Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide Version 2.
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Manager, DS-StorageCalc, DV Toolkit, DVD Complete, D-Verb, Eleven, EM, Euphonix, EUCON, EveryPhase, Expander, ExpertRender, Fader Pack, Fairchild, FastBreak, Fast Track, Film Cutter, FilmScribe, Flexevent, FluidMotion, Frame Chase, FXDeko, HD Core, HD Process, HDpack, Home-to-Hollywood, HYBRID, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, iKnowledge, Image Independence, Impact, Improv, iNEWS, iNEWS Assign, iNEWS ControlAir, InGame, Instantwrite, Instinct, Intelligent Content Management, Intelligent Digital Actor Technolog
Contents Using This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enabling Progress and Tasks Pane Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Creating Interplay | MAM Users in MediaCentral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Chapter 2 User Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Opening the Users Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 The Users Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3 Monitoring and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Troubleshooting Mixdown Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using This Guide This guide is intended for all Avid MediaCentral | UX administrators who are responsible for configuring and maintaining a MediaCentral UX system (formerly Interplay Central). This guide describes product features and administrative procedures, such as MediaCentral UX system settings and user management. For initial installation and configuration, see the Avid MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide.
If You Need Help Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action Monospace font Monospace font identifies text that you view and type from the operating system command line. Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the mouse action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag. | (pipe character) The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as Interplay | Production.
1 Administration and System Settings The following topics provide information about configuration of MediaCentral UX components: • The Administrator Account • Signing In to MediaCentral | UX • Configuring System Settings • MediaCentral System Settings • Configuring Image Quality • Configuring File-Based Playback • Configuring a Session Timeout • Configuring Interplay | Production for Sharing Messages • Configuring Message Archiving • Configuring E-Mail Forwarding • Configuring for Send
Signing In to MediaCentral | UX Additional Administrator Accounts An administrator can add other users to the Administrators group. All members of the Administrators group have the same administrator privileges. For more information, see “Creating a New Group or Editing Group Details” on page 85. Layouts Available Only to an Administrator Administrator tasks are performed in MediaCentral UX layouts.
Configuring System Settings To sign in to MediaCentral UX: 1. Open a supported browser and type the URL of your MediaCentral Services server. The URL is the computer name of the server. 2. At the sign-in screen, type your user name and password. 3. Click Sign In, or press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). After a few moments, the MediaCentral UX application opens and displays the last layout that you used.
MediaCentral System Settings 3. In the Settings pane select a settings group, for example, General. The Details pane displays the settings in that group. 4. In the Details pane, specify one or more settings, as described in the table at the end of this procedure. 5. Click Apply to save your new settings or click Revert to replace changed information with the previously saved settings. MediaCentral System Settings This topic describes settings in the System Settings layout.
MediaCentral System Settings Setting Description Variable Speed Playback Control the speed of the L key (forward) and J key (backward) for variable speed playback (J-K-L). The default settings are: • Press 2 times: 2x normal speed • Press 3 times: 3x normal speed • Press 4 times: 4x normal speed To change a value, type a number directly in a field. You can also use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys on the keyboard, or the up and down arrows next to the field, to increase or decrease the value by .
MediaCentral System Settings Setting Description Time Zone The default time zone for users signed in to this MediaCentral UX server. This setting is used by the indexed search in MediaCentral UX to display dates and other formatted data correctly for users, depending on their time zone. Users can override this setting in the General User Settings. Click the down arrow for a list of time zones and select the most appropriate one.
MediaCentral System Settings iNEWS Setting Description iNEWS Server: System ID The system ID for an iNEWS cluster, which is set in the iNEWS /site/system file. Using this ID ensures load balancing and failover if necessary. Do not include a suffix such as -a or -b. Ensure that all MediaCentral servers can resolve the IP addresses of systemID-a, systemID-b, and if present, systemID-c. Address resolution can be through DNS or hosts file.
MediaCentral System Settings Setting Description System Connectivity Status Checks if the most relevant settings for the MediaCentral connection are configured properly in the Interplay MAM configuration profiles. Provides information about mis-configured settings that must be resolved in Interplay MAM System Administrator. Credentials The user name and password to connect to the Interplay MAM server.
MediaCentral System Settings Setting Description Location for Script Sequences: Path A path for a folder in the Interplay Production database to store the sequences created as part of an iNEWS script. Select whether you want sub-folders created by Queue name, Date, or Story name. Assets Pane: Maximum Number The maximum number of items listed in a pane. To view more items, click the Show More Results button. The range is 5 to 1000 items.
Configuring Image Quality Zones An administrator uses these settings to configure two or more single-zone systems into a multi-zone environment. For more information, see “Working with MediaCentral Zones” on page 69 and the Avid MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide. Configuring Image Quality The Player system settings include options to improve the image quality that is displayed in the Media viewer: • Maximum size of the proxy video.
Configuring Image Quality Note the following: • These settings apply only to users at the top level of the group. They do not apply to users in subgroups. If you need to assign Image Quality settings to a group that includes subgroups, you can create a special group just for high-quality settings and assign Image Quality settings to this group. Then add the appropriate users to this group but do not use subgroups.
Configuring File-Based Playback 3. In the Settings pane, select Player. 4. In the Image Quality Settings section of the Details pane, do one of the following: t To add a new group, click the plus button, then select the user group from the User Group menu. t To edit settings for an existing group, click the user group name. 5. To set the image size, select the width in pixels from the Maximum Size menu. 6. To enable a button for viewing high-resolution video, select MultiRez.
