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Market Intelligence >> CLOUD VIRTUALIZATION
Pay TV-Optimized OpenStack Platform Maps a Viable MVPD Path to the Cloud RGB’s CloudXtream Overcomes Long-Standing Barriers to Software Virtualization, Cloud Orchestration, and hosted IP video services Introduction
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ay TV distributors’ transition to multiscreen services has reached a point where the often conflicting requirements of cost containment, scalability, monetization and quality of performance can only be met through conversion of headend architectures to a fully virtualized software-defined operations environment. To compete successfully for viewers’ dollars, operators must give them what they want, which is a consumer-friendly viewing experience that makes content easily available at any time on any device in any location. This poses a major scalability challenge when it comes to serving ever more devices across fixed and wireless infrastructure inside and outside the home. At the same time, the Cap Ex and Op Ex costs of sustaining legacy pay TV operations on traditional headend systems and CPE as program licensing and broadcast retransmission fees skyrocket are becoming untenable, especially as IP-optimized dongles, set-tops and smart TVs flood the market with cheaper alternatives. Consequently, MVPDs (Multichannel Video Programming Distributors) have every reason to aspire to the benefits promised by virtualization of operations in the cloud, where the migration of headend and other network components from purpose-built hardware to ever more powerful general-purpose servers allows implementation of software that can treat the network as a logical entity for delivering whatever services and applications are desired. In this private cloud environment, which can also be extended to public cloud resources, MVPDs can dynamically assign functionalities associated with all aspects of video ingestion, processing, storage, protection, monetization and distribution across a tightly orchestrated cluster of COTS (commodity off-the-shelf) resources to maximize efficiency without compromising performance. In so doing, operators can achieve great
cost advantages with respect to: n Scaling resource utilization on an as-needed basis; n Elimination of proprietary hardware transitions from one encoding generation to the next; n Commodity pricing of network elements; n The ability to minimize CPE acquisition, installation and maintenance costs as consumers purchase smart TVs and other devices that support streaming of IP video to the big screen; n Ultimately, saving capital cost and complexity by moving to a hybrid customer-premise plus private hosted model, or completely hosted model, leveraging turn-key video cloud Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. Operators will realize significant operational benefits as well: n Simplified testing and upgrade environments; n Easier regional deployments; n Higher availability/reduced downtimes. Moreover, the IP-centric cloud operational environment supports implementation of advanced navigation, service enhancements, personalization features, and advertising with quick activation and with advantages tied to big data analytics that are beyond the reach of the legacy operations domain. Broad consensus on these points has led to an outpouring of cloud- and SDN- (software-defined network) labeled solutions designed to move the video service management and processing functions onto datacenter infrastructure, private clouds, or public hosted cloud services. But it takes more than buzz words and hype to convince operators that the moment has arrived when they can reliably move the lifeblood of their business to the cloud. This is a decision analogous to other historic moments in the evolution of subscription services such as the transition from analog TV to digital or from POTS to VoIP telephony, but with even higher stakes. Given there’s no turning back once the transition to SDN architecture
is made, the question operators must answer to their complete satisfaction is whether a cloud-based set of solutions can be relied on to support all the requirements of a robust pay TV operation now and well into the future. Shifting parameters in content requirements, consumer behavior, device profiles, streaming formats and encoding standards have raised the bar on what it takes to compete in the new multiscreen marketplace. With consolidation of all pay TV operations onto the IP services platform, operators will have to be able to quickly implement new features, business models and modes of monetization as opportunities arise, all with the same level of reliability and quality of experience they’re accustomed to supporting in the legacy domain. Preparing to operate effectively in this new environment requires new practices that differ significantly from operators’ current approach to satisfying consumer demand for multiscreen access. While operators in their development of TV Everywhere services have grown accustomed to utilizing software running on commodity hardware to support distribution of IP video