Pinnacle Systems DS Nitris - 7.0 Installation Manual

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Avid® DS Nitris

™

Installation and Administration Guide

Version 7.0

make manage move | media

™

Avid

Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc.

The Avid DS and Avid DS Nitris application uses JScript and Visual Basic Scripting Edition from Microsoft Corporation.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or “commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

Trademarks

888 I/O, Adrenaline, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid, Avid DNA, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, AVIDstripe, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Xpress, AVoption, AVX, CamCutter, ChromaCurve, ChromaWheel, DAE, D-Fi, D-fx, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, DigiDrive, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, FluidMotion, HIIP, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, Intraframe, iS9, iS18, iS23, iS36, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, make manage move | media, Marquee, Matador, Maxim, MCXpress, Media Composer, MediaDock, MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, Media Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaShare, Meridien, MetaSync, NaturalMatch, Nearchive, NetReview, NewsCutter, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, RetroLoop, rS9, rS18, Sci-Fi, Softimage, Sound Designer II, SPACE, SPACEShift, Symphony, the Avid DS Nitris logo, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video Slave Driver, VideoSPACE, Xdeck, and XSI are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

GOT FOOTAGE?

Editors — Filmmakers — Special Effects Artists — Game Developers — Animators — Educators — Broadcasters — Content creators of every genre — Just finished an incredible project and want to share it with the world?

Send us your reels and we may use your footage in our show reel or demo!*

For a copy of our release and Avid’s mailing address, go to www.avid.com/footage.

*Note: Avid cannot guarantee the use of materials submitted.

Avid DS Nitris Installation and Administration Guide • 0130-05572-01 • September 2003

Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Using the Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Customizing the Pen or Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Accessing the Online Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If You Have Documentation Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How to Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Avid Educational Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Avid DS Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

E-mail Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Web Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

FTP Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Mailing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Avid DS Installation Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Avid DS Software and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Checklist for Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Installing Avid DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Installing the DMS Broker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Attaching the Application Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Loading Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Installing and Removing Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Installing and Removing Type 1 Fonts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Installing and Removing TrueType Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Installing Non-European Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chapter 2 Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Upgrading your Workstation from the Recovery CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Installing the Recovery CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Uninstalling Avid DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Removing Avid DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

An Introduction to Avid DS Remote Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Remote Processing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Avid DS RP Workstation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Network Hardware and Remote Processing Performance. . . . . . . . 55

Checklist for Installing the Avid DS RP Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

CPU Usage on Avid DS RP Workstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Installing Avid DS RP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Installing Avid Throttle Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Chapter 4 Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Requesting a License File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Softimage Licensing Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Creating a Valid License File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Solving Licensing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Managing User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Account Setup for Standalone Avid DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Account Management of Windows Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Account Management of Windows Workgroups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Configuring the Network Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Sharing Folders and Setting Permissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Creating User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Creating a User Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Adding Users to User Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Managing the Avid Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Restarting a Workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Creating a New Workgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Turning an Existing Client Workstation into a Controller . . . . . . . . . 93

Connecting Other Workstations in the Workgroup to the Controller 94

Chapter 6 Managing Your Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

About your Local Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Planning your Storage Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Avid DS Workgroup Storage Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

The Avid Indexing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Configuring your Storage Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Configuring Media Storages in a Media Indexing Service . . . . . . . 105

Adding a Media Indexing Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Maintaining your Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Defragmenting your Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

About Striping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Creating a Stripe Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Striping the Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Importing Foreign Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Creating an Emergency Repair Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Chapter 7 Using the Recovery CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Installing the Recovery CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Completely Rebuilding the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Using This Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of an Avid DS system. You can use your system to create broadcast-quality output incorporating every possible production element from full-speed, high-resolution footage, to multimedia artwork and animation, to computer-generated effects and titling.

The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models. Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation.

Who Should Use This Guide

This guide is intended for all Avid DS users, who need to install and license any of the Avid DS software components. There are also some useful guidelines on the daily maintenance of your system.

This guide provides information on:

• Different environment setups of your Avid DS workstation(s) and

storage.

• Installation of the Avid DS software components

• Licensing of the Avid DS software components

• Management of your Avid DS workstation

Using This Guide

Symbols and Conventions

Avid DS Nitris documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

> This symbol indicates menu commands (and

Margin tips In the margin, you will find tips that help you perform

Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to

A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data.

A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment.

subcommands) in the order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command.

This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

tasks more easily and efficiently.

indicate variables.

Courier Bold font

Bold font Bold indicates a user interaction.

Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

Using the Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard

In Avid DS Nitris, you can use a two-button mouse (with wheel) or a pen and tablet. The left and right mouse buttons perform different operations. Unless otherwise stated, use the left mouse button.

The mouse and pen operate slightly differently. All the procedures in this guide are documented for the mouse. You can, however, easily use a pen or the keyboard. The following table shows the terms relating to the mouse, pen, and keyboard.

This Term Means This with a Mouse Means This with a Pen

Symbols and Conventions

Click Quickly click and release the

left mouse button. Always use the left mouse button unless otherwise stated.

Double-click Click the left mouse button

twice rapidly.

Right-click Quickly click and release the

right mouse button.

Drag Click and hold the left mouse

button or the wheel while you move the mouse.

Alt+key, Ctrl+key, Shift+key,

etc.

Press and hold the first key while you press the second key. For example, “Press Alt+F1” means to press and hold the Alt key while you press the F1 key.

Tap the tablet once with the tip of the pen, or touch the pen to the tablet with enough pressure to click.

Quickly tap the tablet twice in the same screen pixel or press the F5 key to go from single to doubleclick.

Press the top portion of the switch on the side of the pen or press the F6 key to go from left to rightclick.

Press the pen to the tablet while moving the pen.

Using This Guide

Customizing the Pen or Mouse

By customizing the pen, you can adjust the click pressure, switch functions, and other features. For information on customizing the pen, refer to the documentation provided with your Avid DS system.

You can also customize the mouse. For example, you can select lefthanded configuration or change the double-click speed. For information on customizing the mouse, refer to the Windows online Help.

If You Need Help

If you are having trouble using Avid DS:

1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow.

2. Check for the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was published in one of two locations:

- If release notes are available, they ship with your application.

- If ReadMe files are available, they are supplied in your Avid

application folder. ReadMe files are also available from Help.

3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.

4. See “Avid DS Customer Support” on page 12.

5. For Technical Support, please call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843).

For international enquiries and support services, contact your local Avid Reseller. Support offerings may vary per location.

Accessing the Online Documentation

The online library contains all the Avid DS documentation in PDF format. If it was installed on your workstation, you can access it from the Help menu in Avid DS.

If You Need Help

You will need to install Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® to view the online documentation.

To access the online library, do one of the following:

t In Avid DS, select Help > Online Library. t Insert the Software CD or the Drivers CD into your CD-ROM drive,

and select Online Library from the main menu.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader:

1. Insert the Drivers CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2. Select the required workstation and choose Utilities.

If You Have Documentation Comments

We’d appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have about the Avid DS documentation.

Please e-mail your documentation comments to:

dsdocs@avid.com

Include the title of the document, its part number, and the specific section you are commenting on in all correspondence.

How to Order Documentation

To order additional copies of this documentation from within the United States, call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). If you are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local Avid representative.

Avid Educational Services

For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please visit www.avid.com/training or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).

Using This Guide

Avid DS Customer Support

The following sections describe various Avid DS Customer Support options.

E-mail Support

The e-mail address for Avid DS Customer Support is: dssupport@avid.com.

You can use it for sending bug reports, usability questions, and avidds.cab audit reports for system analysis. All e-mails are logged in the support database and assigned a case number. Send one support request per e-mail.

Web Support

FTP Support

It is mandatory that you include your SID number in the body of your e-mail message for verification of your maintenance contract and case logging, otherwise, response will be delayed.

The Avid DS Customer Support and Download sections at http://www.softimage.com/avidds provide quick access to a wide range of resources from the Avid DS teams and user community. Downloads, including presets, drivers, and Quick Fix Engineering (QFE), provide the latest solutions for use with your Avid DS system. Online documentation, tutorials, and Knowledge Base articles ensure that you get the most out of your work with Avid DS. It's like having a dedicated Avid DS Customer Support engineer sitting at your desk!

For troubleshooting purposes, an FTP server is available for uploading large files for Avid DS Customer Support personnel to examine. You can upload a project's archive, media files, or other large piece of data. Simply zip the files to upload and use a short name for easy retrieval, such as archive.zip or Case274877.zip. You can use a Windows Command Prompt or an FTP application to upload files to our server.

Avid DS Customer Support

Command Prompt Commands

Command Description

Site access ftp ftp.softimage.com [Enter]

Folder access cd incoming [Enter]

User name anonymous [Enter]

Password “your e-mail address” [Enter]

Transfer mode bin [Enter]

Upload command Put “path:\file name” [Enter]

Once the file upload is complete, send an e-mail to dssupport@avid.com to inform Avid DS Customer Support as there is no automatic notification when a file is uploaded on the FTP server. Please provide the complete and exact file name (case sensitive) to retrieve.

Mailing List

Although the Avid DS mailing list is frequently monitored by Avid employees, it is not part of the official support channels. You are invited to send your support requests to any of the above channels when required.

If you have an e-mail account, you can join the worldwide network of Avid DS users exchanging ideas. The mailing list has proven to be quite useful for users, with a constant stream of new subscribers.

To subscribe, send an e-mail to majordomo@softimage.com with the following text in the body of your message: subscribe ds. You can get further information on using the automated list server by e-mailing majordomo@softimage.com with “help” as your message.

You can also go to http://www.avid.com/support/forums.html, which is another great source of info on the Avid web site for Avid DS.

Using This Guide

Chapter 1

Installing Avid DS

This chapter describes how to install Avid DS software and services.

If you purchased the new Avid DS Nitris system, the drivers and firmware needed to run Avid DS Nitris are already installed on the system disk. However, you must install version 7.x of the Avid DS software.

If you need to reinstall any hardware component drivers or system firmware, the instructions are available on the Avid DS Nitris Drivers CD.

If you are upgrading from a previous version of Avid DS, see “Upgrading

your Avid DS v6.x Workstation” on page 45.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup

Before installing Avid DS on your workstation(s), you must decide how all the workstations in your environment can be used to their best potential. If you have one Avid DS workstation, then the configuration is simple. All software components are installed on that workstation.

