Apple Cut Server Setup And Administration Guide Admin

User Manual: apple Cut Server - Setup and Administration Guide Free User Guide for Cut Software, Manual

Open the PDF directly: View PDF PDF.
Page Count: 238 [warning: Documents this large are best viewed by clicking the View PDF Link!]

Final Cut Server
Setup and
Administration Guide
K
Apple Inc.
Copyright © 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
Your rights to the software are governed by the
accompanying software license agreement. The owner
or authorized user of a valid copy of Final Cut Server
software may reproduce this publication for the purpose
of learning to use such software. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or transmitted for
commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this
publication or for providing paid for support services.
The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the “keyboard”
Apple logo (Shift-Option-K) for commercial purposes
without the prior written consent of Apple may
constitute trademark infringement and unfair
competition in violation of federal and state laws.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the
information in this manual is accurate. Apple is not
responsible for printing or clerical errors.
Note:
Because Apple frequently releases new versions
and updates to its system software, applications, and
Internet sites, images shown in this book may be slightly
different from what you see on your screen.
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014–2084
408-996-1010
www.apple.com
Apple, the Apple logo, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro,
Final Cut Studio, FireWire, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS,
QuickTime, Tiger, Xsan, and Xserve are trademarks of
Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Finder, Leopard, and Spotlight are trademarks of Apple Inc.
AppleCare is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in
the U.S. and other countries.
Intel, Intel Core, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corp.
in the U.S. and other countries.
PowerPC is a trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom.
Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.
Other company and product names mentioned herein
are trademarks of their respective companies. Mention
of third-party products is for informational purposes
only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a
recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with
regard to the performance or use of these products.
Ducati and the Ducati logo are registered trademarks of
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. Used by permission.
Production stills from the film “Koffee House Mayhem”
provided courtesy of Jean-Paul Bonjour. “Koffee House
Mayhem” © 2004 Jean-Paul Bonjour. All rights reserved.
http://www.jbonjour.com
Production stills from the film “Les Poupets”
provided courtesy of Jean-Paul Bonjour. “Les Poupets”
© 2006 Jean-Paul Bonjour. All rights reserved.
http://www.jbonjour.com
3
1
Contents
Preface 7 Welcome to Final Cut Server Administration
7
Welcome to Final Cut Server
8
Resources for Learning About Final Cut Server
10
Contacting AppleCare Support
Part I Installation and Configuration
Chapter 1 13 Overview of Final Cut Server
13
About Servers and Clients
15
Building a Final Cut Server System
16
Storage Device Strategy
17
Basic Final Cut Server Administration Tasks
Chapter 2 19 Using the Installer
19
About Installing and Setting Up Final Cut Server
21
Using the Final Cut Server Installer
29
About the Customer Profiles
32
About Final Cut Server and Compressor
35
Updating Your License
37
Registering Final Cut Server
Chapter 3 39 Configuring System Preferences
39
Introduction to Final Cut Server System Preferences
40
General Pane Settings
42
Group Permissions Pane Settings
43
Devices Pane Settings
44
Automations Pane Settings
45
Backup Pane Settings
4
Contents
Chapter 4 47 Adding Users and Groups
47
About Users and Groups
49
Using the Accounts Pane of System Preferences
53
Using Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager
56
Adding Groups to Final Cut Server
57
About the Permission Sets
Chapter 5 59 Using Device Setup Assistant
59
Introduction to Devices
60
About Creating Devices
61
About the Default Devices
62
Adding a Device
68
Device Type Configurations
73
Editing an Existing Device
74
Deleting an Existing Device
Chapter 6 77 Using Automation Setup Assistant
77
About Creating Automations
78
About the Default Automations
79
Creating Automations
88
Editing an Existing Automation
89
Deleting an Existing Automation
Chapter 7 91 Backing Up Final Cut Server
91
Introduction to Backing Up Your System
92
Backup Strategies
94
Backing Up Your Final Cut Server Catalog
95
About the Backup Files
96
Restoring Your Final Cut Server Catalog
Chapter 8 99 Installing Final Cut Server Clients
99
Introduction to the Final Cut Server Client
100
Using Java Web Start
103
About the Java Web Start Client Files
Contents
5
Part II General Administration
Chapter 9 107 General Settings and Preferences
107
Final Cut Server Administration Overview
113
Working with the Administration Window
115
Preference Settings in the Final Cut Server Client Administration Window
121
User-Configurable Preference Settings
122
Administrator-Only Client Functions
124
About Unicode Support
Chapter 10 125 Groups and Permissions
125
About Groups and Permissions
125
Adding Groups to Final Cut Server
127
Adding and Managing Permission Sets
Chapter 11 135 Managing Metadata
135
Introduction to Metadata
138
Metadata Fields
143
Metadata Groups
148
Metadata Mapping
151
Metadata Lookups
154
Managing Metadata Sets
156
Metadata Synchronization Policy
158
Using Metadata to Configure the User Interface
160
About QuickTime Metadata
Chapter 12 163 Managing Devices
163
About Devices
164
Adding a Device Using the Administration Window
167
Editing a Device Using the Administration Window
168
Deleting an Existing Device Using the Administration Window
169
About Specialized Devices
174
Device Type Details
182
Searching Devices
Chapter 13 187 Managing Transcode Settings
187
About Transcode Settings
188
Adding Transcode Settings
190
Assigning Transcode Settings to Devices
6
Contents
Chapter 14 193 Managing Automations
193
About Final Cut Server Automation
195
General Automation Tips
196
Response Pane and Window
212
Watcher Pane and Window
215
Subscription Pane and Window
217
Schedule Pane and Window
Chapter 15 219 About Jobs and Logs
219
Viewing Final Cut Server Status
220
About Jobs and the Search All Jobs Window
225
About the Log Pane
226
About the Log Window
Glossary 227
Index 233
7
Preface
Welcome to Final Cut Server
Administration
This chapter covers the following:
Â
Welcome to Final Cut Server (p. 7)
Â
Resources for Learning About Final Cut Server (p. 8)
Â
Contacting AppleCare Support (p. 10)
Welcome to Final Cut Server
Final Cut Server is powerful media asset management and workflow automation
software. Final Cut Server makes it easy to manage large collections of media files. Its
capabilities also extend to tracking job status, orchestrating reviews and approvals, and
automating complex sequences of tasks—all in a single product designed to work
seamlessly with Final Cut Pro.
Installing Final Cut Server also installs Compressor. This powerful transcoding
application provides Final Cut Server with a large variety of preconfigured transcode
settings that you can use when uploading or copying media files to Final Cut Server
devices. You can also create custom settings in Compressor that you can add to the
Final Cut Server transcode settings list.
8 Preface
Welcome to Final Cut Server Administration
Resources for Learning About Final Cut Server
There are a variety of resources for you to use when learning about your
Final Cut Server system.
Final Cut Server Printed Documentation
This guide is one of two printed documents that are included with Final Cut Server.
Â
Final Cut Server Setup and Administration Guide:
This guide describes how to install,
configure, and administer most components of the Final Cut Server system. It does
not describe day-to-day use of the system, such as browsing assets and managing
jobs, productions, and orders, which are described in the
Final Cut Server User Manual.
Important:
An understanding of the material in the
Final Cut Server User Manual
is
assumed in the
Final Cut Server Setup and Administration Guide.
Â
Final Cut Server User Manual:
The user manual describes how to use the
Final Cut Server client for the day-to-day use of the system, such as browsing assets,
managing jobs, and managing productions.
Final Cut Server Onscreen Manuals
Onscreen versions of each of the printed documents are also available while using or
administering Final Cut Server.
Â
From the Final Cut Server client:
The
Final Cut Server User Manual
is available for all
users from the client’s Help menu. The
Final Cut Server Setup and Administration
Guide
is also available from the client’s Help menu if you are logged in with
administration privileges.
Â
From the Final Cut Server server’s System Preferences:
The
Final Cut Server Setup and
Administration Guide
can be accessed from the server’s Final Cut Server System
Preferences by clicking the question mark located in the lower-right corner.
The content of the onscreen versions of this documentation is identical to the printed
versions. The onscreen versions, however, are fully hyperlinked and enhanced with
many features that make locating information quick and easy:
Â
The access page provides quick access to various features, including the index and
other relevant documents and websites.
Â
A comprehensive bookmark list allows you to quickly choose what you want to see
and takes you there as soon as you click the link.
Preface
Welcome to Final Cut Server Administration
9
In addition to these navigational tools, the onscreen documents give you other means
to locate information quickly:
ÂAll cross-references in the text are linked. You can click any cross-reference and jump
immediately to that location. Then, you can use the Preview Back button to return to
where you were before you clicked the cross-reference.
ÂThe table of contents and index are also linked. If you click an entry in either of these
sections, you jump directly to that section of the document.
ÂYou can use the Find dialog to search the text for specific words or phrases.
Apple Websites
There are a variety of Apple websites that you can visit to find additional information.
Final Cut Server Website
Go here for general information and updates as well as the latest news on
Final Cut Server.
To access the Final Cut Server website, go to:
Âhttp://www.apple.com/finalcutserver
There are also a variety of discussion boards, forums, and educational resources related
to Final Cut Server on the web.
Apple Service and Support Website
Go here for software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all
Apple products, including Final Cut Server. You’ll also have access to product specifications,
reference documentation, and Apple and third-party product technical articles.
To access the Apple Service and Support webpage, go to:
Âhttp://www.apple.com/support
To access the Final Cut Server support page, go to:
Âhttp://www.apple.com/support/finalcutserver
To access the Apple discussion pages, go to:
Âhttp://discussions.info.apple.com
10 Preface Welcome to Final Cut Server Administration
Contacting AppleCare Support
Information about the support options available from Apple is included in your
Final Cut Server box. Several levels of support are available.
Whatever your issue, it’s a good idea to have the following information immediately
available when you contact Apple for support. The more of this information you have
to give to the support agents, the faster they will be able to address your issue.
ÂThe Final Cut Server Support ID number found on the front of the serial number
sheet included in your Final Cut Server box.
Note: The 11-digit Support ID number is different from the product serial number
used to install Final Cut Server.
ÂThe version of Leopard or Leopard Server you have installed. To find the version,
choose Apple menu > About This Mac.
ÂThe version of Final Cut Server you have installed that you have a question about. To
find the version of Final Cut Server on your computer, choose Final Cut Server >
About Final Cut Server.
ÂThe model of computer you are using.
ÂThe amount of RAM installed in your computer. You can determine this by choosing
Apple menu > About This Mac.
ÂWhat other third-party hardware is connected to or installed in the computer, and
who the manufacturers are. Include hard drives, graphics cards, and so on.
To access AppleCare Support for Final Cut Server, go to:
Âhttp://www.apple.com/support/finalcutserver
There is also an item in each Final Cut Server client’s Help menu that will take you
directly to the AppleCare website.
To go to the AppleCare website from within a Final Cut Server client:
mChoose Help > Final Cut Server Support.
I
Part I: Installation
and Configuration
This part of the manual contains the information you need
to install and configure Final Cut Server for a basic system.
Chapter 1 Overview of Final Cut Server
Chapter 2 Using the Installer
Chapter 3 Configuring System Preferences
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant
Chapter 7 Backing Up Final Cut Server
Chapter 8 Installing Final Cut Server Clients
1
13
1Overview of Final Cut Server
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Servers and Clients (p. 13)
ÂBuilding a Final Cut Server System (p. 15)
ÂStorage Device Strategy (p. 16)
ÂBasic Final Cut Server Administration Tasks (p. 17)
This chapter provides a general overview of Final Cut Server, including information on
storage strategies and basic administration tasks.
About Servers and Clients
Final Cut Server is based on a client/server model. This allows many people using
Final Cut Server clients to simultaneously access the Final Cut Server catalog (which
contains all media files and information about the assets and productions
Final Cut Server is managing). Clients can lock and check out assets used in
productions (which are collections of assets and Final Cut Pro projects), preventing
others from making unexpected changes.
14 Part I Installation and Configuration
The computer used as the server for Final Cut Server needs to have Mac OS X v10.5
Leopard or Mac OS X Server v10.5 Leopard or later installed. This computer can be used
to store your assets and productions, or it can be connected to a variety of external
devices that contain the assets, such as media servers or an Apple Xsan volume.
Because the Final Cut Server client is a Java-based application, the client computers can
be of a wide variety of types. Also, depending on what the user needs to do with the
client (for example, using Final Cut Studio with a direct connection to an Xsan or only
using the client to review assets), the client computers do not have to be as powerful
as the server computer. Clients can be installed on operating systems other than
Mac OS X—Final Cut Server clients are also compatible with Windows XP and
Windows Vista operating systems.
There are two versions of Final Cut Server: one that supports up to 10 clients logged in
at one time and another that supports an unlimited number of clients logged in at the
same time. In all other ways, the two versions of Final Cut Server are identical, and this
manual applies to both.
FireWire
device
Client
1
Client
2
Client
3
Client
4
Client
5
Media server
device
Xsan
volume
Final Cut Server system
Final Cut Server computer
Clients 1, 2, and 3 do not have
direct access to the Xsan volume
and must access the Xsan indirectly
through Final Cut Server. Clients 4
and 5 do have direct access and
can take advantage of edit-in-place
performance improvements.
Chapter 1 Overview of Final Cut Server 15
I
Building a Final Cut Server System
A Final Cut Server system requires a Macintosh computer, such as an Intel-based Xserve
or a Mac Pro computer, with Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard or Mac OS X Server v10.5
Leopard Server or later installed. In general, while Leopard provides sufficient
administration tools for smaller Final Cut Server systems, Leopard Server is
recommended for most installations. This is because it has many more administration
tools and is better suited for providing for general server needs.
For the best performance, the computer used as the server should not be used for
other duties. Managing assets, particularly transcoding the assets and creating the
proxy files (low resolution versions of the original asset), can require significant
computer resources. You can, however, use the server computer for other tasks,
including using the Final Cut Studio applications, if needed. You just need to keep in
mind that the computer’s performance is affected by any Final Cut Server activity.
Additionally, you may find that configuring Spotlight to avoid searching the folders you
are using as devices can improve your performance. This is especially true for the
Proxies and Edit Proxies devices, which can have a lot of activity, causing Spotlight to
spend a lot of time trying to keep up with the changes. You can use the Spotlight pane
in System Preferences to identify which folders and volumes to make private.
The media that Final Cut Server manages requires access to a large amount of storage
space. You can use the computer’s internal and external drives as well as many
supported network devices and file formats for this purpose. Larger facilities may use
an Apple Xsan storage area network (SAN) for asset and production storage. See
“Storage Device Strategy,” next, for more information.
You can run Final Cut Server clients on the following computers and operating systems:
ÂAny computers with Mac OS X v10.4 or later installed
ÂAny computers with Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista installed
See Part I of this manual, “Installation and Configuration,” for details on installing and
setting up your Final Cut Server system. Also see the Before You Install Final Cut Server
document, located on the Final Cut Server installation disc, for details on supported
computers and operating systems.
16 Part I Installation and Configuration
Storage Device Strategy
Before you install Final Cut Server, you need to decide how you want to store your media.
About Devices
Final Cut Server uses the term devices to refer to media storage locations that you
configure Final Cut Server to use. Devices can be folders on the computer’s boot hard
disk, a second hard disk, a FireWire drive, or on a network-connected volume.
When you install Final Cut Server, several default devices are created. Once the installer
finishes, you can also configure other devices. These can include existing folders on
volumes that already contain media that you would like to include in the
Final Cut Server catalog. Using Device Setup Assistant, you can configure a scan
automation that will add a device’s existing media to the Final Cut Server catalog.
One thing to keep in mind is that using separate hard disks for some devices can be
more efficient. For example, when you upload assets to the catalog, a variety of proxy
files are created and placed in the Proxies device that the installer created. Having the
Proxies device on a different physical hard disk than the device the asset is stored on
(not just on a different partition on the same hard disk) can make the proxy
transcoding process more efficient—one hard disk can focus on reading the asset and
the other can focus on writing the proxy (as opposed to the same hard disk jumping
back and forth between reading and writing).
About RAIDs and SANs
While Final Cut Server can use a wide variety of local and network volumes as devices
for storing and working with your media, a couple of storage solutions work
particularly well with Final Cut Server.
A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) can have some advantages:
ÂIncreased performance: One of the primary limiting factors in transferring large media
files is the hard disk’s input/output speed. By splitting the data among several hard
disks, you can reduce the impact of this limitation.
ÂIncreased reliability: Hard disks have the potential to fail at any time. RAIDs can be
configured to supply protection against a hard disk failure, making it possible to
recover the media lost when a hard disk fails.
Having a fast reliable RAID connected directly to the Final Cut Server computer allows
that computer to take advantage of the RAID’s performance, but that does not benefit
the Final Cut Server clients, which must still get the video data over an Ethernet cable.
This is where a SAN can help.
Chapter 1
Overview of Final Cut Server
17
I
A storage area network (SAN) allows multiple computers to connect to a storage device
as if it was a locally connected device. This allows you to use the media on the storage
device (typically a RAID) exactly as if it was on a local hard disk.
Final Cut Server includes the ability to configure a storage device that is part of a SAN
as an edit-in-place device. Clients that are directly connected to edit-in-place devices
have the advantage of direct access to the device’s media—the clients do not need to
cache a local copy of an asset before being able to use it in a Final Cut Pro project. This
can be a huge advantage when working with large video files.
Note:
SAN-connected devices are not the only ones that can be configured as edit-in-
place devices. However, they are the most common types of devices that can support
the high performance required.
Apple has available a set of products that can be easily configured to provide these
features. These include Xserve, Xserve RAID, and Xsan. See http://www.apple.com/
xserve for more information.
See “Using the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 21 for more information on creating
the default devices using the Final Cut Server installer, Chapter 5, “Using Device Setup
Assistant,” on page 59 for information on creating devices using Final Cut Server
System Preferences, and Chapter 12, “Managing Devices,” on page 163 for information
on creating devices using the Administration window of the Final Cut Server client.
Basic Final Cut Server Administration Tasks
An administrator must configure a variety of settings in Final Cut Server before the
system can be used. Additionally, other settings need to be changed as additional
users, resources, and productions are added to your workflow. These include settings
that relate to the following tasks:
Â
Installing and setting up Final Cut Server:
See Part I of this manual, “Installation
and Configuration,” for details on installing and setting up Final Cut Server.
Â
Managing users and groups:
Final Cut Server can use either local users and groups or
groups based on Mac OS X Open Directory to validate users. You use either the
Accounts pane in System Preferences or the Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager to
add users and groups to the computer. You then import the groups into
Final Cut Server, applying a suitable permission set to each group to define its level of
access to the Final Cut Server catalog. See Chapter 4, “Adding Users and Groups,” on
page 47 and Chapter 10, “Groups and Permissions,” on page 125 for more information.
Â
Managing devices:
Final Cut Server uses devices to store all the assets and
productions in its catalog. Devices can be as simple as folders on the computer’s
internal hard disk or they can be from a wide variety of networked computers. See
Chapter 12, “Managing Devices,” on page 163 for more information.
18 Part I Installation and Configuration
ÂManaging metadata and metadata sets: A very powerful feature of Final Cut Server is
its ability to use metadata to help manage a large collection of assets and
productions. You can work with default metadata formats as well as add custom
fields and create custom groups of metadata fields. See Chapter 11, “Managing
Metadata,” on page 135 for more information.
ÂManaging watch and respond behaviors: Final Cut Server includes a variety of features
that help automate your workflow. These include the ability to set up watch folders
that have their contents automatically added to the catalog. Final Cut Server also
includes scheduling, subscription, and response features. See Chapter 14, “Managing
Automations,” on page 193 for more information.
You use four main areas to administer your Final Cut Server system. The one you use
depends on what you need to change. In some cases, you can perform the same
administration task using more than one area.
ÂAccounts pane of System Preferences: When running Final Cut Server on Leopard or
Leopard Server you can use the user and group settings that you configure here.
ÂMac OS X Server Workgroup Manager: When running Final Cut Server on
Leopard Server you can use the user and group settings that you configure here.
ÂFinal Cut Server System Preferences: These panes allow you to configure the most
common Final Cut Server settings. These panes also include several setup assistants
to make it easy to add devices and automation.
ÂFinal Cut Server Administration window: This window, accessible from a Final Cut Server
client when you are logged in as an administrator, contains extremely detailed
settings and configurations covering all aspects of Final Cut Server. You should need
to access this window only for your more complex configurations.
See Chapter 9, “General Settings and Preferences,” on page 107 for more information
about using these areas.
2
19
2Using the Installer
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Installing and Setting Up Final Cut Server (p. 19)
ÂUsing the Final Cut Server Installer (p. 21)
ÂAbout the Customer Profiles (p. 29)
ÂAbout Final Cut Server and Compressor (p. 32)
ÂUpdating Your License (p. 35)
ÂRegistering Final Cut Server (p. 37)
About Installing and Setting Up Final Cut Server
The first step in installing Final Cut Server is to use the Final Cut Server installer.
Before you use the Final Cut Server installer, be sure to familiarize yourself with the
application’s system requirements. You can read about them in the Before You Install
Final Cut Server document, located on the Final Cut Server installation disc.
Important: Final Cut Server can only be installed on a system with
Mac OS X Server v10.5 Leopard or Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard installed.
Note: The installation disc contains the files required to install Final Cut Server on either
PowerPC-based or Intel-based Macintosh computers that have Leopard or
Leopard Server installed. The installation process is identical for both.
20 Part I Installation and Configuration
You should also familiarize yourself with all of the chapters in this part (Part I) of the
Final Cut Server Setup and Administration Guide. In general, you should install and set up
Final Cut Server in the following order:
Step 1: Use the installer
This installs Final Cut Server on your system. It also configures Final Cut Server to match
the customer profile you select. This profile customizes the installation so that
Final Cut Server automatically includes the items best suited to your workflow needs
and leaves out those that are not necessary. See “About the Customer Profiles” on
page 29 for details about the customer profiles from which you can choose.
Important: Be sure you know which profile you want to use before you start the
Final Cut Server installer. You cannot change this profile selection later. However, you
can manually make changes and additions to the installed Final Cut Server application
after the installer has finished, allowing you to combine attributes from the profiles.
Step 2: Configure System Preferences
Once the Final Cut Server installer has finished, you can configure the Final Cut Server
System Preferences panes. These panes include:
ÂGeneral: This pane includes a variety of general Final Cut Server settings.
ÂPermissions: This pane is where you add Mac OS X groups to Final Cut Server. See
Chapter 4, “Adding Users and Groups,” on page 47 for more information.
ÂDevices: This pane includes an automated assistant to step you through the process
of adding devices to your Final Cut Server system. These devices include a variety of
popular file storage systems. See Chapter 12, “Managing Devices,” on page 163 for
more information.
ÂAutomations: This pane includes an automated assistant to step you through the
process of configuring watch folders and respond behaviors. See Chapter 14,
“Managing Automations,” on page 193 for more information.