and other services to connected devices of every description, so far such services have largely been relegated to separate operational silos as ancillary components of the primary pay TV service. The need to establish a unified framework on which a transition from traditional headends to virtualized datacenter architectures can be executed cost effectively in sync with immediate needs while assuring scalability and functionality sufficient to longterm needs poses a much bigger challenge. As shall be seen in the discussion that follows, RGB Networks has developed a pay TV cloud operations platform, CloudXtream, that fully addresses these requirements. By adapting the industry standard OpenStack cloud operating system to the unique needs of the pay TV business, RGB has made it possible for MVPDs to implement industry-leading video service management and distribution solutions in the virtualized cloud environment with assurance that processes will work as advertised without requiring major adjustments in the virtualization software stack. Adding to these immediate benefits, RGB
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Market Intelligence >> CLOUD VIRTUALIZATION
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Other studies confirm another key facet of online video usage, namely the convenience of
Market Intelligence >> CLOUD VIRTUALIZATION landscape. Cloud-generated traffic has now Demand for a New Kind of become the fastest growing component of Pay TV Service datacenter traffic worldwide and is expected >>
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Contrary to some analyst and press commentary, none of these developments should be construed to mean consumers are averse to pay TV services. The statistics simply mean that if the pay TV service isn’t available ubiquitously at home and away from home, it’s not the right service for a growing number of people. Just how important availability of pay TV content on connected devices is to younger viewers’ interest in subscribing to such services is evident in research released in June 2013 by the cable TV network Pivot.6 According to this survey, 13 percent of 18-34 year olds are broadband-only consumers of video entertainment, but well over half of survey respondents in this category said they would consider subscribing to a bundle of TV networks if they could access the content at any time from any device. At the same time, 89 percent of some 32 million “cross-platfomers” now subscribing to pay TV but leaning to broadband-only subscriptions said they would be more likely to keep their pay TV subscriptions if they were offered multiscreen access to content on demand. Further confirming ongoing interest in pay TV services among younger consumers are other results from the previously cited Altman Vilandrie study. While the study found that only 36 percent of non-subscribers across all age groups expect to subscribe to pay TV service within five years, 53 percent of those in the 18-24 age group and 46 percent in the 25-34 group said they anticipated becoming subscribers within the next five years. These findings should dispel any perceptions that OTT services like Netflix will somehow supplant cable TV. The only risk of that happening would be in instances where cable operators fail to take steps to deliver the pay TV services consumers want.
The Case for Cloud-Based MVPD Operations Mainstream Acceptance Clearly, operators have every reason to migrate delivery of their premium video services to an IP-based architecture. As evidenced by developments worldwide, to make the case for an all-IP service environment is to make the case for the cloud. According to data compiled in Cisco Systems’ latest Global Cloud Index, cloud technologies have matured to the point that the cloud has become a general feature of the enterprise
to grow 4.5 fold to become 69 percent of all traffic generated by datacenters in 2017, according to the study. Cisco projects that by that year 17 percent of all datacenter traffic will be fueled by end users accessing clouds for Web surfing, video streaming, collaboration and connected devices. Cloud-based strategies have become far more credible for MVPDs than they were even a couple of years ago in light of how far the enterprise world in general has gone toward making cloud-based technologies a core component of IT operations. Global spending on cloud-related technologies in all industries is projected to hit $174.2 billion this year, up by 20 percent from the $145.2 billion spent in 2013, according to researcher IHS Technology.8 By 2017 the total will hit $235.1 billion, IHS says. Just how mainstream cloud-based strategies have become is reflected in the growing role of public cloud facilities. According to International Data Corp., worldwide spending on public IT cloud services reached $47.4 billion in 2013 and will top $107 billion in 2017.9 By 2017, IDC expects public IT cloud services will drive 17 percent of IT product spending and nearly half of all growth across five technology categories: applications, system infrastructure software, platform as a service (PaaS), servers and basic storage.
