Etere Tapeless Web Services

Etere Tapeless Web Service is the more efficient and secure solution developed by Etere for allowing stations to automatically and remotely receive digital content from other Non-Etere systems (e.g. production houses, commercial agencies, non-linear editors, etc.).

The XML interface of the system allows remote clients to automatically upload files and metadata related to assets present in the Etere database, smartly integrating the upload procedure with the automatic triggering of workflows, before and after the upload completion.

Introduction
Etere Tapeless Web Services is a web service which allows third-party applications and systems to upload files into an Etere system. Etere Tapeless Web Services makes available -via web - a series of functions (methods) that permits to consult the asset information present in the Etere system as well as to create the assets for which media needs to be uploaded.

The communication between the server and clients is performed through the sending of an XML message by the client who requests certain information (e.g. available asset types) or directly execute a certain function (e.g. create an asset). All the functions supported by Etere Tapeless Web Services have been illustrated in the diagram below, thus indicating how to perform them sequentially and quickly.
This paper is aimed to provide complete information on the functioning of the system developed by Etere for the automatic delivery of digital content as well as on the specific functions supported by it. Moreover, a special chapter will enumerate and describe the benefits derived from the use of the web service treated in this document.

Etere Tapeless Web Service is the more efficient and secure solution developed by Etere for allowing stations to automatically and remotely receive digital content from other Non-Etere systems (e.g. production houses, commercial agencies, non-linear editors, etc.). The XML interface of the system allows remote clients to automatically upload files and metadata related to assets present in the Etere database, smartly integrating the upload procedure with the automatic triggering of workflows, before and after the upload completion.

Etere Tapeless Web Services enables authenticated users to deliver digital content and related metadata, providing them with all the data required for uploading files such as username, password and upload path. The overall content delivery functioning of Etere Tapeless Web Services is essentially performed through the following sequential steps:

SMPTE Metadata
As mentioned before, the delivery of content can be integrated with the Etere’s SMPTE metadata to be associated to uploaded assets. Etere Tapeless Web Service will be able to receive metadata contained in XML documents structured according to the following scheme:

The name of the represents the name of the SMPTE metadata to be inserted, the “item” attribute is the unique identifier of the SMPTE metadata and the field value is the proper content of the SMPTE metadata, just as shown in the following example:

Supported metadata will be based on the items present in the “Tapeless Reception” SMPTE class, this data will be used for mapping metadata received from clients and inserting it into the Etere database. In case the received metadata field doesn’t exist, the specified fields will be either invalidated (i.e. not inserted) or validated (i.e. created within the system) depending on the server settings.

Moreover, all metadata specified under the “Tapeless Reception” SMPTE class will be available for export due to a function which permits to create an XML file containing all the – empty- SMPTE fields which are available in the system.

2.2 FTP Upload
The server will provide all the data required by the requesting client for uploading media related to a specific asset via FTP, this information includes:
■ ID Metadevice
■ FTP address
■ Username
■ Password

The abovementioned data will allow a client (username and password) to remotely upload a file into a certain device (id metadevice) through a protocol (FTP address) specified by the server for accessing the Etere media system.

Users management
The web service authentication will be allowed only for those users configured in the Etere’s Personal data module, said users must count with an enabled username and password credentials.

Please note that it won’t be possible to access the web service using other user accounts out of the ones configured in the Personal data (e.g. SIS)

SUPPORTED FUNCTIONS
Etere Tapeless Web Service currently has more 10 functions for the consultancy and deliveryof digital content. In future, it will be possible to increment this number of functions according to the system usage scenarios and requirements.
It is worth mentioning that Etere Tapeless Web Service can be accessed through any web browser, a simple interface will allow users to view and test all methods provided by the web service:

KEY BENEFITS
This paper has described the implementation of an Etere Tapeless Web Services solution able to automate the remote delivery by authenticated third-parties of digital content into an Etere system; this solution will allow the stations to achieve a large number of operational benefits and advantages derived from its usage and which can be condensed in the following points:

■Integration, a simple but secure interface enables stations to integrate any system (e.g. non-linear editing) with Etere
■Reliability, operations launched via workflow before/after the upload operation allow to increment the reliability and efficiency of the system
■Flexibility, access credentials can be periodically changed by the station as a protection policy to enhance the security of the web service and the global system
■Scalability, capability of adding, replacing and removing metadevices (e.g. video servers)
without altering the design and functioning of the overall system. Distribution, stations can entrust a quick and safe delivery to any client around the world via an internet connection
■Accuracy, content upload into the system is automatically checked to reduce the risk of errors whether in files and metadata
■Security, all clients must authenticate themselves into the system using the access credentials provided by the station, thus guaranteeing the security of the overall service