See Chapter 3, “Configuring System Preferences,” on page 39 for more information
about all of the Final Cut Server System Preferences settings.
Step 3: Add users and groups
Final Cut Server uses the user and group accounts you configure in the Accounts pane
of System Preferences or in Leopard Server Workgroup Manager. You also assign each
group a permission set. By creating groups of users and applying different permission
sets to each group, you can control the level of access for the users. See Chapter 4,
“Adding Users and Groups,” on page 47 for more information.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 21
I
Step 4: Install Final Cut Server clients on other computers
Once you have configured Final Cut Server System Preferences and added users and
groups, you are ready to install the Final Cut Server client software on your users’
computers. You install the client across a network connection. See Chapter 8, “Installing
Final Cut Server Clients,” on page 99 for more information.
Using the Final Cut Server Installer
Once you are ready to install Final Cut Server, you can insert the Final Cut Server
Installation disc into the computer you are using as the server for Final Cut Server.
Note: You must install Final Cut Server directly on the computer you are using as its
server. You cannot remotely install the application onto a different computer.
Important: The Final Cut Server installer enables the computer’s web services (when
installing on Mac OS X Server v10.5) and web sharing (when installing on Mac OS X v10.5)
if they are not already enabled.
About the Final Cut Server Installation Disc
The Final Cut Server Installation disc contains:
ÂBefore You Install Final Cut Server: This document provides system requirements and
things to do before you install Final Cut Server and its accompanying content.
Important: To ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements, be sure to
read this document before you begin the installation process.
ÂFinal Cut Server installer: Double-click the Final Cut Server installer icon to begin the
installation process.
ÂDocumentation folder: The folder contains the Final Cut Server Setup and
Administration Guide (a PDF of this document) and the Final Cut Server User Manual.
Before You Install Final Cut Server
Before you install Final Cut Server, you must make sure you have the latest versions of
Leopard or Leopard Server and QuickTime installed.
Important: Even if you bought and installed Leopard or Leopard Server to use
Final Cut Server, you should still run Software Update to ensure that your computer has
the latest version.
22 Part I Installation and Configuration
To update Leopard or Leopard Server and QuickTime:
1Choose Apple menu > Software Update.
A dialog appears showing new or updated software available for your computer.
2Follow the onscreen instructions to update Leopard or Leopard Server and QuickTime
to the latest versions.
It is also a good idea to install and update Final Cut Studio and other applications if you
intend to use them on the computer you are using as your Final Cut Server server.
Did You Upgrade Your Computer from Tiger Server to Leopard Server?
When you upgrade a computer from Tiger Server to Leopard Server, Apache is not
upgraded automatically. You can verify its version and manually upgrade it if needed.
Important: You must have Apache version 2.2 installed on a computer using
Leopard Server before installing Final Cut Server. If not, you will not be able to install
any Final Cut Server clients.
Note: If you are installing Final Cut Server onto a non-server version of Leopard, you
can skip this section.
To verify and upgrade Apache on a Leopard Server computer:
1Open the Server Admin application.
2Click the disclosure triangle next to the computer’s name, look on the left side of the
window to see if an item named Web is listed, then do one of the following:
ÂIf Web is listed, skip to step 4.
ÂIf Web is not listed, go to the next step.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 23
I
3To get the Web item to appear, click the Settings icon, open the Services pane, and
select the Web item.
The Web item appears on the left side of the window.
4Select the Web item, then click the Overview icon.
The version of Apache is listed. If it is version 1.3 you need to upgrade it by clicking the
Upgrade Apache Version button. If it is 2.2, you can proceed with installing
Final Cut Server.
Click the Settings icon.
Click Services to display the
Services pane.
Select Web to configure
web services.
Click Web to configure
the web service settings. Verify the Apache version. It
should be version 2.2.
Click Upgrade Apache
Version if your current
version is 1.3.
Click the Overview icon.
24 Part I Installation and Configuration
Starting the Final Cut Server Installer
When you install Final Cut Server, it is installed and configured based on the customer
profile you choose.
Important: Refer to the Before You Install Final Cut Server document on the
Final Cut Server installation disc for a list of minimum system requirements for
Final Cut Server.
Note: Before you can install the software, you need to log in to your computer with a
computer administrator account, using an administrator password. See Mac Help for
more information.
Important: Do not remove the administrator’s user account that you use to install
Final Cut Server from the server computer. Final Cut Server requires this account to
continue to be available on the computer. To reduce the chances of this user account
being deleted (for example, due to personnel changes), you can create a local special
user account that has administration privileges to use when installing Final Cut Server.
To enter the serial number and install Final Cut Server:
1Insert the Final Cut Server installation disc into your computer’s DVD drive.
2Double-click the Install Final Cut Server icon, then follow the onscreen instructions.
3The installer performs a system requirements check to determine if Final Cut Server can
be installed. Click Continue.
4Read the Welcome information, then click Continue.
5Read the Software License Agreement, click Continue, then (if you agree) click Agree.
6Select the startup disk, then click Continue.
7In the User Information pane, enter your first and last name. Entering an organization
is optional.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 25
I
8In the Serial Number field, enter the Final Cut Server serial number printed on the
Software Serial Number label attached to the serial number sheet included in your
Final Cut Server box, then click Continue.
Following are some tips for entering your serial number correctly:
ÂMake sure you are copying the original serial number that is on the front of the serial
number sheet.
ÂMake sure you enter the software serial number, not the Support ID number.
ÂMake sure you enter a zero and not an O, a 1 and not a lowercase L, where appropriate.
ÂInclude dashes in the serial number.
ÂDon’t enter spaces before or after the serial number.
ÂVerify that you have typed the serial number correctly.
Important: After three incorrect serial number entries, the installer quits. To begin the
installation process again, return to step 2.
The Customer Profile Selection pane appears.
26 Part I Installation and Configuration
9Select one of the customer profiles, then click Continue.
See “About the Customer Profiles” on page 29 for details on the available customer
profiles.
The Settings for Profile pane appears.
10 Enter the following information, then click Continue when finished.
ÂProxy Media Location: Enter the location to store the proxy files created for the media
assets. While the proxy files are generally much smaller than the original media files,
this location contains the proxy files from all devices. Be sure to choose a location
with plenty of hard disk space.
Important: It is strongly suggested that you do not choose a location on the server
computer’s startup disk. The devices created by this setting and the Production Media
Location contain large media files and can use all of the available disk space on their
hard disk, which causes serious issues if that hard disk is also the startup disk.
See “Storage Device Strategy” on page 16 for more information on choosing
locations for both of these settings.
ÂProduction Media Location: Enter the location to store your production media. This
can be a folder on this computer or a networked device, such as an Xsan or Xserve
RAID. The installer creates the following devices based on this location: Library,
Watchers, Media, Edit Proxies, and Version.
Note: Although it is not typical or suggested, you can make the proxy and
production media locations the same place. Keep in mind that the production media
location can require a large amount of disk space. Also, you can add more locations
for the storage of media once the installer has finished.
Important: You cannot easily change the proxy and production media locations later.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 27
I
ÂOutgoing Mail Server (SMTP): Enter the outgoing email server address. You can
change this in Final Cut Server System Preferences later.
Note: If left blank, this setting defaults to “localhost,” which you can use if this
computer has Mac OS X Server v10.5 and is configured as an SMTP email server.
ÂEnable Version Control: Select this checkbox to configure Final Cut Server to
automatically enable version tracking of assets and Final Cut Pro projects uploaded
to the Final Cut Server catalog.
Important: This setting does not apply to assets and Final Cut Pro projects added to
the catalog by a scan response created with Final Cut Server System Preferences. See
“About Scan Responses” on page 200 for more information. Also see “Setting Up the
Version Device” on page 170 for more information about setting up a version device.
ÂEnable Edit Proxies: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Server automatically
generate Apple ProRes 422 codec proxy files (in addition to the normal proxy files
stored at the proxy media location) whenever a Final Cut Pro project is added as an
asset. Due to the potentially large size of the files, the Apple ProRes 422 codec files
are stored in a special device named Edit Proxies at the production media location.
In general, this option is most useful when you are working with Final Cut Pro
projects using uncompressed SD or HD content since the Apple ProRes 422 codec
can provide significantly smaller file sizes at nearly the original media quality.
You are able to change this setting in the Preferences pane of the Final Cut Pro
client’s Administration window. See “Proxies Preference Settings” on page 117 for
more information.
ÂCatalog Media device automatically: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Server
automatically configure and enable a schedule automation that includes a full and
add only scan of the Media device. If this checkbox is not selected, the schedule and
responses are not created; however, you can use Device Setup Assistant in the
Final Cut Server System Preferences or the Final Cut Pro client’s Administration
window to create these automations. See “Editing an Existing Device” on page 73 for
information on using Device Setup Assistant and Chapter 14, “Managing
Automations,” on page 193 for information on using the Administration window.
Important: If you are installing Final Cut Server as part of a recovery process where
you will restore the system from a previous backup, be sure to not select this
checkbox. This will prevent the automation from trying to scan an empty Media
device, which can lead to issues with proxies and the Final Cut Server catalog. See
Chapter 7, “Backing Up Final Cut Server,” on page 91 for more information.
28 Part I Installation and Configuration
The Standard Install pane appears.
11 Do one of the following:
ÂClick Install or Upgrade.
This automatically installs Final Cut Server on the computer’s startup disk.
Important: You may see the Upgrade option even on computers that do not have
previous versions of Final Cut Server installed. This is because the installer has
detected at least one file on your system in common with the files it installs; this is
considered normal.
ÂClick Change Install Location.
This opens a pane that allows you to choose the volume on which to install
Final Cut Server. This volume must be this computer’s startup disk.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 29
I
12 A dialog appears requiring you to authenticate yourself by typing your name and
password. Click OK when finished.
The installer displays a progress bar to indicate its status. Once the installer finishes, a
pane appears that confirms the installation was successful.
13 Click Close to close the installer.
After you have finished the installation, you are ready to begin configuring
Final Cut Server System Preferences. See Chapter 3, “Configuring System Preferences,”
on page 39 for more information.
About the Customer Profiles
During the installation process, you must select a customer profile that best describes
your intended use of Final Cut Server. These customer profiles are intended to
customize your Final Cut Server installation by adding items (metadata sets, permission
sets, and automations) you are most likely to need and eliminating those you won’t.
Important: You cannot later select a different profile; however, you can manually
customize Final Cut Server, once the installation finishes, to contain any specialized
settings you need.
30 Part I Installation and Configuration
Following is a list of the five customer profiles to choose from, including a list of the
production metadata sets used by each (see “About the Production Metadata Sets,”
next, for more information about the production metadata sets):
ÂTelevision Station: This profile is graphics and video based. It includes provisions for
format transcoding, review and approval, content delivery, and content cataloging.
The Television Station profile uses the Show, Promotion, Commercial, and Package
production metadata sets.
ÂVideo Production: This profile is video based. It includes provisions for asset
creation, review and approval, application integration, content cataloging, and
archiving. The Video Production customer profile uses the Show and Package
production metadata sets.
ÂFilm Post Production: This profile is video and still sequence based. It includes
provisions for asset creation, production creation, application integration, review and
approval, still sequence conversion, and content cataloging. The Film Post Production
customer profile uses the Trailer and Package production metadata sets.
ÂEducation: This profile is video based. It includes provisions for asset creation,
production creation, application integration, review and approval (assessment), still
sequence conversion, archiving, offlining, and content cataloging. The Education
customer profile uses the Commercial and Package production metadata sets.
ÂOther: This profile is for general cataloging. It includes provisions for asset creation,
production creation, and application integration. The Other customer profile uses the
Article, Commercial, and Package production metadata sets.
About the Production Metadata Sets
The primary difference between the customer profiles is the production metadata sets
they offer. All other aspects, such as devices, automations, permission sets, and the
asset metadata sets are identical.
There are six possible production metadata sets that the installer can create. Each
production metadata set is made up of one or more metadata groups. All of the
metadata groups are installed on all Final Cut Server systems, regardless of which
customer profile you choose. This means that you can easily create any of these
production sets and add the appropriate metadata groups to them. Additionally, you
can create your own custom production metadata sets and groups as needed. See
“Managing Metadata Sets” on page 154 for details on creating metadata sets.
Note: Many of the metadata group names are used multiple times. Be sure you match
the metadata group ID (for example, PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_RIGHTS) to ensure
you are using the correct metadata group name when attempting to match any of
these metadata sets.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 31
I
Package Production Metadata Set
The Package production metadata set is available in all five customer profiles. It
includes two metadata groups:
ÂProduction (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_PACKAGE)
ÂRights (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_RIGHTS)
Show Production Metadata Set
The Show production metadata set is available in the Television Station and Video
Production customer profiles. It includes two metadata groups:
ÂShow (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_SHOW)
ÂRights (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_RIGHTS)
Promotion Production Metadata Set
The Promotion production metadata set is used only by the Television Station
customer profile. It includes two metadata groups:
ÂPromotion (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_PROMOTION)
ÂRights (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_RIGHTS)
Commercial Production Metadata Set
The Commercial production metadata set is used by the Television Station, Education,
and Other customer profiles. It includes one metadata group:
ÂCommercial (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_COMMERCIAL)
Trailer Production Metadata Set
The Trailer production metadata set is used only by the Film Post Production customer
profile. It includes two metadata groups:
ÂTrailer (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_TRAILER)
ÂRights (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_RIGHTS)
Article Production Metadata Set
The Article production metadata set is used only by the Other customer profile. It
includes one metadata group:
ÂArticle (PA_GRP_CUST_PRODUCTION_ARTICLE)
32 Part I Installation and Configuration
About Final Cut Server and Compressor
Final Cut Server relies on Compressor for most of its transcoding needs. These include
obvious jobs like converting a video file to a format with a smaller file size that is easier
to review. However, these transcoding needs also include a variety of other jobs that
happen in the background, such as creating the clip proxy files used to preview an asset.
For this reason, it is important to make sure Final Cut Server and Compressor are
configured to work together efficiently and reliably.
The Final Cut Server installer installs Final Cut Server, Compressor, and Apple Qmaster
on the computer. Once the installation is complete, there are two approaches you can
take in preparing to use Final Cut Server with Compressor:
ÂUse the This Computer cluster: Compressor creates a cluster named This Computer
when it is installed, and by default, this is the cluster that Final Cut Server uses. For
some installations, this will be sufficient; however, there are several shortcomings to
using the This Computer cluster. See “About the This Computer Cluster,” next, for
more information.
ÂCreate a Final Cut Server-specific QuickCluster: This method requires you to use the
Apple Qmaster System Preferences pane to create a custom QuickCluster. While
involving a bit more time during the initial configuration of your Final Cut Server system,
this method greatly reduces the chances of unexpected issues causing problems later
on. See “About Creating a Custom QuickCluster” on page 33 for more information.
About the This Computer Cluster
The This Computer cluster that Compressor creates when it is installed is used by
default by Final Cut Server. There are several issues with using it that you need to be
aware of.
ÂPotential permission issues: When you install Final Cut Server, it remembers and
operates using the name of the user that was logged in when it was installed. For this
reason, it is strongly recommended that you create a local special user account that
has administration privileges to use when installing Final Cut Server. This is to reduce
the chances of this account being removed due to personnel changes later on.
The This Computer cluster operates using the name of the current user that is logged
in to the computer. This means that it is possible that there will be times when
Final Cut Server and Compressor will not have the same access permissions for a
folder or file, which could result in issues such as Compressor being unable to access
a file that Final Cut Server needs to have transcoded.
If you intend to use the This Computer cluster with Final Cut Server, it is
recommended that you always log in to the server computer using the same account
that was used when you installed Final Cut Server.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 33
I
ÂThe This Computer cluster requires you to log in: Since the This Computer cluster
operates using the name of the current user that is logged in, it cannot be used until a
user logs in. This means that if your server computer is restarted, for example, after a
power interruption, Final Cut Server will not be able to use Compressor. If you create a
custom QuickCluster, as described next, the cluster uses the name of the person who
created it, meaning that it can be used even if no one is logged in to the computer.
ÂThe This Computer name can be confusing: You actually choose the cluster to use with
Final Cut Server in the Compressor Preferences pane of the client’s Administration
window. The name of this cluster is always This Computer, no matter which computer
you are currently using to choose the cluster. The This Computer cluster always refers
to the computer Final Cut Server is installed on. See “Compressor Preference
Settings” on page 117 for more information.
About Creating a Custom QuickCluster
Creating a custom QuickCluster in Apple Qmaster avoids the issues that exist with the
This Computer cluster. Creating a QuickCluster requires you to open the Apple Qmaster
pane of System Preferences once you have completed installing Final Cut Server.
Important: Install Final Cut Server before going through this procedure.
Note: The following steps describe a simple procedure for configuring a cluster to use
with Final Cut Server. You can create much more sophisticated clusters that include
password protection and other features. See the Distributed Processing Setup document,
available from the Compressor Help menu, for more information.
34 Part I Installation and Configuration
To create a custom QuickCluster:
1Log in to the server computer using the same user account that was used to install
Final Cut Server.
Important: For this new QuickCluster to have the same permissions as Final Cut Server,
it is important that you log in as the same user that installed Final Cut Server.
2Open System Preferences, then click the Apple Qmaster icon, located in the Other
section at the bottom of the window.
The Apple Qmaster System Preferences pane appears.
3To make sure that the cluster services will only be used by this computer, select the
Managed checkboxes for Compressor and Rendering.
4Enter the name you want this cluster to use in the “Identify this QuickCluster as” field.
This is the name that will appear in the Compressor Preferences pane of the
Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. The default name is based on your
computer’s name in the Sharing pane of System Preferences.
5Click Start Sharing.
The custom QuickCluster is now available in the Compressor Preferences pane of the
Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. You can now set this QuickCluster as
the one that Final Cut Server uses.
Important: While this QuickCluster defaults to the permissions of the user that
configured it, it will change those permissions to any user that manually starts the
QuickCluster later. If you need to restart this QuickCluster, be sure to log in using the
same user account that was used to install Final Cut Server.
Select the Managed
checkboxes. Enter a new name for
this QuickCluster if
needed.
Click Start Sharing to
make this QuickCluster
available to
Final Cut Server.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 35
I
To choose the custom QuickCluster in Final Cut Server:
1In a Final Cut Server client, choose Administration from the Server pop-up menu (the
pop-up menu in the Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the
Server button) to open the Administration window.
Important: You must be logged in as a user with administrator privileges for the
Administration item to appear in the Server pop-up menu.
2Click Preferences in the column on the left to open the Preferences pane.
3Click Compressor to open the Compressor pane.
4Choose the new QuickCluster from the Compressor Cluster Name pop-up menu.
5Click the Save button to save the changes.
See “Preference Settings in the Final Cut Server Client Administration Window” on
page 115 for more information on setting Final Cut Server preferences.
Updating Your License
There are two versions of Final Cut Server available: one that supports up to 10 clients
and one that supports unlimited clients. If your situation changes, you may find that
you need to change your system from one type to the other. For example, if you
originally installed the 10 client version, you can update to the unlimited license version
by purchasing the appropriate upgrade and entering the new serial number provided
with the upgrade.
Updating your Final Cut Server license is done through Final Cut Server System Preferences
and does not involve the Final Cut Server Installation disc or using the installer.
Choose the new
QuickCluster from the
pop-up menu.
36 Part I Installation and Configuration
To update your Final Cut Server license:
1Open System Preferences on the computer with Final Cut Server installed.
2Click the Final Cut Server item in the Other section.
The Final Cut Server System Preferences pane appears.
3Select the General pane (if necessary).
4Click the lock in the lower-left corner and authenticate yourself.
5Click the Update License button.
A pane appears for you to enter your name, organization, and the new serial number.
6Enter the information and click OK.
You must click the lock
and authenticate yourself
to make changes to any
of these panes.
Click Update License to
enter a new serial number.
Chapter 2 Using the Installer 37
I
Registering Final Cut Server
Once you have installed Final Cut Server, you should register it. Registering your
Final Cut Server installation is done through Final Cut Server System Preferences.
To register your Final Cut Server installation:
1Open System Preferences on the computer with Final Cut Server installed.
2Click Final Cut Server in the Other section.
The Final Cut Server System Preferences pane appears.
3Select the General pane (if necessary).
4Click the lock in the lower-left corner and authenticate yourself.
5Click the Register button.
The Registration Information dialog opens.
6Enter your name, organization, address, and email information. By default, the Me card
information in your Address Book is automatically entered in the appropriate fields.
7If you want information about Apple news and software updates sent to your email
account, select the checkbox.
8If you want to review the Apple Privacy Policy, click Privacy Policy.
9When you have finished, click Register Now.
Final Cut Server is now registered.
You must click the lock
and authenticate yourself
to make changes to any
of these panes.
Click Register to open the
registration dialog.
3
39
3Configuring System Preferences
This chapter covers the following:
ÂIntroduction to Final Cut Server System Preferences (p. 39)
ÂGeneral Pane Settings (p. 40)
ÂGroup Permissions Pane Settings (p. 42)
ÂDevices Pane Settings (p. 43)
ÂAutomations Pane Settings (p. 44)
ÂBackup Pane Settings (p. 45)
Once you have installed Final Cut Server, you can continue its setup by configuring
Final Cut Server System Preferences.
Introduction to Final Cut Server System Preferences
After you have installed Final Cut Server, a Final Cut Server item is added to the Other
section of System Preferences. Clicking this item shows the General pane (or the last
pane that was selected) of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
Click the lock and
authenticate yourself to
make changes to any of
these panes.
Click the question mark
to view a PDF version of
this manual.
Click these buttons to
select the pane to
configure.
40 Part I Installation and Configuration
The top of the pane includes buttons to select which Final Cut Server panes to
configure. The lower-right corner includes a question mark button that opens the
onscreen version of this manual as a PDF file. The lower-left corner includes the lock
that you use to authenticate yourself. You must do this before you can make any
changes to the Final Cut Server settings.
The Final Cut Server installer configures the settings in these panes to defaults that you
may need to change. Be sure to verify these settings before opening any
Final Cut Server clients.
General Pane Settings
The General pane includes a variety of basic Final Cut Server settings.
Note: Most of these settings are also available from the client’s Administration window.
The exceptions are the Stop/Start, Update License, and Register buttons.
Chapter 3 Configuring System Preferences 41
I
Following are the General pane settings:
ÂStop/Start button: Click the Stop button to shut down Final Cut Server services. The
button changes to Start, which you can click to start Final Cut Server services.
Note: You cannot make any changes to Final Cut Server while its services are shut down.
ÂImage Sequence Video Frame Rate: Choose the frame rate to use when working with
still-image sequences.
ÂOutgoing Mail Server (SMTP): Enter the name of the outgoing SMTP server used to
send all emails. This setting is also configured during the Final Cut Server installation
process. If this was left blank during installation, this setting defaults to “localhost,”
which you can use if this computer has Mac OS X Server v10.5 and is configured as
an SMTP email server.