Major Savings in Cap Ex and Op Ex The maturing of IP video technology means that implementation of virtualized video processing and service management has the potential to radically alter both Cap Ex and Op Ex without sacrificing the quality and management controls that operators are accustomed to with traditional infrastructures. Consequently, new technology choices allowing operators to efficiently scale IP video channel counts and on-demand content must take into account the fact that today’s TV Everywhere service enhancements are destined to become the migration path to all-IP video operations in the future. As the trends in consumer behavior define the parameters of an IP-based next-generation cable TV service, it’s obvious new gear will be required to support such capabilities, including more content storage capacity, multi-format transcoders, adaptive bitrate streaming servers, and broadband CMTSs (cable modem termination system) to handle more video traffic and CDN (content delivery network) capabil-
ities to facilitate traffic management at the local level. Moreover, to facilitate IP migration on the network many operators will want to implement CCAP technology in their headends. CCAP combines CMTS, legacy digital TV and QAM functionalities at the headend or remote distribution points to allocate bandwidth to service categories in whatever combinations are needed to meet market requirements at a given time. All of this could be seen as an additive cost burden were it not for the fact that, once in place, these facilities will provide an end-toend infrastructure that is far cheaper and more adaptable to changing technologies than the legacy pay TV infrastructure. Commodity server and IP technologies have evolved to a point where an IP-based video processing and service management platform built with the full scope of operators’ needs in mind can significantly change the balance and perceived value of capital vs. operating expenditures for new capabilities or services.
The Service Acceleration Capabilities of a Virtualized Pay TV Cloud Platform A holistic approach to cloud operations that employs software to virtualize critical network elements provides support for a wide range of services, eliminating the need for dedicated hardware platforms and workflow systems for each service category. In this new environment, operators will be able to ingest live programming and dynamically apply associated metadata and business policies. All-IP headends utilizing advanced asset management workflows and low-cost storage will allow operators to eliminate the divisions between traditional and IP VOD libraries and to manage much larger libraries of VOD and time-shifted TV, including use of the datacenter facilities to support nDVR services. With the ability to leverage the growing proliferation of IP-enabled devices, including TVs as well as handhelds and computers, operators will have to deploy far fewer set-tops – primarily low-cost IP converter boxes to serve older TV sets. With delivery of all content in IP mode, operators will gain the ability to deliver their premium services beyond the home over public Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructures. Along with mirroring the full TV experience over broadband, operators will be able to deliver more personalized features and monetization capabilities across IP-connected set-tops, game consoles, smart TVs, tablets and other devices. For example, a new generation
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of cloud-based navigation systems leveraging HTML5 to transform the user viewing experience opens the door to a boundless range of personalized content discovery that could be a key factor in subscriber retention and growth. Such cloud-oriented capabilities are intrinsic to the RDK (Reference Design Kit) initiative backed by leading MSOs and OEMs, which seeks to lower set-top costs and time to market through standardization of key APIs in the software stack. Using such tools, operators will be able to maintain consistency of presentation across all devices while using cloud mechanisms to tailor the field of view and the range of features and functionalities to the unique characteristics of each class of device. The seamlessness of experience across multiple devices enabled by cloud-supported IP video service includes the ability to engage in continuous viewing from one device to the next, move content from live viewing at home to device-based storage for unconnected viewing away from home, pause and rewind content and capture content for later playback in premises-based DVRs or cloud-based storage. By leveraging the scheduling function on the user’s navigation system in conjunction with interfaces to NAS (network-attached storage) operators will be able to support shared access to stored content, using their streaming packagers to format the content to each user’s requirements on a per-session basis. The cloud service management environment will also make it much easier for operators to engage in video commerce, including digital storefront purchases, subscriptions, subscription extras, customer notifications and cross-promotional offers. Operators will be able to quickly configure and take down new kinds of content bundles, season or series purchases and other offers and to convey those directly into the TV user interface. And they’ll be able to use that interface as a platform for selling advanced advertising.