When you have two or more Avid DS workstations connected to each other, then it is possible to have an Avid DS workgroup. In a workgroup, you can offload the media management and processing services to a dedicated workstation such as an Avid DS RP (Remote Processing) workstation. This leaves the Avid DS workstations free for creative editing tasks.

The station that runs the media management and processing services is known as the controller. If you have more than one Avid DS workstation, then one of them must be designated as the controller and the others connected as clients. Naturally, if you have only one Avid DS workstation, then it will be the controller.

The following section shows the different setups that you can choose from, and, in each case, where each of the various Avid DS software components or services would be installed.

A valid network connection is required for your Avid DS workstation(s) whether they are connected or running standalone. If you don’t have a valid network connection, you can simulate one by creating a loopback connection. For more information, refer to the Avid DS Customer Support Web site.

You will also need to set up the appropriate user accounts on each workstation, depending on whether you are in a standalone, Windows workgroup, or Windows domain environment. For more information, see

“Checklist for Installing the Software” on page 23.

Avid DS Installation Scenarios

There are many different ways that you can set up your Avid DS environment. This section shows four setup possibilities, and recommends where each of the various Avid DS software components or services should be installed. For a complete description of each component, see

“Avid DS Software and Services” on page 21.

You may also want to refer to “Planning your Storage Locations” on

page 100, to see the different ways that your project and media storage can

be configured. If you are using Avid Unity storage, you may use it in any one of these configurations.

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup

™

MediaNetwork as your

Installing a Standalone Avid DS Workstation

You cannot install the Avid DS software components directly on Unity, but you can configure the indexing services on any workstation to index the storage area on Unity.

If you have a single Avid DS workstation, you will need the following components installed:

• Avid DS—see “Installing Avid DS” on page 26.

• Avid Project Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

• Avid Media Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Installing Workstation(s) with no Remote Processing Workstation

If you have more than one Avid DS workstation connected in a workgroup, you must designate one of them as a controller. The Avid DS workstation that will serve as the controller will need the following components installed on it:

• Avid DS—see “Installing Avid DS” on page 26.

• Avid Project Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

• Avid Media Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

Any other Avid DS workstations (clients) will need the following components installed:

• Avid DS—see “Installing Avid DS” on page 26.

• Avid Media Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup

Installing Workstation(s) and Remote Processing Workstation

When you have one or more Avid DS workstations connected to an Avid DS RP workstation, the RP workstation would best serve as the controller. This allows it to do all your media processing and indexing, and leave your Avid DS workstations free for the creative editing tasks.

Since you can’t run Avid DS RP and Avid DS simultaneously on a workstation, it is more practical to use the Avid DS RP workstation as the controller.

If you designate the RP workstation as the controller, you will need the following components installed on it:

• Avid Distributed Media Services—see “Installing the DMS Broker” on

page 38.

•AvidDSRP—see “Installing Avid DS RP” on page 58.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

• Avid Throttle Manager—see “Installing Avid Throttle Manager” on

• Avid Project Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

Any connected Avid DS workstations (clients), will need the following components installed:

• Avid DS—see “Installing Avid DS” on page 26.

• Avid Media Indexer (automatically installed by Avid DS setup)

page 59.

Installing a non-Avid DS Workstation as the Workgroup Controller

Any additional RP workstations that are connected will need the Avid DS RP software and Avid Media Indexer installed.

You can connect a non-Avid DS workstation to your workgroup and designate it as the controller. In this case, you would only need to install the Avid Project Indexer on it. This workstation must have the same specifications as required for an RP workstation.

Avid DS Software and Services

These are the different software components available in Avid DS:

Component Function

Avid DS This is the Avid DS software (Avid DS or Avid DS Editor).

Avid DS RP This software is installed on a workstation that will handle

remote processing requests. The Avid DS RP workstation processes effects from another client or controller workstation within the Avid DS workgroup and returns the results to the workstation when completed.

You cannot run Avid DS RP and Avid DS simultaneously on a workstation, therefore, in a workgroup environment, it would be best to set up the Avid DS RP workstation as the controller.

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup

Avid Project Indexer

Avid Media Indexer

Avid Distributed Media Services (DMS) Broker

This service indexes storage locations that contain Avid DS projects. The Avid Project Indexer can only be installed on one workstation (the controller) per workgroup. The Project Indexer indexes projects for all Avid DS workstations within the workgroup and keeps a single index table on the controller workstation.

The Avid Media Indexer is installed on each workstation in the Avid DS workgroup that’s running Avid DS or Avid DS RP. It indexes storage locations that contain audio and video media files to optimize searches of those files. Each workstation keeps its own index table of any connected storage.

The Avid DMS Broker manages the remote processing requests sent from any Avid DS workstation in the workgroup to an RP workstation(s). The DMS Broker is installed on only one workstation (preferably the controller) per workgroup.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Component Function

Avid Throttle Manager

Licensing Software

Online Library The Avid DS documentation can be installed with Avid DS, so

The Avid Throttle Manager manages the bandwidth to shared storage locations for each workstation in the Avid DS workgroup.

For example, since an Avid DS client workstation and an RP workstation can share the same storage, the Throttle Manager manages access to shared storages, so that the RP workstation doesn’t interfere with the client workstation during critical times such as playback, capture, and output to tape—see

“Installing Avid Throttle Manager” on page 59.

The Throttle Manager can only be installed on an RP workstation. If you have more than one RP workstation, then you must install it on only one of those RP workstations.

This software is needed to validate the Avid DS software. If you’re a new customer, you must request a license file for each Avid DS workstation. When you receive the license, install it on the client workstation.

Although a separate license is also needed for the RP

workstation, you can store that license on the Avid DS client workstation and point to it from the RP workstation.

that you can access it directly from the Avid DS Help menu.

Checklist for Installing the Software

Once you have decided on your installation scenario, you need to carry out the installation in the following order:

Step Refer to

Checklist for Installing the Software

Request a license for each workstation on

which you are going to install the Avid DS and Avid DS RP software.

" Set up your Windows Workgroup or Domain

accounts.

" Install the Avid DMS Broker software on the

workstation that will be the controller of the Avid DS workgroup.

" Start the DMS Broker.

" Install the necessary Avid DS components on

the workstation that will be the controller of the Avid DS workgroup.

" After the controller has been completely

installed, install the necessary Avid DS components on the remaining workstations in the Avid DS workgroup and configure them as clients.

" Install Avid DS RP on the workstation(s) you

want to use for remote processing.

“Requesting a License File” on page 68.

“Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup” on page 24.

“Installing the DMS Broker” on page 38.

“Installing Avid DS” on page 26.

“Installing the Remote Processing Software” on page 51.

" Install the Avid Throttle Manager software on

one, and only one, RP workstation.

“Installing Avid Throttle Manager” on page 59.

" Install the license files for all workstations. “Softimage Licensing

Program” on page 69.

more...

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Step Refer to

" By default, the Media Indexer sets any new

storage areas to automatically have full read/write access by any user on the network. To restrict access to your media, you can change the share permissions through Windows.

" Install any plug-in software that you require

on the Avid DS workstations.

" Install fonts that you may require for titling

and graphics work on your Avid DS workstation.

Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup

If you are going to set up an environment where multiple Avid DS workstations can access each other’s projects and media, you will need to create an Avid DS workgroup and designate the controller and client workstations.

If you only have one Avid DS, it is designated as the controller of its own workgroup.

“Managing User Accounts” on page 76.

“Loading Plug-Ins” on page 39.

“Installing and Removing Fonts” on page 40.

The Avid DS workgroup emulates a Windows network workgroup, but has its own regulations:

• You can connect as many Avid DS workstations to a single Avid DS workgroup as you want.

• An Avid DS workgroup can have any name, as long as you avoid illegal Windows characters.

• You can share project's data and media between different workstations within the same Avid DS workgroup.

Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup

To properly configure an Avid DS workgroup, you should have a basic understanding of Windows user account management. As a rule, all Avid DS workstations should belong to the same Windows domain or workgroup. This way, they are all connected together over a network and can access each other’s storage and other resources.

To set up an Avid DS workgroup:

1. Determine the workstations that will be in the Avid DS workgroup before you start installing the Avid DS software.

Important: If you would like to keep one or more workstations running Avid DS v6.x or earlier, then you must create a separate Avid DS workgroup for any Avid DS v7 workstations, and designate a new controller for this workgroup.

2. If you are setting up more than one Avid DS workstation, make sure that these workstations are in the same Windows domain or workgroup—see “Account Management of Windows Domains” on

page 77 or “Account Management of Windows Workgroups” on page 78.

3. If you are setting up an Avid DS workstation to run standalone, then make sure its IP address is set correctly—see “Account Setup for

Standalone Avid DS” on page 76.

4. Some type of network timing software should be used to maintain synchronization between the workstations within a workgroup.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Installing Avid DS

To install Avid DS, you must log on with an account that has Administrator privileges.

If you have one or more RP workstations in your workgroup, you must install the Avid DMS Broker before installing Avid DS. For more information, see “Installing the DMS Broker” on page 38.

To install Avid DS:

1. Put the Avid DS Software CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. From the main menu, click the Avid DS Installation button.

3. When the Avid DS Installation Wizard is displayed, click the Next

button.

4. In the License Agreement dialog box, read the End User License

Agreement and click the Ye s button to accept the terms of the agreement and continue the installation.

Installing Avid DS

5. In the Customer Information dialog box, enter your name and company name, and click the Next button.

6. In the Reseller or Dealer Information dialog box, enter the requested information and click the Next button.

The Workgroup Configuration dialog box is displayed.

The following choices are presented:

- Keep existing DS Workgroup Configuration — Select this only if

you are upgrading to Avid DS v7 and want to keep a previous Avid DS v6.x workgroup configuration.

This option does not apply if you are upgrading from a version prior to Avid DS v6.0.

- Create or join a different DS workgroup — This option lets you

configure your workstation as part of an Avid DS workgroup.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

If you choose to Create or Join a different DS workgroup, then the following choices are displayed:

- Allow this workstation to share, exchange, and collaborate with those other workstations? — Joins your workstations to a selected DS workgroup.

