EVS Xsquare User Manual Version 2.1

USER MANUAL

Version 2.1



USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

Disclaimer

The information in this manual is furnished for informational use only and subject to change without notice. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this user manual is accurate, up-to-date and reliable, EVS Broadcast Equipment cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies or errors that may appear in this publication.

Improvement Requests

Your comments will help us improve the quality of the user documentation. Do not hesitate to send improvement requests, or report any error or inaccuracy on this user manual by e-mail to doc@evs.com.

Regional Contacts

The address and phone number of the EVS headquarters are usually mentioned in the Help > About menu in the user interface.

You will find the full list of addresses and phone numbers of local offices either at the end of this user manual (for manuals on hardware products) or at the following page on the EVS website: http://www.evs.com/contacts.

User Manuals on EVS Website

The latest version of the user manual, if any, and other user manuals on EVS products can be found on the EVS download center, on the following webpage:

http://www.evs.com/downloadcenter.

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS II

WHAT'S NEW? IV

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1. Product Overview 1

1.2. Accessing Xsquare 2

1.3. Xsquare User Interface 3

2. JOB INITIATORS 5

2.1. Concepts around Jobs 5

2.2. Configuring Targets 7

2.2.1. Target Window 7

2.2.2. Defining a Target 8

2.3. Configuring ScanFolders 9

2.3.1. ScanFolder Window 9

2.3.2. Defining a ScanFolder 11

2.4. Configuring ScanXML 13

2.4.1. ScanXML Window 13

2.4.2. Merge Rules for ScanXML Jobs 15

2.4.3. Defining a ScanXML 18

2.5. Job Destinations 19

2.5.1. Job Destination Parameters 19

2.5.2. Clip Location on an EVS Server 21

3. CONFIGURATION 24

3.1. Orchestration 24

3.1.1. Introduction 24

3.1.2. Orchestration Rules 24

3.1.3. Orchestration Window 25

3.1.4. Cluster Area 27

3.1.5. Cluster Types 28

3.1.6. Engine Area 30

3.1.7. Selected Cluster Information Area 32

3.1.8. Managing Engine Clusters 35

3.1.9. Configuring Engines 37

3.2. Job Templates and Encoder Profiles 38

3.2.1. Managing Templates and Profiles 38

3.2.2. Customizing Job Templates and Encoder Profiles 44

II Table of Contents

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

3.3. Icons Manager 49

4. ADMINISTRATION 50

4.1. Users and Access 50

4.1.1. User and Access Window 50

4.1.2. User Levels 51

4.1.3. Adding a User 52

5. MONITORING 53

5.1. Job Monitoring Window 53

5.2. Job Grid 55

5.3. Cluster Area 57

5.4. Manipulating and Analyzing Monitoring Data 58

5.5. Managing Monitored Jobs 60

5.6. EVS Server Monitoring Window 61

Table of Contents III

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

What's New?

In the Xsquare manual, the icon has been added on the left margin to highlight information on new and updated features:

The changes linked to new features in version 2.1 are listed below.

New EVS Servers window

• See section "EVS Server Monitoring Window" on page 61

New cluster load icons in the Monitoring window

• See section "Cluster Area" on page 57

The changes linked to new features in version 2.0 are listed below.

Settings added for selecting the source when it is stored on an EVS server

• See section "Creating a Customized Job Template" on page 44

• See section "Source Selection in the Job Process" on page 48

Name field added in the Scanfolder and ScanXML windows

• See section "ScanFolder Window" on page 9

• See section "ScanXML Window" on page 13

XTA Location field added in the Orchestration window and Monitoring window

Permanent field in the Orchestration window / optional field in the Monitoring window

• See section "Engine Area" on page 30

Last notification date field added in the Monitoring window

Optional field

Hide command added in the contextual menu in the Monitoring window

• See section "Managing Monitored Jobs" on page 60

Date filter modified in the Monitoring window

Applicable to all date fields

• See section "Job Grid" on page 55

The document has been improved to provide more detailed information on the following topics:

Possible values for the Location field

• See section "Clip Location on an EVS Server" on page 21

IV What's New?

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

1. Introduction

1.1. Product Overview

Description

Xsquare acts as an orchestrator that centralizes all job requests from client applications, and dispatches them to the most appropriate processing device, taking into account load balancing, job type, etc.