Out-Maneuvering OTT Providers Now that the maturation of transcoding, streaming, digital rights management (DRM) and other technologies has made it possible to deliver premium content over IP streams to every type of device from the smallest handset to the biggest TV screen, efforts to maximize the efficiencies of cloud-based operations have become a priority among all the major players engaged in Internet delivery of TV programs and movies, including leading broadcast and cable television networks as well as OTT
Figure 3 Figure 3
if any as decision makers would aggregators like Netflix, Hulu. experience, Equally important to theAmazon ultimateand consumer operators move to theargue cloudagainst they will Equally important toadvantage the ultimate consumer experience, as operators move to the cloud they will the to move to a virtualized cloud enviFor the ability to leverage these same haveMVPDs, a performance over OTT suppliers thatneed comes with using their own networks to have a performance advantage over OTT suppliers that comes with using their own networks to deliver a superior quality backed by fullronment technicalfor support. Andand theydelivering will be able managing paytoTV efficiencies will allow themoftoservice compete at lower deliver a superior quality of service backed by full technical support. And they will be able to services. But many operators remain concerned costs while positioning them to deliver more compelling services than any single OTT aggre- over whether the cloud is really prime-time ready for pay TV, and for good reason. gator or cable network can offer to consumers on its own. Terms like “SDN,” “cloud” and “OpenStack” Not only will operators be able to converge are widely used interchangeably by technology all video processing onto a COTS-based IP plat- developers who understand the market-drivform capable of streaming video to all devices en imperative behind technology solutions inside and outside the home. They’ll be able attuned to those concepts. But there’s a steep to virtualize the role of the set-top by using learning and development curve faced by cloud-based workflows and middleware to suppliers in an industry where proprietary create a highly personalized easy-to-navigate hardware solutions tied to protecting, formatservice consisting of all the pay TV content and ting and distributing pay TV services have long whatever OTT services they want to expose dominated. Realization that those days are through a universal interface, delivered live and coming to an end has only recently generated on-demand with full support for cloud DVR a shift to the cloud perspective, leaving plenty and other advanced features. of lead time still to be spent on product develEssentially, the operator’s next-generation opment in many cases. service will become an app accessible on any One of the major development challenges device, offering subscribers a one-stop shop comes into play with the use of OpenStack for a comprehensive entertainment experience as the OS plane responsible for orchestrating wherever they are. This is in line with what utilization of datacenter resources for pay TV subscribers want, as revealed in another key applications. There’s much work to be done finding from the previously cited Altman Vilanto translate what has become a pan-industry drie report, where by margins of two to one or de facto SDN standard into a cloud-resource more all age groups preferred a single access utilization platform capable of directing COTS point over individual apps offered by different servers to perform every headend application programming networks (Figure 3). intrinsic to pay TV now and into the future. Equally important to the ultimate consumer OpenStack is a fast-evolving OS for virtualizexperience, as operators move to the cloud ing datacenter storage and processing resourcthey will have a performance advantage over es introduced in 2010 by Rackspace and NASA. OTT suppliers that comes with using their own It became a formal initiative under the auspices networks to deliver a superior quality of service of the OpenStack Foundation joined by Redhat, backed by full technical support. And they will HP, IBM, AT&T and others in 2012 and has since be able to exploit the cost efficiencies, consum- expanded to some 260 companies and organier ease of use and other benefits that accrue zations in 130 countries. with aggregation of all video, voice and data Built with code that’s freely available under services onto a single platform under control of the Apache 2.0 license, OpenStack pools coma converged back-office system. pute, storage and networking resources to create networks of virtual machines under control of a single operating system. The platform supports open interfaces to the data plane from the control plane, allowing developers to enable service programmability and dynamic service set-up across Given all of the resulting advantages, few myriad enterprise applications (see Figure 4).
A Cloud Platform That Makes OpenStack Work for MVPDs The OpenStack Challenge
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Market Intelligence >> CLOUD VIRTUALIZATION
Figure 4 CloudXtream Video Stack
applications and services on VMs without having to shut them down. But even with this aggressive development and release schedule, OpenStack as a generic multi-industry template cannot be expected to fill all the gaps essential to virtualizing pay TV operations. Consequently, MVPDs must be sure that vendors claiming to be OpenStack compliant have filled in the API gaps and built the business and apps logic around OpenStack that will support multi-vendor participation in all the functions vital to a next-generation cloudbased multiscreen TV service.