Configuring File-Based Playback A MediaCentral administrator has the option of configuring the bit rate for file-based playback. There are two profiles available: • Low-bandwidth: The default setting for file-based playback. This option is available for file-based playback of both Interplay Production and Interplay MAM assets. The default settings are 512 Kb/sec for video and 96 Kb/sec for audio. • High-bandwidth: This setting applies to the MultiRez option for playback of high-quality media.
Configuring a Session Timeout Use the following table to estimate the amount of media that can be transferred at different bit rates. This information was based on media transferred with the following specifications: DNxHD 36 HD_1920x1080@25p@16:9, transferred with a maximum width of 960 pixels. Video Bit Rate/ Audio Bit Rate Approximate Media Transfer Per Minute 256 Kb/128 Kb 2.72 MB 512 Kb/128 Kb 5.6 MB 1 Mb/128 Kb 8.8 MB 3 Mb/128 Kb 22.8 MB 5 Mb/128 Kb 32 MB 10 Mb/128 Kb 32.
Configuring Interplay | Production for Sharing Messages Configuring Interplay | Production for Sharing Messages Before you can send messages from MediaCentral UX to Media Composer or NewsCutter, you need to configure your Interplay Production database so it uses the correct MediaCentral UX server for the messaging service. To configure Interplay Production for sharing messages with Avid editing applications: 1.
Configuring Message Archiving You can also use the Messenger Archive tool to export the archive to a comma-separated values (CSV) file, with the options of compressing the file and of deleting the exported message archive from your server. The Messenger Archive tool is located in the following folder: /opt/avid/bin. You must run the archive utility program as root from a command line. You can run the tool on any of the Linux nodes in your cluster setup. To configure message archiving: 1.
Configuring E-Mail Forwarding 2. Type acs-messenger-archive-tool to run the utility, selecting the appropriate options from the following table: Option Description -c Adds a command. You can use the following values: • info (lists the number of messages and the size of the archive, as well as the first and last messages) • export (creates a CSV file with all messages in the archive) -o Specifies the output folder for the exported CSV file. The default folder is /opt/avid/share/message_archives.
Configuring E-Mail Forwarding To enable and configure e-mail forwarding: 1. Sign in to MediaCentral UX as an administrator. 2. Select System Settings from the Layout selector. The System Settings layout opens. 3. In the Settings pane select Messages & Sharing. The Details pane displays the settings in that group. 4. Select Email forwarding. 5. Type a valid SMTP server name for the hosting e-mail application, and then type the appropriate port number. 6.
Configuring for Send to Playback Configuring for Send to Playback You can transfer a sequence to a playback device or playout server for viewing or broadcast. This process is called send to playback, or STP. Users can also send to playback a sequence stored in an Interplay Production database.
Configuring for Send to Playback For information about installing and configuring these components, see the MediaCentral Services Installation and Configuration Guide. • Interplay | Production - Interplay | Production Services Engine. This component serves as a broker for all Production Services. The Interplay | Transcode service and the Interplay | STP Encode service are used for MediaCentral UX send-to-playback operations.
Configuring for Send to Playback For more information, see the following topics: • “Send-To-Playback Workflow: I-Frame Sequences” on page 31 • “Send-To-Playback Workflow: Long GOP Sequences” on page 32 • “Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device” on page 33 • “Failover for Multiple MCDS Servers” on page 33 Send-To-Playback Workflow: I-Frame Sequences The following illustration shows a typical send-to-playback workflow for I-frame (non-Long GOP) sequences.
Configuring for Send to Playback Send-To-Playback Workflow: Long GOP Sequences The following illustration shows a typical send-to-playback workflow for a Long GOP sequence. MediaCentral Client (Browser) q MediaCentral Middleware Service w ISIS Shared Storage e MediaCentral Distribution Service t u Production Services Engine r w y i Interplay Transcode STP Encode o Interplay Transfer Media Indexer 1) Playback Server 1. The user starts an STP process in MediaCentral UX. 2.
Configuring for Send to Playback 8. STP Encode creates Long GOP OP1a media, stores it on the ISIS system, and initiates a transfer to the playout server, through Interplay | Transfer. 9. Interplay | Transfer transfers the sequence to the playback server. Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device In most cases, all media used in the sequence must be available in the target resolution to start an STP operation.
Configuring for Send to Playback Example The following example shows servers MCDS Server A, MCDS Server B, and MCDS Server C configured for MCDS high availability. 1. Server A is listed first, so it is initially the active server. 2. Server A stops responding, so all new jobs go to Server B. 3. Server A comes back up, but jobs continue to go to Server B. 4. Server B stops responding, so all new jobs go to Server C. 5. Server C stops responding, so all new jobs go to Server A. 6.
Configuring for Send to Playback Example 2: 1. Servers A, B and C were initially configured for MCDS high availability. 2. Server B is the currently the active MCDS. 3. You reconfigure the settings list to use servers D, E, and F. a. Server B will no longer be active because it is not on the list. b. The sequence for testing on failover is now D> E > F.
Configuring for Send to Playback c If the menus do not display any values, the connection to Interplay Production might not be working. Try signing out and signing back in, or check the configuration between MediaCentral UX and Interplay Production. For more information, see the MediaCentral Services Installation and Configuration Guide. 4. Do one of the following: t To create a new profile, click the + (plus) button in the Send to Playback Profiles section.
Configuring for Send to Playback The following table describes the settings in each group. Send to Playback Setting Description Name A name for the profile. Choose a meaningful, descriptive name because this name is displayed to users. Individual Device or Studio Specifies if the profile applies to a single playout server or to an AirSpeed Studio. If you select Individual Device, the following fields are displayed: • Servers. Select the Transfer Engine server for the profile.