If you are connected to other Avid DS workstations, and there is already another Avid DS Nitris workstation designated as the controller.

From the list that is displayed, select the Avid DS workgroup that you want to join. Your workstation will join the workgroup as a “client”.

If the controller does not automatically appear in this list, consult Customer Services and review your network configuration for a potential access permission problem.

Standalone workstations also appear as controllers in the pulldown menu. Do not choose a standalone workstation as the controller unless you plan on connecting it to your other Avid DS workstations.

- Create a new DS workgroup for sharing, exchanging, and collaborating? — Allows you to specify a new workgroup name to which this workstation will belong.

If you select this option, the current workstation will be set up as the controller.

- Have this workstation work separately from all the others? — Sets up your workstation in its own workgroup (in standalone mode).

You will still need to specify a unique workgroup name.

Installing Avid DS

7. Click the Next button to save the Workgroup Configuration.

8. When the Service Configuration window is displayed, select one of the following:

t Local System Account — Uses the login profile of the user that is

currently logged in. The account must be a member of the local administrators group

and have a password.

t This account — Allows you to designate the user that will manage

the Avid services. Avid recommend that you select this option.

9. If you select the This account option, enter the login information of the user account that will run the Avid Media Indexer and Project Indexer services.

If your workstation is part of a Windows domain, then you need to specify the domain name before the user id (example: domain_name\userid). The local administrator account cannot be used to configure the services.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

10. Click the Next button.

The second Service Configuration window is displayed.

During installation everyone in the Administrator Group of the local system is automatically allowed access to the Avid DS services. Avid recommends that all users who need access to Avid DS services within the Avid DS Workgroup have accounts in the Administrators or Power Users group on each workstation in the workgroup.

If you are part of a Windows workgroup, then you only need the Administrator in this list.

If you are part of a Windows domain, then all user names must be configured with the domain name (example: domain_name\userid). If these user accounts are not configured correctly, then the services will not work.

For more information on domain versus workgroup accounts, see

“Managing User Accounts” on page 76.

Installing Avid DS

11. Select the users or group that you want to Allow Access to the Avid

DS workgroup.

- If you want to add new users or a new group, click the Add button.

- If you want to add a new users to a group, select the group from

the list, and click the Add button.

- If you want to remove a user or group, select a name from the list,

and click the Remove button.

- If you want to change user or group privileges, select a name from

the list, and select Allow Access or Deny Access from the dropdown list.

12. Click the Next button.

If you are installing the controller, the DMS Broker Configuration dialog box is displayed.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

13. If you have an RP workstation in your workgroup, enter the name of

the workstation running the DMS Broker, and click the Next button. If you do not have a DMS Broker installed, leave the field blank. The SMTP Server dialog box is displayed.

14. Enter the name or IP address of your SMTP server and click the Next

button. You may leave this field blank if you do not know your SMTP server

address.

15. Click the Next button.

The Choose Destination Location dialog box is displayed.

Installing Avid DS

16. Do one of the following:

- Click the Next button to accept the default folder. (Avid

recommends that you keep the suggested default path).

- Click the Change button to specify a folder in which to install

Avid DS and click the Next button.

The Select Components dialog box is displayed.

17. Select the components that you want to install.

Component Description

Avid DS Installs Avid DS on your workstation. This option is

only enabled if the supported hardware is detected.

Avid DS RP Installs Avid DS RP on your workstation. Install this

component if you want to use this workstation for remote processing.

You cannot run the Avid DS and Avid DS RP

software simultaneously on a workstation, therefore, in a workgroup environment, it would be best to set up the RP workstation as the controller.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Component Description

Online Library Installs the Avid DS documentation. The online library

Avid DS Services The Avid DS Services are required to index media on

Extras There are other components that you may need to install

has the most up-to-date description of all features in Avid DS.

your storage devices as well as share, exchange, and collaborate with other workstations in the workgroup.

Media Indexer Installs the Media Indexer on all workstations in the

workgroup.

Project Indexer Installs the Project Indexer on only one workstation

(usually on the designated controller workstation).

Throttle Manager Installs the Throttle Manager. Install this component on

one, and only one, RP workstation.

with Avid DS or Avid DS RP.

Fonts Installs fonts that you may require for titling and

graphics work in Avid DS.

Avid DS Mouse Cursor Scheme

Avid DS Color Scheme for

Installs the Avid DS mouse cursors on your workstation.

Installs the Avid DS color scheme that is optimized for Avid DS.

Windows

Support for JL

Enables the use of the JL Cooper within Avid DS.

Cooper

18. Click the Next button.

The Hardware Setup dialog box is displayed.

Installing Avid DS

19. Verify that the hardware matches your workstation’s configuration:

Workstation Video devices Audio devices Accessories

Compaq Workstation w8000

HP Workstation xw8000 Avid Equinox video

Avid Nitris DNA Nitris Video Subsystem Nitris Audio board Supported OpenGL

Avid Equinox subsystem

subsystem

™

video

Mykerinos audio card

Supported OpenGL graphics card

graphics card

If the hardware options don’t match your workstation’s configuration, click the Manual Settings button, and select the correct hardware options.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

20. Click the Next button.

The Storage Setup dialog box is displayed.

- Video Storage: Select the actual drive letter for your video media.

- Audio Storage: Select the actual drive letter for your audio media.

- Projects Storage: Select the actual drive letter for your projects

and presets storage area (F:\)

- Archives Storage: Select the actual drive letter for your archives

storage area (F:\)

- Interactive Cache: Select the actual drive letter for your

interactive cache storage area. The interactive cache location must be either one of the local video storage drives, or a drive partition other than the system partition (D:\)

If you are connected to Unity, do not select the Unity storage. You should only use the Unity for your media storage.

Installing Avid DS

21. Change the storage locations if necessary, and click the Next button.

The Licensing Information dialog box is displayed.

22. When installing Avid DS, select the Local License File option, enter

the following in the text box: C:\Softimage\flexlm\Licenses\Softimage.lic and click the Next button.

23. When the Start Copying Files dialog box is displayed, review your

installation settings and if you’re satisfied, click the Next button.

If you need to change options, use the Back button to go as far back as you need to change the options.

A progress indicator is displayed as the Avid DS files are copied to your system.

After the files are copied, you will be asked if you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. This program is required to read the Avid DS online documentation.

24. Click the Finish button.

25. Close the Avid DS Setup window by clicking the close (X) button in the top-right corner.

26. Remove the CD and restart your workstation.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Installing the DMS Broker

If you have one or more RP workstations in your workgroup, you must install the Avid DMS Broker. This service handles all remote processing requests within an Avid DS workgroup.

The DMS Broker should be installed on a non-Avid DS workstation (preferrably an RP station that is configured as the controller). This workstation must be running Windows 2000 or Windows XP. It also requires Internet Explorer 5.5 or later. For more information, see the Avid ProEncode

Attaching the Application Key

The application key, commonly referred to as a dongle, allows the DMS software to run on your system. It also lets you access only the number of encoders for which you have purchased licenses.

™

Release Notes.

DMS Automatic USB Dongle Detection and Licensing

Do not connect the application key to a USB port until you install the DMS Broker.

To install the DMS Broker:

1. Put the Avid DS Software CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. From the menu, select Avid DMS Broker.

3. Follow the instructions in the installation program.

4. When the installation is complete, click Exit.

To attach the application key:

1. On the workstation that will run the DMS Broker, locate an available USB port.

2. Connect the USB dongle to the USB port.

3. Windows automatically detects a "USB dongle SuperPro" device. The "Found New Hardware Wizard" opens.

Loading Plug-Ins

4. Keep the Install the software automatically (Recommended) option, and click Next.

“Rainbow USB SuperPro” is detected and installed by Windows.

5. When the Completing the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog appears, click Finish.

Do not lose the application key. Your ProEncode software does not function without it. If you lose your application key, you must purchase another key from Avid.

After the DMS Broker is installed, refer to the Avid ProEncode Setup and User’s Guide for instructions on how to configure the DMS Broker and set

up the DMS Administration Tool.

The installation process automatically creates an Administrator account. You do not need to add any users as these will automatically be created when a user sends a processing request.

Loading Plug-Ins

Avid provides some plug-ins for use with Avid DS Nitris v7.x.

To load these plug-ins:

1. Insert the Avid DS Nitris Software CD into your CD-ROM drive and click Plug-ins from the main menu.

2. A window opens to display the folders that contain the plug-ins.

3. For each plug-in you want to use:

t Open the folder. t Open the Readme.txt for that plug-in, and t Follow the instructions to load the program.

Important: Any plug-ins that you install on your client workstations, should also be installed on the RP workstation to ensure compatibility. The same applies to any third-party plug-ins.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Installing and Removing Fonts

Avid DS Nitris supports the following typeface formats:

•Type1

• TrueType (PC-formatted)

Avid DS Nitris does not require any additional software to access TrueType fonts, but does require Adobe Type Manager (ATM) software to access Type 1 fonts.

Included in the \Fonts folder of the Avid DS Nitris CD are 500 fonts from the Bitstream typeface library.

Installing too many fonts on your workstation can noticeably degrade computing performance. Keep the number of fonts installed on your workstation to the minimum necessary to complete your projects.

Important: Any fonts that you install on a client workstation should also be installed on the RP workstation to ensure consistency between processed results in titles and graphics.

Installing and Removing Type 1 Fonts

Type 1 font support in Avid DS Nitris is available only if you have the Adobe Type Manager or Adobe Type Manager Deluxe software (version

4.0 or later) installed and active. Consult the documentation that came with the Adobe Type Manager or Adobe Type Manager Deluxe software for instructions on how to install and remove Type 1 fonts.

Installing and Removing TrueType Fonts

TrueType font support in Avid DS Nitris does not require any additional software.

Installing and Removing Fonts

To install TrueType fonts:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Control Panel > Fonts. The Fonts window is displayed.

2. From the File menu, select Install New Font. The Add Fonts dialog box is displayed. Use the Folders and Drives lists to navigate to the folder that contains

the TrueType fonts you want to install. On the Avid DS Nitris CD, they’re in the \Fonts folder.

The available TrueType fonts in the selected folder appear in the List of Fonts list.

