NETIA affords top priority to data security, and endeavours to optimise both hardware and software security aspects. The use of programmable controllers such as DBShare and Media Management consolidates the overall architecture. At the heart of the system are all the Back Office modules to administer and manage the relationship between workstations on one or more networks. The main functions of Back Office are user rights management, archiving, purge, etc.
DBShare
DBShare is an automatic software device for ensuring data reliability in important systems. It proceeds by systematic synchronous redundancy of all the metadata the system produces and ensures the consistency of database contents. The databases are automatically synchronised. When an incident occurs on one of them, DBShare automatically switches to another and archives any query made during and after the incident. When conditions return to normal, the memorised queries are automatically executed and the database is completely restored. Both databases are resynchronised and no datum is lost.
Speech To Text
Radio-Assist 8's inclusion of a speech-to-text solution offers a new automated process for adding meta-data to audio and video content. The text thus obtained is directed added into the database as a new media description item. Full text searching can thus be carried out giving direct access to the desired sequences.
Media Asset Management
Radio-Assist 8 now interfaces with Warehouse , NETIA's Media Assets Management system.
This integration massively increases Radio-Assist 8's multi-media capabilities, be it in terms of adding meta-data, cataloguing and exchanging content, or in its ability to publish on alternative channels.
The radio station becomes a comprehensive multimedia content manager (audio, video, text and photos) able to slot perfectly into an integrated strategy for a major media company.
Exchanging radio content with the outside world is straightforward, be it with central archive systems, partner radio or TV stations, ROD/VOD platforms, mobile telephone platforms, etc.
Access to the Warehouse system is via specific tabs in Radio-Assist for display, cataloguing and publication. The production process for alternative channels can be conducted synchronously with the station or in a completely disconnected manner, the leitmotiv still being automation of technical tasks so that users can concentrate solely on creating content.
Alarm management
The Alarm Manager module provides systematic monitoring of every event within a system. Every action and event is tracked in a log file. Alarm Manager analyses these messages and automatically initiates various measures depending on the seriousness of the messages. There are three possible actions, namely sending an email, placing a phone call or triggering an alarm (GPI).
Alarm Manager is also used to monitor the connections (Ping network protocol) of the various computers on the network.
The Monitor tab also offers a real-time monitoring interface for the various applications found within the system.
Administration
The Administration module is used to define user categories (administrators, technicians, journalists, presenters, maintenance staff, etc.) and allocate the exact rights of each. Each user's work interface is therefore predefined. On the basis of the name and password, the computer automatically assigns:
- the functions requested for the user
- the user's language
- consultation, modification and deletion rights for the user category.
Managing broadcast-related data
Air-Log is a controller that retrieves broadcast-data. Everything that has actually been broadcast is stored by Air-Log in order to be able to produce a reliable document identical to that aired. This document could in particular be formatted and used for SACEM (French association for authors and composers) royalty statements.
Managing associated data
Air-Push is a controller that manages associated data, especially for DAB broadcasting. The role of Air-Push is to automatically provide each broadcaster the data associated with the item being broadcast.
For each broadcast, Air-Push sends to a web server, DAB or just on the network, the data associated (text, DAB, web html page, ...).
Dispatcher
Dispatcher is a highly powerful automaton which can convert soundfiles and export them directly from the Radio-Assist database to any target. The special feature of Dispatcher is that it can define a number of profiles, each one relating to a conversion format, a target, etc.
Archiving
NETIA is perfecting its archiving system, by increasing storage capacity and automating retrieval of archived items. In particular, the NETIA archiving software can now be interfaced with third party HSM systems such as Diva (Front Porch Digital) or Avalon (EMC2) etc. and it also benefits from the huge storage capacity of Sony's PetaSite. Users directly assign the "to be archived" label in the database browser. The archiving service acknowledges the label and automatically stores the data. The list of archived items is accessible from any workstation.
The archiving software also offers archiving of playlists and/or programmes along with all sound files and meta-data associated with them.
Script Office
Script is the Radio-Assist 8 dispatch processing module. Script Office is the Script dispatch reception module, which captures text wires from the main press agencies as they come in.
They are detected by ITPC on capture so the texts can be indexed immediately. Script Office can handle up to 128 transmissions at once and has a storage capacity of several months per line.
Purge
The purge module automatically (or manually) frees the server of obsolete files to ensure there is always enough storage space. File deletion is fully controlled by means of explicit parameters per type of file.
For instance, items which should never be purged, such as programme dressing, music titles, etc., can be locked to prevent this happening..