The Xsquare solution offers the following advantages:

• Central orchestrator for all jobs

• Global configuration tool for all processing devices

• Global monitoring tool

• Integration with old job processing

Illustration

Client Applications

The Xsquare client is the device that initiates the job for Xsquare.

The client provides the source file or clip Xsquare needs to process.

The clients can be:

1. Introduction 1

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

• EVS or third-party applications that use the new or the old job types that Xsquare can process

• Files that are dropped in a folder and trigger a job process.

Xsquare Orchestrator

Xsquare itself consists of four processes:

• The job orchestration process that receives the job requests and send them to the right processing device.

• The ScanFolder process that manages source files dropped in dedicated folders, and send jobs to Xsquare to process these files.

See also section "Defining a ScanFolder" on page 11.

• The ScanXML process that manages XML file jobs (old job definition, called V1 jobs), and translate them into Xsquare jobs (V2 jobs), and optionally modify the job definition based on the Xsquare configuration.

See also section "Defining a ScanXML" on page 18

• The notification process that records all notifications from the processing devices, saves them in a database, and sends light notifications to the clients.

Processing Devices

The processing devices are the engines that effectively process the jobs sent by Xsquare.

In the first versions of Xsquare, XTAccess applications are the only supported processing devices.

In later versions, other processing devices will be supported.

1.2. Accessing Xsquare

Introduction

Xsquare has a web-based user interface available from everywhere on the same TCP/IP network as Xsquare.

The web interface is hosted on an EVS Proxy service available on port 9004 of the computer on which Xsquare is installed.

Prerequisite

To be able to access Xsquare, you need to get a username and password from the administrator. Your user credentials are associated to a given level of user rights, which may limit the windows and/or features you will have access to in Xsquare.

2 1.Introduction

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

How to Access Xsquare

1. Open a web browser and type the Xsquare URL using one of the following pattern:

◦ On the local computer:

http//localhost:9004

http//hostname:9004

◦ On another computer on the network:

http//xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:9004 where the crosses correspond to the IP address of the machine on which Xsquare is installed

http//computername:9004 where computername is the full computer name of the machine on which Xsquare is installed.

2. To access Xsquare, enter your username and password.

When you have an Xsquare license, your username is displayed on the top right corner of the Xsquare window.

1.3. Xsquare User Interface

Illustration

Xsquare is a web-based application: its home page features the modules organized in four sections:

1. Introduction 3

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

Area Description

Xsquare is made up of the following modules:

# Module Task

1. Job Initiators Allows users to configure, start or stop different systems that initiate jobs the processing devices will manage. See section "Job Initiators" on page 5

2. Configuration The Configuration section contains configurable elements in Xsquare:

• The Orchestration tool allows users to group the processing devices in clusters dedicated to specific job types. This makes it possible to distribute the jobs more efficiently among the various processing devices. See section "Orchestration" on page 24

• The Job Templates tool allows users to create customized job templates based on the predefined job templates available by default in Xsquare. See section "Managing Templates and Profiles" on page 38

• The Encoders /Wrappers Profiles tool allows users to customize encoder / wrapper profiles based on the predefined ones available by default in Xsquare. See section "Managing Templates and Profiles" on page 38

• The Icons Manager tool allows managing the icons used in Xsquare. See section "Icons Manager" on page 49

3. Monitoring Allows users to monitor:

• the jobs scheduled, or already processed by the processing devices.

• the EVS servers detected on the network.

See section "Monitoring" on page 53

4. Administration Allows users to define user rights to access Xsquare. See section "Users and Access" on page 50

Note

A separate association tool makes it possible associate XTAccess applications installed on the network to Xsquare. Such associations are logically (but not necessarily) done before you start using Xsquare. See the documentation specific to this tool for more information.

4 1.Introduction

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

2. Job Initiators

2.1. Concepts around Jobs

Job

A job consists in a process to be executed on a source material. The result of the process is saved in a destination.

A job is therefore made up of three elements:

• the source material (clip, file or EDL) selected by a user in the client application, dropped in a folder or specified in an XML job definition file.

• the process to be executed on the source material. This can be, for example, a copy, rewrap, restore, transcoding action, referencing in an NLE, grab, etc. This is configured using a job template.

• the destination, which means the physical location where the output of the job must be stored. This is configured using a job template.

Soap V2 Job

The new interface to process Xsquare jobs use the soap protocol. The jobs using the new interface are called Xsquare jobs (or V2 jobs) in the online help.