3. Select the fonts to install from the List of Fonts list, as follows:

- To select a single font, click the name of the font.

- To select a range of fonts, click the name of the first font. Then

Shift-click the last font in the range.

- To select all fonts in the directory, click Select All.

- To switch the selection of a font, press the Ctrl key and click a font

name.

4. (Optional) You can use the selected fonts from their current folder by deselecting the Copy fonts to Fonts folder option. This will save disk space on your local workstation.

By default, fonts will be added to your workstation’s local disk space. If you are adding several fonts, consider using the fonts from their current locations to save local disk space.

5. Click OK. The selected fonts are installed on your system.

6. If Avid DS Nitris is currently running, restart it to access the newly installed fonts.

To remove TrueType fonts:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Control Panel > Fonts. The Fonts window is displayed.

2. Select the fonts to remove.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

3. Press Delete. You are prompted to confirm the deletion of the selected fonts.

4. Click Ye s .

5. Close the Fonts and Control Panel windows.

6. If Avid DS Nitris is currently running, restart it to update the list of available fonts.

Installing Non-European Fonts

If you are working with a non-European, customized Windows operating system, such as Windows XP Japanese, you can use the DSFontSetting.exe application, which is distributed with Avid DS Nitris v7. You can use this application to change the default font used in Avid DS Nitris dialog boxes or reset it to default.

The new font is used only in dialog boxes; menus and toolbar buttons are not affected by this new information. You can customize the menu font size through the Windows Appearance tab of the Desktop Properties.

For non-European languages, Avid DS Nitris selects a font (by default) that comprises the European character set and is part of the character set of the foreign Windows system, such as Windows XP Japanese. However, the chosen font is very small and does not appear properly, especially in dialog boxes. For regular systems, the default font for dialog boxes is Arial 11.

This application does not ensure that the font will fit properly in the dialog box. Whenever the new selected font is too large for the various text contents of the dialog box, a smaller default font will be used as in previous versions. You must be careful to choose a font that still contains a European character set, since the displayed text is still English. this new feature is not restricted only to Asian systems; any customer of any country can change the Avid DS Nitris default font. However, layouts work best with the actual default font (Arial 11). Each time a new font is set or reset, you must restart Avid DS Nitris before it takes effect.

Installing and Removing Fonts

To install non-European fonts

1. Browse to the C:\Program Files\Avid\DS_7 folder.

2. Double-click the DSFontsettings.exe file.

3. From the Settings menu, you can select one of two options:

- Reset Font to reset the fonts to their default setting.

- Set DS Font to choose the Font and size you want to use in the dialog click. Click OK.

Some tips!

• For best results, use a font size between 8 and 14 points.

• If the font selected is a little too big to be displayed in its designated area, it will be substituted by the default font size.

• If the font size is really too big, the layout will not appear correctly, and you may need to refresh the screen.

Chapter 1 Installing Avid DS

Chapter 2

Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation

This chapter describes how to upgrade Avid DS v6.x on the Compaq EVO W8000, or the HP xw8000 to Avid DS v7.

If you have an HP xw8000, and would like to upgrade your hardware to an Avid Nitris DNA on changing your hardware boards. You must do the hardware upgrade before installing the Avid DS v7 software.

™

system, refer to the Avid DS web site for instructions

Chapter 2 Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation

Upgrading your Workstation from the Recovery CD

You will need to use the Recovery CD to upgrade your Avid DS software to version 7. Note that there are still some critical steps involved, so please follow the instructions in this section very carefully.

To prepare your workstation for the upgrade:

Step Refer to

Read the release notes that came with your

system or software upgrade package to see if there are any changes to this document.

Request a license for each workstation on

which you are going to install the Avid DS software.

" Archive your existing projects and media.

Avid DS v7 uses a different media format than previous releases. Therefore, you must archive all your project information and media files with your current version of Avid DS to tape.

You may also place your archived files

on a CD. If you choose to do this, make sure you “zip” your files before burning them onto a CD.

After you upgrade to Avid DS v7, you can restore the archive and recapture your media.

Just Released document.

“Requesting a License File” on page 68.

Avid DS Nitris Capture and Output Guide

Upgrading your Workstation from the Recovery CD

To upgrade to Windows XP:

Step Refer to

" Have your Windows XP license number on

hand as you will be prompted to enter it.

" Use the Recovery CD for your specific

workstation, to upgrade all your client workstations with the Windows XP operating system, and Service Pack 1.

" Set up your Windows Workgroup or Domain

accounts.

" Install and configure the necessary software

on the workstation that will be the controller of the Avid DS workgroup.

" After the controller has been completely

installed, install the Avid DS software on the remaining workstations in the Avid DS workgroup and configure them as clients.

" Install Avid DS RP on the workstation(s) you

want to use for remote processing.

" Install the Avid Throttle Manager software on

one, and only one, RP workstation per Avid DS Workgroup.

" Install the Avid DMS Broker software on one,

and only one, RP workstation per Avid DS Workgroup.

“Installing the Recovery CD” on page 49

“Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup” on page 24

“Installing Avid DS” on page 26

“Installing the Remote Processing Software” on page 51

“Installing Avid Throttle Manager” on page 59

" Install the license files for all workstations. “Softimage Licensing

Program” on page 69

Chapter 2 Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation

Step Refer to

" By default, the Media Indexer sets any new

storage areas to automatically have full read/write access by any user on the network. To restrict access to your media, you can change the share permissions through Windows.

" Check all third-party plug-ins for

compatibility with Avid DS 7.

Avid DS v7 supports AVX Avid DS plug-ins. You will need to update any plug-ins that you currently have installed on your client and RP workstations. Contact the vendor directly for details.

All other AVX-based plug-ins do not need to be updated.

Avid also supports VST audio plug-ins.

For details contact Customer Services.

™

1.0 and native

" Install fonts that you may require for titling

and graphics work on your client and RP workstations.

“Managing User Accounts” on page 76

“Loading Plug-Ins” on page 39

“Installing and Removing Fonts” on page 40

Installing the Recovery CD

Refer to “Installing the Recovery CD” on page 122 and “Completely

Rebuilding the System” on page 124 for further instructions.

Uninstalling Avid DS

Before removing the Avid DS software, you MUST first remove any plug-ins or codecs that were installed on your system.

Installing the Recovery CD

If you uninstall Avid DS before uninstalling the plug-ins, the uninstall procedure will fail.

To remove the Avid DS plug-ins:

1. Click the Start button and choose Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

2. In the Currently Installed Programs list, check for any installed plug-ins—see http://www.avid.com/partners/avx/displayPartners.html.

3. Select the plug-ins installed on your system (one at a time) and click the Change/Remove button. Repeat this step until they’re all removed.

4. Remove all Avid DS native plug-ins such as:

t Audio Channel Switcher t Tone Generator

If you cannot uninstall some plug-ins, continue with the next one until completion, and then manually delete the \Plug-In folder. Use the Windows Find utility to help you locate any \Plug-In folders.

Chapter 2 Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation

Removing Avid DS

Once you’ve removed the plug-ins, you can uninstall the Avid DS software.

To remove Avid DS:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

2. In the Currently Installed Programs list, select the Avid DS software that you want to remove.

The Avid DS setup program starts.

3. Select the Remove option and click the Next button. The Confirm File Deletion dialog box is displayed.

4. Click the Ye s button. The Avid DS files are removed from your system, and the Maintenance

Complete dialog box is displayed.

5. Click the Finish button.

If you’re prompted to restart the workstation, do so immediately to properly unregister the software from the operating system.

Chapter 3

Installing the Remote Processing Software

This chapter describes how to use and install software for an Avid DS Remote Processing workstation.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

An Introduction to Avid DS Remote Processing

Processing, or rendering, is a normal and necessary part of the Avid DS workflow, as with any system that handles complex compositing and effects. Unfortunately for editors, artists, and their clients, processing takes up time and resources on the workstation being used, and can present frequent and lengthy interruptions to the creative process.

Instead of waiting for Avid DS to process your effects, you can send a processing job to a remote workstation that is running Avid DS RP and continue working on your sequence.

You can install the remote processing software on any number of workstations in your workgroup. The DMS Broker will automatically route your processing jobs to the first available RP workstation.

Avid DS RP processes the effects, returns the cache media to the Avid DS client storages, and notifies the client workstation when the job is complete. When installing Avid DS on your workstations, you can specify where the caches will be stored, either on a shared storage device or on your local workstation.

Version 7 of Avid DS RP cannot accept requests from earlier versions of Avid DS.

Avid DS v7 uses the DMS Broker and a mail-type system to communicate with the remote processing station. An Outbox contains all the jobs that you sent out for processing, and an Inbox contains all the jobs that have returned.

You can set up your Avid DS workstation, so that when a job returns from the remote processing station, you receive an email informing you that the job is complete. The caches generated from the processing are automatically linked back to your current project.

Remote Processing Concepts

Before you begin configuring your workstations for remote processing, there are a few terms you need to understand:

Client Workstation: This is the workstation on which Avid DS is installed. The client workstation is where the processing request is initiated. The request is sent to the remote processing workstation, and the result is eventually returned to the client.

Remote Processing Workstation: This is the workstation where Avid DS RP is installed. The RP workstation handles requests from client workstation(s) and updates the clients’ timeline as each request is processed. RP workstations support both the Windows XP Professional operating system and the Windows 2000 operating system.

Floating License: The license for the RP workstation is located on one of the client workstations and not on the RP workstation itself. This license information is appended to the dongle-based (or “nodelock”) information in the Softimage.lic file. In this context, the client workstation is designated as a “license server” for the RP workstation.

An Introduction to Avid DS Remote Processing

About Avid Throttle Manager

Avid DS workstations share their storages with RP workstations during remote processing. The Avid Throttle Manager (installed separately from the RP software and installed only on one RP workstation) manages access to such shared storages, so that the remote processing doesn't interfere with the Avid DS workstation at critical times, such as during playback, capture, and output to tape.

On startup, Avid DS and Avid DS RP indicate to the Throttle Manager which shared storages they are using. The Throttle Manager then monitors how your Avid DS workstation and RP workstation are using the shared storage, such as for playback, capture, output, or processing.