Final Cut Server can be configured to send email notifications for a variety of reasons,
such as a set of assets being ready for review. See “About Email Responses” on
page 209 for more information.
ÂMaximum Running Jobs: Enter the maximum number of jobs that can run
concurrently on Final Cut Server. Most facilities will set this to no more than 20 jobs.
ÂRetry Count: Enter the maximum number of times to retry a failed job.
ÂRetry Timeout: Enter the period (in seconds) to wait before retrying a failed job.
ÂCreate Support Profile: In certain support situations, AppleCare may require
information about both your computer and how this particular application is
configured. Clicking Create Support Profile creates a file that contains the necessary
information and can be emailed to AppleCare.
Note: You would not normally use this feature unless directed to by an AppleCare
representative.
ÂUpdate License: Click this button to update the Final Cut Server license information
entered during the initial installation. For example, if you are upgrading to an
unlimited client license, you can click this button to enter the new serial number.
ÂRegister: Click this button to enter your registration information.
42 Part I Installation and Configuration
Group Permissions Pane Settings
You use the Group Permissions pane to choose the Mac OS X groups that can access
Final Cut Server. You also assign permission sets to each group, allowing you to control
the areas of Final Cut Server to which each group has access.
By default, the group of “admin” is added with the default “admin” permission set. If you
have already configured local groups using the Accounts pane of System Preferences or
Leopard Server Workgroup Manager, or if this server is on an Open Directory network,
you can add groups and assign permission sets. Otherwise, see Chapter 4, “Adding
Users and Groups,” on page 47 for more information on managing Final Cut Server
users and groups.
To add a group and assign a permission set to it:
1Click the Add (+) button.
Note: If necessary, click the lock and authenticate yourself first.
A list of groups appears.
2Choose the group to add.
The group appears in the Group Permissions pane list.
3Click in the Permission Set area next to the group name in the list, and choose a
permission set to assign to the group.
See “About the Customer Profiles” on page 29 for information on the permission sets
created by the installer for the customer profile you selected. See Chapter 4, “Adding
Users and Groups,” on page 47 for information about using Workgroup Manager and
creating permission sets.
Chapter 3 Configuring System Preferences 43
I
Devices Pane Settings
Devices are storage locations where Final Cut Server can interact with assets and
productions. When you installed Final Cut Server, you entered a production media
location. By default, Final Cut Server creates three devices at that location: Library,
Watchers, and Media.
The Devices pane of System Preferences includes a Device Setup Assistant that you can
use to modify these default devices or add additional devices. See Chapter 5, “Using
Device Setup Assistant,” on page 59 for detailed information on adding and managing
additional devices.
44 Part I Installation and Configuration
Automations Pane Settings
The Automations pane allows you to create, edit, and enable watchers and subscriptions.
ÂWatchers are Final Cut Server items that you configure to monitor a device. When an
event occurs that it is watching for, such as a media file being added to the device or
removed from it, the watcher executes a response, such as copying the media file to
another location or sending an email.
ÂSubscriptions are Final Cut Server items that you configure to monitor metadata
changes. When an event occurs that the subscription is watching for, such as an asset
having its current status changed to Ready for Review, the subscription executes a
response such as sending an email to the reviewer.
There are two types of automations you can configure with the Automation pane’s
Automation Setup Assistant: a file system watcher that responds to any file changes
to a specified location and a metadata subscription that responds to specific
metadata changes.
In each case, the response of the watcher or subscription can be to copy a file to
another location, send an email to specified addresses, or archive a file.
Chapter 3 Configuring System Preferences 45
I
The installer creates default watchers and subscriptions based on the customer profile
you selected. Following are two examples:
ÂMedia to Library [Copy] watcher: This file system watcher monitors the Watchers
device’s Media folder (created by the installer) and automatically copies any new
assets in it to the Library device with no conversion.
ÂAssets Ready for Review [Email] subscription: This metadata subscription monitors all
assets in the catalog and sends an email whenever any of the assets have their
metadata changed to the Ready for Review state. This subscription (and any others
using email responses) uses the email addresses you enter or email addresses
entered as an asset’s required reviewers.
You can modify or delete the default automations or create new ones using
Automation Setup Assistant. You can control whether these automations are active or
not with their On checkboxes.
See Chapter 6, “Using Automation Setup Assistant,” on page 77 for detailed information
on editing these automations and creating new ones.
Backup Pane Settings
The Backup pane allows you to create backup files containing all of the information from
your Final Cut Server catalog, including preferences and system configuration information.
See Chapter 7, “Backing Up Final Cut Server,” on page 91 for information on using the
Backup pane.
4
47
4Adding Users and Groups
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Users and Groups (p. 47)
ÂUsing the Accounts Pane of System Preferences (p. 49)
ÂUsing Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager (p. 53)
ÂAdding Groups to Final Cut Server (p. 56)
ÂAbout the Permission Sets (p. 57)
About Users and Groups
To use Final Cut Server, you usually need to add at least one group with at least one
user. In most cases, you will create several groups, each configured with different
permissions and then add the appropriate users to each group.
The Final Cut Server installer automatically adds the computer’s Administrators group,
named “admin,” and applies the default “admin” permission set to it.
The actual creation of the groups and users can be done on a separate server
computer using Open Directory or on the computer you installed Final Cut Server on
using either the Accounts pane of System Preferences or using Mac OS X Server
Workgroup Manager (if installed on Leopard Server). In Final Cut Server, you choose the
groups to use, create permission sets, and assign the permission sets to each group.
48 Part I Installation and Configuration
Final Cut Server supports both locally created groups and users and Open
Directory-based groups and users. If you have a smaller facility, it is easiest to create one
or more local groups and local users. If you have a larger facility already using the
Mac OS X Server Open Directory architecture, Final Cut Server can easily use that as the
basis for configuring users and groups.
Important: If you use another computer as your Open Directory server, it must use
Mac OS X Server v10.5 and not Mac OS X Server v10.4.
Groups enable asset security to be controlled in several ways. You can:
ÂDefine filters restricting the assets and productions viewable by a group
ÂControl access to media on devices connected to Final Cut Server
ÂControl access to functions in the user interface
Note: A user can belong to multiple groups, each with its own permission set. The
permission set with the highest priority determines the user’s ability to access items
within Final Cut Server. See “About the Permission Sets” on page 57 for more
information.
Creating groups and users for Final Cut Server involves these steps:
Step 1: Create users in the Accounts pane of System Preferences
or in Workgroup Manager
You can either create local users or skip this step if you already have user accounts set
up using Open Directory.
Step 2: Create groups in the Accounts pane of System Preferences
or in Workgroup Manager
You need to create one or more groups using the Accounts pane of System Preferences
or Workgroup Manager. You may skip this step if suitable groups have already been
created using Open Directory.
Step 3: Add users to the groups in the Accounts pane of System Preferences
or in Workgroup Manager
Once you have created the groups, you can add users to them. You can mix local and
Open Directory users.
Step 4: Add the groups to Final Cut Server
Once the groups have been created and users added to them, you need to add the
groups to Final Cut Server.
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups 49
I
Step 5: Create custom permission sets for the groups (if necessary)
Based on the profile selected during Final Cut Server installation, your system will
already have several permission sets. These permission sets define a wide variety of
permission settings, allowing you to control access to the Final Cut Server catalog. You
can create additional permission sets if necessary. See “Adding and Managing
Permission Sets” on page 127 for more information.
Step 6: Assign permission sets to groups
Assigning permission sets to the groups is the last step in making Final Cut Server
available to your users.
This chapter covers the most common tasks in adding and configuring groups. See
Chapter 10, “Groups and Permissions,” on page 125 for details about creating
permission sets and using the client’s Administration window to manage permissions.
Using the Accounts Pane of System Preferences
The Accounts pane of System Preferences contains all that you need to create and
manage local groups and users. This method is available to Leopard and
Leopard Server users.
To open the Accounts pane of System Preferences:
1Do one of the following:
ÂChoose Apple menu > System Preferences.
ÂClick System Preferences in the Dock.
The System Preferences window opens.
Click Accounts to open
the Accounts pane.
50 Part I Installation and Configuration
2Click the Accounts button in the System category.
The Accounts pane appears.
Note: To make any changes to the Accounts pane, you must first authenticate
yourself by clicking the lock and entering the name and password of a user with
administration permissions.
Local user accounts
The account currently
logged in
Local groups
Click the Add button
to add local users
and groups.
Click the lock to
authenticate yourself.
Accounts list
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups 51
I
Creating Users
Creating local users in the Accounts pane requires you to enter the user name and
password and make a few basic choices about that user.
To create a local user account:
1Click the Add ( + ) button.
2Choose the type of account to create from the New Account pop-up menu in the
dialog that appears.
ÂAdministrator: An administrator can create and delete accounts, install software,
change system settings, and change the settings of other users.
ÂStandard: A regular user account. A standard user can only install software for the
user account, can’t make changes to locked System Preferences, and can’t create
accounts.
ÂManaged with Parental Controls: An account with limited privileges that are managed
by Parental Controls.
ÂSharing Only: Can only access files in a specified location. Cannot change files on the
computer or log in at the login window.
ÂGroup: An account that consists of selected users. See “Creating Groups and Setting
Their Membership,” next, for more information about this option.
In most cases you will create Standard accounts.
52 Part I Installation and Configuration
3Enter the name and password.
The short name is automatically created; however, you can change it in this dialog
if necessary.
Note: You cannot change the short name once the account is created.
4Set other attributes as needed.
5Click Create Account.
The new user appears in the accounts list. You can modify an existing user account by
selecting it in the accounts list.
Creating Groups and Setting Their Membership
Creating local groups in the Accounts pane requires you to enter a group name.
To create a local group account:
1Click the Add ( + ) button.
2Choose Group from the New pop-up menu in the dialog that appears.
Note: The New pop-up menu may be named New Account, depending on the type of
account created last.
3Enter the name.
4Click Create Group.
The new group appears in the accounts list. You can modify an existing group by
selecting it in the accounts list.
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups 53
I
To set the members of a group:
1Click the group’s name in the accounts list.
2Select the checkboxes of all user accounts and groups that you want to be associated
with this group.
Using Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager
Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager is located in the Applications/Server/ folder of
Leopard Server. Workgroup Manager contains all that you need to create and manage
local and Open Directory–based groups and users.
Important: This manual covers only basic Workgroup Manager workflows and assumes
you have a working knowledge of Workgroup Manager. It also assumes you have
administrator privileges. See the Mac OS X Server documentation for detailed procedures.
Select the accounts
and groups to make
members of this group.
Change this group’s
name (if necessary).
Accounts list
Click the globe to select
a directory domain.
Users button
Groups button
54 Part I Installation and Configuration
Creating Users
Creating local users in Workgroup Manager requires you to enter the user name and
password and make a few basic choices about that user.
To create a local user account:
1Click the Accounts button in the Toolbar.
2Click the globe, located below the Admin button in the Toolbar, to select the local
directory domain.
3Click the Users button, located above the accounts list.
The accounts list shows all local users already on the server.
4Click the New User button in the Toolbar.
5Enter the name and password.
6Set other attributes as needed.
7Click Save.
The new user appears in the accounts list. You can modify an existing user account by
selecting it in the accounts list.
Note: You can also create local user accounts in the Accounts pane of System Preferences.
Creating Groups
Creating local groups in Workgroup Manager requires you to enter a group name.
To create a local group account:
1Click the Accounts button in the Toolbar.
2Click the globe to select the local directory domain.
3Click the Groups button, located above the accounts list.
The accounts list shows all local groups already on the server.
4Click the New Group button in the Toolbar.
5Enter the name.
6Set other attributes as needed.
7Click Save.
The new group appears in the accounts list. You can modify an existing group by
selecting it in the accounts list.
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups 55
I
Adding Users to a Group
Once you have created user and group accounts, you can add users to the groups.
To add users to a group:
1Select the group in the accounts list.
2Click the Members button.
3Click the Add (+) button.
A drawer opens with a list of user accounts.
You can click the drawer’s globe to select a different directory domain. This makes it
possible to add both local and other users to a group.
4Do one of the following to add users from the drawer to the group’s member list:
ÂDrag a user’s name from the drawer to the group member list.
ÂDouble-click the name in the drawer.
5Click Save.
Select a group.
Click the Add button
to add members
to the group.
Click the Groups button. Click Members.
Click the globe to select
a directory domain.
56 Part I Installation and Configuration
Adding Groups to Final Cut Server
Once you have finished setting up your groups, you are ready to add the groups to
Final Cut Server.
You can add the groups using the server’s Final Cut Server System Preferences or you
can use the client’s Administration window.
Note: See “Adding Groups to Final Cut Server” on page 125 for information about using
the client’s Administration window to manage permissions. See “Adding and Managing
Permission Sets” on page 127 for more information about permission sets.
To add a group to Final Cut Server using System Preferences:
1Open System Preferences on the Final Cut Server computer.
2Click the Final Cut Server icon in the Other area.
The Final Cut Server pane appears.
3Click Group Permissions to see the group settings.
The left side lists the current Final Cut Server groups. The right side lists the permission
set assigned to each group.
4If the lock (in the lower-left corner) is closed, click it and authenticate yourself.
5Click the Add (+) button.
A list of all groups, local and Open Directory, appears.
Click the Add button to
add a group.
Chapter 4 Adding Users and Groups 57
I
6Choose the group to add from the pop-up menu that appears.
Note: If the list is long, you can type the first few letters of its name to jump to its part
of the list.
The group is added to the Group list.
7Click in the Permission Set area of the new group and choose a permission set from the
pop-up menu.
About the Permission Sets
The Final Cut Server installer automatically creates six permission sets.
Âadmin: This is the only permission set that includes access to the Final Cut Server
client’s Administration window. It provides access to all aspects of the
Final Cut Server system. It should only be assigned to groups of users that are
capable of administering all aspects of the Final Cut Server system.
Âartist, manager, and editor: These permission sets are all identical and provide access
to all aspects of the Final Cut Server system except for those that are specific to the
admin permission set.
The intention of these three permission sets is to give you a starting point for
creating specific permission sets for different groups of users. For example, you might
want to modify the artist permission set so that those users are only able to access
specific devices that contain the graphics they work on.
The added group
Click the group’s default
permission set (admin) to
choose a new permission
set.
58 Part I Installation and Configuration
Âreviewer: This permission set is unable to create, delete, catalog, or edit any of the
assets within the Final Cut Server catalog. The reviewer permission set is only able to
see assets that have a status of Approved, Ready for Review, Rejected, or Completed.
Âbrowser: This permission set is unable to create, delete, catalog, edit, edit details, or
copy any of the assets within the Final Cut Server catalog. The browser permission
set is only able to see assets that have a status of Approved.
You can create other permission sets using the Final Cut Server client’s Administration
window. See “Adding and Managing Permission Sets” on page 127 for more information.
Because a user can belong to multiple groups and each group can have a different
permission set, Final Cut Server includes the ability to set the priority level of each
permission set. The permission set with the highest priority is the one applied when
the user belongs to multiple groups.
Important: While it is normal to give permission sets with the broadest permissions the
higher priorities, it is not required.
To set the permission set priorities:
1Click Set Priorities in the Permissions pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
A pane appears showing the permission sets arranged in order of their priority, with
the highest priority permission set (usually “admin”) at the top.
2Drag the permission sets to change their order.
3Click OK to close the pane.
You can also set the priorities of the permission sets in the Administration window’s
Permission Set pane. See “Modify” on page 130 for more information.
Drag a permission set up
or down to set its priority
relative to the other
permission sets.
Click the Set Priorities
button to adjust the
permission set priorities.
5
59
5Using Device Setup Assistant
This chapter covers the following:
ÂIntroduction to Devices (p. 59)
ÂAbout Creating Devices (p. 60)
ÂAbout the Default Devices (p. 61)
ÂAdding a Device (p. 62)
ÂDevice Type Configurations (p. 68)
ÂEditing an Existing Device (p. 73)
ÂDeleting an Existing Device (p. 74)
Introduction to Devices
Devices are simply file storage locations that have been configured for Final Cut Server
to use to store and manage your assets and productions. The Final Cut Server installer
creates a number of devices, including several used for specialized functions such as
storing proxies and tracking asset versions. See “About the Default Devices” on page 61
for more information.
In addition to these default devices, you will usually need to create additional devices
based on your system configuration. For example, if you have a volume that contains
your current assets, you can create a device that scans that volume and automatically
adds its assets to the Final Cut Server catalog. (Note that this process does not change
anything on a volume you make into a device; the volume’s assets and structure are
unchanged. The Final Cut Server catalog adds entries for each of the assets and suitable
proxy files are created and stored in the Proxy device.)
Using Device Setup Assistant you can add, remove, and configure devices that
Final Cut Server can use. Devices can be as simple as a folder on the Final Cut Server
computer, an FTP server, or an Apple Xsan volume.
60 Part I Installation and Configuration
About Creating Devices
There are two methods you can use to add and modify devices within
Final Cut Server: using Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences
and using the Devices pane of the client’s Administration window.
About Creating Devices Using Device Setup Assistant
Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences is simple to use and includes
additional features, such as a scan and transcode settings configuration ability. Manually
configuring similar features would require you to use multiple Administration panes.
Device Setup Assistant also makes it much easier to install certain kinds of devices,
such as network devices and Xsan volumes, by simplifying the number of settings.
Additionally, Device Setup Assistant verifies all settings you make before allowing you
to continue to the next step. (Devices created with the Administration window are not
verified until you actually use them.)
The drawbacks of using Device Setup Assistant are that you do not have access to
some of the more esoteric settings and that you cannot configure several device types,
such as a device using a Contentbase file system or an edit-in-place device that does
not use an Xsan volume. However, you can modify a device created with Device Setup
Assistant in the Administration window, configuring the more esoteric settings.
Important: Contentbase devices do not appear in the Devices pane of Final Cut Server
System Preferences. All other devices, including those created by the installer and using
the client’s Administration window, appear in the Devices pane of Final Cut Server
System Preferences.
About Creating Devices Using the Administration Window
The Devices pane of the Administration window gives you access to more device
settings than Device Setup Assistant. Most users, however, do not require these
settings, although they can be useful in some situations. The Administration window is
the only place that you can configure devices using the Contentbase file system or
non-Xsan based edit-in-place devices.
Although you can configure network devices with the Administration window, it is
more difficult with its variety of settings.
See Chapter 12, “Managing Devices,” on page 163 for information on using the
Administration window for managing your devices. See “About Edit-in-Place Devices”
on page 172 for more information on edit-in-place devices.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 61
I
About the Default Devices
When you installed Final Cut Server, you entered a production media location. By default,
Final Cut Server creates three devices at that location: Library, Watchers, and Media.
The default Library, Watchers, and Media devices are actually just subfolders
Final Cut Server created in the production media location. Users can use these devices
as is; for example, they can add assets and productions to these devices.
The Watchers device is intended to be used for the automations created by the
installer. For example, you could add media to this folder or one of its subfolders and
an automation would notice the media and copy it to a different device, adding it to
the Final Cut Server catalog and transcoding it if needed. The default automations are
all configured to watch the folders within this device.
62 Part I Installation and Configuration
The Library and Media devices are intended to be used as general-purpose media
storage locations. The default automations are all configured to copy media to the
Library device.
Each of these devices has the following configurations:
ÂScan settings allow you to have Final Cut Server automatically check the device for
new, changed, or deleted assets at regular intervals. Only the Media device can have
scan settings configured by the installer using the “Catalog Media device
automatically” setting. See “Starting the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 24 for
more information.
ÂTranscode settings allow you to choose a format to convert an asset to when it is
uploaded or copied to the device. The Watchers device has no transcode settings
assigned to it because it is not intended to be used as a destination when uploading or
copying assets in Final Cut Server—it is intended to be the source device for upload
operations. The Library and Media devices have all of the transcode settings assigned
to them, making copying or uploading assets to those devices flexible and easy.
You can use Device Setup Assistant to modify these devices to include scan and
transcode settings. You can also use Device Setup Assistant to modify the scan and
transcode settings of these and other devices you add to Final Cut Server using Device
Setup Assistant or the client’s Administration window. See “Editing an Existing Device”
on page 73 for more information.
Adding a Device
Final Cut Server supports six types of devices when using Device Setup Assistant in
Final Cut Server System Preferences:
ÂLocal: Local devices include drives that are connected directly to the Final Cut Server
computer. These can include additional internal hard disks as well as connected
FireWire or USB drives.
ÂNetwork AFP: These are network-connected shares using the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP).
ÂNetwork SMB/CIFS: These are network-connected shares using the Server Message
Block (SMB) and Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocols. These are usually
Windows-based servers.
ÂNetwork NFS: These are network-connected shares using the Network File System
(NFS) protocol.
ÂNetwork FTP: These are network-connected shares using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
ÂXsan: These are devices that are located on an Apple Xsan storage area network.
Each device can have scan and transcode settings configured.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 63
I
Scan settings define how often Final Cut Server examines the device to see if any
content has changed. This is an optional setting.
Note: Scan settings you configure using Device Setup Assistant create one or more
schedules and one or more scan responses. These schedules and responses appear in
the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window’s Schedule and Response panes.
Important: Scan settings you configure using Device Setup Assistant apply to the
entire device—you cannot choose to only scan specific folders. You can create
schedules and scan responses with the Administration window that apply to specific
folders within a device or you can create devices using Device Setup Assistant from
those folders.
Transcode settings define the various video and audio formats that the device can use
when transcoding an asset. You must choose at least one transcode setting, although
one of the settings is No Conversion. These settings are made available when you
upload an asset to the device.
To add a device using Device Setup Assistant:
1In Final Cut Server System Preferences, click Devices.
This pane lists the current devices.
Important: If you have created devices using the client’s Administration window, they
should appear in this list (except for Contentbase devices). If any are missing, you
should quit System Preferences, then open it again to refresh the list.
2Click the lock and authenticate yourself as the administrator.
64 Part I Installation and Configuration
3Click the Add (+) button.
Device Setup Assistant starts.
4Select one of the three choices, then click Continue:
ÂLocal: Select this when you are creating a device stored on a local drive.
ÂNetwork: Select this when you are creating a device stored on a networked device.
ÂXsan: Select this when you are creating a device stored on an Xsan storage area network.
Depending on which of the above you selected, a pane appears to configure the
device. See “Device Type Configurations” on page 68 for specific details about each
device type.
5Configure the Device Type pane, then click Continue.
The Archive Device pane appears.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 65
I
6Click the Enable as an Archive Drive checkbox if you intend this device to be used as an
archive device.
Archive devices are used for long-term storage of assets and productions. They are
generally large or slow external disk drives or network connections that are connected
to the computer only when needed. When you archive an asset or production, its
media file is copied to the archive device and removed from its current device, freeing
up disk space on that device. The asset or production remains in the Final Cut Server
catalog and can be restored at a later date if necessary.
