ACADEMIA

Silicon Graphics Korea, a subsidiary of Silicon Graphics announced yesterday that Korea Broadcasting System, the number one nationwide broadcasting system in Korea, has successfully established KBS Life Information Archiving System based on an SGI SAN solution and SGI InfiniteStorage Shared Filesystem CXFS. KBS Life Information Archiving System is designed to automatically ingest food, health, travel and other life related material from on-air broadcast content, using an SGI Media Server for broadcast server and content management solution. The system archives content onto an SGI InfiniteStorage TP9100 system and tape library under a storage area network (SAN) environment. The content is then made available to the public through Internet, PDAs, DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), and mobile phones. KBS started its development of the system at the end of 2003 and successfully completed its test operation this year. KBS Life Information Archiving System consists of SGI SAN Solution, SGI Media Server for broadcast, SGI CXFS shared filesystem, MBNtech's m-Archive, a trans-coding server, and non-linear editing server system. This whole system provides file sharing among heterogeneous systems under the SAN environment. Also all data is serviced as multi media content under the system: MPEG-2 (MXF) and DVCPRO25/50. The system also supports search/ browse/ management/ back up of the multimedia content through metadata assignment. And it is armed with a very strong security system from hacking and virus attacks, which was proven during the test period. "The most important issue for the era of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting is the management of content. KBS Life Information Archiving System is the best solution. When KBS Life Information Archiving System is opened to the public, TV viewers, who are watching TV, can directly access the KBS Life Information Web site, and get more detailed information, on such topics as food, travel, health, etc. Moreover, the viewers can get a GPS map to on-air places through an digital interactive system between Internet and mobile phone," said Mr. Chang, Kyu-dong of Multimedia Department of Korea Broadcasting System. SGI's popular shared filesystem for SANs, CXFS can manage up to 32 different client machines within one SAN. CXFS enables multiple computers running different operating systems -- SGI IRIX, Windows, 32-bit and 64-bit Linux, Mac OS X and Solaris -- allowing all systems in the environment to simultaneously access the same file at local or near-local disk speeds. CXFS also provides massive scalability, throughput, availability, ease of management and low total cost of ownership for storing, accessing and managing data in a high-performance, multiplatform SAN environment. CXFS improves data workflow by providing customers the performance and scalability of a SAN with the file sharing and connectivity of network-attached storage, addressing two fundamental challenges in data management: fast access to information and seamless integration of multiple operating systems. "We are especially pleased to work with KBS, the leading Digital Multimedia Broadcaster in Korea. With the successful development of Life Information Digital Archiving System, based on SGI SAN and CXFS solution, we move the era of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting forward in Korea, into an information sharing realm," said PS Shim, Area General Manager of SGI Korea. KBS is the leading TV and radio network in Korea. KBS is firmly committed to its mission of providing unbiased and independent public broadcasting with the highest priority placed on the public interest. KBS subsidiaries include KBS 1TV, KBS 2TV, KBS Korea, KBS World, and 7 Radio channels, including KBS 1,2,3 Radio, KBS 1, 2 FM, Social Education Channel, and RKI. KBS is on-air 260 programs per week.