The Targets, a job initiator you can define in Xsquare, use V2 jobs.

XML File V1 Job

The interface previously used to process the jobs consists in XML job definition files. The jobs defined in the XMLfiles are called XML file jobs (or V1 jobs) in the online help.

Xsquare can control the XML file jobs through the ScanXML service, available in Xsquare as a job initiator. Xsquare therefore remains compatible with the old XTAccess ScanXML feature.

2. Job Initiators 5

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

Job Initiators

Three job initiators are available in Xsquare:

Job Initiators Description

Targets A job is triggered from a client application when the user calls

the Target associated to the job. See section "Defining a Target" on page 8

ScanFolders A job is triggered when a file is dropped in a folder defined in the

ScanFolder configuration and scanned by Xsquare. See section "Defining a ScanFolder" on page 11

ScanXML A job is triggered when an XML definition file is dropped in a

folder defined in the ScanXML configuration and scanned by Xsquare. See section "Defining a ScanXML" on page 18.

Target

A Target is a destination that the users in the client application can send a source material to. The source material can undergo processing before being sent to the destination. The Targets use the Soap V2 jobs.

ScanFolder

A ScanFolder consists in a folder that is scanned by an Xsquare service (ScanFolder service) to check for files to be processed. The folder is scanned when it is defined in an active (started) ScanFolder in Xsquare. When a file with the file extension defined in the ScanFolder configuration is dropped into the scanned folder, the ScanFolder service creates a job to process this source file as defined in the job template. Once the file is processed, it is sent to the destination defined in the job.

ScanXML

A ScanXML instruction consists in an XMLjob definition file (V1 job) stored in a dedicated folder by a client application. The folder is scanned by the ScanXML service of Xsquare when it is defined in an active (started) ScanXML. When the client application drops the XMLjob file in the scanned folder, the ScanXML service creates a job to process the source file as defined in the job template.

When no job template is associated to the ScanXML definition in Xsquare, the instructions contained in the XML job file are taken into account. Otherwise, the instructions are merged based on specific merge rules.

6 2. Job Initiators

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

Job Templates

Templates that specify a job process and destination. Xsquare users select a predefined templates or create a custom template when they create a ScanXML, ScanFolder or Target.

See section "Types of Job Templates" on page 44 for more information on the types of job templates.

2.2. Configuring Targets

2.2.1. Target Window

General Description

The Target window makes it possible to define the Targets that will be available in client applications, and specify the underlying job elements, that is to say the processing and the destination for the job.

On the Target window, each defined Target is represented as a row in a table that contains a number of fields described below:

The + and - signs at the bottom of the window makes it possible to add a Target or remove a Target from the list:

2. Job Initiators 7

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

Field Description

The table below describes the fields in the Target window:

GUI Element Description

Target Name field Name of the Target that will appear in the EVS application where

the Target is available

Template field Job template to be associated to the Target

The button allows users to open the displayed job template, and create a customized job template based on it.

Destination Name

field

Destination field Physical location where the processed material has to be stored.

Owner field Logon of the user who has created the Target. Non editable field

+ button (Add button)

- button (Remove button)

Refresh button Button that allows users to refresh the window display

Name of the destination. It is stored in the job template and is automatically filled in when you select the job template

See section "Job Destination Parameters" on page 19 for more information on this field.

only available for users logged as administrators.

Button that allows users to add a Target

Button that allows users to remove the selected Target

2.2.2. Defining a Target

Introduction

Adding a Target in Xsquare will automatically make this Target available in the client application. No other configuration is required.

Note

See section "Target Window" on page 7 for additional information on the field values specified in this procedure.

Prerequisites

Before adding a Target, you must share the folder the processed files will be sent to.

8 2. Job Initiators

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

Procedure

To add a Target in Xsquare, proceed as follows:

1. Select Targets in the Job Initiators menu.

2. Click the + button at the bottom of the window to add a row for a new Target.

3. Type a name for the Target in the Target Name field.

4. Select a template from the list.

If the available templates do not meet your needs, you can create a new template based on an existing one by clicking the Edit button.

See section "Creating a Customized Job Template" on page 44 for more information on creating a customized job template.

5. In the Destination field, do one of the following according to the selected job template:

◦ If you have not yet connected to that computer, you have to type the Windows

user and password to gain access to the shared folders on that computer.

