Sun StorEdgeTM Media Central Technical Notes: Patch 108405-01

These notes supplement the Media Central 1.0 manuals. They document:

Contents

Installation and Configuration Notes

Usage Notes

Programming Notes

Resolved Problems

Unresolved Problems

Installation and Configuration Notes

SBS PCI Expander

Observe the following when using an SBS PCI expander:

AEC Timecode Reader

The Media Central network time protocol software expects the AEC reader to be addressable as /dev/aec0. After configuring the Media Central NTP daemon as described in Section 6.4 of the Installation and Configuration Guide, issue this command:

% ln /dev/ttyb /dev/aec0

The NTP synchronization algorithms are designed to slew the host clock toward the reference clock over a period of time. The host will not immediately take on the value of the reference clock. The time required to obtain synchronization depends on a number of things, including the initial difference between the host and the reference. To minimize the time needed to lock the host clock, set the host clock close to the reference.

NTP will not sync to a non-drop frame (NDF) timecode. This format does not take into account that there are not exactly 30 frames per second in NTSC, and therefore tries to move the clock off-time at a rate exceeding NTP's ability to lock to it. The video server writes an error message to the system log when it detects an NDF timecode.

Sun StorEdge A1000 Disk Drives

In addition to the 9 Gb Seagate drives mentioned in the 1.0 Installation and Configuration Guide, Sun StorEdge A1000 systems may be populated with 18 Gb Seagate drives.

Swap Space Allocation

Although the 1.0 Installation and Configuration Guide advises allocating 1.5 times the main memory size to swap, 2 Gb is sufficient for a Sun Enterprise 250 system and 4 Gb is sufficient for a Sun Enterprise 450 system.

RAID Manager Utility

The latest version of the RAID Manager software is 6.1.2, not 6.1.1 as mentioned in the 1.0 Installation and Configuration Guide.

Louth Automation SKIP Button

The Louth SKIP button does not work for Louth ports that are configured with this parameter: "Enable segment play/record within ID."

Asset Manager Databases

The Asset Manager installed with patch 108405-01 supports both the Sybase and Oracle databases.

Customers who installed the 1.0 Asset Manager and used it with a Sybase database must run the MigrateSchema utility included with the 108405-01 patch before launching the new Asset Manager. This utility converts the 1.0 database schema. Run the utility as follows:

% installdir/sbin/runtool \
com.sun.broadcaster.usermetadata.MigrateSchema \
dbclasspath dbURL dbusername dbuserpassword \
1.0 1.01

Uninstalling the Patch

Uninstall patch 108405-01 as follows:

After backing out the patch, uninstall the Media Central software as described in the Installation and Configuration Guide. Uninstalling the patch first and the Media Central software second keeps the SolarisTM patch and package databases consistent.

Usage Notes

Recorder Client: Valid Video Signal Required

Do not start a recording session with a VisionTech encoder unless the encoder is receiving a valid video signal. If the signal is invalid (for example, weak), the encoder driver may write a "libthread.so:panic" message to the video server console and then place the video server in an unstable state. If this occurs, you must restart the video server.

If you start a recording session with a Tektronix encoder without a valid video signal connected to the encoder, the encoder driver will log an error. After connecting a valid video signal, you can restart the Recorder client.

Recorder Client: Deferred Start Supported

The Recorder client installed by the 108405-01 patch allows a recording to be scheduled to begin at a future time. The 1.0 release did not support deferred start.

Recorder Client: Termination While Playing

Terminating a recording session prematurely when the recording clip is simultaneously playing produces an error dialog box and does not reclaim unused file space.

Player Client: Time Display Slips

The Player's timer slips by about one second per minute. This is an appearance issue; the actual time the clip has played is accurate.

Administrator Client: Louth VideoBeans Component

The Adminstrator displays a Louth VideoBeans component whether or not a Louth Automation system has been installed.

Tektronix Encoders: GOP Structures

The default value for GOP Structure is IBBPBBP as noted on page 35 of the User's Guide. However, if you use the Adminstrator client to change the GOP structure to a valid value (as specified in the encoder documentation), that value becomes the new default.

VisionTech Encoders: GOP Structures

Leave the GOP Structure property (Administrator client) blank for VisionTech encoders. If you specify a non-blank value, even the default value IBBPBBPBBPBB noted on page 35 of the User's Guide, using a Recorder client with that encoder results in a dialog advising that the encoder properties are incorrect.