7Click Continue.
ÂIf you selected the Enable as Archive Device checkbox, the Conclusion pane appears,
as described in step 11.
ÂIf you did not select the Enable as Archive Device checkbox, the Scan Settings pane
appears.
66 Part I Installation and Configuration
8Configure the scan settings.
There are two types of scans you can configure: full and add only.
ÂFull scans examine the device for any changes, including any new, changed, or
removed files. All of these changes are then made to the Final Cut Server catalog. Full
scans are processor intensive and may require significant computer resources to run.
For that reason, they are usually set to run once a day or once a week, and usually at
an otherwise slow time, such as the default time of 12:00 AM.
ÂAdd Only scans are not as thorough as full scans, locating only new and changed files
with a created or modified date between the last time this scan ran and the current
time (it will not see new files with created or modified dates older than when the
scan last ran; for example, files that you dragged to the device from the Finder).
These changes are then made to the Final Cut Server catalog. Because add only scans
are not as processor intensive as full scans, they are configured to run often, such as
at the default frequency of every 15 minutes.
Note: Device Setup Assistant requires you to configure a full scan before you can
configure an add only scan. See “General Automation Tips” on page 195 for more
information you should be aware of when configuring scan responses.
Important: Scan responses created for a device using Device Setup Assistant will
have versioning disabled, regardless of whether version control was enabled when
you installed Final Cut Server. You can edit the response using the Final Cut Server
client’s Administration window.
9Use the Metadata Set pop-up menu to choose a metadata set to assign to assets added
to the Final Cut Server catalog by these scans.
Metadata sets, which are comprised of metadata groups and fields, define the types of
metadata you can add to an asset. You can create custom metadata sets, groups, and
fields using the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. See Chapter 11,
“Managing Metadata,” on page 135 for more information.
Important: You cannot assign a different metadata set to an asset later.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 67
I
10 Click Continue.
The Transcode Settings pane appears.
11 Select one or more transcoding settings for this device to use whenever an asset has to
be transcoded, then click Continue.
The No Conversion item is selected by default.
Note: You can manage the list of transcoding settings with the Transcode Settings
pane in the client’s Administration window. See Chapter 13, “Managing Transcode
Settings,” on page 187 for more information.
The Conclusion pane appears.
12 Verify the configuration settings for the device, then click Done to create the device.
Device Setup Assistant closes and the new device is added to the Devices pane of
Final Cut Server System Preferences.
68 Part I Installation and Configuration
Device Type Configurations
Device Setup Assistant shows different panes depending on the device type you
choose. See “Adding a Device” on page 62 for definitions of these device types.
Local Devices
Local devices include drives that are connected directly to the Final Cut Server
computer. These can include additional internal hard disks as well as connected
FireWire or USB drives. Directly connected Xserve RAIDs are especially useful.
Important: It is strongly suggested that you do not create any devices on the server
computer’s startup disk. Devices contain large media files and can use all of the
available disk space on their hard disk, which causes serious issues if that hard disk is
also the startup disk.
The pane for local devices contains the following settings:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a name for the device.
ÂLocation: Enter a location for the device. This can be a folder on any internal disk
drive or external drive connected using FireWire or USB. Click Browse to locate the
drive and folder to use as the device.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 69
I
Network Devices
There are four types of network devices you can add. The Network Device Type pane
includes a Network Protocol pop-up menu for choosing the type of network drive to use.
Important: All AFP, SMB, and FTP network devices created with Device Setup Assistant
require you to use a password. You can create these devices without passwords using
the Administration window of the Final Cut Server client.
AFP and SMB Networks
The following pane appears with Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), Server Message Block
(SMB), and Common Interface File System (CIFS) network-connected shares.
AFP and SMB/CIFS devices have the following settings:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a name for the device.
ÂNetwork Protocol: Choose the type of network connection required for this device. In
this case, choose either AFP or SMB/CIFS to match your network connection.
ÂFile Server: Enter the hostname of the server.
ÂPath: Enter the path of the server to use as the root path.
ÂUser Name: Enter your user name in this field to log in automatically to the server on
every attempted server access, such as searching and copying.
ÂPassword: Enter the password that goes with the above User Name entry. Leave this
field blank if the User Name field is blank.
Choose AFP or SMB/CIFS.
70 Part I Installation and Configuration
SMB/CIFS devices have an additional setting:
ÂWorkgroup: Enter the name of the workgroup.
NFS Networks
The following pane appears with Network File System (NFS) protocol
network-connected shares.
NFS network devices have the following settings:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a name for the device.
ÂNetwork Protocol: Choose the type of network connection required for this device. In
this case, choose NFS to match your network connection.
ÂFile Server: Enter the hostname of the server.
ÂMount Point: Enter the path that the server exports for use as the root path.
ÂSubpath: Enter a path to the folder this device is to use as its root path.
The Workgroup field
appears when you
choose the SMB/CIFS
network protocol.
Choose NFS.
Chapter 5
Using Device Setup Assistant
71
I
FTP Networks
The following pane appears with File Transfer Protocol (FTP) network-connected shares.
FTP network devices have the following settings in its pane:
Â
Device Name:
Enter a name for the device.
Â
Network Protocol:
Choose the type of network connection required for this device. In
this case, choose FTP to match your network connection.
Â
File Server:
Enter the hostname of the server.
Â
Absolute Path:
Enter the path of the server to use as the root path. If this path starts
with a forward slash ( / ), it is relative to the root folder of the server. If this path does
not start with a forward slash, it is relative to the default folder of the server the user
uses to log in (usually the user’s home folder).
Â
Use Passive FTP Mode:
Select this checkbox to use passive mode FTP transfers.
Â
User Name:
Enter your user name in this field to log in automatically to the server on
every attempted FTP server access, such as searching and copying. Leave this field
blank to display the login page on every attempted FTP server access.
Â
Password:
Enter the password that goes with the above User Name entry. Leave this
field blank if the User Name field is blank.
Choose FTP.
72 Part I Installation and Configuration
Xsan Devices
Apple Xsan storage area network (SAN) devices provide fast access to media files.
Xsan devices are automatically configured with an edit-in-place path. This allows
Final Cut Server clients with access to the same Xsan volume to have high
performance file transfers. Clients without access to the Xsan volume will experience
normal network performance for file transfers.
Important: Xsan volumes must be mounted locally on this server using the Xsan
Administrator application before it is possible to configure them as Final Cut Server
devices.
The Xsan Device Directory pane contains the following settings:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a name for the device.
ÂLocation: Enter a location for the device. Click Browse to locate the Xsan volume and
folder to use as the root of the device.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 73
I
Editing an Existing Device
You can edit the location, scan, and transcode settings of any devices that you create
with Device Setup Assistant. You can also edit the location and transcode settings and
add scan settings to devices created with the client’s Administration window.
Important: Not all device settings that are available in the client’s Administration
window are editable with Device Setup Assistant. Those unique settings are left as they
are by Device Setup Assistant.
To edit an existing device using System Preferences:
1Click Devices in the Final Cut Server pane of System Preferences.
2In the Devices pane, do one of the following:
ÂDouble-click the device you want to change.
ÂSelect the device, then click the Edit button.
Note: You must unlock System Preferences to activate the Edit button.
Important: If you have created devices using the client’s Administration window, they
should appear in the Devices pane list (except for Contentbase devices). If any are
missing, you can lock and then unlock the pane to refresh the list.
Device Setup Assistant appears, showing the Directory pane.
3Configure the Directory pane and click Continue.
The Scan Settings pane appears.
4Configure the Scan Settings pane and click Continue.
The Transcode Settings pane appears.
5Select all of the transcode settings that you would like this device to support, then click
Continue.
The Summary pane appears, showing the changes you have made.
6Click Done to apply the changes to the device.
74 Part I Installation and Configuration
Deleting an Existing Device
You can delete any of the existing devices by using the Delete button ( - ) of the
Final Cut Server System Preferences Devices pane.
Important: If you have created devices using the client’s Administration window, they
should appear in the Devices pane list (except for Contentbase devices). If any are
missing, you can lock and then unlock the pane to refresh the list.
To delete an existing device using System Preferences:
1Select the device in the Devices pane.
2Do one of the following:
ÂPress the Delete key.
ÂClick the Delete ( - ) button.
A dialog appears warning you that all pending jobs will be canceled and that this
deletion cannot be undone. Additionally, it lists how many responses and watchers are
going to be deleted in addition to the device.
3Click OK.
The device is removed from the device list.
The following are some things to keep in mind when deleting a device:
ÂDeleting a device removes it and all of its assets from the Final Cut Server catalog.
This includes removing all proxy files from the Proxy device and versions from the
Version device.
Note: If the deleted device contained many assets that were in the Final Cut Server
catalog, it might take a significant amount of time for the delete operation to finish.
You cannot continue working with System Preferences until the delete completes.
ÂDeleting a device does not affect the actual contents of the device’s volume.
ÂIf a job involving the device is in progress when you delete it, that job must be
completed before the device is actually deleted. (All other pending jobs are
canceled.) If you do not want to wait for the current job to finish, you can cancel it in
the client’s Search All Jobs window.
ÂIf you used Device Setup Assistant to add scans to a device, the schedules and
responses created for those scans are also deleted when the device is deleted.
Chapter 5 Using Device Setup Assistant 75
I
ÂIf you used the client’s Administration window to configure any schedules or
responses for a device, only the scan and copy responses that reference that device
are deleted when the device is deleted. You can use the client’s Administration
window to manually delete any schedules that were created for the deleted device.
ÂAny watchers that reference the device being deleted are also deleted. Any
responses that support the deleted watchers are not deleted, and will have to be
deleted manually using the client’s Administration window.
∏Tip: To make it easier to know which responses, watchers, and devices are related to
each other, be sure to give them all names that make it easy to identify them.
6
77
6Using Automation Setup Assistant
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Creating Automations (p. 77)
ÂAbout the Default Automations (p. 78)
ÂCreating Automations (p. 79)
ÂEditing an Existing Automation (p. 88)
ÂDeleting an Existing Automation (p. 89)
About Creating Automations
The Automations pane allows you to create, edit, and enable automated watchers
and subscriptions.
ÂWatchers are Final Cut Server items that you configure to monitor a device. When an
event occurs that it is watching for, such as when a media file is added to the device
or removed from it, the watcher executes a response such as copying the media file
to another location or sending an email.
ÂSubscriptions are Final Cut Server items that you configure to monitor metadata
changes. When an event occurs that the subscription is watching for, such as when
an asset has its current status changed to Ready for Review, the subscription
executes a response such as sending an email to the reviewer.
78 Part I Installation and Configuration
Final Cut Server provides two methods for creating automations: using Automation
Setup Assistant (described in this chapter) and using the client’s Administration window.
About Creating Automations Using Automation Setup Assistant
Automation Setup Assistant makes it easy to create the most commonly used
automations. You can also modify any of the automations you create, including the
default automations created by the Final Cut Server installer.
About Creating Automations Using the Administration Window
The Final Cut Server client’s Administration window contains a set of panes that make it
possible to create highly complex automations. The drawback of this is that it is a bit
complicated to configure simple automations.
See Chapter 14, “Managing Automations,” on page 193 for detailed information.
About the Default Automations
The installer creates default watchers based on the customer profile you selected.
Following are two examples:
ÂMedia to Library [Copy] watcher: This file system watcher monitors the Watchers
device’s Media folder (created by the installer) and automatically copies any new
assets in it to the Library device with no conversion. It also then deletes the assets
from the Watchers device’s Media folder.
These watchers are all based on subfolders in the Watchers device. The name of the
folder is listed first in the watcher’s name. Depending on the customer profile you
selected during installation, these folders can include Graphic and Media. These
watchers also apply suitable metadata sets to each folder’s assets.
All of these automations are configured to copy any media added to any of these
folders to the Library device with no transcoding of the media.
ÂAssets Ready for Review [Email] subscription: This metadata subscription monitors all
assets in the catalog and sends an email whenever any of the assets have their
metadata changed to the Ready for Review state. This subscription (and any others
using email responses that were created by the installer) uses the email addresses
you enter or email addresses entered as an asset’s required reviewers.
You can modify any of the default automations or create new ones using the
Automations pane. You can control whether these automations are active or not with
their On checkboxes (by default they are all disabled).
See “Editing an Existing Automation” on page 88 for information on editing an
automation.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 79
I
Creating Automations
There are two types of automations you can configure with Automation Setup
Assistant: a file system watcher that responds to any file changes to a specified location
and a metadata subscription that responds to specific metadata changes.
In each case, the response of the automation can be to copy a file to another location,
send an email to specified addresses, or archive a file.
To create a new automation:
1Unlock the Final Cut Server pane of System Preferences.
2Click Automations to show the Automations pane.
This pane lists the current watchers and subscriptions.
Important: If you have created watchers and subscriptions using the client’s
Administration window, they should appear in this list. If any are missing, you can lock
and then unlock the pane to refresh the list.
80 Part I Installation and Configuration
3Click the Add (+) button to open Automation Setup Assistant.
4Select either File System Watcher or Metadata Subscription, then click Continue.
A pane appears for you to set up the selected automation type. See “File System
Watcher Details” on page 82 and “Metadata Subscription Details” on page 83 for more
information about these two choices.
5Configure the selected automation type, then click Continue.
The Responses pane appears. This pane is similar for both automation types. It is what
you use to add one or more responses to the automation.
Click the Add button to choose
the response type to use.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 81
I
6Click the Add (+) button, then choose a response type to add to the automation:
ÂCopy Response: This response copies items from their current location to the location
specified in this response. You can also choose to transcode the items during the
copy. See “Copy Response Details” on page 85 for more information.
ÂEmail Response: This response emails the addresses you enter. You add the email
addresses, the subject, and the body text. There are a variety of helpful codes you
can enter to automatically include asset names and other information. See “Email
Response Details” on page 86 for more information.
ÂArchive Response: This response archives the items. Archiving copies the asset’s
primary file to the selected archive device (if any archive devices have been
configured) and removes it from its current location. See “Archive Response Details”
on page 87 for more information.
ÂDelete Response: This response is usually used with watchers that also use a copy
response. Once the copy response copies the assets from the folder that the watcher
is monitoring, the delete response removes them from the watched folder. See
“Delete Response Details” on page 88 for more information.
Note: If used, delete responses must be the last item in the Responses pane.
7Click Continue once you have added and configured all of the responses you need.
The Summary pane appears.
8Confirm that the settings are as intended, then click Done to close Automation Setup
Assistant and add the new automation to the list in the Automations pane.
82 Part I Installation and Configuration
File System Watcher Details
Configuring the settings for a file system watcher involves choosing the device to
watch, entering a specific location on that device, and optionally adding media format
extensions to specifically watch for.
See “Creating Automations” on page 79 for information on opening Automation Setup
Assistant and getting to this pane by selecting File System Watcher.
To configure a file system watcher’s details:
1Enter a name for the automation.
This is the name that will appear in the Watcher pane of the client’s Administration window.
2Choose a device from the Device pop-up menu.
3Select the Watch Subfolder checkbox if you want to specify a subfolder to be watched.
Leave this unselected if you want to scan only the root level of the device.
4Enter a subfolder location on the device to watch (if applicable).
5Optionally, click the Add (+) button to specify file types to watch for, based on
their extension.
6Click Continue to go to the Responses pane.
See “Creating Automations” on page 79 for information on the Responses pane.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 83
I
Metadata Subscription Details
Configuring the settings for a metadata subscription automation involves choosing
whether to watch assets or productions and configuring specific rules to look for.
See “Creating Automations” on page 79 for information on opening Automation Setup
Assistant and getting to this pane by selecting Metadata Subscription.
To configure a metadata subscription automation:
1Enter a name for the automation.
This is the name that will appear in the Subscription pane of the client’s
Administration window.
2Select whether to watch assets or productions.
3Configure the Metadata area to specify the metadata to watch for.
You can add multiple lines in the Metadata area to make the subscription very specific.
Click the Add (+) button to add an additional line or the Delete ( - ) button to remove a
line (when more than one line is present).
4Click Continue.
The Responses pane appears. See “Creating Automations” on page 79 for information
on the Responses pane.
84 Part I Installation and Configuration
Each line in the Metadata area contains at least two pop-up menus:
ÂThe first pop-up menu in the line chooses the metadata field to watch. In general, you
cannot add multiple lines that have the same metadata field selected. The exception
is if one of the lines has its operator (the second pop-up menu) set to Changes.
ÂThe second pop-up menu chooses the operator to use when monitoring the first
pop-up menu’s metadata field. This choice determines whether a third item appears
in the line, which can be a text entry field or a third pop-up menu.
For example, if you want the automation to watch for an asset whose status changes to
Approved, you can use two lines.
ÂChoose Status in the first line’s first pop-up menu, then choose Changes in the
second pop-up menu. This sets this automation to only activate if the Status
metadata field for an asset changes.
ÂAdd a second line and choose Status in its first pop-up menu, choose Matches in the
second pop-up menu, and then choose Approved in the third pop-up menu.
This sets this automation to only notice assets whose status changes to Approved and
to ignore any assets previously set to Approved.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 85
I
Copy Response Details
You use a copy response when you want to copy the items identified by the
automation to a different location.
The settings for a copy response are as follows:
ÂName: Enter the name of the response. This name will appear in the Responses pane
of the Administration window.
ÂDestination Device: Choose a device to copy the items to.
ÂDestination Subfolder: Click this checkbox to use the Browse button to choose a
Destination Device subfolder.
ÂTranscode source to: Choose a transcode setting to use during the copy. This list is
based on the transcode settings assigned to the device you choose.
ÂMetadata Set: Choose the metadata set to apply to the copied assets. Choose None to
have the media file copied but not added to the Final Cut Server catalog as an asset.
Metadata sets, which are comprised of metadata groups and fields, define the types
of metadata you can add to an asset. You can create custom metadata sets, groups,
and fields using the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. See Chapter 11,
“Managing Metadata,” on page 135 for more information.
Important: If the destination device already contains a file with the same name as the
one being copied, copy responses by default will not overwrite that file, and instead,
will add a numbered extension to the new file’s name. Copy responses created using
the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window can optionally be set to overwrite
an existing file with the same name. See “About Copy Responses” on page 207 for
more information.
86 Part I Installation and Configuration
Email Response Details
You use an email response when you want to send an email whenever the automation
has detected whatever it has been configured to detect.
The settings for an email response are as follows:
ÂName: Enter the name of the response. This name will appear in the Responses pane
of the Administration window.
ÂTo: Enter the email addresses to send the email to. Use a comma to separate
addresses; for example, rev1@apple.com,rev2@apple.com.
ÂFrom: Enter the email address to send the email from. This is the “reply to” address to
which the email recipient can send an email if necessary.
ÂSubject: Enter the email subject. You can enter codes to automatically add specific
information to the email’s subject.
ÂBody: Enter the email’s main text. You can enter codes to automatically add specific
information to the email.
ÂInsert Metadata Field: Choose a metadata field name from this pop-up menu to have
that field’s data added to the email. The fields are added as text in square brackets at
the insertion point’s location in this pane, with the actual field’s data being substituted
for that text when the email is actually created and sent.
For example, you can add the “Required reviewers” metadata field to the To entry (it
appears as [Required reviewers]); when the email is actually sent, all email addresses
added to the asset’s “Required reviewers” field are automatically entered in the To entry.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 87
I
Keep the following points in mind when using the Insert Metadata Field feature:
ÂYou can add metadata fields to the To, Subject, and Body entries of the email.
ÂIf the asset does not have any data for a metadata field added to the email, the email
includes the bracketed field name in the email in place of the data.
ÂYou can create custom metadata fields that appear in the Insert Metadata Field
pop-up menu—all you have to do is add them to a metadata group using the
Administration window. The metadata fields that appear in this list are those that are
part of metadata groups in the Custom Metadata category (in other words, any
groups that can be added to a metadata set). See “Metadata Fields” on page 138 for
more information.
ÂIn addition to choosing a metadata field from this pop-up menu, you can manually
type the metadata field’s name (enclosed in square brackets). Since these are
case-sensitive, be sure to exactly match the name of the metadata field.
Archive Response Details
You use an archive response when you want the identified items to be archived.
The settings for an archive response are as follows:
ÂName: Enter the name of the response. This name will appear in the Responses pane
of the Administration window.
ÂDestination Archive Device: Choose an archive device from this pop-up menu.
ÂDestination Subfolder: Click this checkbox to use the Browse button to choose a
Destination Archive Device subfolder.
88 Part I Installation and Configuration
Delete Response Details
You use a delete response when you want to remove assets from the watch folder after
they have been copied by a copy response.
There are no settings for a delete response.
Note: When used, delete responses must be the last item in the Responses pane.
Editing an Existing Automation
You can edit an existing watcher or subscription automation using Automation Setup
Assistant. This includes those created using Automation Setup Assistant and those
created using the client’s Administration window. For example, you may find that you
need to change an email address.
Important: If you have created watchers and subscriptions using the client’s
Administration window, they should appear in the Automations pane list. If any are
missing, you should quit System Preferences, then open it again to refresh the list.
Chapter 6 Using Automation Setup Assistant 89
I
To edit an existing automation:
1Authenticate yourself if necessary.
2Do one of the following:
ÂDouble-click an existing automation.
ÂSelect an automation, then click the Edit button.
The automation opens in Automation Setup Assistant, where you can make any
needed changes.
Note: You cannot change the automation type (file system watcher or metadata
subscription).
Important: When editing an automation created using the client’s Administration
window, you will not be able to edit any responses assigned to it other than email,
copy, or archive responses. However, you can remove any response, whether it is
editable or not, from the automation.
Deleting an Existing Automation
You can delete any of the existing automations by using the Delete button ( - ) of the
Final Cut Server System Preferences Automations pane.
To delete an existing automation using System Preferences:
1Select the automation in the Automations pane.
2Do one of the following:
ÂPress the Delete key.
ÂClick the Delete ( - ) button.
A dialog appears warning you that this deletion cannot be undone. Additionally, it lists
how many items are going to be deleted.
3Click OK.
The automation is removed from the device list.
90 Part I Installation and Configuration
The following are some things to keep in mind when deleting an automation:
ÂWhen you delete an automation created using Automation Setup Assistant, any
responses created for that automation by Automation Setup Assistant are also
deleted. Any responses that you created and manually added to the automation
using the client’s Administration window are not deleted.
ÂWhen you delete an automation created using the client’s Administration window,
no responses are deleted.
7
91
7Backing Up Final Cut Server
This chapter covers the following:
ÂIntroduction to Backing Up Your System (p. 91)
ÂBackup Strategies (p. 92)
ÂBacking Up Your Final Cut Server Catalog (p. 94)
ÂAbout the Backup Files (p. 95)
ÂRestoring Your Final Cut Server Catalog (p. 96)
Introduction to Backing Up Your System
Final Cut Server includes a backup feature that allows you to create a backup copy of
the Final Cut Server catalog. Being able to restore the catalog from the backup copy
can help you get your system running again should you need to reinstall
Final Cut Server.