Configuring for Send to Playback Send to Playback Setting Description Video Options Long GOP: Select Long GOP if this profile will be used to transfer Long GOP media (for example, XDCAM HD). Long GOP media is transferred through the STP Encode service. AirSpeed: Select AirSpeed if this profile will be used to transfer to an Avid AirSpeed or AirSpeed Multi Stream server. Accelerated STP: If you select both Long GOP and AirSpeed, the Accelerated STP option is activated.
Configuring for Send to Playback Send to Playback Setting Description Audio Target Mixdown Mode Select Stereo or Direct Out. The maximum number of audio tracks supported for send to playback is 16. Interplay ISIS Workspace • Stereo: Maps to a left/right alternating pan (odd tracks on one channel, even tracks on the other channel), creates a stereo mixdown of all audio tracks, and outputs the resulting two tracks to two channels when sent to playback. This results in two channels of audio.
Configuring for Send to Playback Selecting a Transfer Server When you select a server in an STP profile, the Servers list includes all Interplay | Transfer Engines, AirSpeed Transfer Engines, and AirSpeed Multi Stream Transfer Engines that are specified in the Interplay Production workgroup. The following illustration shows the Servers list and the corresponding Interplay | Transfer Settings in the Interplay | Administrator.
Configuring for Send to Playback Selecting a Playback Device When you select a playback device in an STP profile, the Playback Device list includes the playback devices that are associated with the Interplay | Transfer server you selected. • For AirSpeed servers, there is only one selection that matches the server name. • For AirSpeed Multi Stream servers, there might be two types of selections: • - One selection that matches the server name.
Configuring for Send to Playback 42
Configuring for Send to Playback XDCAM-HD on AirSpeed Multi Stream This profile, named AMS1-XDCAM1080i60_50mb, specifies settings for an AirSpeed Multi Stream server that supports XDCAM-HD media. Note the following: • Servers: Airspeed Multi Stream includes a Transfer Engine, so A51-WG1-AMS1 is the computer name for the AMS server. • Playback Device: Because this profile supports XDCAM-HD Long GOP media, the playback device name includes the -HD suffix.
Configuring for Send to Playback • Long GOP and AirSpeed must be selected for this profile. With these options selected Accelerated STP (Send to Playback) becomes available, and can be used in this case because the AirSpeed MultiStream server is version 1.7 or later. • The remaining media options specifically describe the target video and audio resolutions. The Mixdown Mode is set for Stereo, and the specified ISIS workspace will hold the mixed-down media.
Configuring for Send to Playback Note the following: • Studio: The Studio option is selected and the Servers list is replaced by the Studio list. A51-WG1-AMS[3] is the computer name for the AirSpeed Multi Stream Studio group. • Playback Device: Because this profile supports XDCAM-HD Long GOP media, the playback device name includes the -HD suffix. • Long GOP and AirSpeed must be selected for this profile.
Configuring for Send to Playback Note the following: • Servers: A51-WG1-AMS2 is the computer name for this AirSpeed Multi Stream server. • Playback Device: Because this profile supports SD media, the playback device name matches the server name and does not include the -HD suffix. • AirSpeed must be selected for this profile. • The remaining media options specifically describe the target video and audio resolutions.
Configuring for Send to Playback Note the following: • Servers: A51-WG1-TM2 is the computer name for the Transfer Engine server. • Playback Device: a51-wg1-tm2:6534/OMN_SD is the third-party server configured through the Transfer Engine. • The remaining media options specifically describe the target video and audio resolutions. The Mixdown Mode is set for Stereo, and the specified ISIS workspace will hold the mixed-down media.
Configuring for Send to Playback 3. Add the following line to the file: system.client.stp.video-gap-warning=WARNING Substitute ERROR for WARNING if you want an error message that cancels the operation. Substitute NONE if you do not want any message. 4. Close and save the application.properties file. 5.
Configuring Settings in the Interplay | Production Administrator Configuring Settings in the Interplay | Production Administrator The Interplay Production Administrator application includes settings that apply to MediaCentral UX. The initial configuration of these settings is described in the MediaCentral Services Installation and Configuration Guide. After the initial configuration, you might want to modify these settings.
Configuring Settings in the Interplay | Production Administrator Section Audio - Track labels Audio - Source audio patching Audio - Storyline audio patching Audio - General settings Setting Description Sound on Tape This setting is the channel count for sound on tape. Options include: 1-Channel or 2-Channel.
Configuring Settings in the Interplay | Production Administrator Section Setting Description Ducking [-db] When audio must be ducked because of overlapping tracks, this setting (in decibels) is what determines the reduction in audio level. Dynamic Relink Dynamic Relink Enabled This setting is not configured for MediaCentral UX in this location in the Interplay | Administrator application. Instead, this setting is configured in the Playback Service group of the MediaCentral UX System Settings layout.
Configuring Settings in the Interplay | Production Administrator 4. Select the desired settings and click Apply. The following table describes settings that are applicable to MediaCentral UX. Section Setting Description Permission Settings Can create locators If yes, allows the selected user or group to create markers. If no, a user of an Avid editing application can still create markers for an asset, but can check in only the asset, not the marker metadata (an error message is displayed).
Configuring Interplay | MAM Configuring Interplay | MAM To use MediaCentral UX with Interplay MAM, an administrator has to check and adapt some configuration settings in Interplay MAM and MediaCentral configuration applications. Prerequisites Before configuring and using Interplay MAM in MediaCentral, the following must be performed: • Install the MAM.Core.MediaCentralConnection package in the MAM system.
Configuring Interplay | MAM (Option) Multi-Zone Environment To use the same Interplay MAM system with several MCS servers (for example, in a setup with one Interplay MAM system and multiple Interplay Production systems, each having its own dedicated MCS server), you need to create a multi-zone environment containing all MCS servers to which you want to connect the MAM system. The MCS system that is configured in the MAM system (for BUS access) needs to be part of this environment.
