Enterprise architecture for any size of system
The Pharos Mediator platform offers a unique architecture to provide end to end desktop control across the whole enterprise. This new modular platform follows over 10 years of continuous development and investment in control, automation and media management. Mediator delivers the performance and resilience demanded by next generation broadcasters and transmission service providers.
To-date typical IT based broadcast control and media management systems have been based on architectures that required an ever increasing number of individual application servers and data gateways. This is often difficult to configure in 24/7 operations and usually requires an over-complex IT network design and architecture.
Designed from the ground-up to use the very latest blade servers running Oracle, and Java based software. Mediator enables key functions such as workflow, transfer management, user interface delivery and automation to be grouped together onto high performance subsystems.
High performance blade hardware platform
Each Mediator subsystem is stored on a standard HP blade server running SUSE Enterprise Linux. The blade platform offers a number of unique benefits to increase system performance and to reduce the complexity of system configuration:
- Blades in each enclosure connect via an internal Gigabit network. This allows direct connection between all the applications and services available in Mediator and Playtime.
- Multiple enclosure configurations to support Pharos X-Y dual path functionality.
- Additional enclosures can be added for third party, processor intensive tasks such as transcoding and post production integration.
- Integrated external Gigabit switch infrastructure for interfacing to external device controllers, data movers and business systems.
- Built in KVM facilities significantly reduce external cabling and monitoring complexity.
- Quad-core Intel processors for massive processing power increase with 32 processing cores per 6U of rack space.
- Allows processor intensive applications such as database management, browse creation and transcoding to be managed directly within Mediator.
- Remote monitoring of the system for remote diagnostics updates and rebuilds down to BIOS level through the Pharos Information Centre.
- Reduced power cabling with 6 power cables per enclosure using quad PSU's compared with 16 cables for 8 1RU servers with dual PSU's for example.
- The HP Onboard Administrator system management software comes pre-installed as part of the blade system, enabling integration with business management systems.
Oracle 10g
Mediator comprises embedded integration of Oracle 10g using the very latest "maximum availability mode". Oracle Data Guard technology coupled with Pharos Dual resilience removes the need for complex syncing, backup and restore scenarios to keep both databases perfectly in sync. The integration and support of Oracle 10g is handled in-house by Pharos and is covered under Pharos Service Agreements. This removes the need for customers to have their own database administrator. With Oracle 10g powering Mediator and Playtime, Pharos can offer high availability systems that scale to hundreds of channels across thousands of desktops.
64bit SUSE Linux
Mediator uses 64bit SUSE Linux Enterprise Server v10 across the blade servers and 32bit openSUSE on the Pharos PCP hardware. These give full support for the latest technologies such as Flex UI design, IP6, SATA and multi-core computing.
The PCP's SUSE installation has been fully customised to provide the frame accurate operating system required for broadcast.