SGL

Editor Studio.

FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE ARCHIVING SYSTEMS

SGL is a leading provider of content archive and storage management software for multiple business sectors including post production, news, sports and government. Founded in the UK in 1991, the company has clients on every continent, serviced globally by offices in the US, UK, Germany, Singapore and Australia. SGL’s FlashNet content storage management system delivers unrivalled levels of resilience, flexibility and adaptability. Regardless of size or environment, FlashNet’s clustered architecture and open approach provide secure, future-proof business solutions that grow with the customer.

FlashNet can control and manage all aspects of attached storage systems, whether to near-line, disk, tape or optical disk (including Sony ODA) or the cloud. The software presents the broadcast archive as a single storage repository, ensuring a seamless integration into all types of workflow. With a mature network of both hardware and software partners, SGL has developed an unrivalled integration programme providing broadcasters and

content owners with a truly adaptable and flexible video archiving solution.

SGL ensures that all of its customers’ assets are fully protected. The company has many hundreds of archives installed around the world where Disaster Recovery (DR) workflows are either in use or can be made DR-capable quickly and easily. Its scalable FlashNet architecture provides a clustered system of multiple servers or nodes, each in constant communication. Each cluster node has identical software installed, and each is connected via a fibre channel into the archive devices - generally disk storage and one or more tape libraries. At the heart of the cluster is a Microsoft SQL database, which is usually installed across two servers running a Microsoft cluster for fully automatic failover.

The archive has been revolutionised over the past few years and SGL has been at the forefront of this change. With the successful take-up of LTFS, fully supported by SGL, broadcasters and content owners have true interoperability between what were once disparate systems. Now material can be acquired directly to disk and dragged-and-dropped to LTO data tape and transported back to a facility. This removes the need to

Trevor Morecraft, EMEA Sales, SGL.

re-ingest content to the archive and also enables large amounts of data to be transported and archived on a single LTO tape. This type of workflow is just as valid on location as it is in a production facility. To banish the ‘end of the line’ archive message, once the tape has been loaded into the archive, duplicate copies can be made automatically to back-up the valuable material. The archive system can also automatically copy the content to a disk portion of the archive so that craft editors can start working with the material as swiftly as possible.

This places the ‘archive’ much further

PRODUCTS

Bernie Walsh, Director, Worldwide Sales, SGL.

forward in the production process placing it alongside the ingest element of the chain. Instead of ingesting in the traditional sense, the material can now be moved directly into the LTFS archive. LTO has grown to become one of, if not the, de-facto tape format installed in tape libraries by broadcast-centric organisations implementing tape (and disk)-based archives. LTFS is not a file format or even a wrapper; it presents an open standard for broadcasters to provide real interoperability between systems. Any tape written according to the LTFS specification can be read by any other

FlashNet FlashWeb FlashBox FlashPack StorageManager

system using the same specification.

The cloud is also becoming part of the storage hierarchy, which SGL is integrating into its strategy. The latest version of FlashNet brings to fruition SGL’s new integration with Aspera. Using FlashNet, broadcasters and content owners can transfer media to the cloud at a guaranteed speed providing an additional means of storage and disaster recovery workflows.

SGL has partnered with broadcasters and systems integrators in the Middle East for many years, and is now an established brand/company in the region. SGL FlashNet is now installed and is delivering efficient broadcast archives to leading broadcasters throughout the Middle East including AD Media, MBC, Qatar TV, Al Baghdadia, Al Aan, Al Kass and many others. As an example, Qatar TV in Doha uses SGL FlashNet as a key element of its digital workflow based around an Avid production environment in its state-ofthe-art facility.

MBC uses SGL FlashNet as a key element of its digital workflow to support its bouquet of HD channels. The broadcaster selected SGL because of its open system architecture, which provides compatibility with MBC’s broadcast, storage and server systems as well as its proven maturity as a broadcast archive management system.

MBC used SGL’s XML-based API, which allows broadcast vendors to create integrated applications that can instantly access the SGL content storage management system. The SGL archive interfaces with systems from major suppliers including Aspera, Avid, Dalet, Grass Valley, Marquis, VSN and more. It also allows the broadcaster to create dynamic watch folders within its nearline storage, allowing broadcast items to be moved to the watch folders ready for archive.

SGL has a regular presence at CABSAT where it highlights its latest developments. Technical and commercial SGL staff at the booth can answer archiving questions or discuss possible projects that customers may have. CONTACT

SGL Unit 12, Fulcrum 2 Solent Way, Whiteley PO15 7FN United Kingdom

Sales Trevor Morecraft EMEA Sales Email: trevor.morecraft@ sglbroadcast.com Tel: +44 (0) 1489 889930

Marketing Nicola Kay Marketing Manager Email: nicola.kay@sglbroadcast.com Tel: +44 (0)1489 889934

Social Media Website: www.sglbroadcast.com Twitter: @SGLBroadcast Linkedin: sgl