◦ If the destination is an EVS server, type one or both GigE address of the EVS

server. It is recommended to click the icon and specify the username, password to access the EVS server, as well as the requested location, that is page, bank, and first position.

◦ If the destination is an Avid Transfer Engine, specify the name of the Avid

Transfer Engine.

6. Click the Save button displayed below the Target definition.

The new Target is defined and is directly operational in the client applications.

2.3. Configuring ScanFolders

2.3.1. ScanFolder Window

General Description

The ScanFolder window makes it possible to define a job to be applied to files dropped in a given shared folder scanned by Xsquare.

This folder is called a ScanFolder, as well as the Xsquare service responsible for detecting the file to be processed, and creating the job.

2. Job Initiators 9

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

On the ScanFolder window, each defined ScanFolder is represented as a row in a table that contains a number of fields described below:

Field Description

The table below describes the fields in the ScanFolder window:

GUI Element

ScanFolder

field

ScanFolder Name field

Filter field Extension of the files that have to be processed in the ScanFolder.

Description

This field is made up of several elements, described below, from left to right:

• Icon: icon identifying what type of source file is scanned, and whether the ScanFolder is started (green icon) or not (red icon).

The source file can be an A/V file / , an audio file / or a graphical sequence / .

• Path: path to the ScanFolder, and ScanFolder name

• : icon that allows users to select the ScanFolder.

• : icon that allows users to specify the Windows login and password to connect to the computer on which the ScanFolder is located.

• : icon that allows users to specify ScanFolder options.

Nickname of the ScanFolder. This does not have to be the same name as the folder name created in the Windows repository.

Template

field

Destination Name field

Destination

field

10 2. Job Initiators

Job template to be associated to the ScanFolder definition.

The button allows users to open the displayed job template, and create a customized job template based on it.

Name of the destination. It is stored in the job template and is automatically filled in when you select the job template.

Physical location where the processed material has to be stored. See section "Job Destination Parameters" on page 19 for more information on this field.

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

GUI Element

Owner field Logon of the user who has created the ScanFolder. Non editable field

+ button

(Add button)

- button (Remove button)

Start button Button that allows users to start the ScanFolder service of Xsquare, that

Stop button Button that allows users to stop the ScanFolder service of Xsquare.

Refresh

button

Description

only available for users logged as administrators.

Button that allows users to add a ScanFolder.

Button that allows users to remove the selected ScanFolder.

is to say start scanning the ScanFolder, and executing the job when a file is detected in the ScanFolder.

Button that allows users to refresh the window display.

2.3.2. Defining a ScanFolder

Introduction

Adding a ScanFolder will allow you to define the job to be applied to files dropped in the ScanFolder, that means a given shared folder scanned by the ScanFolder service of Xsquare.

For the ScanFolder service to take ScanFolder jobs into account, you must start the associated ScanFolder definition in Xsquare.

Note

See section "ScanFolder Window" on page 9 for additional information on the field values specified in this procedure.

Prerequisites

Before adding a ScanFolder, you must share the source ScanFolder and the destination folder.

Procedure

To add a ScanFolder in Xsquare, proceed as follows:

1. Select ScanFolders in the Job Initiators menu.

2. Click the + button at the bottom of the window to add a row for a new ScanFolder.

2. Job Initiators 11

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

3. In the ScanFolder field, do the following:

a. Click and select the folder to be scanned.

b. Enter the Windows login and password to access the computer where the

ScanFolder is located.

c. If requested, click to specify ScanFolder options.

4. If requested, modify:

a. the default Scanfolder Name.

b. the default extension of the files the ScanFolder has to process specified in the

Filter field.

5. In the Template field, select the job template to be applied to the ScanFolder from the list.

If the available templates do not meet your needs, you can create a new template based on an existing one by clicking the Edit button.

See section "Creating a Customized Job Template" on page 44 for more information on creating a customized job template.

6. In the Destination field, do one of the following according to the selected job template:

◦ If the destination is a shared folder on the network, click the button and select

the computer where the shared folder is located.

If you have not yet connected to that computer, you have to type the Windows user and password to gain access to the shared folders on that computer.

◦ If the destination is an EVS server, type one or both GigE address of the EVS

server. It is recommended to click the icon and specify the username, password to access the EVS server, as well as the requested location, that is page, bank, and first position.

◦ If the destination is an Avid Transfer Engine, specify the name of the Avid

Transfer Engine.