RGB’s Optimization of OpenStack for MVPDs The need to adapt virtualization to the specific needs of MVPDs has long been a strategic priority for RGB Networks. In 2010, with its acquisition of RipCode, a leading provider of software-based transcoding and adaptive streaming solutions, RGB began integrating software-on-COTS options into its pay TV solutions portfolio. Over the ensuing four years, RGB has taken the lead in providing MVPDs the means to utilize proprietary and COTS resources to maximum advantage in their pursuit of next-generation multiscreen pay TV services. RGB realized the key to maximizing operopment with new releases culled from ongoing OpenStack comprises several components OpenStack comprises several components dedicated to various resource utilization scenarios, ators’ ability to address multiscreen service community collaboration every six dedicated to various resource utilization including OpenStack Compute, the cloud computing fabric controller that serves as months. the expansion and monetization requirements in OpenStack Design Summits preceding these scenarios, Compute, foundationincluding for IaaS OpenStack (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) applications, including MVPD services. Other what can be characterized as the Multiscreen releases have been drawing increasing numthe cloud computing fabric controller that development categories include: 2.0 phase of service evolution was the decoubers of developers as adoption of the platform serves as the foundation for IaaS (Infrastruc• Object Store, such as Swift and Ceph, where objects and files are written to multiple disk pling of the architectural components that spreads. The latest OpenStack Summit in May ture-as-a-Service) applications, including drives spread across multiple servers; once were consolidated on proprietary hard2014 storage recordedsystems 4,500 attendees, representing a MVPD services. Other development categories • Block Storage, which manages attaching block such as Ceph. CloudByte, 50 percent increase over attendance at the pre- ware. By decoupling the encoding/transcoding include:EMC, IBM Storage and GlusterFS to servers; functions from the Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) packn Object Store, such as Swift and Ceph, where vious Summit. • Networking, which provides a means of managing IP addresses and network aging, dynamic advertising and content proIcehouse, the latest and ninth OpenStack objects and files are written tocloud; multiple disk configurations from the tection processes, RGB has made it possible for release, hadapplications; 2,100 contributors compared to drives spreadwhich acrossenables multipleDaaS servers; • Trove, (Database-as-a-Service) n Block 850 contributors for the previous release, Storage, which manages attachingto the workings • A range of functions fundamental of the OpenStack OS, such as: Hava- operators to optimize their use of technology advances wherever they occur. Dashboard, na. Havana added nearly 400 features to supblock storage systems such as Ceph. CloudThis also made it possible to adapt RGB’s port software development, manage data and Byte, EMC, IBM Storage and GlusterFS to solutions suites to the requirements of full run applications infrastructures at scale. Most servers; cloud virtualization. As OpenStack took shape n Networking, which provides a means of notably the release provided a template for as a promising template for virtualizing pay TV managing IP addresses and network configu- automating deployment of compute, storage processes, RGB was able to apply its datacenter and networking resources for an application rations from the cloud; headend expertise to optimization of Openn Trove, which enables DaaS (Database-as-aand introduced improvements to the dashStack for the pay TV marketplace, culminating board UI, workflows and productivity. Service) applications; n A range of functions fundamental to the With Icehouse the community took farther in the introduction of the OpenStack-based CloudXtream platform. strides toward improving cloud efficiency by workings of the OpenStack OS, such as: n Dashboard, tightening integration among computing, n Identity Service, which identifies and storage, networking, identity and orchestraprovides authentication to users of Open- tion functionalities. For example, a discoverHardware Flexibility ability enhancement allows administrators to Stack services, and RGB’s adaptation of OpenStack to MVPDs’ n Image Service, which provides discovery, obtain data about which features are support- needs has brought into play many capabilities ed by a specific server cluster by means of a registration and delivery services for disk that otherwise would require extensive work simple API call. Notably, Icehouse also proand server images. on the part of anyone attempting to implement vides a way for users to upgrade OpenStack OpenStack is in a state of continuous develRGB >6
The Versatility of CloudXtream