Configuring Interplay | MAM 4. Open the Users view. 5. Click the Add New User button in the Users pane. The Add User dialog box opens. 6. Provide data for the mandatory fields: a. Id: ID of the user account. The ID must be unique and cannot be changed. Avid recommends using Service-Ics. b. Password: Password of the user account. c. Confirm: Confirmation of the password for the user account. 7. Click OK. The new user account is added to the database and the User ID is shown in the Users pane. 8.
Configuring Interplay | MAM To configure Interplay MAM settings: 1. Sign in to MediaCentral UX as an administrator. 2. Select System Settings from the Layouts list. The Settings pane and Details pane open. 3. In the Settings pane, select Interplay | MAM. The top part of the Details pane lists the connected Interplay MAM systems and their status in the Interplay | MAM Systems section. The bottom part lists the details of the Interplay MAM system selected in the Interplay | MAM Systems section.
Configuring Interplay | MAM 4. Do one of the following: t To add a new Interplay MAM system, click the + (plus) button in the Interplay | MAM Systems section. A new system “New Interplay | MAM” with status “enabled” is added to the Interplay | MAM Systems section. The new system is selected. t To edit the settings of an existing MAM system, select it in the Interplay | MAM Systems section.
Configuring Interplay | MAM If a configuration issue is detected, a red error icon is shown and a message provides information about the affected setting. Resolve the configuration error as indicated in the message in Interplay MAM System Administrator. 8. Configure the credentials that are required to connect MediaCentral UX automatically to the Interplay MAM server: n User name and password must match the credentials of the MediaCentral system user that is created in Interplay MAM User Manager.
Configuring Interplay | MAM Configuring Central Index for Interplay | MAM To use Central Index for Interplay MAM in MediaCentral UX, check and adapt the following settings in the Interplay MAM Administrator. Note that these settings have been configured during the installation of the MAM.Core.MediaCentralConnection package and should already show correct values. To configure Central Index for Interplay MAM: 1.
Configuring Interplay | MAM Enabling Progress and Tasks Pane Updates To force Interplay MAM to update process information in the MediaCentral UX Progress pane and Tasks pane, check and adapt the following settings in the Interplay MAM Administrator. Note that these settings have been configured during the installation of the MAM.Core.MediaCentralConnection package and should already show correct values. To enable updating the process information in the Progress and Tasks pane: 1.
Configuring Interplay | MAM 61
2 User Management The following topics provide information about managing MediaCentral UX users and groups: • Opening the Users Layout • The Users Layout • Understanding Users and Groups • Available Layouts: Administrators and Users • Working with MediaCentral Zones • Managing Users and Groups • Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles • Displaying Information in the Details Pane • Viewing and Ending Active Sessions
Opening the Users Layout Opening the Users Layout The Users layout is a layout that a MediaCentral UX administrator uses to import, create, and manage users and groups. To open the Users layout: 1. Sign in to MediaCentral UX as an administrator and select Users from the Layout selector. The Layout selector shows the name of the current layout. The list shows the role for the signed-in user, along with the layouts that role can access.
The Users Layout q r w t e Display or Control Description 1 Menu bar Includes the same items as the Menu bar in other MediaCentral UX layouts. The contents of the Panes menu is specific to the Users layout. 2 User Tree pane Displays the contents of the user database. For more information, see “User Tree Pane” on page 65. Media Central Zones pane Lists the registered MediaCentral zones.
The Users Layout 5 Display or Control Description Details pane The Details pane displays information about the group or user you double-click in the user tree. If you double-click the top-level group (Users), the pane lets you specify information about the selected Authentication Provider. The Details pane also displays information about a selected role or zone. Active Sessions pane The Active Sessions pane displays a list of users who are currently signed in to the MediaCentral UX Web application.
Understanding Users and Groups Display or Control Description 4 User The sign-in name for a MediaCentral account. The illustration shows the default Administrator user. For more information, see “Understanding Users and Groups” on page 66 and “Managing Users and Groups” on page 72. 5 Group A name that represents a group of users. For more information, see “Managing Users and Groups” on page 72. 6 Pane Menu button Displays a list of options. See the following list.
Understanding Users and Groups - Manage which MediaCentral UX licenses a user has access to MediaCentral User Management is one of the MediaCentral Services that runs on the MediaCentral Services server. • A user is an entity that represents a real-world user. Users are authenticated through the MediaCentral User Management Service. • A group is an entity that represents a collection of users. For example, the group named Administrators is a collection of users that have administrator privileges.
Understanding Users and Groups A user or a group can be a member of more than one group in a single subtree. In the following illustration, user X can be a member of both group B and group C. B A C q X 1 User X can be a member of both Group C and Group B. Relationships are hierarchical. Cyclical relationships, as in the following illustration, are not permitted. w A B e q C 1 Group C is a member of Group A. 2 Group A is a member of Group B. 3 Group B cannot be a member of Group C.
Available Layouts: Administrators and Users Available Layouts: Administrators and Users Which layouts are available in MediaCentral UX depends on the group to which a user belongs. • Administrators group: A user in the Administrators group can access the System Settings and Users layouts and perform administrative actions that are available in the layouts. An Administrator can also access any other layout.
Working with MediaCentral Zones By default, a MediaCentral system is configured as a single zone. Large organizations can combine two or more single-zone systems into a multi-zone environment. For more information, see the following topics: • “Managing Multi-Zone Environments” on page 70 • “Configuring MediaCentral Zones” on page 71 Configuring a Multi-Zone Environment An administrator configures a multi-zone environment through the Zone settings in the System Settings layout.