The Backup pane makes it easy to manually or automatically make backup copies of
your Final Cut Server catalog.
Important: The backup feature only backs up the Final Cut Server catalog—it does not
back up any assets or projects stored on any of your devices.
92 Part I Installation and Configuration
Backup Strategies
A Final Cut Server system is comprised of a lot of files stored on a variety of computers
and devices. Backing up an entire Final Cut Server system can be challenging,
especially when you consider the potentially large file sizes you may have to deal with.
Backing Up Devices
Backing up assets on your devices is straightforward. You can use any current backup
system to make copies of the assets. If you back up your devices as well as your
Final Cut Server catalog, it is a good idea to back them up at the same time. This
ensures the data in the catalog’s backup will match the assets in the device backups.
It is especially important to back up your Proxies and Version devices when you back up
your Final Cut Server catalog. Both of these devices contain special assets used by
Final Cut Server and both use the Contentbase file system. A suggested backup strategy
is to back up the Final Cut Server catalog and place its backup file on the same volume
as the Proxies and Version devices. As soon as the catalog is backed up, you can then
back up it and the two devices at the same time using your normal backup procedures.
Backing Up the Final Cut Server Catalog
Backing up your Final Cut Server catalog actually entails much more than just a file or
two. For that reason, Final Cut Server includes a backup feature that automates the
backup process.
The result of backing up your Final Cut Server catalog is a .zip file that contains a
snapshot of all aspects of your Final Cut Server catalog. This snapshot includes:
ÂAll groups and their permissions
ÂAll metadata for all assets and projects
ÂAll automations, regardless of whether they were created with Automation Setup
Assistant or the client’s Administration window
ÂA list of all devices and their settings, regardless of whether they were created with
Device Setup Assistant or the client’s Administration window
ÂAll log and job history entries
ÂAll preference settings
Chapter 7 Backing Up Final Cut Server 93
I
The goal of backing up your Final Cut Server catalog is to be able to return to a
known state should there be a catastrophic failure, such as a hard disk failure.
Following is an example of the steps you could take to recover from a hard disk
failure on your server computer.
Step 1: Reinstall Mac OS X on the computer
The first step toward recovering from a hard disk failure is to reinstall the
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard or Mac OS X Server v10.5 Leopard operating system.
Step 2: Configure your groups as they were previously
Once restored, Final Cut Server will expect the same groups to be available that were in
use previously.
Step 3: Restore your Proxy and Version files
If you backed up the Proxy and Version files at the same time that you last backed up
the Final Cut Server catalog (as suggested previously), you need to restore these files.
These must appear exactly as they did when you last backed up Final Cut Server, in
exactly the same folder location relative to the hard disk’s root folder. Final Cut Server
automatically reconnects to these when its catalog is restored.
Step 4: Install Final Cut Server
You need to reinstall Final Cut Server from the original installation disc. Any settings
you configure during the installation process, such as the location for the proxy server,
are changed back to the previously backed up settings once you restore the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Important: The backup files are specific to the version of Final Cut Server being used
when the files are saved. Before you can restore a backup file, you must make sure that
the Final Cut Server version is exactly the same as when the backup file was created.
This may mean using Software Update after installing Final Cut Server from your
original installation disc.
Be sure to deselect the “Catalog Media device automatically” item in the
Final Cut Server installer’s Settings for Profile pane to ensure that no automations begin
running while you are in the process of restoring your catalog. See “Starting the
Final Cut Server Installer” on page 24 for more information.
Step 5: Restore the previous Final Cut Server catalog
Once the Final Cut Server installation is finished, you can click the Restore button in the
Backup pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences. This configures Final Cut Server to
the same state it was in during that backup process.
Note: You may need to reset network passwords for devices that require them.
94 Part I Installation and Configuration
Backing Up Your Final Cut Server Catalog
The backup feature is accessible through Final Cut Server System Preferences.
You have two options for backing up your Final Cut Server catalog: backing it up
immediately or scheduling regular backups.
To back up your Final Cut Server catalog immediately:
1Select the Backup pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
2Click the Back Up Now button.
A dialog appears in which you enter the filename and location for the backup file.
Important: It is strongly recommended that you do not choose a location for the
backup file that is on the same drive that Final Cut Server is installed on.
3Click the Back Up button.
A compressed file with a “.zip” extension is created and saved at the specified location.
Chapter 7 Backing Up Final Cut Server 95
I
To back up your Final Cut Server catalog using a schedule:
1Select the Backup pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
2Click the Add (+) button.
This adds a scheduled backup using the default settings.
3Select the backup entry in the Scheduled Backups list and configure the settings as follows:
ÂClick Browse to open a dialog to choose the location for the backup file.
Important: It is strongly recommended that you do not choose a location for the
backup files that is on the same drive that Final Cut Server is installed on.
ÂChoose either Day (the catalog is backed up every day) or Week (the catalog is
backed up once a week) from the Every pop-up menu.
ÂEnter a time in the At field.
ÂIf you chose to back up once a week, choose the day to back up on from the On
pop-up menu.
A compressed file named “Final Cut Server DB Backup on [selected folder] at [date and
time].zip” is created and saved at the specified location at the specified day and time.
Once a scheduled backup has run, the View Log button on the Backup pane becomes
available. You can click it to see a log of past scheduled backups.
About the Backup Files
Because the Final Cut Server backup files do not contain any actual media, they are
relatively small files.
It is strongly recommended that you back up the Proxies and Versions devices, along
with the Final Cut Server catalog backup file, shortly after you back up the
Final Cut Server catalog. These devices use the Contentbase file system format and rely
on Final Cut Server having an accurate catalog of their contents. Being able to restore
the devices and catalog from files created at the same time results in the
Final Cut Server catalog accurately matching up to these devices.
Note: It is also suggested that you back up the assets and projects on your other devices.
96 Part I Installation and Configuration
Restoring Your Final Cut Server Catalog
While restoring your Final Cut Server catalog is easy to do, there are a number of things
to be aware of.
About Restoring Your Catalog
Restoring the catalog can actually be a destructive process.
ÂIf you are restoring the catalog on a new Final Cut Server installation, there is no
practical existing catalog, and you can restore with no danger.
ÂIf you are restoring over an existing catalog, the existing catalog is completely
deleted before the restore begins. If the restore files turn out to not contain what you
had hoped or do not work correctly, you can end up in worse shape than when you
started. For that reason, you are strongly encouraged to back up your existing
Final Cut Server catalog prior to restoring a previous backup file.
Before You Restore Your Catalog
Restoring your catalog may not be all you need to do to get your system working
again. If you are using restore to recover from a hard disk failure, you will need to
configure a few other areas for Final Cut Server to work correctly.
Users and Groups
You need to configure your computer’s users and groups. If your users and groups are
configured on a different computer, all you need to do is ensure this computer can
access that information. The restore function will attempt to assign the permission sets
to the same groups as when the backup file was created.
If your users and groups are configured locally on this computer, you need to
reconfigure them as they were when the backup file was created. Any groups that are
not available during the restore process will not be available to use Final Cut Server
until you manually add them in Final Cut Server System Preferences.
Devices
You should configure your computer to support any internal hard disks, Xsan systems,
RAIDs, network volumes, and external drives that Final Cut Server uses for its devices. If
any of the devices are on volumes that require a password, you will have to manually
configure those passwords using Device Setup Assistant after you have restored the
Final Cut Server backup file.
Note: Be aware that, after the restore is completed, any devices that have full scan
automations configured for them will try to perform those scans at their scheduled
time. If the device is not available and configured properly, this could lead to the scan
purging assets from the catalog.
Chapter 7 Backing Up Final Cut Server 97
I
Restoring Your Catalog
Restoring your Final Cut Server catalog simply requires you to choose a backup file to
restore from.
To restore your catalog:
1Select the Backup pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
2Click the Restore button.
A file selection dialog appears.
3Select the backup file to restore from and click the Restore button.
Important: Once you click the Restore button, you cannot cancel the process.
The Final Cut Server current catalog is deleted and the catalog saved with the backup
file is added.
8
99
8Installing Final Cut Server Clients
This chapter covers the following:
ÂIntroduction to the Final Cut Server Client (p. 99)
ÂUsing Java Web Start (p. 100)
ÂAbout the Java Web Start Client Files (p. 103)
Introduction to the Final Cut Server Client
The Final Cut Server client is what users use to interact with the Final Cut Server
catalog. It also has an Administration window that provides additional
Final Cut Server system configuration controls (which are documented in Part II
of this manual, “General Administration”).
The Final Cut Server client is a Java application that can be run on Mac OS X,
Windows XP, and Windows Vista computers. You install the client using a Java Web
Start process by entering the network location of the Final Cut Server computer in a
web browser. The browser automatically downloads and installs the client.
Important: Although the Final Cut Server client can be run on both Mac OS X and
Windows computers, you may have issues with some QuickTime codecs. Several
QuickTime codecs are available in either a Mac OS X or Windows version, but not both.
This may lead to a situation where a media file is not recognized by the client’s computer
and cannot be played. For the best results, record in and encode with codecs supported
by all of the operating systems on which you plan to run Final Cut Server client.
100 Part I Installation and Configuration
Using Java Web Start
Final Cut Server clients are installed using Java Web Start.
Important: If multiple users use the computer on which you are installing the
Final Cut Server client, each user will have to install his or her own copy of the client.
Installing the Client Using Java Web Start
To use the Java Web Start method, you must enter a URL in the computer’s browser.
The URL uses the format of http://hostname/FinalCutServer, where hostname is the IP
address or name of the computer on which you installed Final Cut Server.
To install the Final Cut Server client using Java Web Start:
1Enter the URL for the Final Cut Server computer in the computer’s browser.
The browser displays a page with buttons you use to either start downloading the
Final Cut Server client or to get additional information about installing the client.
2Click the Download button to begin downloading the client.
Note: If you are unable to install the Final Cut Server client, you can click the Help
button to have the browser display a page with additional installation information.
A file named finalcutserver.jnlp is copied to your download folder or your browser’s
temporary folder, depending on your browser and its settings. See “About the Java
Web Start Client Files” on page 103 for more information. Additionally, the browser
displays a page illustrating the client installation process.
Once the download is completed, a dialog appears asking you whether you trust the
downloaded application.
Chapter 8 Installing Final Cut Server Clients 101
I
Note: Double-click the finalcutserver.jnlp file to manually open Java Web Start if it does
not automatically open.
3Click Trust to continue the client installation.
∏Tip: You can set this computer to automatically trust this certificate by clicking the
Show Certificate button, clicking the Trust Settings disclosure triangle, and choosing
Always Trust from the “When using this certificate” pop-up menu.
A dialog appears asking whether you want a desktop shortcut for the Final Cut Server
client.
Important: This installation of the Final Cut Server client can only be used by the
current user logged in to this computer. Adding the shortcut to the computer’s
Applications folder is not recommended since the shortcut will not work for other users
that log in to this computer.
102 Part I Installation and Configuration
4Do one of the following:
ÂTo create shortcuts: Click Yes. A new dialog opens for you to enter a name and
location for the shortcut. You can drag this shortcut to the Dock, making it easy to
open the Final Cut Server client the next time.
ÂTo continue the installation with no shortcuts: Click No. This means that you will have
to use your browser or double-click the finalcutserver.jnlp file that is downloaded to
open the Final Cut Server client the next time. See “About the Java Web Start Client
Files” on page 103 for more information about the finalcutserver.jnlp file.
ÂTo configure the Java Preferences window: Click Configure.
Note: The Java preferences are not normally changed and are for advanced users only.
The Final Cut Server client login window appears.
Note: If this is the first time the client has been launched on this computer, a license
agreement dialog appears. Click Agree to continue to the client login window.
5If necessary, enter the name of the computer with Final Cut Server installed in the
Server field.
In most cases, this field automatically contains this name.
6Enter your login name in the Username field.
7Enter your password in the Password field.
8Click Log In.
The Final Cut Server client opens.
See the Final Cut Server User Manual for information on using the client.
Chapter 8 Installing Final Cut Server Clients 103
I
About the Java Web Start Client Files
When you install the Final Cut Server client using the Java Web Start method, one or
two files end up on your system:
Âfinalcutserver.jnlp: This file is automatically copied to your download destination or
the browser’s temporary folder. This file then leads to the creation of the
Final Cut Server.app file.
You can double-click the finalcutserver.jnlp file to open the Final Cut Server client if
you chose not to create Final Cut Server shortcuts. If you chose to create
Final Cut Server shortcuts, you can delete this file.
Note: This file is downloaded each time you use your browser to install the client,
with a dash and a number appended to the filename if the file already exists.
Important: If your browser has a setting that disables running safe files after
downloading, you will have to manually double-click the finalcutserver.jnlp file to
install the client.
ÂFinal Cut Server.app: This is the shortcut file created by the client installer if you
chose to create the shortcut. Part of that choice was also to rename the file—your
file may have a different name. You can double-click this file to open the
Final Cut Server client. You can also drag this shortcut to the Dock to make it easier
to open the client.
Each time you open the Final Cut Server client, the server is checked to see if a newer
version of the client is available. If not, the currently downloaded client opens. If a
newer version is available, it is automatically downloaded and opened.
II
Part II: General Administration
This part of the manual covers all of the details for
customizing Final Cut Server to suit your needs.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences
Chapter 10 Groups and Permissions
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata
Chapter 12 Managing Devices
Chapter 13 Managing Transcode Settings
Chapter 14 Managing Automations
Chapter 15 About Jobs and Logs
Glossary
Index
9
107
9General Settings and Preferences
This chapter covers the following:
ÂFinal Cut Server Administration Overview (p. 107)
ÂWorking with the Administration Window (p. 113)
ÂPreference Settings in the Final Cut Server Client Administration Window (p. 115)
ÂUser-Configurable Preference Settings (p. 121)
ÂAdministrator-Only Client Functions (p. 122)
ÂAbout Unicode Support (p. 124)
Final Cut Server Administration Overview
There are three primary areas you will use to configure and administer Final Cut Server.
Important: This manual assumes you are familiar with Final Cut Server operations. See
the Final Cut Server User Manual for detailed information about using Final Cut Server.
108 Part II General Administration
Accounts Pane of System Preferences
The Accounts pane of System Preferences on the computer on which you installed
Final Cut Server can be used to manage local user accounts and groups. Once you have
added users and formed groups in the Accounts pane, you can then add the groups to
Final Cut Server and assign their permissions using either Final Cut Server System
Preferences or the client’s Administration window.
Mac OS X Server Settings
Workgroup Manager in Mac OS X Server is a place you can manage Final Cut Server
user accounts and groups. Once you have added users and formed groups with
Workgroup Manager, you can then add the groups to Final Cut Server and assign their
permissions using either Final Cut Server System Preferences or the client’s
Administration window.
See Chapter 4, “Adding Users and Groups,” on page 47 for more information.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 109
II
Final Cut Server System Preferences
Final Cut Server System Preferences is where you configure the most common
Final Cut Server settings. Several of the panes include setup assistants to help you add
devices and watchers.
Important: It is strongly recommended that you use the settings in Final Cut Server
System Preferences as much as possible for your administration tasks.
Final Cut Server System Preferences contains the following groups of settings:
ÂGeneral: The General settings include the Final Cut Server Start/Stop button and other
basic settings, most of which are duplicated in the client Administration window. See
“General Pane Settings” on page 40 for information about the General settings.
110 Part II General Administration
ÂGroup Permissions: The Group Permissions settings include the ability to choose
which Mac OS X groups Final Cut Server should use. See Chapter 4, “Adding Users
and Groups,” on page 47 for information about configuring groups.
ÂDevices: The Devices settings include the ability to add and configure devices using
Device Setup Assistant. See Chapter 5, “Using Device Setup Assistant,” on page 59 and
Chapter 12, “Managing Devices,” on page 163 for information about working with
devices.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 111
II
ÂAutomations: The Automations settings include the ability to add and configure
watch and respond behaviors using Automation Setup Assistant. See Chapter 6,
“Using Automation Setup Assistant,” on page 77 and Chapter 14, “Managing
Automations,” on page 193 for information about Final Cut Server automation.
ÂBackup: The Backup settings include the ability to add and configure automatic
backup operations for the Final Cut Server catalog. See Chapter 7, “Backing Up
Final Cut Server,” on page 91 for more information.
112 Part II General Administration
Final Cut Server Client Administration Window
The Administration window of the Final Cut Server client contains extremely detailed
settings and configurations covering all aspects of Final Cut Server. You should only
need to access this window for advanced configurations.
When you log in to a Final Cut Server client as a user with administrator privileges, an
Administration item appears in the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
Choosing the Administration item opens the Administration window. A warning
appears for you to confirm that you want to access the Administration window. Click
Continue to open the window.
See “Working with the Administration Window,” next, for more information.
Click the Server button
and choose
Administration from the
pop-up menu.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 113
II
Working with the Administration Window
The Administration window contains a variety of panes that you can use to configure
your Final Cut Server system.
The column on the left contains a list of panes you can access and configure:
ÂGroup Permissions: Click to define groups of users and security permissions.
ÂPermission Set: Click to configure permission settings.
ÂMetadata Field: Click to define metadata fields used throughout Final Cut Server.
ÂMetadata Group: Click to define groups of related metadata fields.
ÂMetadata Map: Click to maintain mappings between standard and custom
metadata fields.
ÂLookup: Click to define lists of lookup values that can be used to validate metadata fields.
ÂDevices: Click to define creation, editing, storage, or playout devices connected to
Final Cut Server.
ÂMetadata Sets: Click to define different types of metadata sets to apply to assets
and productions.
ÂTranscode Settings: Click to define media copy transcode settings and assign them
to devices.
ÂLog: Click to view Final Cut Server logs.
ÂWatcher: Click to define watch folders, used to automate the transfer of media in a facility.
Use these page view
controls when working
with long lists.
Select a pane to
configure from this list.
Most of the panes have
this Create button to add
items to the pane.
You can use the search
field and controls to list
specific items.
114 Part II General Administration
ÂSubscription: Click to define subscription rules, used to tailor the workflow in
Final Cut Server.
ÂSchedule: Click to define scheduled events.
ÂResponse: Click to define Final Cut Server responses to scheduled events,
subscriptions, and watchers.
ÂPreferences: Click to define Final Cut Server administration preference settings.
While some panes will have only a few items, others will have many items. When there
are many items, the Administration window separates them into pages and includes
buttons for navigating among them.
Most of the panes include a Create button you can use to add additional items.
The Administration window also includes a search feature.
Searching allows you to quickly find specific items in the list. You can click the
disclosure triangle to see advanced search options. These options vary depending on
the pane you are working in.
Use this pop-up menu
to choose the page of
items to jump to.
Most of the panes have
this Create button to add
items to the pane.
Use these arrow buttons
to show the next or
previous page in the list.
Advanced search options
Click this to clear the
search field.
Enter text to search for
in the current pane.
Click the disclosure
triangle to see the
advanced search options.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 115
II
Note: The user preference settings define how many items are found when you
perform a search, as well as how many items appear on each page. You can increase
these settings to show more items, which is especially useful when working with
metadata fields and groups. See “User-Configurable Preference Settings” on page 121
for more information.
Important: Some changes you make in the Administration window do not immediately
appear in the Final Cut Server client. To see the changes, you need to log out and log
back in, opening a fresh Final Cut Server client.
Note: Any items with an asterisk (*) by them are required to be configured.
Preference Settings in the Final Cut Server Client
Administration Window
The Preferences pane of the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window contains
most of the settings from the General pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences. It
also contains many additional settings.
Select Preferences to see
the Preferences pane.
Choose a set of
preferences to display in
the pane.
116 Part II General Administration
Global Preferences Settings
The Global Preferences pane contains the most common settings. Many of these are
duplicates of the settings in the General pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences.
Following are the Global Preferences pane settings:
ÂSMTP Server: Enter the name of the outgoing SMTP server used to send all emails. This
setting is also configured during the Final Cut Server installation process. If this was left
blank during installation, this setting defaults to “localhost” which you can use if this
computer has Mac OS X Server v10.5 and is configured as an SMTP email server.
Final Cut Server can be configured to send email notifications for a variety of reasons,
such as a set of assets being ready for review. See “About Email Responses” on
page 209 for more information.
ÂMax Running Jobs: Enter the maximum number of jobs that can run concurrently on
Final Cut Server. Most facilities will set this to no more than 20 jobs.
ÂRetry Count: Enter the maximum number of times to retry a failed job.
ÂRetry Timeout: Enter the period in seconds to wait before retrying a failed job.
ÂImage Sequence Video Frame Rate: Choose the frame rate to use when working with
still-image sequences.
ÂDefault Media Metadata Set: Choose the default metadata set to apply to
Final Cut Pro project media.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 117
II
Compressor Preference Settings
The Compressor pane contains a pop-up menu that allows you to choose the cluster to
use for any transcoding operations. The choices available depend on your Compressor
configuration. See the Compressor documentation, available in the Compressor Help
menu, for information on configuring clusters. Also see “About Final Cut Server and
Compressor” on page 32 for information on creating a custom QuickCluster for use
with Final Cut Server.
Note: The Compressor Cluster Password field only activates if you choose a
password-protected cluster.
Important: In the Compressor Cluster Name pop-up menu, the This Computer item
does not actually refer to the computer the Final Cut Server client is using—it refers to
the computer Final Cut Server is installed on.
Proxies Preference Settings
The Proxies pane contains pop-up menus that allow you to choose the devices that
store your normal proxies and, optionally, the Apple ProRes 422 codec proxies.
Each of these devices is actually created during the installation process. See “Starting
the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 24 for more information.
118 Part II General Administration
Following are the Proxies pane settings:
ÂProxy Device: Choose a device from the pop-up menu for the storage of normal
proxy files (Contentbase devices only).
ÂEnable Edit Proxies: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Server automatically create
Apple ProRes 422 codec proxy files (in addition to the normal proxy files) whenever
you upload a Final Cut Pro project to the Final Cut Server catalog.
In general, this option is most useful when you are working with Final Cut Pro
projects using uncompressed SD or HD content since the Apple ProRes 422 codec
can provide significantly smaller file sizes at nearly the original media quality.
Note: This setting is initially made as part of the Final Cut Server installation process.
ÂEdit Proxy Device: Choose a device from the pop-up menu for the storage of
Apple ProRes 422 codec proxy files (Contentbase devices only).
Important: If you change either of the device settings, you will need to make sure that
the original devices remain accessible or you will have to recreate the proxy files stored
on them using the Analyze feature, which can take a significant amount of time. It is
recommended that you do not change these devices unless you absolutely must. An
alternative is to move the existing Proxies or Edit Proxies device to a new location, for
example to a larger hard disk, then modify the device’s Local Directory setting in the
Devices pane of the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. See “Editing a
Device Using the Administration Window” on page 167 for more information.
