplish tasks, such as file management and notification.
•The LCS is "parented" by the ECS.
•The LCS is the "worker ant" of the system; it is unintelligent without the ECS.
•The LCS can be set up to run as a Windows service.
Workers
The following are types of Cisco MXE 3000 workers:
•Prefilter: the entry point to the system
•Any licensed encoder: QT, h.264, MXF, MPEG, and so on
•Distribution worker: FTP and copy worker
•Fileman worker: performs file system cleanup
•Notification worker: HTTP Post or e-mail
WebUI
•The web user interface (WebUI) is the administrative user interface for Cisco MXE 3000.
•The WebUI is used to configure the Cisco MXE 3000 system settings, such as input and output directories.
•The WebUI is used to create administrative users.
•The WebUI is used to run reports on Cisco MXE 3000 activity.
•The WebUI is used to perform recovery procedures for the Cisco MXE 3000.
Note This guide provides information about the CLUI and Folder Attendant. For information about using the WebUI, see the Deployment and Administration Guide for Cisco MXE 3000 on Cisco.com.
Client User Interface (CLUI)
•The CLUI, shown in Figure 2-1, is the standard Cisco MXE 3000 user interface.
•The CLUI is used to set up encoder server and client preferences.
•The CLUI is used to create job profiles and submit jobs.
•The CLUI is used to monitor submitted jobs.
•The CLUI connects to the ECS via TCP/IP over port 3501.
See also: Understanding the Cisco MXE 3000 Client User Interface (CLUI) for a more information about the CLUI.
Figure 2-1 Cisco MXE 3000 Client User Interface
Client User Interface (CLUI) components are as follows:
•Main Window
–Allows creation and editing of Job Profiles
–Allows selection of a media source
–Allows metadata entry
•Job Log Window
–Lists selected inputs
–Shows profiles associated with each input
–Allows assignment or change to Job Profiles
–Allows job previewing
•Job Status Window
–Displays status of submitted jobs: pending, running, or complete
–Shows individual tasks in each job and the status of each task
–Allows access to job XML and failed job error messages
Folder Attendant
Folder Attendant monitors directories (using watch folders) for new media files and submits jobs to the Cisco MXE 3000 encoder(s) based on profiles assigned to each directory. For more information, see the Folder Attendant chapters in this guide.
Job Profiles
Contain encoding parameters
•Are XML-based
•Specify resolution, frame rate, bit rates, video codecs, audio codecs, and more
See also: Creating Job Profiles (CLUI).
Encode and Transcode Process
•Cisco MXE 3000 In > Cisco MXE 3000 Out
•Decoding, Encoding, and Transcoding Overview
–File-based video is decoded to an uncompressed AVI file.
–The uncompressed AVI file is written to disk (default behavior) or memory (immediate mode).
–Each encoder reads the AVI file as a source and outputs the appropriate format.
See also: Data and Video Pipeline.
Data and Video Pipeline
Figure 2-2 provides a visual description of the data/video pipeline.
Figure 2-2 Video Pipeline
Job Submission
This section includes the following topics:
•Job Submission Channels
•Input Formats (File-Based Inputs)
•Output Formats
•Overview of the Five-Step Process
Job Submission Channels
The following are Cisco MXE 3000 job submission channels:
•Client User Interface (CLUI)
•Folder Attendant (most common)
Note CLUI job submission methods are documented in the CLUI chapters in this guide. Automatic submission with Folder Attendant is covered in the Folder Attendant chapters in this guide.
Input Formats (File-Based Inputs)
• Integration with NLE
–Avid, Final Cut Pro, Pinnacle, Liquid, Adobe Premier, Quantel
• Broadcast Servers
–SeaChange, Leitch, Omneon, GrassValley, Pinnacle, Sony, Quantel
•Camera
–Sony XDCAM, Sony HD XDCAM
•Other File Inputs
–Mpeg1, MPEG2, Mpeg4, H.264, MXF OP1a, IMX, WAV, Avid OMF, DV, QuickTime, AVI, WMV
Output Formats
•Cable VOD
–MPEG2 Transport Stream, AC3 Stereo audio, Cable Labs compliant
•Mobile
–3GP, MPEG4, H264, H263, AAC, AMR, Apple
•Web
–Real, Windows Media, Flash 8, QuickTime, MP3
•MPEG2
–4:2:0, 4:2:2, AC3 Stereo audio, Program and Transport Streams, DVD Compliant
Overview of the Five-Step Process
The Cisco MXE 3000 integrates the five key steps of the media production and distribution cycle. All the settings described in Table 2-1 can be added to a job or can be added to a Job Profile.
Table 2-1 Five-Step Process
Task
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Reference
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1. Choose Source
Jobs are submitted using the File Job tab.
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Step 1: Choose Your Source
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2. Preprocess
Preprocessing is controlled by the Preprocessor tab. Jobs may include preprocessor settings that adjust many video and audio settings. Only one Preprocessor tab is needed for each job or Job Profile.
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Step 2: Select Preprocessor Settings
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3. Encode
Encoding is controlled by Encoder tabs. Each type of Encoder tab corresponds to a specific type of encoding, including: Flash 8, H.264, MP3, MPEG, QuickTime, Real, WAV, Windows Media.
One or more encoders, in any combination, may be added to a job or Job Profile.
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Step 3: Select Encoders
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4. Distribute
Distribution of processed media files is controlled by Distribution tabs. Distribution tabs allow you to specify which files are stored locally, how files are named, and where files are delivered.
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Step 4: Select Distribution Settings
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5. Submit
When all job, preprocessor, encoder, and distribution tabs have been added and settings applied to each tab, submit the job and manage job status.
Tip You can use Folder Attendant to automate job submission and monitor those jobs. See also: Folder Attendant Overview for more information.
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•Step 5: Submit the Job
•Managing Jobs (CLUI)
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