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pay TV processing functions in an OpenStack environment. For example, with CloudXtream RGB has taken steps to ensure that OpenStack does not limit operators’ flexibility to mix the use of virtualized hardware elements with elements dedicated to specific functions like transcoding. This is possible because OpenStack is designed to afford developers maximum flexibility in the use of hardware resources by avoiding specific hardware or software requirements. In the virtualization space it works with OpenStack-compliant hypervisor software such as VMWare, KVM, HyperV and XenServer. Hypervisors, which either ride on top of or are integrated into a server’s OS, serve as hosts of multiple virtual machines (VMs), allowing each VM to utilize the underlying server resources as if they were dedicated to a specific application. Administrators on the OpenStack dashboard can shift the allocation of resources across multiple servers for execution of applications tied to hypervisor-controlled VMs, resulting in much faster allocation of available resources as needed by any VM than would otherwise be possible. A recent cloud advancement beyond simple virtual machines is Docker containers. Docker is a new twist on an a decades old technology called Linux containers. Docker allows applications to run in their own virtual space, without the need to allocate an entire virtual server’s worth of resources. Docker shows a lot of promise and early performance benchmarks demonstrate up to 40% RAM and compute savings vs. a traditional VM deployment. At the same time, OpenStack can be utilized in “bare metal” mode, which is to say servers without native OSs. Such instances come into play when it makes more sense to dedicate any given server or group of servers to a single app, where all the processing resources in each server are under the control of a specific software platform. Here the scaling of resources is achieved through adding more servers to a specific application rather than through leveraging hypervisor virtualization to shift resource allocation across multiple servers for multiple applications. This single-app-per-server option also applies to bringing proprietary hardware into the OpenStack management environment. By allowing resource utilization to be divided between multiple virtualized applications of COTS hardware and single-purpose allocations of COTS and proprietary hardware, OpenStack allows users to maximize the benefits of virtualization without curtailing the use of dedicated hardware for processing-intensive
Figure 5 CloudXtream End-to-End offering
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nize they must move away from unicast delivapplications such as transcoding. 60$+21",+2*D& ery of every live streaming session as usage By making this versatility applicable to the scales to mass audience Enabling pay realm, CloudXtream allows WithTVlive program streaming nowoperators a part of the multiscreen service agendadimensions. MVPDs recognize a means of multicast delivery premium to determine which payfrom TV-related processes they must move away unicast delivery of every live streaming session as of usage scalesserto vices compatible the fast-channel should be performed in the virtualized mass audience dimensions. Enabling COTS a means of multicast deliverywith of premium serviceschange compatible with fast-channel and quality-of-experience requirements of pay TV and quality-of-experience requirements of pay environment and the which should runchange either dedviewing hasorbecome a top(Video priority in industry circles, including CableLabs, TV viewing hasatbecome a top where priorityagreement in indusicated COTS RGB’s VMG Multiprocesson aGateway) cable-optimized of multicast has moved to the including front burner. try circles, at CableLabs, where agreeing platform.version Where utilization of VMG for legacy service encoding is in play, this means ment on a cable-optimized version of multicast But multicasting is one of the tasks associated with delivering IP video that isn’t addressed by has moved to the front burner. operators can bring those operations into the OpenStack. In fact, the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) mode of routing within the multicasting is one of the tasks significant associatnew CloudXtream environment, allowing them OpenStack environment is incompatible with the wayBut multicast works, which requires ed with delivering IP video that isn’t addressed to incrementally transition elements of those adjustments in OpenStack application configuration to enable implementation of multicasting in by OpenStack. In fact, the Generic Routing operations onto COTS resources as they see fit. that domain. Operators need this flexibility in order to take Encapsulation (GRE) mode of routing within thetoOpenStack environment is incompatible advantage advances in the or COTS It remains of to hardware be seen which approach approaches multicasting will be adopted by cable operators and other MVPD groups. But RGB is taking steps inmulticast its ongoing adaptation of with the way works, which requires domain whenever such improvements produce OpenStack to pay attention to TV requirements to ensure that operators will be able to significant adjustments in OpenStack applicacost and scaling benefits that merit a shift away implement multicast on CloudXtream whenever they consensus on specifications. tion reach configuration to enable implementation of from proprietary hardware. In the near term multicasting in that domain. the introduction of GPU (graphics processing It remains to be seen which approach or unit) acceleration into the COTS CPU processing approaches to multicasting will be adopted by environment promises to make it possible for cable operators and other MVPD groups. But operators to run RGB’s transcoding software on dedicated industrial-strength COTS servers