We have been dedicated to the development and deployment of control, management, monitoring and automation systems in the broadcasting industry for over a decade, accumulating extensive product and project experience. Our products are highly adaptable and widely applied to system management and control in studios, playout, transmission, Master Control Room (MCR), earth stations, OB Vans (outside broadcast vans), satellite uplink vehicles / DSNG vehicles, flyaway stations, equipment rooms / machine rooms, and more. We also provide comprehensive solutions for building large-scale broadcast command & dispatch centers.
SDN-based IP Signal Scheduling Software
I. Background
Traditional broadcasting is facing numerous challenges, such as those from video formats, which put significant pressure on production, playout, transmission and other systems. Traditional systems use coaxial cable-based SDI infrastructure. This technology is mature and stable in operation. However, with the rapid development of ultra-high-definition (4K, 8K) technology, SDI infrastructure is increasingly unable to meet evolving business requirements.
With the rapid development of the ultra-high-definition video industry, 4K/8K UHD signals demand higher bandwidth. Traditional SDI-based (Serial Digital Interface) acquisition, production, scheduling and distribution methods can no longer meet the demands of technological advancement. The industry consensus is to adopt an IP-based architecture built on ICT (Information and Communications Technology). On one hand, this addresses high-bandwidth signal transport and scheduling. On the other hand, IP-based networking will overcome the limitation of traditional broadcast signals being confined to linear, front-to-back transmission, providing the technical foundation for future media convergence, cloud computing, and big data analysis.
Figure: Broadcasting IP evolution architecture diagram
Beijing Windica Information Technology Co., Ltd., drawing on over a decade of system integration experience and leveraging its software development expertise in monitoring systems, matrix control, and UMD/Tally systems, has developed SDN software for IP-based production and playout.
Figure: Windica SDN software system application topology
Windica SDN-based IP Signal Scheduling Softwareis a core module of the Windica Unified Control Platform (iSwiftMedia). The software adopts an SDN architecture and is compatible with both SDI OVER IP uncompressed and TS OVER IP compressed signal streams, enabling intelligent, visual, graphical, and fine-grained management of IP streams. It manages IP stream scheduling in the same way as a traditional matrix, preserving operators' familiar workflows. The software uses a B/S architecture, supporting access from anywhere at any time.
II. Key Functions
1. Core switching with support for NAT, OpenFlow and other advanced features
The software supports an SDN core scheduling architecture, where all IP service stream scheduling is performed through SDN-controlled network switching equipment. The software supports multicast NAT, which can replicate and forward incoming service streams to the corresponding egress interfaces, and modify the multicast address and port on egress interfaces connected to edge media nodes. The advantages of multicast NAT include:
Terminal receiving devices do not need IGMP capability, decoupling proprietary protocols between the SDN controller and media nodes.
SDN does not need to interface with multiple terminal receiving devices, reducing overall system complexity and making it faster and simpler to introduce new third-party devices.
When interfacing with external systems, conflicts between external and internal addresses can be resolved.
Network-wide traffic is centrally managed, simplifying operations and maintenance.
Figure: SDN core switching management interface
2. End-to-end full-path intelligent management
Covers bandwidth management, port management, service priority and QoS classification, backup link redundancy switchover and emergency handling, and intelligent management of the complete path (SDI - IPG - IP aggregation - center scheduling - IPG out - SDI out), achieving the goal of moving from local optimization to global optimum.
3. IP audio/video matrix construction
The system supports construction and control of multiple matrix types, including: traditional/IP video matrix, traditional/IP audio matrix, traditional/IP switcher, traditional/IP audio mixer, intercom system matrix, KVM system matrix, single-stream matrix, stream-group matrix, single-stream ST2022-7 matrix, and stream-group ST2022-7 matrix. All matrix types can be operated through unified crosspoint tools, software panels, and programmable hardware panels for scheduling.
Figure: IP audio/video matrix crosspoint operation interface
4. IP audio/video signal scheduling
This product supports multi-stream simultaneous switching with a stream-group concept, enabling simultaneous switching of ST2110 and other signal types. It supports primary/backup pairing for input and output streams, with synchronized switching of primary and backup streams. The system supports the ST2022-7 backup mechanism, providing primary/backup simultaneous switching through flexible logical matrix mechanisms. A visual UI is provided, consistent with broadcasting operation conventions, with support for batch switching, group switching and other advanced functions.
Figure: IP audio/video signal visual scheduling interface
5. Baseband matrix scheduling with multi-vendor device compatibility
The software supports mainstream matrices (Leitch, Evertz, Thomson, SONY, Dalian Jetsen Audio/Video Matrix, Quntech L-Band Matrix, etc.), switchers (such as Sony, Snell & Wilcox Kahuna), UMD Indicators, Tally Lights, GPI Transceiver Modules and Multiviewers, with multiple physical interfaces and communication protocols.
6. Dynamic UMD management
Enables multiviewer UMD source name follow display. Provides diverse Tally and dynamic source name follow output. Supports multiple protocols including TSL 3/4/5, Image Video and other common UMD protocols, as well as proprietary protocols from domestic manufacturers.
7. Diverse control panels
Multiple types of programmable remote control panels are provided. Every button on the panel can be programmed with custom functions through an efficient and simple definition process. Control panels feature crosspoint protection, panel locking and other functions, with operation consistent with traditional baseband video matrices. The system provides a panel design software module for designing functions of various programmable hardware panels, with support for dual power supply and visual configuration.