Working with MediaCentral Zones switched to read-only mode. Thus, there is no way to work with the database (for example, adding new users or changing roles until the master zone is available again. When this happens, databases are automatically switched to Read/Write mode. Multi-Zone Search A user signed into one zone can search for assets across a multi-zone environment.
Managing Users and Groups If there are no zones configured on the server, the MediaCentral Zones tab lists the default zone. No further configuration is needed. If multiple zones are configured, they are listed in the MediaCentral Zones pane. The following fields are displayed in the Details tab: • ID: The UUID of the selected zone, which is assigned when the zone is created on the MediaCentral server. This field is not editable.
Managing Users and Groups The MediaCentral UX user database is independent of the Interplay Production user database, Interplay MAM user database, and the Avid iNEWS user database. However, the MediaCentral UX database, through the MediaCentral User Management Service, serves as a password manager that authenticates the MediaCentral UX user against the Interplay Production, Interplay MAM, and iNEWS user databases.
Managing Users and Groups Importing Groups of Users Importing a group of users is a two part process: c • Supply information about the authentication provider. • Perform the actual import. During the import process authentication requests cannot be handled. Currently signed-in users might not be able to complete their work. Other users will not be able to sign in. You should inform active users that the system will not be available.
Managing Users and Groups n The option “Allow Weak Passwords” does not apply to users imported from Active Directory. MediaCentral UX imports and uses the same sign-in credentials that are used in Active Directory.
Managing Users and Groups 4. In the Server section, supply the following information: - (Optional) If the Active Directory uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, select Use SSL Connection. - Type the hostname of the Windows domain server on which the user database is stored. If you are using more than one Windows domain server for user authentication, enter the computer names of the servers, separated by a comma but no space. - Type the port for the domain server. The default port is 389.
Managing Users and Groups 6. (Optional) If your facility uses SAM Account Names instead of the newer Active Directory Principal Names, select “Import users by SAM Account Name instead of Principal Name.” This configuration is specifically for those users who are used to logging into Interplay Production with the older Windows Domain style login. If you later decide to change to Principal Name, you need to reimport users and the current settings will be lost. 7.
Managing Users and Groups To import users from a Windows domain: 1. Click the User Tree Pane Menu button and select Import Users. The Import Users dialog box opens. If you did not specify an authentication provider, the following message appears: “You have no authentication providers configured.” Click the Go to Authentication Providers button to display the Details pane and then complete the previous procedure. 2. Select whether you want to overwrite existing users that have the same user names.
Managing Users and Groups 4. If necessary, click the triangle to expand a group and display subgroups. You can also use the maximize icon to expand the pane. Select the groups that you want to import, and click Import. A message box displays the progress of the import. If the import process fails for any reason, such as a failure to connect to the Active Directory server, a message box describes the problem and gives you an option to retry.
Managing Users and Groups There are four tabs: - All: Lists all users and groups and their status - Failed: Lists the users and groups that could not be imported and their status - Skipped: If you selected “Do not overwrite existing users that have the same names,” lists the users and groups that were not imported because they already exist in the user database. - Successful: Lists the users and groups that were successfully imported.
Managing Users and Groups 5. Click OK. The selected group is imported in the user tree, in the folder named Users/Import/Microsoft/full_qualified_name. You can then assign imported users to other groups. Importing an Individual User After an administrator successfully imports a group of users through Windows domain authentication, an additional user can be automatically imported through the MediaCentral UX sign-in screen without the need to import the entire group again.
Managing Users and Groups 3. Click the Import and Sign-In button. A message is displayed, the user is imported to the “Auto-Import users” folder, and the user is signed in with the role inherited from the “Auto-Import users” folder. If the user name exists in Windows domain, but the user provides the wrong Windows password, the user is imported but the sign-in fails. The user can sign in again with the correct password.
Managing Users and Groups 2. Do one of the following: t In the user tree, select a group to which you want to add a new user, right-click, and select Create User. The new user will be added to the selected group. t Click the Create User button. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Create User. 3. In the Details pane, type the properties for the new user. User Name, Password, and Confirm Password are required fields and are marked by small white stars. Other fields and settings are optional.
Managing Users and Groups - Passwords cannot contain all or part of the user’s account name. - Passwords cannot consist of spaces only. - Passwords must contain characters from three of the following four categories: - English uppercase characters (A through Z) - English lowercase characters (a through z) - Base 10 digits (0 through 9) - Nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., !, $, #, %) 4. Select the options you want, such as “User must change password at next sign-in.” 5.
Managing Users and Groups 3. If you want to cancel your changes and return to the last set of saved information, click Revert. 4. When you are satisfied with the information, click Apply or press Ctrl+S. Turning Off Secure Password Requirements Starting with MediaCentral UX v2.2, an administrator has the option of turning off the password complexity requirement in UMS.
Managing Users and Groups 4. Add members to the new group by dragging users from the user tree to the Members section. Use Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) to select multiple users, or Shift+click to select contiguous users. To remove a user from the group, do one of the following: n - Click the x next to the user’s name - Select one or more users, right-click, and select Remove from Group. - Select one or more users, right-click, and press the Backspace key or the Delete key.
Managing Users and Groups By default, members of the group inherit the roles assigned to the group. If you are working in a multi-zone environment, assign the appropriate role for each zone. For more information, see “Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles” on page 92. 6. (Optional) If you want to make the group a member of another group, drag the new parent group from the user tree to the Groups section. To remove the parent group, click the x next to the group’s name. 7.
Managing Users and Groups To remove a user from a group by using a menu command: 1. In the user tree, click the turn-down arrow to open the group from which you want to remove the user. 2. Select the user you want to remove. Use Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) to select multiple users, or Shift+click to select contiguous users. 3. Do one of the following: t Right-click and select Remove from Group. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Remove from Group.
