All workflows within the Cisco® MXE 3000 Media Experience Engine are comprised of five main steps:
1. Ingest source
2. Preprocess
3. Encode
4. Distribute
5. Submit
This application note explains the five steps (Figure 1).
The power of the Cisco MXE 3000 lies in its ability to automate the streaming media workflow and reuse the video knowledge of others in the form of a saved set of tasks and instructions called job profiles. Job profiles are essentially templates that define how jobs should be processed. Saved profiles can contain part or all of the settings required to process jobs from beginning to final distribution. Job profiles can be optimized for different types of input media, encoding output, and distribution. They can be stored in a location accessible to all users, or saved to individual locations.
A job profile is a template encapsulating all the operations that are applied to a media file, including preprocessing, encoding, distribution, and notification. Within the Cisco MXE 3000, mobile job profiles for video encoding are included, and they support Blackberry, Sony PSP, iPhone, iPod, and Samsung phones as well as devices that can play back Windows Mobile (LG and Treo) and Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) video formats.
Figure 1. Cisco MXE 3000 Workflows
1. Ingest source: Jobs are submitted through File options and through the Cisco MXE 3000 Folder Attendant.
2. Preprocess: Preprocessing jobs are controlled by the preprocessor worker and may include settings that adjust many video and audio values in preparation for the target encoding format.
3. Encode: Encoding of media is controlled by encoder workers - each type corresponding to a specific type of format, including support for all facets of mobile video streaming and mobile devices: Real, Flash 8, H.264, MPEG, QuickTime, and Windows Media. One or more encoders, in any combination, can be selected.
4. Distribute: Distribution of encoded media files is controlled by Distribution options that allow you to specify which files will be stored locally, how files will be named, and where files should be delivered.
5. Submit: When all job, preprocessor, encoder, and distribution options have been added and settings applied to each operation, jobs are submitted and managed through the job monitor. You can also be notified through FTP, email message, or Short Message Service (SMS) on the status of jobs in process.
As enterprise customers becoming increasingly dependant on video, and more importantly the ability to access media on an ever-growing market for media ready handheld devices, the MXE 3000 delivers a seamless, automated procedure by which content can quickly be created, repurposed, and distributed to mobile devices.