Note: You can use the client’s Administration window to create Contentbase devices
in your file system suitable for edit proxy use. See “Contentbase” on page 174 for
more information.
About the Proxy Device
The default Proxy device is named Proxies and is at the location specified with the
installer’s Proxy Media Location entry.
Each time you upload an asset to the Final Cut Server catalog, a set of low-resolution
files is created. The Proxies device is where the thumbnails, poster frames, and clip
proxies are stored. These are used in place of the actual full-resolution assets whenever
lower-resolution versions are sufficient. See “Analyze Preference Settings” on page 120
for information about configuring proxy formats.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 119
II
About the Edit Proxy Device
The default Edit Proxy device is named Edit Proxies and is at the location specified with
the installer’s Production Media Location entry.
Each time you upload a Final Cut Pro project, you can have Final Cut Server create
proxies using the Apple ProRes 422 codec video format (this is controlled by the Enable
Edit Proxies checkbox). These proxy files are stored in the Edit Proxies device. When you
export or check out a Final Cut Pro project from the Final Cut Server catalog that has
Apple ProRes 422 codec files, you have the choice of downloading the original media
files or the Apple ProRes 422 codec proxy files.
Version Control Preference Settings
The Version Control pane contains settings for configuring Final Cut Server to manage
versions of assets and productions.
Following are the Version Control pane settings:
ÂControl Device: Choose a device from the pop-up menu for the storage of asset
backup versions (Contentbase devices only). The Final Cut Server installer
automatically creates a Version device, and that device is automatically selected here.
For more information, see “Setting Up the Version Device” on page 170.
ÂControl Limit: Enter the maximum number of versions that can be associated with
an asset. Once the limit is reached, the oldest versions are deleted as new versions
are added.
Important: Keep in mind that each version requires an amount of disk space similar
to that of the original version. Keeping more than a few versions may require
significant disk space, especially when working with large video files.
120 Part II General Administration
Analyze Preference Settings
The Analyze pane is where you configure the various proxy formats created when an
asset is added to the catalog.
For each item in the list, you can choose a format to use for that representation of an
asset. There are two media types: image and video clip.
Following are the Analyze pane settings:
ÂThumbnails: These are the small images that appear in the Thumbnail view of the
client’s main window.
ÂPoster Frame: These are full-resolution images that a user can export from the main
window. Poster frames are intended to be a generic file format version, such as a
JPEG version, that you can use in place of the original asset. These are especially
useful when the original asset is a proprietary format that you want to view on
computers that don’t support that format.
ÂKey-channel Poster Frame: For images only. These are identical to normal poster
frames except they contain an image’s alpha channel.
ÂClip Proxy: For video clips only. Clip proxies are low-resolution representations of the
asset that are used whenever you do not need to use the full-resolution version of
the asset. These are what are copied to your system when you preview an asset in
the client’s main window.
Final Cut Server automatically detects the aspect ratio of the video and adjusts the
clip proxy aspect ratio to match.
Note: The options you have for the clip proxy transcoding are determined by the
settings you create in Compressor. You can create additional settings in Compressor
to customize your transcoding options. See the Compressor documentation,
available from the Compressor Help menu, for more information.
ÂClip Edit Proxy: For video clips that are uploaded with a Final Cut Pro project only.
This setting provides a proxy format for use when exporting or checking out a
Final Cut Pro project. This setting is by default Apple ProRes 422 Clip Edit Proxy,
which is a medium-quality codec that supports high definition formats. See “Proxies
Preference Settings” on page 117 for more information.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 121
II
User-Configurable Preference Settings
In addition to Final Cut Server System Preferences and the Preferences pane of the
client’s Administration window, there is a third set of preferences that are intended to
be used by users to customize how Final Cut Server works for them. These preferences
only affect a user when using a particular client on a particular computer. (If the user
logs in to a client on a different computer, the user’s preference settings do not follow.)
To configure the user preference settings, do one of the following:
mChoose Final Cut Server > Preferences.
mChoose Preferences from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
The Preferences window has two sections: Searching and Local Media Storage. Once you
have finished configuring them, click the Apply Changes button to save the settings.
Searching Settings
The Searching settings allow a user to customize how the search results appear. This
can be useful if you have a large or small display.
Following are the Searching section settings:
ÂMaximum # of Search Results: Enter a value that is the maximum number of items
that appear after a search.
ÂItems Per Page: Search results are divided into pages to make viewing more efficient.
You can enter a value that defines how many items appear on each page.
ÂRemember the last search: Select this checkbox to have Final Cut Server remember
and run the last search that you performed the next time you log in.
122 Part II General Administration
Local Media Storage Settings
The Local Cache settings allow a user to choose a disk location to use for cache operations:
ÂSave cached files to: Click the Choose button to choose a location to use for storing
your caches. The default locations are /username/Library/Caches/ when running the
client on a Macintosh computer and the \username\AppData\Roaming/
com.apple.FinalCutServer/cache directory on a Windows computer. In both cases, the
cache files are located in a folder at this location with the name of the server computer.
Important: Changing the cache location will result in all current caches
becoming unavailable.
ÂMaximum Cache Size: Enter a value to define a maximum cache size.
ÂCurrent Cache Size: This shows the current size of the cache.
ÂClear Cache: Click Clear Cache to delete all caches from the cache location.
ÂSaved aliases for prepared media files: Click the Choose button to choose a location to
use for storing aliases to cache files. This location is used when you choose the
Prepare for Disconnected Use option for assets.
Note: Client computer assets that Final Cut Server manages are stored in the location
specified as the Cache Location. This location is intended to only be used by
Final Cut Server, and so it can be difficult to locate assets in it. The Prepare for
Disconnected Use option makes aliases to the assets in the cache, making it much
easier to add them to Final Cut Pro projects when you are not connected to
Final Cut Server.
ÂClear Aliases: Click Clear Aliases to delete all aliases from the alias location.
Administrator-Only Client Functions
In addition to the Administration window, there are other Final Cut Server client functions
that can only be performed by a user logged in with administration privileges.
Manually Analyze Assets
When assets are added to the Final Cut Server catalog, they are automatically analyzed.
This process extracts a variety of metadata from the asset plus it creates the asset’s
proxy files (low resolution versions of the asset).
Occasionally there may be times when you need to reanalyze an asset. For example,
you may change the settings in the Administrator window’s Analyze Preferences pane.
If the logged in user has administration privileges, the user is able to analyze an asset
from the client’s main window.
Chapter 9 General Settings and Preferences 123
II
To manually analyze an asset:
1In the client’s main window, select the asset to analyze.
2Control-click the asset, then choose Analyze from the shortcut menu.
The asset is analyzed and new proxy files are created for it.
See “Analyze Preference Settings” on page 120 for more information on the Analyze
Preferences pane.
Cancel Any Asset Checkout or Lock
When a user checks out an asset, generally only that user can check the asset back in
or cancel the checkout. Similarly, if a user manually locks an asset, only that user can
unlock it.
The exception is if the logged in user has administration privileges; in that case, the
user can override the checkout or lock if necessary.
To override a checkout or lock on an asset:
1Double-click the asset to open its detail window.
2Click the Locks button to show the Locks pane.
3Click the Cancel button.
Administrators can click
this button to clear this
lock.
Click Locks to see an
asset’s lock status.
124 Part II General Administration
About Unicode Support
Final Cut Server can store textual metadata as Unicode using UTF-8 encoding. This
means it can support a wide range of multi-byte character sets including a range of
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters. Unicode metadata can be stored, modified,
and searched through the Final Cut Server user interface.
Further, the Final Cut Server client can use the local settings of the operating system on
which it is installed. In addition to displaying Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters,
the Final Cut Server client uses local settings such as date and number formats when
displaying data.
When writing media to storage devices, Final Cut Server is constrained by the
capabilities of each device and the application programming interface (API) of each
device. At present, Final Cut Server supports Unicode characters on Filesystem and
Contentbase devices. See “Device Type Details” on page 174 for more information on
these device types.
From a technical perspective, the Final Cut Server server uses UTF-32 internally to
represent all its metadata and converts to UTF-8 when writing to the catalog, transmitting
metadata to the client user interface, or to the agents that interact with devices (where the
devices support Unicode). When talking to devices, the Final Cut Server server transcodes
files to the specified encoding format each time the files are moved to or from the device.
Encoding support for devices includes all types of Unicode, the Windows encodings, and
the common Chinese, Japanese, and Korean encodings.
Note: It is important to install the native language version of Java on any computer
that requires Unicode support in the user interface. It is also important to have
operating system support for the language and character set. Refer to Mac Help and
the Sun Java websites for further details.
10
125
10 Groups and Permissions
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Groups and Permissions (p. 125)
ÂAdding Groups to Final Cut Server (p. 125)
ÂAdding and Managing Permission Sets (p. 127)
About Groups and Permissions
To be able to use Final Cut Server, you must add at least one group with at least one
user. In most cases, you will create several groups, each configured with different
permissions, and then add the appropriate users to each group. The actual creation of
the groups and users is done using either the Accounts pane of System Preferences or
Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager. In Final Cut Server, you choose the groups to use
and assign a permission set to each of the groups.
See Chapter 4, “Adding Users and Groups,” on page 47 for details on using the
Accounts pane of System Preferences, Mac OS X Server Workgroup Manager, and using
Final Cut Server System Preferences to add groups and assign permission sets to them.
This chapter covers adding groups and assigning permission sets using the
Final Cut Server client’s Administration window. It also covers creating custom
permission sets, allowing you to exactly define each group’s access to the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Adding Groups to Final Cut Server
Once you have finished setting up your groups with Workgroup Manager, you are
ready to add the groups to Final Cut Server.
You can add the groups using the server’s Final Cut Server System Preferences or you
can use the client’s Administration window. See “Adding Groups to Final Cut Server” on
page 56 for information on using Final Cut Server System Preferences to add groups to
Final Cut Server and assigning permission sets to them.
126 Part II General Administration
To add a group to Final Cut Server using the Administration window:
1Open a Final Cut Server client and log in as a user with administrator privileges.
2Choose Administration from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
The Administration window appears.
3Click Group Permissions in the column on the left to open the Group Permissions pane.
The Group Permissions pane lists the current Final Cut Server groups and their assigned
permission set’s number.
4Click the Create button to add a new group.
The Group Permissions window appears.
Click the Server button
and choose
Administration from the
pop-up menu.
Click Group Permissions
to see the Group
Permissions pane.
Click the Create button
to add a group and set
its permissions.
Chapter 10 Groups and Permissions 127
II
5Choose the group to add using the Name pop-up menu.
6Choose a permission set from the Permission Set pop-up menu.
7Click Save Changes.
The Group Permissions window closes. To see the new group in the Group Permissions
pane, click the Search button.
Adding and Managing Permission Sets
Each group has a permission set applied to it. A permission set defines a wide variety of
permission settings, including asset and production filtering.
Important: The “admin” permission set is the only one that allows access to the client’s
Administration window. Even if you duplicate the “admin” permission set, that copy will
not have access to the Administration window.
About the Default Permission Sets
The Final Cut Server installer automatically creates six permission sets.
Âadmin: This is the only permission set that includes access to the Final Cut Server
client’s Administration window. It provides access to all aspects of the
Final Cut Server system. It should only be assigned to groups of users that are
capable of administering all aspects of the Final Cut Server system.
Âartist, manager, and editor: These permission sets are all identical and provide access
to all aspects of the Final Cut Server system except for those that are specific to the
admin permission set.
The intention of these three permission sets is to give you a starting point for
creating specific permission sets for different groups of users. For example, you might
want to modify the artist permission set so that those users are only able to access
specific devices that contain the graphics they work on.
Âreviewer: This permission set is unable to create, delete, catalog, or edit any of the
assets within the Final Cut Server catalog. The reviewer permission set is only able to
see assets that have a status of Approved, Ready for Review, Rejected, or Completed.
Âbrowser: This permission set is unable to create, delete, catalog, edit, edit details, or
copy any of the assets within the Final Cut Server catalog. The browser permission
set is only able to see assets that have a status of Approved.
128 Part II General Administration
Working with Permission Sets
Permission sets are created and configured from a Final Cut Server client’s
Administration window.
To see the existing permission sets:
1In a Final Cut Server client, choose Administration from the Server pop-up menu to
open the Administration window.
Important: You must be logged in as a user with administrator privileges for the
Administration item to appear in the Server pop-up menu.
2Click Permission Set in the column on the left to open the Permission Set pane.
A list of existing permission sets appears. By default there is one called “admin,” plus
others that the installer created based on the customer profile you selected. See “About
the Customer Profiles” on page 29 for more information.
Three columns appear:
ÂName: This is the name of the permission set. This is also the name that appears
when you are managing groups.
ÂPerm ID: This is a number that Final Cut Server assigns to permission sets, based on
the order in which they are created.
ÂPriority: This is a number that defines the priority level of the permission set. Higher
values are consulted first to set the permissions for users who are assigned to
multiple groups. For example, if a user belongs to a group with a permission set that
has a priority of 3 and a second group that has a permission set priority of 4, the
second group’s permission set (with the priority of 4) is used.
Click the Duplicate button to
add a copy of the currently
selected permission set.
Click the Create button
to add a permission set.
Click Permission Set to
see the Permission Set
pane.
Chapter 10 Groups and Permissions 129
II
To add a new permission set:
1Click the Create button.
The Permission Set window appears.
2In the column on the left, click Create, Asset Filter, and Production Filter to open and
configure their panes.
See “Permission Set Settings” on page 130 for details on the settings in these panes.
3Select the All Permissions checkbox to set this permission set to have the same
permissions as “admin,” but without access to the Administration window.
This is often the best way to create a permission set. Starting with all settings enabled
and then disabling a few specific settings can be easier than starting with a permission
set with nothing enabled and then enabling many settings.
Important: The “admin” permission set is the only one that allows access to the
Administration window.
4Click Save Changes.
5Click the Administration window’s Search button to see the new permission set in the
Permission Set pane.
In many cases, it is easier to duplicate an existing permission set and then make
changes to it as needed.
To make a duplicate of an existing permission set:
1Select the permission set that you want to copy.
2Click the Duplicate button.
3Click the Administration window’s Search button.
A new permission set, named Clone of [duplicated permission set], is added to the list.
130 Part II General Administration
To edit an existing permission set:
1Double-click an existing permission set in the Permission Set pane.
The Permission Set window appears.
2Click Metadata, Trait Permissions, and Device Permissions to configure each group
of settings.
See “Permission Set Settings,” next, for details on the settings in these panes.
3Click Save Changes.
This window closes and the permission set appears in the Permission Set pane with the
changes you made.
Permission Set Settings
There are three main areas for configuring a permission set:
ÂMetadata pane
ÂTrait Permissions pane
ÂDevice Permissions pane
Note: The Trait Permissions and Device Permissions panes are available only when you
are editing an existing permission set.
Metadata Settings
The metadata permissions include the column on the left where you can select the
type of metadata to configure.
Modify
This includes the name and priority settings.
The priority setting determines the order in which permission sets are consulted when
a user belongs to multiple groups with different permission sets. Higher values are
consulted first. For example, if a user belongs to a group with a permission set that has
a priority of 3 and a second group that has a permission set priority of 4, the second
group’s permission set (with the priority of 4) is used.
Chapter 10 Groups and Permissions 131
II
Asset Filter
Select Asset Filter to define a metadata filter applied to all asset searches performed by
members of the group. For example, you can create a filter for the Newsroom group so
that members of the group only see assets with a Completed status.
Production Filter
Select Production Filter to define a metadata filter applied to all production searches
performed by members of the group.
Click Asset Filter to
configure asset search
settings for this
permission set.
Click Production Filter to
configure production
search settings for this
permission set.
132 Part II General Administration
Trait Permissions Settings
Click the Trait Permissions button to configure access to a variety of areas within
Final Cut Server, including assets, productions, jobs, users, and so on. See “Setting Trait
and Device Permissions” on page 133 for more information.
Important: Most of the settings in the Trait Permissions pane are highly specialized and
should not be changed unless you have specific needs and are willing to spend time
testing the changes to make sure unintended side effects do not occur.
Many of the items listed in the Name column are reserved for internal use by
Final Cut Server. Changing these settings does not affect how the permission set
actually works. These include all of the items with “Tab” in their names.
The most commonly configured items are the media asset and production metadata
sets. These items all have either “(Media Asset)” or “(Production)” immediately after their
names. For example, you may want to forbid a group of users from accessing assets
that use the Graphic metadata set.
Chapter 10 Groups and Permissions 133
II
Device Permissions Settings
Click the Device Permissions button to configure a group’s ability to perform an action
on the selected device. Permissions applied to the group apply to all group members.
See “Setting Trait and Device Permissions,” next, for more information.
Setting Trait and Device Permissions
The Trait Permissions and Device Permissions panes list traits or devices in rows and
actions in columns. For each trait or device, click the cell and choose an option from
the list to define the security permission:
ÂPermit: Allow the action or actions.
ÂForbid: Deny the action or actions.
ÂInherit: For device permissions, inherits the trait permissions for that device. For trait
permissions, inherit functions the same as forbid. (Inherit is not intended to be used
for any trait permission settings.)
134 Part II General Administration
The following table lists all of the action columns and their relationships with trait and
device permissions.
Column Trait permissions Device permissions
Visible Display tabs in the user
interface, or control access to
certain types of assets or
productions.
Select device when searching.
View details View selected item details. View item details on device.
Create Create items with this trait; for
example, users, assets of type
Commercial, or productions of
type Promotion.
Create or copy items to device.
Edit details Edit selected item details. n/a
Search Search for items, in traits like All
Assets and All Productions.
Search device.
Delete Delete items. Delete items from device.
Copy from Copy items from a device to
anywhere else.
Copy items from a device to
anywhere else.
Catalogue n/a Catalog items on device as
Final Cut Server assets.
Edit hints Edit field hints. n/a
Start n/a n/a
Stop n/a n/a
Edit media Allow checking out and
locking assets.
Edit a Contentbase device’s
media items directly.
11
135
11 Managing Metadata
This chapter covers the following:
ÂIntroduction to Metadata (p. 135)
ÂMetadata Fields (p. 138)
ÂMetadata Groups (p. 143)
ÂMetadata Mapping (p. 148)
ÂMetadata Lookups (p. 151)
ÂManaging Metadata Sets (p. 154)
ÂMetadata Synchronization Policy (p. 156)
ÂUsing Metadata to Configure the User Interface (p. 158)
ÂAbout QuickTime Metadata (p. 160)
Introduction to Metadata
Metadata is the heart of Final Cut Server. Final Cut Server uses metadata for nearly all
aspects of managing assets as well as configuring many aspects of the client.
Final Cut Server automatically configures the metadata settings based on the profile
selected during the installation of Final Cut Server. However, you can customize the
metadata settings to enhance your workflows.
136 Part II General Administration
Metadata is used to describe, find, use, and repurpose content. Some of the key
challenges in managing metadata are:
ÂUsing a metadata group that makes sense for your environment
ÂMinimizing the number of times metadata needs to be entered
ÂEnsuring interoperability among different metadata standards
Final Cut Server addresses these challenges by allowing you to:
ÂCustomize metadata: You can define, group, and store different metadata for
different types of assets and productions in whatever way is most appropriate.
ÂUse whatever metadata is available on the connected devices or the supported formats:
Final Cut Server allows you to map metadata between formats like IPTC and the
custom metadata you have defined, mapping both ways. (Mapping allows you to
copy a metadata field’s entry to a different metadata field.)
Final Cut Server includes a set of standard metadata fields, groups, sets, and mappings
that can also be easily customized to specific requirements in the following ways:
ÂDefining the types of assets stored; for example, news graphics, promotions, news
items, bumpers, lower thirds, and so on.
ÂConfiguring the metadata stored for each type of asset, grouping metadata into tabs,
specifying the display order, defining mandatory fields, and providing pop-up menus
to ensure high data quality and make it easier to enter information
ÂDefining different types of productions such as promotions and commercials
ÂConfiguring the metadata for each type of production, using the same flexible
framework as assets
ÂMapping metadata between formats. Some file formats and devices support their
own metadata, such as IPTC metadata. Final Cut Server allows you to use any available
metadata by mapping it to Final Cut Server metadata fields that you have defined.
ÂCustomizing views. You can change how the metadata fields are displayed, change
the display order, and even provide hints on how you would like fields to be
displayed; for example, you can specify that a notes field should be five lines high.
Chapter 11
Managing Metadata
137
II
The relationships between the various metadata items for assets and productions are
as follows:
Each of these metadata items is configured in its own pane:
Â
Metadata Field pane:
This is where you create new metadata fields or edit existing
fields. See “Metadata Fields” on page 138 for more information.
Â
Lookup pane:
This is where you create pop-up menus that can be used by the
metadata fields. Using pop-up menus instead of text or number entry fields can
make entering metadata easier and more precise. See “Metadata Lookups” on
page 151 for more information.
Â
Metadata Group pane:
This is where you create groups of metadata fields. See
“Metadata Groups” on page 143 for more information.
Assets Productions
Metadata
maps
One metadata set is assigned
to each asset or production.
One or more metadata groups are
added to each metadata set.
One or more metadata fields are
added to each metadata group.
Each metadata field can use a
pop-up menu that contains
items of the same data type.
Data from one metadata
field can be mapped to a
different metadata field.
Production
metadata sets
Media
metadata sets
Media assets Production assets
Metadata
lookups
(pop-up menus)
Metadata
fields
Metadata
sets
Metadata
groups
138 Part II General Administration
ÂMetadata Map pane: This is where you can relate one metadata field to another,
making it easier to extract metadata information from a wide variety of formats. See
“Metadata Mapping” on page 148 for more information.
ÂMetadata Set pane: This is where you assign metadata groups to metadata sets.
When you add assets or productions to Final Cut Server, you choose a metadata set
to assign to them, which in turn applies the metadata group and its fields. See
“Managing Metadata Sets” on page 154 for more information.
Note: See “Permission Set Settings” on page 130 for information about configuring the
metadata settings for a permission set.
Important: As you use the various panes in managing your metadata, you will find
many settings, options, and listings that are intended only for internal Final Cut Server
use. Many of these are noted in the following descriptions.
In addition to using metadata to add information to your assets and productions, you
can use the same techniques to affect other areas within Final Cut Server. For example,
you can add metadata fields to the Thumbnails metadata group to control which fields
appear when you are using the Thumbnails view. See “Using Metadata to Configure the
User Interface” on page 158 for more information.
Metadata Fields
Metadata fields are the individual items of metadata stored with the media items
managed by Final Cut Server. There are two types of metadata fields:
ÂRequired metadata: Includes fields that are required to describe devices supported
by Final Cut Server as well as file format metadata such as IPTC metadata.
ÂCustom metadata: Can be configured by an administrator to any values required by
the site or installation.