Managing Users and Groups Removing Groups from Groups If you remove a group from a group, and the group is not a member of any other groups, the group is moved to the Unassigned group. You can reassign a group from the Unassigned group to another group or to the top-level group (Users). For more information, see “Understanding the Unassigned Group” on page 90. n Removing a group through these actions does not delete the group from the database.
Managing Users and Groups 3. Do one of the following: t Click the x next to the group’s name. t Right-click and select Remove from Group. t Press the Backspace key or the Delete key. 4. Click Apply or press Ctrl+S. Understanding the Unassigned Group A group labeled Unassigned is included by default as a member of the top-level group (Users). The Unassigned group holds users and groups that have been removed from all other groups.
Managing Users and Groups To delete a user: 1. In the user tree, select a user. You can use the filter field (Ctrl-F) to locate the user. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move from the filter field to the user tree and back again. Use Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) to select multiple users, or Shift+click to select contiguous users. 2. Do one of the following: n t Click the Delete button. t Right-click and select Delete. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Delete.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles To change a user’s password: 1. In the user tree, double-click the user whose password you want to change or select the user and press Enter. You can use the filter field (Ctrl-F) to locate the user. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move from the filter field to the user tree and back again. 2. In the Details pane, click Change Password. 3. In the Change Password dialog box, type the new password, and then type it again in the Confirm Password text box.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles Default Roles MediaCentral UX includes the following default roles. Role Default Layouts Administrator Cut, Media | Distribute (if installed), Log, Research, Rundown, Story, System Settings, Users Journalist Research, Rundown, Story Media Logger Log The Media | Distribute installation and configuration process creates additional roles. For more information, see the Media | Distribute Installation and Configuration Guide.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles Running MediaCentral | UX and Interplay Production Concurrently A client workstation can use a single license to run MediaCentral UX and Interplay Production client applications concurrently. For example, a user can run both MediaCentral UX and Interplay | Access while using a single MediaCentral UX license. For more information, see the Interplay | Engine and Interplay | Archive Engine Configuration Guide.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles The following illustration shows an example of a multiple-role assignment. By default, the Journalist role is associated with an Advance license, and the Media Logger role is associated with a Base license. An administrator can assign both Journalist and Media Logger roles to a user, as shown in the following illustration. Which license the user consumes is determined by the role the user selects after signing in.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles You can open only those panes that are available through the license you are currently using. If a pane that is not available is open, such as through the Reset Layout command, a message is displayed in the center of the pane that reads “The pane_name is not available for your license type.” An administrator can assign the same layout to roles that use different licenses. Changing from one license type to another can also cause some panes to be unavailable.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles 6. Select one of the following license types for the role: - Advance - Base For more information on license types, see “MediaCentral | UX Client Licensing” on page 93. 7. Click the Layouts pane, select the layout or layouts you want to assign to the role, and drag them to the Layouts section. The layout is added to the Layouts list. 8. Click Save or press Ctrl+S. The role is added to the list in the Roles pane. To delete a role: 1.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles To assign a role in the Role Details pane: 1. Select Users from the Layout selector. 2. In the Roles pane, do one of the following: t Double-click the role that you want to assign to a user or group. t Use the arrow keys to select the role, then press Enter. Information about the role is displayed in the Details pane. 3. Click the User Tree pane. 4.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles The following illustration shows the Journalists group assigned the role Journalist in two zones: news-ipc1 and news-ipc4. 5. Click Apply or press Ctrl+S to save your changes, or click Revert to cancel your changes. To assign a role in the User or Group Details pane: 1. Select Users from the Layout selector. 2. In the user tree, double-click a user or select the user and press Enter. You can use the filter field (Ctrl-F) to locate the user.
Creating, Deleting, and Assigning Roles The following illustration shows the Journalists group assigned the role Journalist in both zones of a multi-zone configuration. 5. Click Apply or press Ctrl+S to save your changes or click Revert to cancel your changes. The From Group column shows if the role is assigned directly (“Assigned to group directly”) or inherited from a parent group. If a role is inherited, the parent group is listed in the From Group column.
Displaying Information in the Details Pane Assigning Layouts to a Role The Users layout includes a pane labeled Layouts. Layouts are defined by the MediaCentral UX plug-ins, so the list varies according to which plug-ins are installed. For example, installing the MAM Connector adds the Research layout. For a list of layouts, see “Available Layouts: Administrators and Users” on page 69. Administrators or users cannot create new layouts.
Viewing and Ending Active Sessions Viewing and Ending Active Sessions A MediaCentral UX administrator can view a list of users who are currently signed in to the MediaCentral UX Web application, along with information such as their IP address, when they logged in, and when they were last active. If a user has more than one session open in a browser, all sessions are shown. The following illustration shows an example, sorted by user name in the Session ID column.
Viewing and Ending Active Sessions c Ending a user session can cause data loss if the user has not saved all changes. For example, the auto-save feature does not work for stories and sequences. To view active sessions: 1. Open the Users layout. 2. Click the Active Sessions pane. If the pane is not open, select Panes > Active Sessions. 3. Click the Refresh button to display the most recent information.
3 Monitoring and Troubleshooting The following topics include information that you can use for monitoring and troubleshooting: • Log Files • Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems • Troubleshooting Mixdown Problems Log Files The following sections list some useful log files. Not all log files are listed. For information about log files related to a server cluster, see the Avid MediaCentral Server Clustering Guide.
Log Files Log File Description client/client-yyyy_mm_dd.n.log Contains log messages pertaining to the client application. The folder contains a maximum of ten files, numbered from 0 (most recent) to 10. Prior to Interplay Central v1.5, this information was in the interplay_central_n.log file If necessary, you can disable client logging by adding a property to the application.properties file: /opt/avid/etc/avid/avid-interplay-central/co nfig/application.properties Add the following line: system.
