Automated provisioning of media edge devices in minutes

A hundred encoders on your desk tomorrow? Not a big deal.

Introduction

Automated provisioning of compute resources is a common practice in cloud providers like AWS, but it sees less frequent use for on-prem devices. Traditionally, on-prem media edge devices like contribution encoders and decoders have been provisioned manually, involving the installation of new hardware boards and shipping of devices worldwide. However, this manual approach contrasts sharply with commercial and operational demands, where encoders and decoders must be provisioned rapidly and globally to meet last-minute changes in end-user requirements. In this blog post, we will explore how our partners and customers are adopting self-service provisioning methods to deploy encoders and decoders worldwide.

Provisioning Quickly

By using a software based encoder and decoder such as the OBE C-100/C-200 platform, devices can be provisioned anywhere in the world quickly (within minutes) and repeatably. In the photo above dozens of servers are being provisioned concurrently using an automated USB stick installer. In addition, the capabilities of a device can be changed on the fly, reducing the need to ship equipment around the world, something that isn’t possible with traditional fixed-function devices. A traditional appliance based encoder will always remain an encoder, and additional functions can’t be added or removed in the field.

Global Provisioning

Recently our partners in India, Lamhas Satellite Services provisioned nine on-prem, small form-factor decoders, with the OS and software being installed automatically without any human intervention. On-prem provisioning is a complicated problem, as servers from manufacturers like Dell and HP are subtly different. In particular there are now a growing number of power saving and security settings that need careful consideration for 24/7 broadcast. Our automated install process is able to handle all these configurations and produce a turnkey device. In most cases it’s possible to obtain compute and SDI or ST-2110 Networking hardware locally, avoiding delays with shipping and customs.

Conclusion

An automated approach reduces human error, potentially caused by language barriers, or repetitive processes. As a result media edge devices can be bought and built locally, deployed rapidly and at a scale impossible with traditional broadcast hardware. Every day our partners and customers are deploying encoders and decoders without any human interaction. We regularly joke that you can have a “hundred encoders on your desk tomorrow” without batting an eyelid.

Find out how our software-based encoders and decoders can be deployed faster than traditional hardware solutions.