WireServer

The Hmedia WireServer is a Linux based software to handle text feeds in any format. Each broadcast company has to manage incoming news. Usually there are different channels (FTP, email, serial connected devices, etc.) and different formats (XML, IPTC7, ANPA, CSV, etc.) to deal with. All these files and streams must be converted into a specific target format depending the concrete NRCS system.

Our Wireserver delivers all steps for such a conversation process. Therefore it contains a couple of modules. For each input channel there is one receiver and one parser, respectively. Additionally there is one transfer process for each system where the final data have to deploy to. Of course you can specify which data from which channel have to go to which destination system. Picture 1 depict the data flow for a sample configuration with two Avid iNEWS™ systems.

THe WireServer can act as datachanger in different scenarios. Whenever you need to convert one (especially non-XML) dataformat into another one in realtime you can do this with our WireServer.

• Runs on Linux OS

• Simple parsing language - The parsing prcoesses are written as simple Bash-Scripts. Therefore the customer can easily adjust the program in case of changed source data format.

• Data buffering - The system has different steps where data are stored in files. For example there are input directories for all used channels. So if the relating parser is out of order no data get lost. Next buffer level sits between parsing and transferring to the destination.

• Automatic offline handling - If a problem occurs with one destination host, the WireServer tries to forward data to an alternative machine. If that also fails, it sleeps for a specified time and retry after. In the meanwhile all data are saved in a queue.

• Redundancy and failover - Two WireServers can work as backup systems for each other. The failover switch can be done automatically by a preset of rules or manually very easy.

• System status check, self healing and error messages - Every 15 minutes the WireServer checks its own status. If one component reports a problem the system tries to solve this problem by its own. In such case the system sends an error message into the specified destination systems or as an email.

• Intel® based system

• Linux OS (tested with SuSE 10 and RedHat Linux ES 4)

• FTP server

• Supports serial, FTP and Email connections

• Handle more than one iNEWS™ system

• creates NSML stories and FTP them into the iNEWS

• possebility to failover with a second WireServer machine

Some of the following links are restricted to specific users. Read the overview on page Welcome who has which permissions.

Bugs & Features

Downloads WireServer 1.0

Forum

• WireServer 1.1 will be released in QI/QII 2007. At least the FTP processes are then written in Java and hence more stable (see bug 2).

These broadcasters already use the WireServer:

• Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk - MDR