7. In the Destination field, click to specify whether or not new IDs have to be generated.

8. Click the Save button displayed below the ScanFolder definition.

9. If you want the ScanFolder service to directly start scanning the ScanFolder, click the red icon in the ScanFolder field.

The icons turns green, which means the service is started for this ScanFolder definition.

12 2. Job Initiators

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

2.4. Configuring ScanXML

2.4.1. ScanXML Window

General Description

The ScanXML window makes it possible to take over XML file jobs, by scanning the ScanXML folder where XML job definition files are dropped.

From the ScanXML window, you can define ScanXML that will handle the ScanXML jobs in two possible ways:

• Taking over the XML file job, and processing it as originally defined in the XML file. In this case, you will not apply any template to the ScanXML job.

• Taking over the XML file job, and applying an Xsquare template to the job. This will modify the job definition by merging the old and the new job definitions.

See section "Merge Rules for ScanXML Jobs" on page 15 for more information about job merges.

An Xsquare service, called ScanXML service, is responsible for scanning the XML file jobs and translate them in Xsquare jobs based on the ScanXML job definition.

On the ScanXML window, each ScanXML that corresponds to a specific ScanXMLfolder is represented as a row in a table that contains a number of fields described below:

2. Job Initiators 13

EVS Broadcast Equipment S.A. Issue 2.1.A June 2013

Field Description

The table below describes the fields in the ScanXML window:

GUI Element

ScanXML

field

ScanXML Name field

Template

field

Edit button Button (in the Template field) that allows users to open the displayed job

Description

This field is made up of several elements, described below, from left to right:

• Icon: icon identifying whether the ScanXML service for the is

started or not for this ScanXMLfolder.

• Path: path to the ScanXML folder, and ScanXML folder name

• : icon that allows users to select the ScanXML folder.

• : icon that allows users to specify the Windows login and password to connect to the computer on which the ScanXML folder is located.

Nickname of the ScanXML. This does not have to be the same name as the folder name created in the Windows repository.

Job template to be associated to the ScanXML folder. If the XML file job has to be processed as defined in the XML job file, select No Template (convert XML job to Xsquare job) from the list.

template, and create a customized job template based on it

Destination Name field

Destination

field

Owner field Logon of the user who has created the ScanXML definition. Non editable

+ button

(Add button)

- button (Remove button)

Start button Button that allows users to start the ScanXML service of Xsquare, that

Stop button Button that allows users to stop the ScanXML service of Xsquare.

Refresh

button

Name of the destination. It is stored in the job template and is automatically filled in when you select the job template

Physical location where the processed material has to be stored. See section "Job Destination Parameters" on page 19 for more information on this field.

field only available for users logged as administrators.

Button that allows users to add a ScanXML definition.

Button that allows users to remove the selected ScanXML definition.

is to say start scanning the ScanXML folder, and executing the job when an XML file is detected in the ScanXML folder.

Button that allows users to refresh the window display.

14 2. Job Initiators

USER MANUAL Xsqu are 2.1

2.4.2. Merge Rules for ScanXML Jobs

When you have associated a template to a ScanXML definition in Xsquare, the parameters from the XML file job and from the ScanXML job in Xsquare based on the job template are merged into a final job definition.

In this merge process, priority rules are applicable to determine which parameters will prevail in case of conflicting parameters in the job based on the XML file and on the Xsquare template.

The applicable rules are presented in the following table:

Job Type

in the XML File

Job to EVS Server No associated template No merge All parameters are taken over from the XML file job. Xsquare does not add anything.

Job to File No associated template No merge All parameters are taken over from the XML file job. Xsquare does not add anything.

Job to EVS Server Template to EVS

Job to File Template to EVS

Job to EVS Server Template to File (+ Use

Job to File Template to File (+ Use

Job Type

in the Xsquare

Template

Server

dest. from XML Job)

Result

Destination Codec/Wrapper Format Other Options

Merge XML File (if you specify Use dest.

from XMLJob in the GUI)

or Xsquare job (if you select a specific destination in the GUI)

No merge All parameters are taken over from the XML file job. Xsquare does not add anything.

Merge XML File (if you specify Use dest.

from XMLJob in the GUI) or Xsquare job (if you select a specific destination in the GUI)

Description

From Xsquare template Information from XML file

used in priority

From Xsquare template Information from XML file

used in priority

2. Job Initiators 15

+ 48 hidden pages