Figure: Software control panel
Figure: Programmable hardware control panel
8. Macro definition, one-click execution
This product allows device parameters or signal routing changes to be compiled into "command sets" (macros) that can be manually executed or event-triggered. Through this module, one-click "scene" switching for different program productions, one-click device parameter changes, matrix "bulk switching", and switcher/audio mixer AFV functions can be achieved.
9. Unified IP management
The software manages and allocates IP management addresses and IP stream addresses within the IP system through a dedicated module. Functions include device discovery, device stream grouping, label binding, grouping, and resource-level authorization. System resources can be displayed in a tree structure with clear hierarchical relationships, and support for multi-criteria combination for fast resource search.
10. Comprehensive status monitoring
This product uses a B/S architecture with a fully graphical interface, comprehensive alerting, visual fault tracking and rapid fault location. It supports monitoring of IP streams, signals, system devices and services. It provides tiered alerts based on device health status and graphically displays detailed routing and fault location for each service. Monitoring covers device faults, network port status, bandwidth utilization, optical module status, unknown stream detection and other dimensions.
Figure: System status monitoring overview
Figure: Device health tiered alerts
11. Comprehensive network management
The detection module provides proxy-architecture-based drivers for adapting mainstream broadcasting equipment and network infrastructure. It supports multiple protocols including OpenFlow, Netconf, NMOS, Ember Plus, Telemetry, SNMP, Json RPC, and gRPC. OpenFlow (for H3C switches) and Netconf (for Huawei switches/routers) are used for flow table scheduling management.
The system provides link tracing through topology diagrams, link diagrams, Signal Flow Diagrams and other views. Users can view signal paths from source to destination with "three-level tracing": signal level, link level, and source name level. Network traffic is displayed dynamically, with link colors changing to alert when bandwidth reaches threshold values.
Figure: Multi-level network topology diagram
Figure: Signal flow link tracing
13. Comprehensive alarm management and logging
This product features robust LOG logging and event alarm mechanisms, providing complete operation logs, system logs, and exception logs. It supports querying, displaying and exporting logs by time, user, operation type and other criteria. Comprehensive operation records enable post-event review and troubleshooting.
14. NMOS compliance
Full implementation of NMOS IS-04, IS-05 and other specifications, enabling seamless integration of compatible devices and services. The automatic registration and discovery function manages all IS-04-compatible devices. The connection management function controls all IS-05-compatible devices and manages IP stream-based connections.
III. Performance Characteristics
1. Low-latency batch switching
This product is specifically optimized for batch switching, employing multi-threading, parallel multi-device access, high-speed data caching, optimized low-level drivers and other measures to achieve low-latency batch switching. Test data shows: in batch switching of 32 SMPTE2110-30/SMPTE 2022-7 audio signals, maximum switching latency is 230 milliseconds, average is 198 milliseconds, consistently within 240 milliseconds. This meets the switching performance requirements for multi-channel on-the-hour transitions in playout and Master Control Room (MCR) scenarios.
2. Fast emergency switching
This product provides emergency switching. When a source triggers an alarm, the SDN responds to the detection unit's alarm event and performs an emergency switch, replacing the signal with an available backup source. Tests show: switching is completed within 150 milliseconds for 16 channels and within 180 milliseconds for 32 channels, with total response time (including detection system push) no greater than 1 second. This meets the AES67 source emergency switchover requirement of completing within 8 seconds.
3. Microservice architecture, high scalability
Based on a microservice architecture with concurrent multi-threading support, enabling horizontal performance scaling for large-scale deployments. Each module runs as an independent process and can be deployed across machines; issues in individual modules do not affect overall system operation. Server active/standby cluster high availability is supported; SDN controller failover does not impact services.
Figure: Microservice architecture design
IV. Product Features and Advantages
1. Localized interface, intuitive operationUser-friendly design with operation habits fully aligned with traditional SDI workflows. Mastering the SDN management software requires no complex IT skills.
Figure: Localized interface, intuitive operation
2. B/S architecture, access from anywhereSupports system access from any terminal at any location, greatly enhancing operational flexibility.
3. Strong versatilitySupports both SDI over IP and routing scheduling for signals in various standard protocol formats, including SMPTE2022-6, SMPTE2110 uncompressed video formats and ASI, UDP TS stream compressed signal formats.
4. Multi-OS supportSupports multiple versions of MS Windows and Linux, as well as mainstream domestic operating systems including Kylin OS.
5. High securityThe system features multiple security backup technologies and emergency handling mechanisms. Based on role and domain separation, strict authorization is enforced for control and scheduling operations. Traffic admission security ensures that only planned, trusted and reliable traffic is carried on the IP matrix.
Figure: Role and domain-based security management
6. OpennessThis product uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IP switches/routers, supports open interface protocol standards such as SNMP, REST-API, XML, and NMOS, and provides comprehensive northbound development interfaces and southbound device driver interfaces.
7. Domestic platform supportLocalization is achieved across operating system, database, middleware services, CPU architecture and server platform, with support for Kylin OS, DM Database, and Kunpeng 920 processor architecture.
8. Comprehensive post-event data analysisBuilt-in data analysis platform with multi-level data collection and aggregation capabilities. Leveraging big data analysis technology, it performs aggregation, storage, real-time processing, post-event processing, trend analysis, and recommendations on data from multiple sources.
Figure: Active/standby cluster high availability architecture
Figure: Data Analysis platform
V. Specifications and Configuration
Standard configuration includes:
Windica SDN-based IP Signal Scheduling Software V1.0;
One set of SDN management and monitoring servers (active/standby pair), each server configured with a permanent OS license and database management system;
