AEROSPACE

To take the leap into a totally tapeless media environment, Crawford Communications, Inc. turned to Silicon Graphics to provide the solution -- SGI InfiniteStorage storage area network (SAN) with SGI InfiniteStorage Shared Filesystem CXFS providing the high-bandwidth required to streamline its facilities -- for a project named "Encompass" (Encode, Manage and Protect Your Assets). Crawford Communications, the largest television network operation in the Southeast, has installed two fully redundant SGI(R) Origin(R) 350 servers with CXFS shared filesystem and 4TB of SGI(R) InfiniteStorage TP9500 systems for its SAN infrastructure for satellite operations. Crawford Communications provides satellite origination and post-production services to 34 major cable TV networks as well as disaster recovery, remote uplink and an international uplink at its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. SGI InfiniteStorage SAN infrastructure will be used to stage content following ingest, making content available for editing and play-to-air. The SGI(R) solution was chosen with an eye for the future, including high- definition (HD) transmission, because it provided a robust environment for the infrastructure and powerful scalability. "To build an infrastructure that will ensure the continued business growth of Crawford Communications, it is very important that we have a storage system that can grow incrementally in both bandwidth and in storage capacity, and SGI InfiniteStorage systems with CXFS meets all of those needs. Also, key for the SGI systems is MXF capability -- the common format to which the industry is migrating," said Jesse Crawford, CEO, Crawford Communications. With 34 cable networks sending in videotapes, one of the overwhelming reasons Crawford Communications began the Encompass project was to go tapeless, and avoid adding additional real estate for tape storage. Now, with the SGI InfiniteStorage solution, tapes are dealt with just once. Upon arrival at Crawford, the tapes are assigned house or client numbers and then simultaneously QC'ed and ingested as an MXF file at customer specified bitrates. Ingest is controlled by the OmniBus automation system. Once ingested, the Masstech(TM) MassStore(TM) archive management system moves the digital asset into the SGI(R) CXFS(TM) array. A low-res MPEG-4 for proxy copy is automatically generated, and made available both internally for desktop viewing and externally to clients via Internet access. The content is also copied into a 5-petabyte tape robotics library system where redundant copies are made. The files are then available for editing, if required. Once the client's playlist is loaded on the OmniBus Colossus(TM) automation system, OmniBus and Masstech together pull the content back from the tape robot into the SGI CXFS SAN array and then out for broadcast. "Currently we are structured to have a completely tapeless path from the time a tape arrives at Crawford all the way to uplink," said Michael Connell, Director, Advanced Technology (Encompass), Crawford Communications, Inc. "In addition, we can now receive the media electronically; it can be delivered directly to us and sent back to the client, minus the massive tape libraries and VHS dubs." Crawford Communications selected SGI, added Connell, "Because SGI has a shared file system, CXFS, that met the needs for a media-centric organization. It has the necessary bandwidth and storage depth that allows us the capability to expand in the future, more specifically when our clients transition to HD. As more of our networks migrate to HD, we're going to require the upgrade for that additional bandwidth and we are very certain that SGI will be able to provide this service." "Like many broadcasters throughout Europe and the United States, Crawford Communications came to SGI because of the robust infrastructure of SGI InfiniteStorage solutions, which tightly integrate with other companies' asset management and automation systems -- all the features they needed to transform and grow their business," said Chris Golson, senior director, Market Strategy, Media Industries, SGI. "Crawford Communication's emphasis on the MXF file format means that the content will be in a form that can be shared between multiple operating systems for editing and video serving, which is where SGI CXFS shared filesystem shines. Data can be shared throughout the facility, faster and more efficiently, and beyond that it provides efficiency for moving content between the on-air video servers and tape archives. And, as HD broadcasts become more and more the norm, SGI's infinitely expandable architecture will be ready to deliver all the bandwidth our customers need, and more."