On an Avid DS workstation, playback, capture and output to tape are the critical operations which require a guaranteed bandwidth between the workstation and its storage. During these operations, the Throttle Manager will pause any RP workstations using the same storage for processing in

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

order to maintain that bandwidth. Once the playback, capture, or output to tape operation is complete, the Throttle Manager restarts the processing on the RP workstations.

If you are not using the Throttle Manager to manage your shared storage, do not try to perform intensive tasks like playback, capture, and output to tape on the client workstation while processing on the RP workstation.

Avid DS RP Workstation Requirements

The remote processing workstation must meet the following requirements:

• Supports Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 operating system.

• Intel Pentium III up (single or dual CPU; MMX enabled) or Intel Pentium 4.

Intel Celeron and AMD processors are not supported.

• 1.5 GB RAM

• 1 GB of hard drive space

• SVGA monitor with a recommended resolution of 1280

• OpenGL for 3D DVE: In Avid DS Nitris, only the 3D DVE layout uses OpenGL. An Avid DS RP workstation does not require an OpenGL card to process OpenGL effects. However, these effects will process significantly faster if the RP workstation has an OpenGL card.

×1024

It is recommended that you use the same type of OpenGL card in both the RP workstation and the client workstation.

• Network card (100 Mbps minimum recommended)

• Network protocol: All of the workstations being used for your workgroup must reside on a network that uses the TCP/IP protocol. Each workstation must be able to see the others over the network.

Avid DS RP Workstation Requirements

Network Hardware and Remote Processing Performance

To optimize your network hardware and the performance of remote processing:

• The recommended minimum speed of your network card is 100 Mbps full duplex as this speed matches that of the client workstation. Gigabit Ethernet is better, but you would need to upgrade the client workstation as well.

• A network switch is the best way to isolate the remote processing traffic from the rest of a corporate network. We recommend a minimum bandwidth of 100 Mbps and full duplex capability, however, a gigabit switch is preferable. For the highest quality components, purchase brand name products, such as 3Com, Cisco, etc.

Hubs are not recommended.

• Use 24AGW gauge network cable (category 5 and up). Connectors must be assembled properly, with a minimal length of unshielded wire on both ends.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

Checklist for Installing the Avid DS RP Software

Before you set up a remote processing workstation you must:

• Make sure you have at least one client workstation configured as a controller—see “Avid DS Installation Scenarios” on page 17.

• Make sure that the license server software is installed and running on a client workstation within the workgroup.

• Make sure that the floating license is appended to the Avid DS Nitris license file on one of the client workstations in the workgroup.

Follow these general steps when setting up your RP workstation:

Step Refer to

" Install Avid DS RP on each workstation you

want to use for remote processing.

" Install the Avid Throttle Manager software on

one, and only one, RP workstation.

“Installing the Remote Processing Software” on page 51.

“Installing Avid Throttle Manager” on page 59.

" Install the Avid DMS Broker software on one,

and only one, RP workstation.

" To process effects involving third-party plug-

ins, the plug-ins must be installed on all RP workstations.

" All Windows fonts used on the client

workstations must also be installed on the remote processing workstation to prevent processing errors with titles.

Third-party plug-in vendors handle the licensing for remote processing of third-party plug-ins.

“Loading Plug-Ins” on page 39.

“Installing and Removing Fonts” on page 40.

CPU Usage on Avid DS RP Workstations

In some cases, you may find that the CPU usage on the RP workstation or the client workstation during processing is low. This may be more obvious when the RP workstation is a faster machine, and in some cases the CPU usage may be lower on the RP workstation than on the client workstation. This is a normal occurrence however.

CPU usage is an indicator of processor activity. The faster the processor, the faster it completes its job (processing the current frame). If the CPU has to wait for the next frame read from disk to start processing the frame, the CPU usage is lowered.

This is normal, and it depends on the effect being processed. For simple light effects, such as color correction, the processing is fast enough that the CPU is actually idling most of the time. This appears as a low CPU usage value. These effects are said to be “I/O-bound”, meaning that the Read/Write operations involved for each processed frame are more significant than the actual processing. Because Avid DS is fully multithreaded, the processing itself and the I/O operations are done in parallel. However, if the CPU is idling most of the time, a low CPU Usage value is to be expected.

Most native Avid DS effects support multi-threading and, in addition to this, processing jobs can be divided among the CPUs available in the workstation. For example, on a dual-CPU workstation, when a blur effect is processed, half the frame is processed on one CPU while the other half is processed on the other. This dramatically improves the overall processing time.

Some third party effects (such as all AVX effects) do not support multithreading. In these cases, because only one of the CPUs is being used, the CPU usage never goes above 50%.

To verify if an effect is single or multi-threaded:

1. Click the Start button and select Run.

2. In the Run window, type perfmon to run the Performance Monitor.

3. Add one counter for each CPU Time.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

For multi-threaded effects, the two curves move together while processing. In single-threaded effects, they move in opposite directions.

CPU usage can be affected by the RP license (single or dual). An RP license for one processor will force the RP workstation into single-thread mode, and the CPU usage will never exceed 50%.

CPU usage usually appears higher on the client workstation (if it has the same processor type as the RP). This is because the read/write operations are faster on the client (local storage). As a result, the processor spends less time waiting for input frames before processing them.

Workstations connected by fibre-optic cable to an Avid Unity will actually process very fast due to the direct connection.

Installing Avid DS RP

To install Avid DS RP on an RP workstation:

1. Select the Avid DS RP Only option and click Next.

2. Click the Next button.

The Storage Setup dialog box is displayed. If the RP workstation does not have the standard Avid DS drive partitions, simply install it on the available drives. If only one drive is available, make sure you have sufficient space for the software, expected projects, and temporary media files generated from the Avid DS client processing requests.

• Projects Storage: Select the actual drive letter for your projects and presets storage area. This is the only option that applies on an RP workstation.

If you are connected to Unity, do not select the Unity storage to store your projects. You should only use the Unity for your media storage.

3. Change the storage locations if necessary, and click the Next button.

The Licensing Information dialog box is displayed.

4. Since you’re installing Avid DS RP only, select the License Server option, and type the following in the text box: 744@machine_name (machine_name is the network name of the workstation that has the RP license—see “Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP” on page 67).

Installing Avid Throttle Manager

The Avid Throttle Manager allows for more efficient bandwidth management between your workstation, storage areas, and an Avid DS RP workstation.

For instance, if you want to play back your sequence on the timeline, the Avid Throttle Manager temporarily suspends any processing requests to an RP workstation, or capture or output from/to a deck to allow for the full bandwidth to be used for real-time playback. Once the sequence playback is complete, the Avid Throttle Manager resumes the other processes.

The Avid Throttle Manager must be installed on only one RP workstation on the same network as your Avid DS workgroup.

Installing Avid Throttle Manager

Do not install the Avid Throttle Manager on the client running the Avid DS software.

To install the Avid Throttle Manager:

1. Put the Avid DS Nitris Software CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2. From the Select Components dialog box of the Avid DS setup, select Avid Throttle Manager and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

To uninstall the Avid Throttle Manager:

• Click the Start button and select Programs > Avid Products > Services > Avid Throttle Manager Service, select Uninstall Throttle Manager Service and follow the onscreen instructions to

remove the Avid Throttle Manager.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP

You might encounter some questions when using Remote Processing. Some of the questions and answers are shown below.

There’s a licensing error when I start Avid DS RP.

First, you should read the error message. FLEXlm errors are sometimes easy to fix and good indications are inserted in the error message. Consult the GLOBEtrotter web document for error code explanation.

C:\Softimage\FLEXLM\Flexuser\chap10.htm.

Avid DS RP starts, but an error in the interface points to licensing.

Although Avid DS RP starts, it can fail to properly check out the license file if one of the following occurs:

• The license increment that starts the application is proper but the usability increment contains an error.

• The Softimage License Server daemon was running when Avid DS RP was started, but the Daemon is halted shortly after, causing the licensing error.

To verify if there are any errors in the usability increment of the license file:

1. Click the Start button and choose Programs > Softimage Products > Licensing and choose LicTools.

2. Open the Existing License file and click Validate.

3. Look for highlighted text in the RP license increment. If any, correct the error or request a replacement to the license text from Softimage Licensing.

To verify if the license server daemon was halted:

1. Right-click the Windows taskbar and choose Task Manager.

2. Select the Processes tab.

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP

3. Locate the lmgrd.exe and Softimage.exe processes. If only lmgrd.exe

is shown without the accompanying Softimage.exe process, then the the daemon is down. The solution is in the next question.

I’ve checked the networking connection, the license server, and the license, and I still get an error on the Avid DS RP.

Problems with the Hosts file on the client workstation may prevent the network from matching the names of the systems with their network IP addresses. This can be confusing as the network may appear to be functioning properly since you can link to the Audio and Video Storages without problems.

1. Browse to the C:\WINNT\system32\driver\etc folder and locate the Hosts file.

2. Right-click the Hosts file, select Open with > Notepad. This is what you will see as default:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1995 Microsoft Corp. # # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows NT. # # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name. # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one # space. # # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol. # # For example: # # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

3. On the client workstation, add a line with the IP Address and DNS name of the RP station as shown below (rpstation being the DNS name of the RP station).

127.0.0.1 localhost

100.100.100.10 rpstation

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

4. On the RP station, add a line with the IP address and DNS name of the client workstation.

You can be more specific by including a domain if the system is on one. For example:

100.100.100.10 rpstation.dsland.com

What can cause the Softimage License Server daemon to stop?

The vendor daemon will be stopped if the network configuration IP Address used is not of a valid class. Private or test classes may cause the vendor daemon to automatically stop. This prevents Avid DS RP from validating the license text on the Avid DS workstation. Verify with your system administrator or Internet service provider that your network address is valid.

Example: Although 10.10.10.01 is valid for a private workgroup of computers, the Softimage License Server will reject this IP Address and shut down the daemon.

Avid DS Nitris RP reports that it cannot find some files.

The needed files are linked to the project in a local folder on the Avid DS workstation and are not accessible from the Avid DS RP station.

• Make sure the linked files can be shared identically from both the Avid DS workstation and RP system (example: \\computername\Files\files_to_use), or copy the linked files into your project folder.

