Server-Independent Cloud Video Playout via Time-Advanced Buffering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based Playout systems face challenges in maintaining service uptime and redundancy, leading to potential blackouts and increased operational costs due to the need for duplicate systems to ensure continuous channel availability.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of 'time-advanced Playout' with a delay buffer system and a redundancy control module, where the Playout software generates content ahead of schedule, and a secondary system instantiates to fill buffers in case of primary system failure, allowing seamless transition without the need for a complete parallel system, leveraging cloud infrastructure for dynamic server instantiation and cost-effective server time bidding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secondary Playout system is run to replicate the primary system for redundancy, then service uptime and reliability are improved, but operational costs double
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates and stores video content in advance (time-advanced Playout) so that when a failure occurs, the pre-generated content can be immediately played without needing a fully replicated secondary system running continuously. This preliminary action eliminates the need for duplicate operational costs while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of running a complete duplicate Playout system, the invention creates a lightweight secondary instance that copies only the necessary functionality to resume playback from the exact point of failure. This selective copying maintains reliability without doubling operational costs.
2Reliability
If a complete parallel Playout system is implemented for redundancy, then channel availability is ensured, but device complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential redundancy function from the complete Playout system, separating the critical failure recovery mechanism from the full system complexity. Only the necessary components for failure recovery are maintained, reducing system complexity while ensuring channel availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its configuration based on operational needs, transitioning between a lightweight single-instance mode during normal operation and an active redundancy mode only when failures are detected. This dynamic approach reduces device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Quantity of substance
If Playout servers are dynamically instantiated and relinquished in cloud infrastructure, then cost optimization is achieved, but service continuity and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Content is generated and stored in advance before server termination, ensuring that when a server is relinquished or fails, the content is already ready for immediate playback. This preliminary action maintains service continuity while enabling cost optimization through dynamic server management.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a delay buffer system as an intermediary between the Playout server and the output stream. This buffer acts as a mediator that decouples the server instantiation lifecycle from the content delivery continuity, allowing cost optimization while maintaining service reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
For broadcast-grade service level guarantees for linear video Playout, it is important for Playout systems and the associated server hardware to be extremely reliable. To accomplish this both the Playout software and server hardware are tightly integrated in on-premise implementations. Playout systems on the cloud allow for leveraging cloud servers dynamically for running Playout systems. The present invention proposes a system and method redundant, cost-effective for time-advanced, server-independent cloud Playout, which is useful in a variety of scenarios including but not limited to accomplishing seamless redundancy, optimizing operating costs by choosing different service provider/regions/servers. This is achieved by pre-playing the channel ahead of schedule, and then passing it to the output through an intelligent delay buffer. By switching Playout across multiple servers by instantiating new Playout software on another cloud server without impacting the linear output feed streamed out of the delay buffer we accomplish a server independent Playout system.