Note: The same metadata fields can be used in multiple metadata groups.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 139
II
The Metadata Field pane of the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window lists the
existing metadata fields.
The Metadata Field pane shows the following columns:
ÂName: This is the name entered when the metadata field was created.
ÂField ID: This is the automatically generated field name. It is for internal use only.
ÂCategory: This is the automatically assigned metadata field’s family. All metadata
fields you create are in the Custom Metadata family.
Note: This column is not related to the metadata field’s Category setting.
ÂDescription: This is the description entered when the metadata field was created.
ÂData Type: This is the data type selected when the metadata field was created. The
data type defines the kind of data that can be entered in a metadata field (such as a
date, a timecode number, or a text string).
Note: You cannot change the data type once it has been set.
Click the Create button
to add a new field.
Click Metadata Field
to see the Metadata
Field pane.
140 Part II General Administration
Adding or Editing Metadata Fields
You can add or edit custom metadata fields.
To add a custom metadata field:
1Click the Create button in the Metadata Field pane of the client’s Administration window.
The Metadata Field window appears.
2Configure the settings for the metadata field.
See “Settings for Metadata Fields” on page 141 for more information on the settings.
3Click Save Changes to save the custom metadata field.
The new metadata field appears in the Metadata Field pane.
You can also open the Metadata Field window and edit existing metadata fields.
Note: You are not allowed to edit the required metadata fields. In general, you can edit
only those fields with the Custom Metadata category in the Metadata Field pane
(although even some of them are not editable).
To edit an existing metadata field:
1Double-click the metadata field in the Metadata Field pane.
The Metadata Field window appears, showing the settings for that field.
2Make any necessary changes and click Save Changes.
The Metadata Field window closes.
See “Settings for Metadata Fields,” next, for more information on the settings.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 141
II
Settings for Metadata Fields
Each metadata field has a variety of settings. The actual settings a field has are affected
by the Data Type setting. The settings are listed below as the common settings (those
that are available in all metadata fields) and specialized settings (those that are
available only for certain data types).
The Metadata Field window contains the following settings.
Common Settings
The following settings apply to all metadata fields:
ÂName: Enter the name of the metadata field.
ÂData Type: Choose the type of field from the pop-up menu. The list of settings you can
configure for a metadata field varies based on the data type you choose. See “Data
Types for Metadata Fields” on page 143 for more information about the data types.
Note: You can only set the data type when you are creating a new metadata field.
Additionally, if you intend to use a lookup (pop-up menu) with the field, you must
use the same data type in both the lookup and the metadata field.
ÂDescription: Enter a more detailed description of the metadata field.
142 Part II General Administration
ÂCategory: Choose the category of the field from the pop-up menu. Choices include:
ÂNone
ÂName
ÂDate
ÂNumber
ÂFilename
ÂFilesize
ÂTypeSelect
ÂOrder Attach
ÂRestriction
The None setting is used for almost all custom metadata, with the remaining settings
reserved for internal use.
ÂSuffix: Enter any suffix that should be displayed after the field. For example, you
could enter “per hour.”
ÂDisplay hints: Enter a width value (in pixels) that defines how wide this field should be.
Specialized Settings
The following settings apply only to certain data types.
ÂDefault Value: Enter an optional default value for the field. Depending on the data
type, this can be a checkbox or a specialized value entry such as a date, a timecode
value, or even two values.
ÂLookup Values: Choose a lookup from this list to display the metadata field as a
pop-up menu with a set of values. Only the lookups with the same data type are
displayed. See “Metadata Lookups” on page 151 for details on creating lookups.
ÂDate Only: This is a checkbox that forces only dates to be entered.
ÂScale Numbers: This is a checkbox that scales numbers to three digits (999 maximum)
with the appropriate suffix. For example, 1000 becomes 1K.
ÂDon’t Format Numbers: This is a checkbox that forces the metadata field to use raw
numbers without formatting, such as commas separating groups of thousands.
ÂMultiline: This is a checkbox that allows multiple lines of text to be entered in the
metadata field.
ÂHide Field Lookup in Filter: This is a checkbox that suppresses the lookup value when
it is displayed in a list. It is actually most often set when setting field properties
within a metadata group, since you generally do not want it hidden for all usages.
See “Field Properties” on page 148 for more information.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 143
II
Data Types for Metadata Fields
Following is a list of the available data types. The data type defines the type of
metadata information (for example, text, numbers only, or a date) that a user can enter
in a metadata field.
For almost all metadata fields you create, you should use the Unicode String data type
because it provides good flexibility as well as compatibility with a wide variety of
multi-byte languages.
ÂBoolean: A true or false value
ÂDate: A date/time field
ÂFloating Point Number: A floating-point number
ÂInteger: An integer field that supports up to 32-bit numbers
ÂLarge Integer: An integer field that supports up to 64-bit numbers (not normally
required for custom metadata)
ÂTimecode: A video timecode value, in the format hh:mm:ss:ff
ÂUnicode String: An alphanumeric Unicode string
Metadata Groups
Metadata groups provide a way to organize related metadata fields. Most information
displayed in Final Cut Server is based on a metadata group; for example:
ÂMetadata fields displayed in an asset or production must be part of a group, and
that metadata group must be part of the metadata set that you applied to that
asset or production.
ÂAll information displayed in Thumbnails or List view search results is defined by
metadata groups. Metadata groups also define all of the advanced search options.
The contents of many of these groups can be configured. For example, to display the
mime type of each asset in the Thumbnails view, add the Mime Type field to the
Thumbnails metadata group that applies to assets.
Some groups are required for internal Final Cut Server functions and cannot be edited.
However, many of the settings within a group are editable, so you can define the look
of the group.
144 Part II General Administration
The following screen shot shows the Metadata Group pane.
The Metadata Group pane shows the following columns:
ÂName: This shows the name of the metadata group.
ÂMetadata Group ID: This is an automatically generated name for the group. This is for
internal use only.
ÂCategory: This is the automatically assigned metadata group’s family. All metadata
groups you create are in the Custom Metadata family.
Click the Create button
to add a new group.
Click Metadata Group
to see the Metadata
Group pane.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 145
II
Adding or Editing Metadata Groups
You can add or edit custom metadata groups.
To add a custom metadata group:
1In the Metadata Group pane of the Administration window, click the Create button.
The Metadata Group window appears.
2Configure the settings for the metadata group.
See “Settings for Metadata Groups” on page 146 for more information on the settings.
3Click Save Changes to save the custom metadata group.
The new metadata group appears in the Metadata Group pane.
You can also open the Metadata Group window and edit existing metadata groups.
Note: You are not allowed to edit the required metadata groups.
To edit an existing metadata group:
1Double-click the metadata group in the Metadata Group pane.
The Metadata Group window appears, showing the settings for that group.
2Make any necessary changes and click Save Changes.
The Metadata Group window closes.
See “Settings for Metadata Groups,” next, for more information on the settings.
146 Part II General Administration
Settings for Metadata Groups
Each metadata group has a variety of settings in addition to having metadata fields
that you assign to the group.
The Metadata Group window contains the following settings:
ÂCategory: An automatically generated category for the group. This appears only if
you are editing an existing metadata group.
ÂMetadata Group ID: An automatically generated name for the group. This appears
only if you are editing an existing metadata group and is for internal use only.
ÂName: Enter the name of the group. This name is displayed as the title of the button
on which the metadata is displayed.
ÂFields: You choose the metadata fields that this group contains.
ÂSelected: Lists the metadata fields in the group.
ÂAvailable: Lists the metadata fields available to the group. The available fields depend
on the category of the group; in most cases, these are custom metadata fields.
Use the Add and Remove buttons to change the fields in the group. Use the Up and
Down buttons to change the order in which the fields are displayed in the group.
If you click a field in the Selected list, additional options appear. See “Field Properties”
on page 148 for more information.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 147
II
ÂActions: This lists the actions for which the metadata group will be used. For example,
add the Create action to this metadata group if you want this group’s metadata fields
to be available when creating a new asset. (This requires that this metadata group be
part of the metadata set you assign to the asset you are creating.)
ÂSelected: Lists the actions for which this group will be used.
ÂAvailable: Lists the available actions.
Use the Add and Remove buttons to change the actions.
New groups normally use the View Details, Edit Details, and Create actions. These
ensure this metadata group’s fields are available when creating a new asset and
when viewing an asset’s details.
Important: Be careful making action changes to other metadata groups. Many of these
groups are used internally by Final Cut Server and may cause serious issues if altered.
ÂMetadata Sets: This assigns this metadata group to a metadata set. You must assign a
metadata group to a metadata set to access the group’s metadata fields when
creating or viewing the details of an asset to which the metadata set is assigned.
ÂSelected: Lists the metadata sets to which this group is assigned.
ÂAvailable: Lists the available metadata sets.
Use the Add and Remove buttons to change the metadata set assignments.
Note: You can also assign a group to a metadata set in the Metadata Set window.
See “Settings for Metadata Sets” on page 156 for more information.
ÂDisplay Priority: Enter the order in which groups are displayed when part of a
metadata set. Smaller numbers appear above larger numbers. The range is normally
from 1 to 5 with 1 appearing first.
ÂDisplay hints: The following settings control how this group is displayed in
Final Cut Server. Display hints can also be entered for metadata fields.
ÂShow Thumbnail: Select this checkbox to display the thumbnails with the group. This
is used for list views and edit views (for example, when viewing an asset’s details).
ÂTable View: Select this checkbox to display the group’s fields in a table. Most of the
groups used for listing content in the Final Cut Server Administration window use
a table display.
ÂHide Field Labels: Select this checkbox to hide the field labels when displaying a
group; for example, with Thumbnails views.
ÂArrange Vertically: Select this checkbox to arrange fields in the group vertically
rather than using a best fit algorithm; for example, with Thumbnails views.
148 Part II General Administration
Field Properties
For each metadata field in the group, you can override the field’s data type properties.
Click a metadata field in the Selected list to see its properties.
Note: You cannot change the data type assigned to the metadata field, only its settings.
The actual properties that appear vary depending on the metadata field’s data type.
The following two settings always appear:
ÂMandatory: Select this checkbox to indicate that this field must be filled in when
used with this group.
ÂEditable: Select this checkbox to allow this field’s data type settings, shown below
this checkbox, to be edited when used with this group.
See “Specialized Settings” on page 142 for information about any other settings that
appear.
Metadata Mapping
Metadata mapping simplifies your workflow by copying metadata from one metadata
field to another. For example, if you import a set of still images with IPTC metadata
fields, you can map the data in one or more of those fields to one or more of your
custom metadata fields. Metadata mapping is used to translate metadata between
Final Cut Server and devices, file formats, and embedded metadata.
Click a metadata field
to open the Field
Properties section.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 149
II
Many standard metadata mappings are included with Final Cut Server. Additional
mappings or changes can be defined using the Metadata Map pane.
The Metadata Map pane includes the following columns:
ÂFrom Field: Shows the metadata field being mapped from.
ÂTo Field: Shows the metadata field being mapped to.
ÂPriority: Shows the mapping priority with a range that normally goes from 1 to 3.
This is used to resolve conflicts where more than one field maps to the same
destination, in which case the larger number has a higher priority, with 1 having the
lowest priority.
Adding or Editing Metadata Maps
You can add or edit custom metadata maps.
To add a custom metadata map:
1In the Metadata Map pane of the Administration window, click the Create button.
The Metadata Map window appears.
2Configure the settings for the metadata map.
See the next section, “Settings for Metadata Maps,” for more information on the settings.
Click the Create button
to add a new
metadata map.
150 Part II General Administration
3Click Save Changes to save the custom metadata map.
The new metadata map appears in the Metadata Map pane.
You can also open the Metadata Map window and edit existing metadata maps.
Note: You are not allowed to edit the required metadata maps.
To edit an existing metadata map:
1Double-click the metadata map in the Metadata Map pane.
The Metadata Map window appears, showing the settings for that map.
2Make any necessary changes and click Save Changes.
The Metadata Map window closes.
See “Settings for Metadata Maps,” next, for more information on the settings.
Settings for Metadata Maps
The Metadata Map window provides the controls to edit an existing metadata map or
to define a new metadata map.
The Metadata Map window contains the following settings:
ÂFrom Field: From the list of all metadata fields, choose the field to map from.
ÂTo Field: From the list of all metadata fields, choose the field to map to.
ÂPriority: Enter the mapping priority. The range normally goes from 1 to 3. This is used
to resolve conflicts where more than one field maps to the same destination, in
which case the larger number has a higher priority, with 1 having the lowest priority.
ÂTwo-way map: Select the checkbox to create two mirror-image maps. This effectively
creates a second metadata map with the from and to metadata fields swapped.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 151
II
Metadata Lookups
Lookups are pop-up menus with lists of values that a user uses to enter a metadata
field’s data. Examples include:
ÂA list of categories
ÂA list of productions
ÂA list of priorities
The values depend on the data type and can include text, dates, numbers, or timecode
values. The following chart shows a few examples:
Many standard metadata lookups are included with Final Cut Server. Additional
lookups can be defined using the Lookup pane.
Lookup name Data type Name entry Value entry
Audio Sample Rate Integer 32 kHz
44.1 kHz
32,000
44,100
Order Open Boolean Open
Closed
True
False
Calendar Year Date Year Start
Year End
1/1/2008 00:00
12/31/2008 23:59
Slate Timecode Slate In
Slate Out
00:00:25.00
00:00:26.10
Email List Unicode String Editor 1
Review Group
edit1@company.com
revgrp@company.com
Click the Create button
to add a new lookup.
152 Part II General Administration
The Lookup pane contains the following columns:
ÂName: The name of the lookup, as entered when it was created
ÂLookup ID: An automatically generated name for the lookup that is for internal use only
ÂData Type: The data type chosen for the lookup
Note: The data type of the lookup must match the data type of the metadata field
you want to use it with.
Adding or Editing Lookups
You can add or edit custom lookups.
To add a custom lookup:
1In the Lookup pane of the Administration window, click the Create button.
The Lookup window appears.
2Configure the settings for the lookup.
See the next section, “Settings for Lookups,” for more information on the settings.
3Click Save Changes to save the custom lookup.
The new lookup appears in the Lookup pane.
You can also open the Lookup window and edit existing lookups.
Note: You are not allowed to edit many of the provided lookups.
To edit an existing lookup:
1Double-click the metadata lookup in the Lookup pane.
The Lookup window appears, showing the settings for that lookup.
2Make any necessary changes and click Save Changes.
The Lookup window closes.
See “Settings for Lookups,” next, for more information on the settings.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 153
II
Settings for Lookups
The Lookup window provides controls to edit an existing lookup or to define a new lookup.
The Lookup window contains the following settings:
ÂName: Enter the name of the lookup.
ÂData Type: Choose the type of lookup from the pop-up menu. The type of lookup
values you can add to a lookup varies based on the data type you choose. See “Data
Types for Lookups,” next, for more information about the data types.
ÂOptions: Enter the name and corresponding value for each lookup value.
ÂName: The name of the element; for example, 32 kHz. This is what the user sees in
the pop-up menu when entering metadata.
ÂValue: The value of the element; for example, 32,000. This is the metadata value
that is stored and used for searches. For text fields (using the Unicode String data
type), you will usually want this to be the same as the name.
Click the Add button to add the name/value pair to the lookups, or click a name/
value pair and click the Remove button to remove the name/value pair.
Data Types for Lookups
The data type you choose defines the type of values you can enter in a lookup list. The
data type list is the same list as used when creating a metadata field. Following is a list
of available data types:
ÂBoolean: A true or false value. This data type usually has only two items in its list: one true
(with the Value checkbox selected) and one false (with the Value checkbox not selected).
For example, you could enter Order Status Open as the name with the Value checkbox
selected and Order Status Closed as the name with the Value checkbox not selected.
ÂDate: A date/time field
ÂFloating Point Number: A floating-point number
ÂInteger: An integer field that supports up to 32-bit numbers
ÂLarge Integer: An integer field that supports up to 64-bit numbers (not normally
required for custom metadata)
ÂTimecode: A video timecode value in the format hh:mm:ss:ff
ÂUnicode String: An alphanumeric Unicode string
154 Part II General Administration
Managing Metadata Sets
There are different types of assets and productions you use with Final Cut Server.
Metadata sets (which contain one or more metadata groups, each with its own
metadata fields) allow you to assign different metadata groups to each type of asset or
production. For example, you may want to store different metadata for still graphics
than you would for HD video files, or for promotions and commercials.
Important: When assets are added to the Final Cut Server catalog, whether by manual
upload or using an automation such as a scan, they must have a metadata set assigned
to them. You cannot later change an asset’s assigned metadata set. You can, however,
change a metadata set so that it includes new metadata fields and groups. You can also
copy an asset within the Final Cut Server catalog and assign a different metadata set to
the new copy.
The customer profile you selected when you installed Final Cut Server defined the
default metadata sets in your system. See “About the Customer Profiles” on page 29 for
more information.
An administrator can define new metadata sets as required and define which metadata
groups apply to each set.
The Metadata Set pane contains the following columns:
ÂName: The name of the metadata set, as entered when it was created
ÂTrait ID: An automatically generated name for the metadata set that is for internal
use only
ÂClass: The type of items the metadata set can be applied to, either media assets
or productions
Click the Create button
to add a new
metadata set.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 155
II
Adding or Editing Metadata Sets
You can add or edit custom metadata sets.
To add a custom metadata set:
1In the Metadata Set pane of the Administration window, click the Create button.
The Metadata Set window appears.
2Configure the settings for the metadata set.
See the next section, “Settings for Metadata Sets,” for more information on the settings.
3Click Save Changes to save the custom metadata set.
The new metadata set appears in the Metadata Set pane.
You can also open the Metadata Set window and edit existing metadata sets.
To edit an existing metadata set:
1Double-click the metadata set in the Metadata Set pane.
The Metadata Set window appears, showing the settings for that metadata set.
2Make any necessary changes and click Save Changes.
The Metadata Set window closes.
See “Settings for Metadata Sets,” next, for more information on the settings.
156 Part II General Administration
Settings for Metadata Sets
The Metadata Set window contains the following settings:
ÂName: Enter the name of the metadata set.
ÂTrait ID: This is an automatically generated name for the metadata set that is for
internal use only.
ÂClass: Choose either Media Asset or Production from this pop-up menu.
Note: You cannot change this setting when editing an existing metadata set.
ÂMd Groups: You choose the metadata groups that this set contains.
ÂSelected: Lists the metadata groups in the set.
ÂAvailable: Lists the metadata groups available to the set. The available groups
depend on the class of the set.
Use the Add and Remove buttons to change the groups in the set.
Note: The order of the metadata groups in the Selected list does not affect the order
they appear in when the metadata set is applied to an asset or production. That
order is controlled by each metadata group’s Display Priority setting. See “Settings for
Metadata Groups” on page 146 for more information.
Metadata Synchronization Policy
Metadata is synchronized between Final Cut Server and the device according to one of
the following policies chosen from the Metadata Sync Policy pop-up menu when
creating a new device in the Devices window.
Choose the
metadata sync policy
when creating a new
device using the
Devices window.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 157
II
Choosing the synchronization policy to use generally depends on who is thought of as
“owning” or being in charge of the device:
ÂIf Final Cut Server owns the device, you should use the “Final Cut Server is master” or
“Two way” synchronization policy.
ÂIf another department owns the device and Final Cut Server is just being granted
access to its content, you should use the “Device is master” synchronization policy.
Device is master
This synchronization policy regards the device as the authority on what the real
metadata is.
Device metadata is mapped to custom metadata. Subsequent changes to the metadata
on the device are mapped to the custom metadata when they are detected. Custom
metadata fields that map to device metadata can be edited but those changes are not
mapped to the device.
Note: This is the default choice and is used for all devices created by the
Final Cut Server installer and any devices created using Device Setup Assistant in
Final Cut Server System Preferences.
Final Cut Server is master
This synchronization policy regards Final Cut Server as the authority on what the real
metadata is.
The first time the asset is cataloged, device metadata is mapped to custom metadata.
On any subsequent changes to the custom metadata, custom metadata is mapped and
saved to device metadata, overwriting any changes that may have occurred in the
device metadata. Any changes to the metadata on the device are not mapped to the
custom metadata.
No sync
The first time the asset is cataloged, device metadata is mapped to custom metadata.
Any subsequent changes of either custom or device metadata are not mapped and
remain different on Final Cut Server and the device.
Two way
The first time the asset is cataloged, device metadata is mapped to custom metadata.
Any subsequent changes of either custom or device metadata are mapped and are
synchronized between Final Cut Server and the device.
See “Adding a Device Using the Administration Window” on page 164 for more
information on using the Devices window.
158 Part II General Administration
Using Metadata to Configure the User Interface
Final Cut Server uses a variety of metadata groups to define many aspects of the
Final Cut Server client’s user interface. For example, you can add metadata fields to the
Thumbnails metadata group to control which fields appear when you are using the
Thumbnails view.
Following are details on the most common areas you may want to customize.
Important: Any changes you make affect all clients connected to the server. In many
cases though, you may have to close the client and log in again to see the changes.
Note: Use care when modifying metadata groups. You will often find multiple
metadata groups or fields with the same or similar names. Be sure you choose the
correct ones to modify. Also, modifying a metadata group may impact more than one
area of the user interface.
Modifying a Metadata Group
Modifying any of these metadata groups is the same as described in “Metadata
Groups” on page 143. The following describes the process with some details specific to
groups that affect the user interface.
To modify a metadata group:
1Double-click the metadata group’s name in the Administration window’s Metadata
Group pane.
The metadata group opens in its own window.
Note: It’s easier to find the metadata group if you search for it.
2In the Fields section of the window, note the items in the Selected list and their order,
and compare that to the area of the user interface you are intending to change.
They should match. If not, you do not have the correct metadata group selected.
3Do any of the following as needed:
ÂRemove an item from the Selected list by selecting it and clicking Remove.
ÂAdd an item to the Selected list by selecting it in the Available list and clicking Add.
ÂChange an item’s location in the Selected list by selecting it and clicking the Up and
Down buttons.
4Click Save Changes.
The window closes and the changes you made are saved.
In many cases you will need to close the client and log in again to see the changes
take effect.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 159
II
Customizing Advanced Searches
There are several areas in the Final Cut Server client where you can choose to configure
advanced search options to fine-tune your search results. By modifying selected
metadata groups, you can add and remove metadata fields as well as rearrange the
order in which they appear. For example, you might want to add the Required
reviewers metadata field to your asset searches.
The commonly modified advanced search metadata groups are:
ÂAsset Filter metadata group: This metadata group defines the advanced search
options available for the main window’s Assets pane. Additionally, it affects the fields
that appear in the Asset Filter pane when you configure an asset subscription and
the Asset Filter pane when configuring a permission set.
ÂProduction Filter metadata group: This metadata group defines the advanced search
options available for the main window’s Productions pane. Additionally, it affects the
fields that appear in the Production Filter pane when you configure a production
subscription and the Production Filter pane when configuring a permission set.