Log Files MediaCentral Distribution Service Log files for the MediaCentral Distribution Service are located in the following folder on the server where you installed the MediaCentral Distribution Service: C:\ProgramData\Avid\Interplay Central Distribution Service These logs are described in the following table: Log File Description STPService_nn.log Contains log messages from the MediaCentral Distribution Service STPTimerTask_nn.
Log Files MediaCentral Common Services Log files for common services used in MediaCentral (messaging and e-mail forwarding) are located in the following folder on the MediaCentral Services server: /var/log/avid/acs These logs are described in the following table: Log File Description avid.acs-messenger.log Contains log messages from the MediaCentral messaging service. avid.acs-mail.log Contains log messages from the e-mail forwarding service.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems If the log file is more than 15 MB, you cannot send it directly. Use the iTunes File Sharing feature: 1. Connect your device to a Macintosh computer. 2. Open iTunes and navigate to Device > Apps. 3. In the Avid Central Documents list, select the Logs folder. 4. Click “Save to” or drag the folder to a location on your computer. 5. Zip the folder and send it to Avid as an e-mail attachment.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problems and Error Messages Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution The STP progress seems to hang and there is no error message. No specific cause. Check the status of the related Production Services job. Connect to your Production Services Engine, using the Production Services and Transfer Status tool, and check the jobs list. If the STP Encode job hangs at 50%, check the connection between the STP Encode provider and Interplay Transfer.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Remote STP process failed: Cannot access target workspace, check storage client (in “wait render” phase). Sequence might not contain audio tracks. Add audio an audio track or tracks to the sequence. Remote STP process failed: CM_INCOMPAT_TRACK_TYPES (in "wait render" phase) for sequence with D-track and dissolve. Wrong version of Interplay Transcode.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Remote STP process failed: Exception: FatalProc() Assertion failed:iNumOfInputs = = iNumExpectedInputs, fileName=...(in “wait audiomixdown” phase). Audio transcode failed because audio track assignment is wrong in the Interplay Administrator. There could be some other problem with Interplay Transcode. Check the Interplay Administrator.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Remote STP process failed: Media is offline or not compatible with playback server (in "preprocess" phase). The sequence includes one or more 1. Select the correct STP profile clips with partial online status. The and click the MultiRez button to STP button is enabled even though play the sequence in STP review media is not available in the target mode. “Media Offline” should resolution.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Remote STP process failed: The sequence you want to send to net.nxn.JXDK.MonikerNotFoundExcepti playback cannot be found in the on: ID/Moniker:nnnn Interplay Production database. Solution 1. Check if the sequence exists in the Interplay Production database. You can run a search for the sequence or browse to the location of the sequence.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Remote STP process failed: The server is Indicates that in the STP profile the Edit the profile or change the setting currently disabled. (in "wait long GOP option “Accelerated STP” is on the AMS. export" phase). enabled, but on the AirSpeed Multi Stream (AMS) the “Play while Transfer” option is disabled.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Remote STP process failed: unexpected exception (in “preprocess” phase). iNEWS configuration where Timing Blocks are used. Remove any “empty space” within the timing blocks. Other messages Avid MediaCentral | Distribution Service The MediaCentral Middleware is not available. Tried services: [IP could not connect to the MCDS.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems MediaCentral Send to Playback Configuration Check List Task Section Reference Make sure the MediaCentral Distribution Service is Avid MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and installed and running. Configuration Guide. Also see “Understanding the Send-to-Playback Components and Process” on page 29.
Troubleshooting Send to Playback Problems Collect Tool: Run the Collect tool (one of the Avid System Diagnostic Tools): 1. On the MediaCentral Platform server, register the Collect tool by typing one of the following commands: - service csd restart - /etc/init.d/csd restart 2. Restart the MediaCentral Distribution Service in the Windows Service Manager. This will start a new log file STPService_00.log. 3. Note your system time. 4. Reproduce the problem. 5. Run the Collect tool by typing cs 6.
Troubleshooting Mixdown Problems Troubleshooting Mixdown Problems Use the following table to help you solve MediaCentral |UX sequence mixdown problems. Problem or Error Message Probable Cause Solution Message: “Not all source media found or needed transcoding.” The Interplay Transcode profile specifies a Transcode mode other than Mixdown Use a profile that specifies Mixdown mode.
A User Management Utility Tools The MediaCentral User Management Utility tools are programs that an administrator runs as root from a command line on the Linux server that is running the User Management service, avid-ums. Special Characters Be careful when using special characters in path names and when resetting the administrator password using this command line utility. Some characters will not be processed correctly.
Commands Utility Tool Command Options Description avid-ums-reset-admin-password NEW_PASSWORD Resets the password for the default MediaCentral administrator account. Returns MediaCentral User Management Service statistics. avid-ums-statistics avid-ums-create-role ROLE_NAME ROLE_DESCRIPTION LICENSE Creates a role and assigns licenses and layouts to the role. Specifying one or more layouts is optional. [LAYOUT1][LAYOUT2]...
MediaCentral Glossary A Administrators group A default group used for MediaCentral UX user management that contains users with administrative privileges. active angle In a group clip, the camera angle selected for single-angle view and the angle displayed when you add the clip to a sequence. advanced sequence A sequence you create in MediaCentral UX that includes a timeline with one video track and user-specified audio tracks.
Assets pane A pane in the client application that displays assets. These assets can result from a search or from browsing. Assets are displayed in a folder hierarchy, if applicable to the assets displayed. associations Relations between assets that help structure your Interplay MAM assets. Associations also allow easy and quick navigation (without searching) between assets. The associations available are determined by the underlying Interplay MAM data model.