• The expected files are irrelevant to the project you’re working on. If this occurs, look seriously for a potential virus infection of the system because Avid DS RP uses VB scripting and can be affected by virus infections.

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP

Processing is very slow on the Avid DS RP station.

• If you are processing 3D DVE effects and the Avid DS RP is not equipped with a supported OpenGL card, the processing is done in software mode and is much slower. Also note that the result may differ from the processing done on the Avid DS workstation.

• The network connection should be at least 100 Mbps.

• The use of a network hub with multiple computers and traffic will affect media access and slow down processing. It is recommended to use a network switch to program and isolate the Avid DS systems from the network group.

• The Avid DS workstation is being used extensively for capture and playback. With or without the Avid Throttle Manager installed, the media access to the Avid DS RP workstation is greatly impacted. Do not use remote processing if you must do intensive media playback tasks with the Avid DS workstation.

• The Avid DS RP workstation is being heavily accessed at the same time by other applications.

The Avid DS RP application is frozen or processing is interrupted with an error. What could cause this?

• The Avid DS workstation was rebooted. This cuts off access to the media located on the workstation pointed to by the Media Indexer running on your workstation.

• There is an internal error in the sequence that causes the processing to fail. Try to process on the Avid DS Nitris workstation to verify if the error is replicated locally as well.

• The system is running low on memory.

• Verify that all plug-ins are installed and properly licensed on the Avid DS RP workstation.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

What can I do to test the network access between my Avid DS workstation and RP workstation?

Using Command Prompt (DOS window):

•Type PING followed by the IP Address of the other computer and

press Enter. If you can communicate with it, it will return the following:

C:\>ping 192.100.10.01

Pinging 192.100.10.01 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 152.165.50.251: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128 Reply from 152.165.50.251: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128 Reply from 152.165.50.251: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128 Reply from 152.165.50.251: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 152.165.50.251:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

Otherwise the ping command will return “timed out” error lines if the computer is not available or “Unknown host” if the host does not exist.

•Type NET SHARE and press Enter to display all shared locations,

including the required Avid DS Nitris shared folders.

•Type IPCONFIG and press Enter to display the current network

configuration.

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP

Avid DS RP displays this error message when started: Failed to create project BasicProject: f:\DS Projects could not be found.

Make sure the DS Project path exists on the Avid DS RP workstation, otherwise you must either reinstall the software and carefully choose the project location or access the operating system Registry Editor and modify the Avid DS Nitris MainRoot key (contact Avid DS Customer Service for help with registry modifications).

When starting Avid DS RP, the hourglass icon appears for a brief moment, then nothing.

Although extremely rare, this can occur after a software crash where a process in still running in the background and preventing a new process from being opened, since you can run only one instance of Avid DS at a time on any system.

To resolve this problem:

1. Open Task Manager.

2. Select the Processes tab.

3. Locate any occurrence of a running ds.exe process. If any, click End Process and confirm its termination.

Avid DS RP should now start properly.

I have two Avid DS RP licences and I am trying to process to two remote processing stations, but the second station refuses to process.

Avid DS RP licensing is processor based, not workstation-based. If the Avid DS RP workstations are dual processor, then both RP licenses are taken by the first RP workstation to be started and none are available for the second RP workstation.

Chapter 3 Installing the Remote Processing Software

Chapter 4

Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

This chapter describes how to request, install, and troubleshoot the license file on an Avid DS workstation.

Chapter 4 Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

Requesting a License File

Avid DS and Avid DS RP v7.x require a new license file to validate the software. This license is provided to all valid Avid DS customers and replaces the existing license file. To run Avid DS, you must have a license file, as well as a software protection key (Flexid dongle) connected to your parallel port.

To request a license file:

t Open your Internet browser and go to

http://www.softimage.com/licenserequest to submit a license request.

You must provide all the information requested in order to obtain your license in a timely manner.

Avid DS Customer Service does not generate permanent licenses. However, if your license is incorrect or if you haven’t received it within 72 hours of your request, Customer Service can generate a limited one-week license. Your reseller must validate the request.

Softimage Licensing Program

Before licensing the Avid DS v7.x software, you must verify the version of the Softimage Licensing program.

Creating a Valid License File

Once you have received your licensing key from Avid DS, you can create a valid license file on your client workstation.

Softimage Licensing Program

To use Remote Processing, your license file must also include a floating license. This license must be installed as a License Server on a client workstation, not an RP workstation.

To create and validate a license file:

1. Click the Start button and choose Programs > SOFTIMAGE Products > Licensing > LicTools.

Chapter 4 Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

2. Do one of the following:

- If you are creating a new license file, click the New License

button.

- If you have an existing license file and need to add the floating

license for remote processing, click the Existing License button.

3. You will normally click the Existing License button, since you want to

replace the old license with the new one you received from Avid DS. The License File Window opens showing the existing license file

name.

4. Select SoftImage(.lic) and click the Open button.

The FLEXlm License File dialog box is displayed.

5. If your file doesn’t look similar to the one below (DS key on top, Existing server lines and then RP key), edit it to make sure you place the keys in the positions shown in the following file.

Node-lock license text

Existing server lines

Floating license text

Creating a Valid License File

6. Copy and paste the node-lock license text (the new license you received from Avid for the client workstation) from the licensing email before the existing SERVER lines.

7. Copy and paste the floating license (RP licenses if you have ordered them) text after the SERVER lines.

Chapter 4 Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

8. Click the Validate button and check the Log Information dialog box:

- If no error is reported, save and close the license file.

- If there are reported errors, check the FLEXlm License File window for typos in the license text. If you cannot locate the source of the problem, contact Avid DS Customer Service.

Solving Licensing Problems

Before you can start Avid DS, your system needs a software protection key (dongle) and a license file. If the dongle identification number matches the information in the license file, Avid DS will start.

If the licensing components are not properly set up, Avid DS will not start and an error message is displayed. If this occurs, try the following troubleshooting steps or refer to the Troubleshooting section of the Avid DS Nitris Drivers CD. If startup problems persist, contact your reseller.

To verify that the dongle is properly installed on a Windows XP workstation:

1. Make sure that the dongle is attached to the base unit's parallel port (LPT1) and secured with the locking screws—see the Avid DS Nitris

DNA Setup Guide.

2. Click the Start button, and select Programs > Accessories > System tools > System information.

The System Information window is displayed.

Solving Licensing Problems

3. Use the tree (left) to navigate to the System Tools > System Information > Software Environment > Drivers folder.

4. Scroll down the list until you find the Parallel, DS1410D, and Sentinel devices, and verify the following for each device:

- State: Running

- Status: OK

To verify the environment setting for the license file:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Control Panel.

2. Double-click System. The System Properties dialog box is displayed.

3. Select the Advanced tab and click the Environment Variables button. The Environment Variables dialog box is displayed.

4. From the System Variables list, select LM_LICENSE_FILE. Its value should be: C:\Softimage\Flexlm\Licenses\Softimage.lic.

5. If it is not, click Edit. The Edit System Variable dialog box is displayed.

Chapter 4 Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

6. Enter the following path in the Variable Value text box:

Avid DS: C:\Softimage\Flexlm\Licenses\Softimage.lic. Avid DS RP: 744@”[enter license_server_name or IP address]”

7. Click OK.

8. In the Environment Variable dialog box, click OK.

9. In the System Properties dialog box, click OK to finish.

Chapter 5

Managing Your Workstations

This chapter describes your Avid DS workstation and provides general guidelines on its maintenance and administration with the Windows XP operating system.

If you need to uninstall Avid DS or any of its components, see

“Uninstalling Avid DS” on page 49.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

Managing User Accounts

Avid DS makes full use of the Windows XP operating system. This includes multiple user accounts with your Avid DS presets, layouts, and preferences preserved on an individual basis.

When you log on to a Windows XP workstation, you are accessing an environment associated with your user name. When you set any personal or project preferences while logged on, Avid DS saves them to your user profile. For example, when you customize the Avid DS desktop, the layouts that you create are saved with your user name. The next time you log on to that workstation, it recalls your previous settings.

When you first receive your Avid DS system, the Windows XP operating system is already installed, and an administrator account is set up with a blank password.

You can change your password, and create and modify user accounts by accessing the Windows XP Computer Management console, which lets you define security features, such as permissions, rights, accounts, user groups, and audit policies.

Important: It is critical that you correctly identify your network configuration prior to configuring your Avid DS services. The configuration is slightly different between a Windows workgroup or domain network.

Account Setup for Standalone Avid DS

Your Avid DS may belong to a network even though you want to operate it as a standalone system. Before creating user accounts, you must determine if your workstation belongs to a Windows domain or a Windows workgroup. Depending on what your configuration necessitates, see

“Account Management of Windows Domains” on page 77 or “Account Management of Windows Workgroups” on page 78.

If you are not connected to a network, then you simply have to log in as the Administrator to create accounts for other users that will use Avid DS on this workstation. You will also have to install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter as directed below.

Account Management of Windows Domains

A domain configuration is usually most appropriate for larger facilities where the Avid DS workstations are part of an existing corporate network. In a domain, the Windows account management is centralized and simplifies security configuration of all the Avid DS software components.

When an Avid DS workgroup operates within a Windows domain, do the following:

• When setting up accounts, log on with a valid domain and user account

with local administrative privileges. i.e. <domain_name>\userid

• Each person that will use an Avid DS must be given a separate Windows user account within the domain. For example, if the Avid DS workgroup belongs to a domain called POST, and if Alice, Bob, and Charlie are Avid DS Nitris operators, then the following accounts must be created:

Managing User Accounts

POST\Alice POST\Bob POST\Charlie

For information on creating Windows user accounts, see “Creating

User Accounts” on page 86.

• Make sure there is a proper network connection on each workstation. Your network administrator should perform this step.

• Create a Windows user account called DS Service within the domain for running the Avid services. This account should be used only as an identity for the services, and not to log into a workstation to run Avid DS.

• Create a Windows group account called DS Users within the domain. When choosing which users are allowed access to the services during Setup, allow access only to DS Users—see “Creating a User Group”

on page 89.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

•Add the DS Service user account to the Administrators group of all

the workstations in the Avid DS workgroup—see “Adding Users to

User Groups” on page 89.

