vsmSOUL

Seamless Orchestration And Unification Layer

IP ORCHESTRATION AND CONTROL

 

Orchestration and control play an essential part in the IP-based audio and video infrastructures used for live broadcast production, where the demand for predictable system behavior is essential. When migrating infrastructures to IP, system  reliability can only be achieved by a comprehensive orchestration service, which seamlessly handles information from all system components within the network.

Why is this so important? Maximizing the efficiency and flexibility of an IP infrastructure is achieved when all data – video, audio, and metadata – use the same transportation network. Nodes from different vendors share the resources of the underlying infrastructure, while control requires unification and simplification. To achieve this, a central management layer is necessary to orchestrate all networked components in daily operation. Such control layer, which is aware of all
3rd party control specifics, makes IP-based audio and video infrastructures reliable and deterministic – in keeping with legacy broadcast environments.

Gives SOUL to your network.

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Lawo VSM brochure

 The VSM control system offers an extensive system integration toolbox that allows the customer to easily change interfaces without manufacturer support, giving peace of mind that the system will be able to adapt and grow as needs and requirements change over time.

LAWO GIVES SOUL TO YOUR NETWORK

HIGH QUALITY Lawo’s Seamless Orchestration and Unification Layer (SOUL) is adding an overarching orchestration service for IP-based production environments to the VSM control system. vsmSOUL is aware of, and handles, information from all system components. It manages the generation and routing of audio and video streams in any multi-vendor IP setup, and is compatible across individual interfaces and technical solutions. vsmSOUL provides a single point of control for any network size and any network topology, seamlessly integrated into vsmStudio and vsmGadgetServer.

vsmSOUL provides the central service for stream routing and resource management across single-switch, spine-leaf, or mesh network infrastructures. Through vsmStudio, it provides a unified northbound matrix representation of the network towards an overall control system. Using standardized or vendor-specific APIs, vsmSOUL accesses switches and network components, including encoding and decoding devices, cameras, multiviewers, processors, switchers, consoles, etc, to directly control the generation, registration, routing and monitoring of streams. It follows industry specifications like NMOS to utilize devices. In addition, proprietary interfaces and methods are used to achieve the most versatile control over edge devices.

NATIVE SYMBIOSIS WITH VSM

The combination of VSM and vsmSOUL provides an unmatched feature set, and promises maximum flexibility for controlling a network. VSM adds the highest level of monitoring capabilities, and operational and workflow customization on top of the network infrastructure.

VSM’s widely accepted and renowned customizable user interface seamlessly integrates with any vsmSOUL-controlled network infrastructure, and makes it “feel the same” as a legacy broadcastenvironment. Your operators will appreciate, that it is not necessary to change established workflows, but it is good to know that they could be changed at any time.

HITLESS MERGE

A network with vsmSOUL guarantees Hitless Merge (SMPTE 2022-7). This requires that a signal is packaged in two different streams and travels two separated networks, with vsmSOUL acknowledging both branches and stream addresses. Operationally, it appears  that a single crosspoint is presented, but with two alarms, two sources and two multicast addresses. Flows are also managed in networks from different manufacturers and techniques.

SOPHISTICATED REDUNDANCY

vsmStudio’s active-active redundancy in a cluster with up to four servers brings highest operational security into 24/7  operation, meaning that two systems run in parallel with the secondary (third, fourth) system actively monitoring all system status live. The monitoring systems are always ready to seamlessly assume control.

KEY FEATURES

 

  • Northbound abstraction of the network through vsmStudio.
  • Switch-API support southbound, with access to multicast routing and native switch functionality.
  • Full Layer 3 compatibility.
  • Agnostic to various switching mechanisms. Supported switching modes: Patching, Destination (make-beforebreak, break-before-make…) and Source Timed Switching (hardware dependent, e.g. Lawo V__matrix).
  • Compatible with NMOS 1.0 (and higher), SMPTE 2022-6, 2022-7, 2110, AES67, RAVENNA.
  • Well known user interface for configuration and operation

KEY BENEFITS

 

  • Vendor neutrality for network nodes and IT switches.
  • Designed for multi-vendor employment.
  • Unified northbound matrix representation of the network through vsmStudio
  • Broadest third-party control capabilities in combination with VSM.
  • Highest operational UI flexibility using VSM hardware and software panels.
  • No workflow changes for the operator.

ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS

vsmStudio

vsmStudio

The Broadcast Control and Monitoring System.

V__matrix

V__matrix

Software-defined IP-routing, processing & multiviewing.