Contacts list In the Message bar, a list of iNEWS users from which you can select a recipient of a message. Cue List The area in the Script Editor in which the journalist adds or edits production cues and machine control events, such as those for a character generator (CG). D Details pane A pane in the Users layout and the System Settings layout that displays information and settings for a selected item. drop zone The part of an area into which you can move a pane.
file-based playback Playback mode where media is downloaded to your workstation for playback. File-based playback provides good quality in low-bandwidth situations. frame-based playback Playback mode where media is streamed directly from the server for playback. Frame-based playback provides high quality but requires a higher bandwidth than file-based playback. Frame Chase editing A feature that lets you view and edit media while it is being captured from a line feed or ingest device.
L Launch pane A pane in the client application from which you navigate to various locations. This pane displays remote file systems, local files systems, and other locations for assets. Layout A collection of panes designed for a specific purpose, such as a layout for journalists or a layout for administrators. Layout selector A list from which you select the layout that you want to work in.
M marker An indicator added to a selected frame to mark a particular location in a clip, subclip, or sequence. Markers can be different colors and can be associated with user-defined text. Markers are displayed in the Media Timeline and marker text is displayed as an overlay in the Media viewer. Formerly called locator. master clip A media object that contains pointers to media files in which the actual digital video and audio data is stored.
Media Distribute layout A layout that displays different options for publishing to multiple platforms. The layout includes the Social Message, Web Story, and Packages panes used for publishing media packages. Media controls In the Media pane, controls that let you play and move through an asset and edit an asset for use in creating a sequence. Which controls are displayed depends on the selected asset.
Messages pane A pane in the client application that displays a message box for sending both text messages and media asset links to other MediaCentral UX users. It also lists all received messages. metadata Data that describes an asset. Metadata includes properties, reservations, restrictions, and other information. Metadata pane A pane that displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in an Interplay MAM or Interplay Production database, such as Start Timecode or Comments.
Packages pane A pane in the client application that displays a history of packages ready for publication and already published. The pane also allows you to review and approve packages submitted for publication. pagination A system setting the specifies the maximum number of items listed in the Queue/Story pane or the Project/Story pane. pane A section of the MediaCentral UX Web application. An area contains one or more panes.
Progress pane A pane in the client application that displays the progress and status of MediaCentral UX processes such as sequence mixdown and send to playback. Project/Story pane A pane in the client application that displays the contents of a project, its facets, and any associated stories. project An iNEWS term for a group of stories categorized by topic so that news teams working on a particular topic can find everything related to it in a single place. See also facet.
role A set of features, privileges, and layouts that are assigned to a user by a MediaCentral UX administrator. An administrator can create MediaCentral UX roles based on roles within an organization. rundown A lineup or timed list of scripts indicating the order in which they will be aired during a news program. Rundown layout A layout that a journalist uses to edit and create stories. S script The text that is read on air. Also the content for organizing a feature.
Send button In the Message bar, the button you click to send a message. segment 1. In a rundown, a portion of the show aired between commercial breaks. 2. A portion of the story body/text. A journalist uses segments to time the text and integrate it with video, audio, and production cues. Multiple timed segments are combined to form the overall story. 3. In a sequence, a portion of media contained on a track. 4. In a stratum, a portion of media defined by an In and Out mark.
shuttle To view media at speeds slower or faster than real time. In MediaCentral UX you can use the J, K, and L keys to shuttle through a clip or sequence. sidebar A feature of the MediaCentral UX mobile application from which you can navigate various systems integrated with MediaCentral UX, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer system simple sequence See basic sequence.
strata Annotation layers that build the basis for logging Interplay MAM assets. Each stratum allows you to view information about an asset from a specific perspective. subclip A clip created by marking IN and OUT points in a master clip and saving the frames between the points. The subclip does not contain pointers to media files. The subclip references the master clip, which contains pointers to the media files.
trim indicator In the Sequence Timeline, a mark that appears at the beginning or end of a clip in the video column or audio column when hovering over that area with the mouse pointer. You can trim video and audio together, or you can trim them separately to create an L-cut. U Unassigned group A default group used for MediaCentral UX user management that includes users that were removed from a group but are not members of any other groups.
W Web Story pane A pane in the client application that allows you to create packages for publication to Web Content Management Systems. window The primary user interface element of the application. Z zoom bar See Media zoom bar and Sequence zoom bar.
Index A Active sessions ending 102 viewing 102 Administrator available layouts 11 default account 11 AirSpeed Multi Stream sending to 29 Authentication provider specifying 74 Avid online support 10 training services 10 B Black gaps detecting before STP 47 D Details pane displaying information in 101 F File-based playback configuring 22 G General settings 14 Groups creating 85 deleting 90 described 66 editing details 85 managing 72 removing from a group 89 I ICS Zones described 63 Image Quality config
Index R Licenses assigned to roles 93 assigning to roles 96 layouts available 93 types of 93 Load Balancer settings 14 Log files 104 Roles assigning 97 creating 96 default licenses and layouts 93 defined 92 deleting 96 M S Maximum size of proxy video 20 Media Index licensing 93 settings 14 MediaCentral Distribution Service described 29 MediaCentral User Management service described 66 MediaCentral Zones configuring 71 managing 70 working with 69 Messages configuring e-mail forwarding 27 configuring me
Index U Unassigned group 90 User Management service described 66 User Management Utilities Tool options 119 User Tree pane described 63 Users adding to a group 87 changing password 91 creating 82 deleting 90 described 66 editing details 82 importing 74 managing 72 removing from a group 87 Users layout described 63 opening 63 V Video black detecting before STP.
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