•Add the DS Users group account to the Power Users group (or alternatively, the Administrators group), of all workstations in the Avid DS workgroup—see “Adding Users to User Groups” on page 89.

Once these accounts are properly configured, it becomes quite easy to add and remove new users from the workgroup. If a new Avid DS user, Mikayla, needs to be given access to the workgroup, then simply create a new account (POST\Mikayla) and add this account to the DS Users group.

If an existing user, Bob, must be removed from the Avid DS workgroup, then simply remove POST\Bob from the DS Users group.

Account Management of Windows Workgroups

A workgroup configuration is usually most appropriate for smaller facilities. The only difference is that the Windows account management is decentralized and therefore requires more complicated security configurations for the Avid DS software components.

When an Avid DS workgroup operates within a Windows workgroup, do the following:

• When setting up accounts, log on with the local administrator account. For example: administrator or <computer_name>\administrator

The administrator account must have a password.

• A user account must be created for each person on each Avid DS workstation. Each account must have the same username and password on all workstations. For example, if the Avid DS workgroup belongs to a Windows workgroup called POST, and if Alice, Bob, and Charlie are Avid DS operators, then the following accounts must be created:

Alice Bob Charlie

Managing User Accounts

For information on creating Windows user accounts, see “Creating

User Accounts” on page 86.

• Enter a unique name for each workstation in the workgroup—see

“Naming your Workstation” on page 80.

• Configure the network connection on each workstation—see

“Configuring the Network Connection” on page 80.

• Create a Windows user account called DS Service on each workstation within the Avid DS workgroup for running the Avid services. This account must have the same password on all workstations. This account should be used only as an identity for the services, and not to log into a workstation to run Avid DS.

• Create a Windows group account called DS Users on each workstation within the Avid DS workgroup. When choosing which users are allowed access to the services during Setup, allow access only to DS Users—see “Creating a User Group” on page 89.

•Add the DS Service user account to the Administrators group on each of the workstations in the Avid DS workgroup—see “Adding

Users to User Groups” on page 89.

•Add the DS Users group account to the Power Users group (or alternatively, the Administrators group), on each of the workstations in the Avid DS workgroup—see “Adding Users to User Groups” on

page 89.

If a new Avid DS user, Mikayla, needs to be given access to the workgroup, then simply create a new account (Mikayla) on each workstation, and add this account to the DS Users group on each workstation.

If an existing user, Bob, must be removed from the Avid DS workgroup, then remove Bob from the DS Users group on each workstation.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

Naming your Workstation

If your workstations are members of a Windows workgroup, each workstation should be given a unique name.

Also, it is better to give different names to the workstation, the Windows workgroup, and the Avid DS workgroup to avoid confusion.

To set your workstation name on Windows XP:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.

3. Select the Network Identification tab.

4. Click the Properties button.

5. Under Computer Name, type in a unique name for this workstation.

6. Select Member of: Workgro up.

7. For the workgroup name, type Workgro up or the name of your

company.

The workgroup name must be the same on all workstations.

8. Click Ok.

Configuring the Network Connection

If you are part of a Windows workgroup where there is no network cable connected to the machine, then follow these steps to set up network connections on each of the workstations.

If you running a standalone Avid DS Nitris workstation (that is, it is not connected to a network) then ignore this section.

Managing User Accounts

To configure the network connection on Windows XP:

1. On the Windows desktop, right-click the My Network Places icon and select Properties.

The following window is displayed.

2. Right-click the Local Area Connection icon and select Properties.

A dialog box similar to the following is displayed.

The TCP/IP network protocol must always appear at the top of the list of protocols.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

3. Double-click the TCP/IP protocol.

4. Select Use the following IP address.

5. On a private network, do one of the following: t Enter a valid IP address from your Internet Service Provider, such

as: 100 100 100 x (where x is a unique number for each workstation in the Windows workgroup).

t Press the Tab key. Important: Pressing the Tab key gives the correct Subnet Mask for the

type of IP address you are using.

6. Enter the Gateway address.

7. Click OK.

8. Repeat these steps for all workstations in the Windows workgroup.

To confirm that all workstations are part of the workgroup:

1. On the Windows desktop, right-click the My Network Places icon.

2. Click Computers Near Me. You should see all the workstations that you just configured to be part

of the workgroup. If not, restart the workstation to reinitialize the network adapter card.

Using Two Network Cards

If any of the workstations are configured with two active network cards, the Avid indexing services require small modifications, so that they can work properly.

1. Open file C:\Winnt\slp.conf with the Windows Notepad application.

2. Locate this line at the bottom of the file:

;net.slp.isBroadcastOnly = true

3. Remove the semicolon (;) character.

4. Save the file and restart the workstation to reset the indexing services.

Managing User Accounts

If the Avid DS RP workstation chooses the slower network adapter for processing, you can force Windows to use the fastest network adapter by doing the following:

1. Open the C:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file with the Windows

Notepad application.

2. At the bottom of the file, under the default 127.0.0.1 localhost line, declare the fast network adapter IP Address and computer name (example: 200.200.200.1 DS1).

3. Save the file and restart the workstation. If that does not resolve the problem, open a Command Prompt

window, type ROUTE PRINT and press Enter. The result should display your two network adapters’ IP addresses. If

you see only one address returned, you have a networking conflict to resolve.

Do not use the same Subnet mask for both adapters. For example, the following is not valid:

100.100.100.1

100.100.100.2

The following is valid:

100.100.100.1

200.200.200.1

Sharing Folders and Setting Permissions

The Avid DS Setup program will create folders to hold both project data and media files. By default, these folders will inherit security permissions from their parent folder. In a default installation, these folders are automatically shared, and the default permissions give full access to everyone.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

These permissions may be changed as needed:

Shared folder Shared path Description

DS_Projects F:\DS Projects\DS_v7.0 Avid DS Nitris project folder

ds_video D:\VideoStorage Avid DS Nitris video media

storage

ds_audio F:\AudioStorage

Avid DS Nitris audio media

storage

If a user creates new media folders or stores project data in other folders, then Avid DS automatically shares those folders. The share permissions and security of these folders should also be verified.

For media and project folders, if permissions are not set properly on the share or the folder, you will get an error message.

To share folders and set permissions on a computer that is part of a Windows domain:

1. In Windows Explorer, right-click the folder and select Sharing and Security.

2. In the Sharing tab, click the Permissions button.

3. Add the user that runs the Project Indexer and allow full control.

To share folders and set permission on a computer that is part of a Windows workgroup:

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.

2. In the Network sharing and security box, select the Share this folder on the network option.

3. Enter the Share name.

4. Select the Allow network users to change my files option.

5. Click Apply and OK.

Managing User Accounts

Do not store or create projects outside of an existing DS Projects folder. e.g.

F:\DS Projects\projects is valid

F:\DS Projects\DS_v7.0\projects is valid (this is the default)

F:\projects is not valid

Additionally, the Avid Project Indexer does not allow a shared project folder to reside within another shared project folder. You will get an error message from the indexer if you do so.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

Creating User Accounts

When creating user accounts, make note of whether your workstation is part of a Windows workgroup or domain network.

• If it is part of a Windows workgroup, log on with the local administrator account. For example: administrator or computer_name\administrator

The administrator account must have a password.

• If it is part of a Windows domain, log on with a valid domain and user account with local administrative privileges. For example:

domain_name\userid

To create a user account:

1. On the Windows desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and

select Manage.

Managing User Accounts

2. Use the tree (left) to navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.

3. From the Action menu, select New User.

4. Enter the new user information and click the Create button.

5. Repeat step 4 until you’re finished adding new users and click the Close button.

The new user accounts are displayed in the Computer Management console.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

To modify an account:

1. In the Computer Management console, navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.

2. Double-click the user account you want to edit. The Properties dialog box for this user account is displayed.

3. Select the General tab to specify password options.

4. Select the Member Of tab to add the user to groups.

All Avid DS users must be members of the Administrators group.

5. Select the Profile tab to specify and edit user profiles and logon scripts.

6. Click OK when you’re finished.

Creating a User Group

To create a user group:

1. On the Windows desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select

Manage.

2. Use the tree (left) to navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups.

3. Right-click the Groups folder and select New Group.

4. Enter the new group information and click the Create button.

5. Click the Close button.

Adding Users to User Groups

To add a user to a group:

1. From the <username> Properties dialog box, select the Member Of tab.

Managing User Accounts

The following is displayed.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

2. Click the Add button.

The Select Groups dialog box is displayed.

3. In the upper pane, select the group to which you want to add the user

and click the Add button.

- All users must be set up as Administrators in Windows XP, so that they can use Avid DS.

-The DS Service user account must also be added to the Administrators group on each of the workstations in the Avid DS workgroup.

4. Click OK.

5. In the <username> Properties dialog box, click OK.

To delete an account:

1. In the Computer Management console, navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.

2. Right-click an account and select Delete.

Managing the Avid Services

If you need to change the controller workstation in your Avid workgroup, or start or stop the services on any of the workstations, you can easily manage this from the services’ configuration utilities.

To check if the Avid services are enabled:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and select Manage.

2. In the Computer Management console, expand the Services and Applications branch in the tree, and select Services.

All your system services are displayed on the right.

Managing the Avid Services

3. Verify that the Status column shows “Started” for the service in question.

If the field is empty, the service is not enabled.

To start a service:

t Right-click the Status field and select Start.

To stop a service:

t Right-click the Status field and select Stop.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

Restarting a Workgroup

When restarting workstations in an Avid DS workgroup, it is always good practice to start the controller workstation first. Once it is running, then others may be started.

If the controller workstation is restarted, then one or more of the other client workstations may not remain connected to the Avid DS workgroup, and as a result, may cause access errors to occur. If this happens, restart the workstation in question.

Creating a New Workgroup

When you create an Avid DS workgroup, you also need to create a new controller.

To make a new controller workstation:

1. Install the necessary components on the workstation—see “Installing

Avid DS” on page 26.

2. During the Avid DS Workgroup Configuration, select Create a new Avid DS workgrou p , and enter a new workgroup name.

3. Select Enable/Disable this workstation as the controller of the Avid DS workgrou p .

4. Continue with the setup as directed. You now have a new controller and workgroup. All other workstations

that will be using this controller will now have to connect to it. For more information, see “Connecting Other Workstations in the

Workgroup to the Controller” on page 94.