Tektronix Decoders: Errors Playing Invalid Streams

A Tektronix decoder may produce the following error messages if it is fed an invalid encoded stream:

Alarm: S_decoder_SEARCHING_FOR_VALID_MTS_DATA (0x2610000:0x25) count 1
Alarm: S_decoder_PLD_SYNC_BYTE_LOSS (0x2610000:0x22) count 1
Alarm: S_decoder_ALARM_DECODER_RESTARTING (0x2610000:0x12) count 1

These messages appear on the video server console and are recorded in /var/adm/messages.

Asset Manager: Bit Rate and Audio Sampling Rate

The Asset Manager shows bit rate and audio sampling rate. If you select multiple clips to play, the Asset Manager verifies that they have the same bit rate and sampling rate and displays an error if they do not.

Transport Stream Limitation

A transport stream can carry multiple elementary streams. However, in the 1.0 Media Central release, a transport stream can consist of at most one audio stream (a stereo pair) and one video stream.

Programming Notes

Recorder VideoBeans Component

Programs that use a Recorder component must call the ContentLib proxy's setMediaContentInfo() before calling the Recorder proxy's startStreamAt() method. If startStreamAt() is called before the MediaContent is set, it will return a spurious error.

Locale Files

The Media Central locale (.po) files are stored in /opt/MediaCentral/locale/. This is not the standard Sun location, which is /opt/MediaCentral/lib/local/locale/LC_MESSAG ES/.

Resolved Problems

Patch 108405-01 resolves the following problems listed in the Media Central 1.0 Release Notes:

ID

Description

4262517

Louth Automation integration is limited to recording or playing one channel.

4271801

Tektronix encoders and decoders may not work in the SBS PCI expansion chassis.

4272305

The asset server does not work with the Oracle 8i database.

4272599

The Asset Manager should not allow the following fields to be edited: duration, URL, modified date. Editing these fields produces an error message and does not update the asset database.

4273257

When using the Player client, or a Louth automation system in cue-with-data mode, the outpoint must not be set closer than five frames from the end of the clip. If the outpoint is too close to the end of the clip, the Player displays an error message; the Louth Automation system fails to retrieve audio data and stops playing.

Unresolved Problems

The following problems are unresolved in patch 108405-01:

ID

Description

4252208

When running the Player with many simultaneously playing channels for many hours, the Player may produce error messages or dialog boxes. In the case observed, 17 channels played for 110 hours before the errors occurred. Clicking OK in the dialogs and the Play button may resume normal operation.

4257308

When initiating playback from a Louth automation system, there is a delay of 17 frames between the scheduled start time and the actual appearance of the clip on a monitor. The problem may be eliminated by enabling interrupts when installing the driver for the Digi serial port expander.

4260574

A Tektronix encoder requires 8-9 seconds to initialize itself. If you select a Tektronix encoder and then click Start, the Recorder counter stays at 0 until the encoder has initialized itself and begins recording. You can work around this problem by using the Recorder's deferred start facility. Set the start time to allow for the encoder's 8-9 second latency.

4260678

The Media Central video server can control at most one VTR at a time. Multiple VTRs may be connected, but only one can be used at a time.

4268182

Clips encoded by VisionTech encoders have audio and video PIDs that conflict with DVB SI tables.

4268603

The Asset Manager does not kill all of its processes when it exits.

4287327

With VisionTech encoderss, recording with the start-at option may produce a libthread panic in the Media Central server.

4292855

Using a PCI expander may produce intermittent system panics.

4292859

When playing 25 or more clips, if the Player encounters an exception it may appear to continue playing, but it in fact stops.

4292861

An exception may cause the Player GUI to freeze. Restart the Player.

4292865

The Administrator does not expose the complete set of audio/video parameters for Tektronix mezzanines.

4292868

The Player may not close a decoder when playback is stopped.

4292870

The Player may not play 25 or more clips with a total duration of 5.5 hours or more.

4292883

Copying a clip from a CD to a UNIX® file and then importing the file with the Migrator may create clips with invalid bit rates, video formats, and other metadata.

4292884

Copying a clip from a CD to a UNIX file and then importing the file with the Migrator may create a clip that causes a decoder to fail when it plays the clip.

4293111

When the Player has finished playing one clip (no looping), its Play button may remain grayed.

4294491

On a Microsoft Windows system, the Migrator may not import or export clips properly.

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