as an RGB is taking steps in its ongoing adaptation of OpenStack to pay attention to TV requirements alternative to using the VMG platform. to ensure that operators will be able to impleIn the future, the unrelenting processment multicast on CloudXtream whenever they ing gains driven by Moore’s Law may shift reach consensus on specifications. transcoding into the virtualized COTS environment, further contributing to savings in Op CloudXtream Components and Cap Ex. CloudXtream provides operators assurance that they’ll be able to exploit these In order to make true cloud orchestration benefits as COTS-side developments unfold. a reality for IP video environments, RGB has developed several different components Multicasting to augment and enhance a ‘vanilla’ cloud With live program streaming now a part of deployment. CloudXtream modules and comthe multiscreen service agenda MVPDs recogponents include:
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)$'0/S+.%":&)':;'*%*+,& In order to make true cloud orchestration a reality for IP video environments, RGB has developed several different components to augment and enhance a ‘vanilla’ cloud deployment. In order to make true cloud orchestrationinclude: a reality for IP video environments, RGB has >> >> CLOUD CloudXtream modules and components VIRTUALIZATION developed several different components to augment and enhance a ‘vanilla’ cloud deployment. CloudXtream modules and components include: Figure 6 n Templates – Heat and Ansible templates to CloudXtream Components deploy RGB’s cloud software components n Repository – Collection of management TEMPLATES REPOSITORY ORCHESTRATOR templates, deployment configurations, and Module to Orchestrate Heat Templates for Collect and manage REPOSITORY RGB’sORCHESTRATOR cloud software RGB’s TEMPLATES cloud software templates, deployment orchestration rules components components: nDVR, configurations, VMimages Module to Orchestrate Heat Templates for Collect and manage n Orchestrator Module – Orchestrate RGB and AdRGB’s Insertion, and orchestration rules RGB’s cloud software cloudTranscoding software templates, deployment components components: nDVR, configurations, VMimages third-party cloud software components Ad Insertion, Transcoding and orchestration rules n Horizon Extensions – Drivers to extend the Horizon dashboard to manage CloudXtream compoents n XtreamStore – Unification and management HORIZON-X Xtream STORE CXT-DT Simple installation Drivers to extend Horizon Unification and of multiple storage components of theCXT-DT complete to interact with the management of multiple HORIZON-X Xtream STORE n Deployment Tool – Simple turn-key CloudXtream environment CloudXtream Components storage components Simple installation Drivers to extend Horizon Unification and of the complete to interact with the management of multiple installation of the complete CloudXtream CloudXtream environment CloudXtream Components storage components Figure 76 environment •Figure Templates – Heat and Ansible templates to deploy RGB’s cloud software components CloudXtream OpenStack Extensions • Repository – Collection of management templates, deployment configurations, and This set of OpenStack extensions afforded • Templates – Heat orchestration rules and Ansible templates to deploy RGB’s cloud software components by CloudXtream enable operators to deploy •• Repository – management templates, deployment and Orchestrator Collection Module – of Orchestrate RGB and third-party cloud configurations, software components new software-based video applications quickly orchestration rules Dashboard • Horizon Extensions – Drivers to extend the Horizon dashboard to manage CloudXtream and easily. Horizon • Orchestrator components Module – Orchestrate RGB and third-party cloud software components •• Horizon Extensions – Drivers extend the HORIZON-X Horizon dashboard manage CloudXtream XtreamStore – Unification andtomanagement of multiple storagetocomponents components • Deployment Tool – Simple turn-key installation of the complete CloudXtream environment • XtreamStore – Unification and management of multiple storage components While most MVPDs are focused on transi!"#$%&&'()*+,-.$ •ThisDeployment Tool extensions – Simple turn-key of the complete CloudXtream environment tioning operations to the cloud on privately Networking Compute Storage set of OpenStack affordedinstallation by CloudXtream enable operators to deploy new Neutron Nova Swift/Cinder owned datacenters, RGB’s adaptation of Open- software-based video applications quickly and easily. %1$5-.60+,-$ This set of OpenStack extensions afforded by CloudXtream enable operators to deploy new Stack to the requirements of MVPDs opens a Orchestration Image DB software-based video applications quickly and easily. AD WORKFLOW PLAYLIST ORIGIN Heat Glance path for utilization of the CloudXtream platENGINE (AWE) SERVER SERVER Xtream STORE form in OpenStack-compatible public cloud -34!$ environments as well. RGB has thus made it REPOSITORY ORCHESTRATOR possible for smaller operators to exploit all the RECORDING JIT ORIGIN MANAGER PACKAGER SERVER RECORDER next-generation multiscreen service benefits of CloudXtream without having to invest in their /0*-.),1(-2$ TEMPLATES own datacenter infrastructures. TRANSACT LIVE ORIGIN TRANSCODER PACKAGER SERVER The public cloud option also provides a way for MVPDs who rely on the private cloud implementation of CloudXtream to draw on public T',+%/&A%.