Managing the Avid Services

Turning an Existing Client Workstation into a Controller

To turn a client into a controller:

1. From current controller workstation go to the Start menu, choose All Programs > Avid Products > Avid DS 7.0 > Configure DS Workg roup.

2. Select Create or join a different workgroup.

3. Select have this workstation work separately from others.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Enter a temporary name (example: Workgroup_Temp1) and click Next.

6. Enter your user account and password and click Next.

7. Click the Next button.

8. From the client workstation, follow step 1 to step 7.

For step 5, use a different temporary name (example: Workgroup_Temp2)

Wait for 2 minutes for the service location protocol to be refreshed.

9. From the client workstation, follow step 1 and 2.

10. Select create a new DS workgroup for sharing, exchanging and collaborating and click Next.

11. Enter the original workgroup name.

12. Enter your user account and password and click Next.

13. Click the Next button.

14. From the previous controller workstation, follow step 1 and 2.

15. Select allow this workstation to share, exchange, and collaborate with those other workstations and click Next.

Chapter 5 Managing Your Workstations

16. Select your DS workgroup.

17. Enter your user account and password and click Next.

You now have a new controller and workgroup. All other workstations that will be using this controller will now have to connect to it. For more information, see “Connecting Other Workstations in the

Workgroup to the Controller” on page 94.

Connecting Other Workstations in the Workgroup to the Controller

To connect other workstations in the workgroup to the controller:

1. Click the Start button and select Programs > Avid Products > Avid

7.0 > Configure DS Workgroup.

2. Select Configure workgroup.

3. Select Create or join a different DS Workgroup.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Select allow this workstation to share, exchange, and collaborate with those other workstations.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Join an existing workgroup and click Next to continue.

8. Do this for all workstations in the workgroup.

Chapter 6

Managing Your Storage Areas

This chapter contains information on the storage connected to your Avid DS workstation and/or workgroup. It provides guidelines on the configuration and maintenance of your storage areas.

Chapter 6 Managing Your Storage Areas

About your Local Storage Area

Your Avid DS workstation includes a tower base unit and a disk array. All software, projects, and audio media are stored on the disk drive in the base unit, while the video media is stored on the drives in the disk array.

Base unit Disk array

C: and F:

drives

Depending on the storage choices that were made when your workstation was installed, several folders were created to hold various system files, project files, as well as media and cache files.

D: drive

Folder Description Location

\DS_v7.x Contains the files required to

run Avid DS 7.x

\DS Archives Contains information on

archived projects

\DS Projects Contains the projects,

sequences, and clips that you create in Avid DS

\VideoStorage Contains the video media and

cache files that you capture and bring into Avid DS

\AudioStorage Contains the audio media and

cache files that you capture and bring into Avid DS

C:\Program Files\Avid\DS_v7.x

F:\Projects\Audio\DS Archives

F:\Projects\Audio\DS Projects\DS_v7.x

D:\VideoStorage

F:\Projects\Audio\AudioStorage

The DS_v7.x Folder

About your Local Storage Area

The Avid DS executable and the various .DLL files required by the application are in the C:\Program files\Avid\DS_v7.x folder.

Do not move or modify any of the folders in the \DS_v7.x folder.

The \DS_v7.x folder contains the following folders:

Folder Description

\Command Maps

\DSPresets Contains customized effects that you can use in Avid DS when

\Help Contains all the files required to use the online help, which

\Online Library Contains Adobe Acrobat PDF files of all the Avid DS books.

\Preferences Contains the user preferences and customized layouts,

\DSSystem Contains system files

Contains the command maps for the different views and layouts in Avid DS

creating graphics, transitions, compositing, etc.

provides task and reference information on Avid DS functions

This library is updated with every new version of Avid DS and may be more up-to-date than the printed books.

toolbars, and key maps

The DS Archives Folder

The \DS Archives folder is used by Avid DS to keep track of archived projects. When you archive a project, an archive log file is saved in this folder, so that you can later restore your media. The archive log file also contains the Avid DS version number, so you know which version you were using when the archive was created.

Video media is always archived to tape, but alpha material of any video media in the project is archived in the \DS Archives folder.

Chapter 6 Managing Your Storage Areas

Archived audio media or archived audio cached media is stored in this folder. Under each project archive folder, the audio (.wav) media files are stored in a folder called Archive Media Files\audio, which contains each audio storage ID, labelled #1, #2, and so on.

When the project is restored, these folders are copied to their corresponding audio storages and then deleted right after.

The DS Projects Folder

The \DS Projects folder contains the projects that you create with Avid DS. Each time you create a new project, you are prompted to select a location for the project folder. Although you may store project folders anywhere, it’s easier to manage projects if they’re all stored in the \DS Projects folder.

The project folder contains the clips and sequences associated with a project. Each project folder also contains the \System folder.

Do not move, delete, or modify the contents of the \System folder.

Never manually move a project between Avid DS workstations. Use the Archive/Restore feature of Avid DS Nitris instead.

The \System folder contains the following information:

Source models: These data structures allow Avid DS to manage the relationship between clips, sequences, and their media. Each time you capture media from a new source, Avid DS creates a corresponding source model, which tracks the time span, quality, and location of the different media files captured from that source. When you play back a clip from that source, Avid DS consults the appropriate source model to locate the media.

Dsprojectinfo: This file contains information about the project format and other project preference settings. For more information on project preferences, see “Creating a New Project” in the Avid DS Nitris Editing Guide.

The DSPresets Folder

The \DSPresets folder contains presets, which you can use to define effects, transitions, graphics tools, and so on. The presets that are shipped with Avid DS are stored in this folder by default.

Avid DS also creates a \DSPresets folder in each project folder. This lets you store user presets that are specific to a particular project with that project. You can also specify, as part of your user preferences, locations for your own and shared workgroup presets.

The VideoStorage Folder

The \VideoStorage folder contains individual folders for each project. Each folder contains the video media and cache files for that project. Each folder's name is generated by the software and is based on a unique identification string (called a GUID) that identifies each project.

About your Local Storage Area

The AudioStorage Folder

The \AudioStorage folder contains individual folders for each project. Each folder contains the audio media files for that project.

Do not delete audio or video media files or folders using Windows XP Explorer. If you want to delete a media file, use the Purge or Delete command in Avid DS. For more information on deleting clips and/or purging media, see “Managing Media” on page 434 of the Avid DS Nitris Editing Guide.

Chapter 6 Managing Your Storage Areas

The DSSystem Folder

The C:\Program Files\Avid\DS_v7.x\DSSystem folder contains system files and several folders used by Avid DS.

Folder Description

\DSSystem Contains the autosave files, viewer and test pattern

bitmaps, some critical Avid DS system files, and the crash log. Before modifying anything in this folder, contact Avid DS Customer Service.

\Rsrc A resource folder for the 3D database

\SoftDB Contains the 3D database used by the 3D Warp effect

Planning your Storage Locations

100

You can share media located on your own workstation, on other workstations on your network, or on Avid Unity. Sharing media saves you time and disk space as you only have to capture the media once. If other users in your workgroup want to use the media, they can import the sequence into their project. The controller clips will then link directly to the associated media.

Avid DS can also share compressed and uncompressed media with Symphony information, see the Avid DS Nitris Conform Guide.

The limitation with sharing media is that, if the storage area is connected across a network, there may not be sufficient bandwidth to provide realtime access to the media. However, if there is sufficient bandwidth, as with a fibre optic cable to the Unity storage, real-time playback is possible.

In a workgroup environment, the location of your media and projects can make quite a difference to your performance and processing times. For instance, if you are working in isolation on a project, then having the media on your local workstation makes for better playback of the sequences.

™

, Media Composer® and Avid Xpress® systems. For more

Pinnacle Systems DS Nitris - 7.0 Installation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Using This Guide

Who Should Use This Guide

Symbols and Conventions

Using the Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard

Customizing the Pen or Mouse

If You Need Help

Accessing the Online Documentation

If You Have Documentation Comments

How to Order Documentation

Avid Educational Services

Avid DS Customer Support

E-mail Support

Web Support

FTP Support

Mailing List

Installing Avid DS

Determining your Avid DS Environment Setup

Avid DS Installation Scenarios

Installing a Standalone Avid DS Workstation

Installing Workstation(s) with no Remote Processing Workstation

Installing Workstation(s) and Remote Processing Workstation

Installing a non-Avid DS Workstation as the Workgroup Controller

Avid DS Software and Services

Checklist for Installing the Software

Setting Up an Avid DS Workgroup

Installing Avid DS

Installing the DMS Broker

Attaching the Application Key

DMS Automatic USB Dongle Detection and Licensing

Loading Plug-Ins

Installing and Removing Fonts

Installing and Removing Type 1 Fonts

Installing and Removing TrueType Fonts

Installing Non-European Fonts

Some tips!

Upgrading your Avid DS v6.x Workstation

Upgrading your Workstation from the Recovery CD

Installing the Recovery CD

Uninstalling Avid DS

Removing Avid DS

Installing the Remote Processing Software

An Introduction to Avid DS Remote Processing

Remote Processing Concepts

About Avid Throttle Manager

Avid DS RP Workstation Requirements

Network Hardware and Remote Processing Performance

Checklist for Installing the Avid DS RP Software

CPU Usage on Avid DS RP Workstations

Installing Avid DS RP

Installing Avid Throttle Manager

Troubleshooting Avid DS RP

Licensing Avid DS and Avid DS RP

Requesting a License File

Softimage Licensing Program

Creating a Valid License File

Solving Licensing Problems

Managing Your Workstations

Managing User Accounts

Account Setup for Standalone Avid DS

Account Management of Windows Domains

Account Management of Windows Workgroups

Naming your Workstation

Configuring the Network Connection

Using Two Network Cards

Sharing Folders and Setting Permissions

Creating User Accounts

Creating a User Group

Adding Users to User Groups

Managing the Avid Services

Restarting a Workgroup

Creating a New Workgroup

Turning an Existing Client Workstation into a Controller

Connecting Other Workstations in the Workgroup to the Controller

Managing Your Storage Areas

About your Local Storage Area