ÂJob Filter metadata group: This metadata group defines the advanced search options
available for the Search All Jobs window that appears when you select Search All
Jobs from the server menu. Additionally, it affects the fields that appear in the Job
Filter pane when you configure a job subscription.
Customizing the Views
Metadata groups define the information that appears in the main window when you
choose the Thumbnail, Tile, or List view. It can be useful to customize these views so
that they display the information that is important to your situation. For example, you
may want to see an asset’s mime type in the Thumbnail view.
It can be challenging to find the correct metadata groups to modify since there are
many groups with the same name. You must ensure you are choosing the group with
the correct Metadata Group ID (listed below).
The commonly modified view metadata groups are:
ÂThumbnails metadata group, ASSET_THUMBNAILS_VIEW group ID: This metadata
group defines what fields appear in the Thumbnails view of the main window’s
Assets pane.
ÂThumbnails metadata group, PROJECT_THUMBNAILS_VIEW group ID: This metadata
group defines what fields appear in the Thumbnails view of the main window’s
Productions pane.
ÂThumbnails metadata group, ELEMENT_THUMBNAILS_VIEW group ID: This metadata
group defines what fields appear in the Thumbnails view of the info window that
appears when you double-click a Final Cut Pro project in the main window.
ÂTiles metadata group, ASSET_INFO_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the main window’s Information pane when viewing assets.
160 Part II General Administration
ÂTiles metadata group, PROJECT_INFO_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the main window’s Information pane when viewing productions.
ÂTiles metadata group, ASSET_TILES_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the info window that appears when you double-click an asset or a
Final Cut Pro project in the main window.
ÂTiles metadata group, PROJECT_TILES_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the info window that appears when you double-click a production.
ÂTiles metadata group, ELEMENT_TILES_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines
what fields appear in the Element Details window that appears when you double-click
an element in the info window (the window that appears when you double-click a
Final Cut Pro project in the main window).
ÂList metadata group, ASSET_LIST_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the List view of the main window’s Assets pane.
ÂList metadata group, PROJECT_LIST_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the List view of the main window’s Productions pane.
ÂList metadata group, ELEMENT_LIST_VIEW group ID: This metadata group defines what
fields appear in the List view of the info window that appears when you double-click
a Final Cut Pro project in the main window.
About QuickTime Metadata
QuickTime media files can have a wide variety of metadata added to them. As a simple
example, you can add annotations, such as title, author, and keywords to a QuickTime
media file using the Annotations pane of the QuickTime Player Movie Properties window.
Since a QuickTime media file can contain custom metadata fields, Final Cut Server is
unable to map all of the metadata fields to metadata fields that are used in its
default groups.
This means that if you use custom metadata fields in your QuickTime movies, you will
need to either manually map those fields to fields used in existing metadata groups or
add those fields to custom metadata groups.
Chapter 11 Managing Metadata 161
II
To see a QuickTime movie’s metadata:
1Choose Search Devices from the client’s Server pop-up menu.
The Search Devices window opens.
2Choose the device that contains the movie from the Device pop-up menu, then click
the Search button.
3Double-click the QuickTime media file that contains the metadata you want to view.
A window opens showing the details of the file.
4Click Dynamic Metadata in the column on the left.
The metadata details for the file are displayed.
Note: You may see some metadata fields that contain duplicate settings.
Final Cut Server shows both the older FOURCC (which is limited to four characters for
the field’s name) and the newer field identification entries.
Click to open the Server
pop-up menu.
12
163
12 Managing Devices
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Devices (p. 163)
ÂAdding a Device Using the Administration Window (p. 164)
ÂEditing a Device Using the Administration Window (p. 167)
ÂDeleting an Existing Device Using the Administration Window (p. 168)
ÂAbout Specialized Devices (p. 169)
ÂDevice Type Details (p. 174)
ÂSearching Devices (p. 182)
About Devices
Final Cut Server uses devices to store and manage your assets and productions. There
are also devices used for specialized functions such as storing proxies, archiving, and
tracking asset versions.
You can add, remove, and configure devices that Final Cut Server can use while
managing your system. Devices can be as simple as a folder on the Final Cut Server
computer, an FTP server, or an Apple Xsan volume.
There are two methods you can use to add and edit devices within
Final Cut Server: using Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences
and using the Devices pane of the client’s Administration window.
164 Part II General Administration
About Creating Devices Using Device Setup Assistant
Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences is simple to use and
includes additional features, such as a scan and transcode settings configuration ability.
Manually configuring similar features would require you to use multiple Administration
window panes.
Device Setup Assistant also makes it much easier to install certain kinds of devices,
such as network devices and Xsan volumes, by simplifying the number of settings.
Additionally, Device Setup Assistant verifies all settings you make before allowing you
to continue to the next step. (Devices created with the Administration window are not
verified until you actually use them.)
The drawbacks of using Device Setup Assistant are that you do not have access to some
of the more esoteric settings and that you cannot configure several device types, such as
a Contentbase file system or an edit-in-place device that does not use an Xsan volume.
See Chapter 5, “Using Device Setup Assistant,” on page 59 for more information about
Device Setup Assistant.
About Creating Devices Using the Administration Window
The Devices pane of the Administration window gives you access to many more device
settings than Device Setup Assistant. Most users, however, do not require these
settings, although they can be useful in some situations. The Administration window is
the only place that you can configure devices using the Contentbase file system or an
edit-in-place device that does not use an Xsan volume.
Although you can configure network devices with the Administration window, it is
more difficult with its variety of settings.
Adding a Device Using the Administration Window
You can add a device using Device Setup Assistant, accessible from Final Cut Server System
Preferences, or you can manually add a device in the client’s Administration window. See
“Adding a Device” on page 62 for information on using Device Setup Assistant.
Adding a device with the Administration window is a bit different from adding a device
with System Preferences:
ÂYou must manually configure the device because there is no Device Setup Assistant
as with System Preferences.
ÂYou do not directly add transcode settings to the device in the Devices pane. You
instead assign devices to the transcode settings in the Administration window’s
Transcode Settings pane. See Chapter 13, “Managing Transcode Settings,” on
page 187 for more information.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 165
II
ÂYou do not directly add scan settings to the device in the Devices pane. You instead
must create the scan settings by using the Response and Schedule panes. See
Chapter 14, “Managing Automations,” on page 193 for more information.
ÂYou have many more options and settings. Manually configuring a device allows you
more flexibility.
ÂYou are not able to easily add some device types, such as Xsan, NFS, or SMB/CIFS.
These are much easier to add with Device Setup Assistant.
Important: When you add a device using the Administration window, Final Cut Server
does not verify the settings until the first time you use it. Be sure to try any new devices
you create to ensure they work correctly. A good way to verify a device is to use the
Search Devices option. See “Searching Devices” on page 182 for more information.
Note: It is strongly suggested that you do not create any devices on the server
computer’s startup disk. Devices contain large media files and can use all of the
available disk space of their hard disk, which causes serious issues if that hard disk is
also the startup disk.
To add a device using the Administration window:
1Open a Final Cut Server client and log in as a user with administrator privileges.
2Choose Administration from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
The Administration window appears.
Click the Server button
and choose
Administration from the
pop-up menu.
166 Part II General Administration
3Click Devices in the column on the left to open the Devices pane.
4Click the Create button to add a new device.
The Devices window appears.
5Choose the device type to add from the Device Type pop-up menu:
ÂContentbase: A file system unique to Final Cut Server that renames each asset and
places it in a folder that also contains a file with the original name. An advantage of
Contentbase is that you can add files to it without any chance of a filename conflict
(which can be useful when you have many graphics files that share filenames). The
disadvantages are that you cannot create a folder structure and the renamed files
can be difficult to work with outside of Final Cut Server.
Important: The Proxies, Edit Proxies, and Version devices must use the Contentbase file
system. Additionally, Contentbase devices cannot be watched by a watcher automation.
ÂFTP Server: This device type uses FTP to transfer media to and from it.
ÂFilesystem: This is the traditional file system used by most computers. It supports
subfolders and normal filenames.
Click the Create button
to add a new device.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 167
II
The Devices window changes to reflect the device type you chose. You can choose a
different device type if necessary.
6Configure the device type’s settings, then click Save Changes.
Editing a Device Using the Administration Window
The Administration window can only edit devices created using it or Device Setup
Assistant. See “Editing an Existing Device” on page 73 for more information on editing
devices using Device Setup Assistant.
To edit a device’s settings using the Administration window:
1Double-click the device in the Devices pane.
The Devices window appears with that device’s current settings showing.
2Edit the settings as needed, then click Save Changes.
The Devices window closes and the device is updated to the new settings. See “Device
Type Details” on page 174 for more information about the device settings.
You can choose other
device types to see their
settings.
168 Part II General Administration
Deleting an Existing Device Using the Administration Window
You can delete any of the existing devices from the Devices pane.
To delete an existing device using the Administration window:
1Select the device in the Devices pane.
2Control-click the device, then choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
A confirmation dialog appears.
3Click Delete.
The device is removed from the device list.
Some things to keep in mind when deleting a device:
ÂYou cannot undo a device deletion.
ÂDeleting a device removes it and all of its assets from the Final Cut Server catalog.
This includes removing all proxy files from the Proxy device and versions from the
Version device.
ÂDeleting a device does not affect the actual contents of the device’s volume.
Contentbase devices are an exception; deleting a Contentbase device deletes all of
its media as well.
ÂIf a job is in progress when you delete the device, that job must be completed before
the device is actually deleted. (All other pending jobs are canceled.) If you do not
want to wait for the current job to finish, you can cancel it in the client’s Search All
Jobs window.
ÂAny responses or watchers that depend on the device you are deleting are also
deleted. Any schedules or other automations that used those responses are not
deleted. You must manually delete these items.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 169
II
About Specialized Devices
There are a number of specialized devices that Final Cut Server can use. Some of these,
such as the Proxies and Version devices, are configured during the Final Cut Server
installation. Others, such as an archive device, are configured manually.
Setting Up the Proxies Device
Each Final Cut Server installation has one Proxies device. Each time you upload an asset
to the Final Cut Server catalog, a set of low-resolution files is created. The Proxies device
is where the thumbnails, poster frames, and clip proxies are stored. These are used in
place of the actual full-resolution assets whenever lower-resolution versions are
sufficient. See “Analyze Preference Settings” on page 120 for information about
configuring proxy formats.
The Proxies device is created at the location you specify when you install
Final Cut Server. See “Using the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 21 for more
information. See “Proxies Preference Settings” on page 117 for information on choosing
a proxy device.
The Proxies device is a Contentbase device type.
Setting up the Edit Proxies Device
Each Final Cut Server installation has one Edit Proxies device. Each time you upload a
Final Cut Pro project to the Final Cut Server catalog, you can create a set of
Apple ProRes 422 codec format files in addition to the set of low-resolution files stored
on the Proxies device. These files can be used in place of the original assets when you
export or check out a Final Cut Pro project.
The Edit Proxies device is created at the location you specify when you install
Final Cut Server. See “Using the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 21 for more
information. See “Proxies Preference Settings” on page 117 for information on choosing
an edit proxy device.
The Edit Proxies device is a Contentbase device type.
170 Part II General Administration
Setting Up the Version Device
When working with Final Cut Server assets, you may find that you need to track
multiple versions of the same asset. For example, you may have several versions of a
graphic that use different font settings. Final Cut Server includes a version-tracking
feature, making it easy to work with multiple versions of an asset.
The Final Cut Server installer automatically creates a Version device at the location
specified for production media. For most installations, this device works well for storing
your asset and production versions. You may find, however, that you need to create a
device with more space to store your versions, especially if you choose to retain more
than three or four versions of your assets and those assets are large video files.
If you need to manually create a Version device, the device must use the Contentbase
device type. It also should not be used for any other purposes.
You specify the device used for storing the different asset and production versions in
the Administration window’s Preferences pane.
To choose the version device:
1In the Administration window’s Preferences pane, click Version Control to see the
version preferences.
2Choose a device from the Version Control Device pop-up menu.
Note: Because the device used to store versions must use the Contentbase device type,
the Choose button is not available. See “Contentbase” on page 174 for more information.
3Enter the maximum number of versions that can be associated with an asset in the
Version Control Limit field. Once the limit is reached, the oldest versions are deleted as
new versions are added.
4Click Save Changes.
See “Preference Settings in the Final Cut Server Client Administration Window” on
page 115 for information about the preference settings in the other areas of the
Preferences pane.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 171
II
Setting Up an Archive Device
Archiving an asset makes it possible to take the asset offline but still retain a link to it
should it be required later. This is most useful when you have large video files that are
not currently being used but are taking up disk space on a device. Archiving the asset
allows you to copy it to a different device; for example, a FireWire drive or a large but
slow hard disk that you can take offline. Final Cut Server keeps a link to the asset and
makes it easy to restore the asset when it is needed later.
Important: The archive operation does not archive the versions that an asset might
have. Only the current version is archived.
Final Cut Server supports multiple archive devices, and most devices can be set as an
archive device. Archive devices can use the Contentbase or Filesystem Final Cut Server
device type.
Important: Assets on a Contentbase device type cannot be archived unless the
archive device is also a Contentbase device type. If you create one or more
Contentbase device types to store assets, be sure to create an archive device that
also uses a Contentbase device.
Note: You can also create archive devices using Device Setup Assistant. See “Adding a
Device” on page 62 for more information.
To make a device an archive device:
1Double-click the device in the Devices pane of the Administration window.
The device opens in its own window.
2Select the Archive Device checkbox.
3Click Save Changes.
This device will now appear in the list of archive devices in the main window’s shortcut
menu. See the Final Cut Server User Manual for more information.
172 Part II General Administration
About the Export Device
A user can choose to export an asset from the Final Cut Server catalog to his or her local
computer. When the user Control-clicks an asset in a Final Cut Server client, an Export
option appears in the shortcut menu. Choosing the Export option opens the Export
dialog where the user sets the filename, destination, and optionally chooses a transcode
setting, allowing the conversion of the asset to a different codec as it downloads.
Final Cut Server creates a hidden device named Export to store the transcode settings a
user can choose from when using the Export option. By default, the Export device has
only a few commonly used transcode settings. You can add transcode settings to the
Export device in the Administration window’s Transcode Settings pane. See “Assigning
Transcode Settings to Devices” on page 190 for more information.
There are no other device settings for the Export device.
About Edit-in-Place Devices
Depending on your system configuration, you may be able to take advantage of the
Final Cut Server edit-in-place feature, making using assets from the catalog easier
and faster.
Why Edit-in-Place?
In most cases when using a Final Cut Server client, you must have a local copy of any
assets you would like to work with on the client computer. For example, if you want to
add one of the Final Cut Server assets to a Final Cut Pro project you have on the client’s
computer, you need to create a copy of that asset from its device to your computer
before you can add it to the project.
Using Add to Local Cache in the main window makes a copy of the asset and places it
in the computer’s cache location (as specified in the Preferences window—see “User-
Configurable Preference Settings” on page 121). The asset’s thumbnail frame changes to
a lighter color once the asset has been copied to the client’s computer, and you can
then drag the asset from the main window to your Final Cut Pro project, desktop, or to
any other location you want to use it in.
In some cases, however, the computer you are running Final Cut Server client on may
have direct access to the device that has the asset you want. In that case, you can
configure the device so that you are able to directly use its assets without having to
make local copies of them first. A device that can be directly accessed by a
Final Cut Server client is an edit-in-place device.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 173
II
Does Your System Support Edit-in-Place?
There are two common system configurations where edit-in-place devices work
especially well: when the client computer is connected to an Xsan using a Fibre
Channel network, and when the device is actually a hard disk directly connected to the
client computer. In both cases, you should have sufficient bandwidth to be able to
work in real time on the assets with no dropped frames or other low-bandwidth issues.
Important: In general, devices connected to the client’s computer using standard
Ethernet or wireless connections are not suitable for use as edit-in-place devices since
they may not have sufficient bandwidth to support working directly on video files.
Additionally, you should never configure the startup disk of the computer you installed
Final Cut Server on as an edit-in-place device.
Creating Edit-in-Place Devices
There are two methods you can use to add devices to your Final Cut Server system: using
Device Setup Assistant and using the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window.
Most devices created with Device Setup Assistant do not have their edit-in-place
settings configured. The exception is the Xsan device, which automatically configures
its edit-in-place settings.
The only way to manually create an edit-in-place device is to create the device in the
Administration window. When you create a device using the Administration window,
you can configure several settings related to edit-in-place.
ÂMacintosh edit-in-place URI: Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for editing
media from a Macintosh client directly on the device, instead of downloading and
editing it on the client. The device must also be accessible as a mounted file system
from the client. The format is:
Âfile:///Volumes/volumename/optionalsubfolder/
An example is:
Âfile:///Volumes/MediaServer/Images/
ÂWindows edit-in-place URI: Enter the URI for editing media from a Windows client
directly on the device, instead of downloading and editing it on the client. The
device must also be accessible as a network share from the client. The format is:
Âfile:////hostname/path/
An example is:
Âfile:////MediaServer/Images/
See “Storage Device Strategy” on page 16 for more information about Xsan volumes.
174 Part II General Administration
Device Type Details
Devices supported by Final Cut Server are listed and described below:
ÂContentbase: See “Contentbase,” next.
ÂFTP Server: See “FTP Server” on page 176.
ÂFilesystem (including local, Xsan, NFS, AFP, and SMB/CIFS): See “Filesystem” on
page 179.
Contentbase
Contentbase is a Final Cut Server–managed file storage system on or connected to the
Final Cut Server server itself. Media is stored on a file system such as network-attached
storage (NAS) or storage area network (SAN) storage.
Contentbase is a file system unique to Final Cut Server that places each asset in a
unique folder. An advantage of Contentbase is that you can add files to it without any
chance of a filename conflict (which can be useful when you have many graphics files
that share filenames). The disadvantages are that you cannot create a subfolder
structure and the files can be difficult to work with outside of Final Cut Server.
Note: The Proxies, Edit Proxies, and Version devices must use the Contentbase file system.
Important: Devices using the Contentbase device type cannot be used by a file
system watcher.
To access the Contentbase device settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Devices pane to create a
new device.
2Choose Contentbase from the Device Type pop-up menu.
Choose Contentbase.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 175
II
The Configuration pane for a Contentbase device type contains the following items:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a descriptive name for the device.
ÂLocal Directory: Enter the root path for this device as it appears to the
Final Cut Server server. For example: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Final Cut Server/
Contentbase Device/.
ÂMacintosh edit-in-place URI: Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for editing
media from a Macintosh client directly on the device, instead of downloading and
editing it on the client. The device must also be accessible as a mounted file system
from the client. The format is:
Âfile:///Volumes/volumename/optionalsubfolder/
An example is:
Âfile:///Volumes/MediaServer/Images/
Note: See “About Edit-in-Place Devices” on page 172 for more information about
edit-in-place devices.
ÂWindows edit-in-place URI: Enter the URI for editing media from a Windows client
directly on the device, instead of downloading and editing it on the client. The
device must also be accessible as a network share from the client. The format is:
Âfile:////hostname/path/
An example is:
Âfile:////MediaServer/Images/
ÂArchive Device: Select this checkbox to add this device to the list of archive locations
a user can choose from.
176 Part II General Administration
FTP Server
Final Cut Server supports access to any server running standard File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) such as a Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, or UNIX host. Other devices can be set
up in this way; for example, Macintosh file server, Windows NT or Windows 2000 file
server, and UNIX file server.
To access the FTP Server device settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Devices pane to create a
new device.
2Choose FTP Server from the Device Type pop-up menu.
The Configuration pane for an FTP Server device type contains the following items:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a descriptive name for the device.
ÂHostname / IP Address: This is either a DNS host name (for example, ftp.bigtv.com) or
the IP address of the server (for example, 10.1.101.7).
ÂFTP Root Path: Enter the default path for files on the server (for example, /public/
images/). If this path starts with a forward slash ( / ), it is relative to the root folder of
the server. If this path does not start with a forward slash, it is relative to the default
folder of the server the user uses to log in (usually the user’s home folder).
ÂUser: Enter your user name in this field to log in automatically to the server on every
attempted FTP server access, such as searching and copying.
ÂPassword: Enter the password that goes with the above User entry. Leave this field
blank if the FTP server does not require a password.
ÂVerify: Retype the password entered above.
ÂPassive Mode: Select this checkbox to use passive mode FTP transfers.
ÂPort: Leave blank to use the default port number, or enter a different port number.
ÂShow Dot-files: Select this checkbox to display all files beginning with a dot or period
(.) on directory listings and searches. Otherwise these files are not visible.
Important: Do not select this option unless specifically required.
Choose FTP Server.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 177
II
Âls -a: Select this checkbox to include files whose names start with a period when
listing the server’s files.
Important: Do not select this option unless specifically required.
ÂSearch Cache Time: The time in minutes for which search results are cached in
Final Cut Server. The range is from 0 (not cached) to 7 (results cached for 7 minutes).
The Final Cut Server cache is searched until the specified period has elapsed, after
which the device is polled again. This improves performance for the user but means
results may be out of date by the specified period. Caching the search results for
several minutes is useful when connecting to a slow server or slow network link.
ÂText encoding: Choose the type of text encoding used on the device from this pop-
up menu. Final Cut Server supports a wide range of text encodings, including many
of the common Chinese, Korean, and Japanese encodings. The default is UTF-8
Unicode which is used with current versions of Mac OS X.
If you are unsure about which text encoding to use, you can choose a setting and
use the Search Devices window (explained in “Searching Devices” on page 182) to
see if the filenames appear as expected. If not, you can choose a different setting and
test again.
Important: Once a device’s assets have been added to the Final Cut Server catalog,
changing this setting will not affect them. Be sure to perform the above tests prior to
scanning the device.
See “About Unicode Support” on page 124 for more information.
ÂMetadata Sync Policy: From this pop-up menu, choose the policy by which metadata
is synchronized between Final Cut Server and the device. See “Metadata
Synchronization Policy” on page 156 for more information.
178 Part II General Administration
ÂGenerate Thumbnails: Select this checkbox to generate thumbnails of images when
using Search Devices from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button). The
thumbnail images appear when you view an image’s details, by either double-
clicking its filename or Control-clicking the filename and choosing View Details from
the shortcut menu. This allows you to see the image without having to create an
asset for it in the Final Cut Server catalog. See “Searching Devices” on page 182 for
more information on using the Search Devices feature.
ÂMax Connections: Enter the maximum number of connections from Final Cut Server
to the device. Leave this field at the default setting of zero (0) or blank, permitting
unlimited connections, unless there is a particular reason to restrict connections.
ÂMacintosh edit-in-place URI: Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for editing
media from a Macintosh client directly on the device, instead of downloading and
editing it on the client. The device must also be accessible as a mounted file system
from the client. The format is:
Âfile:///Volumes/volumename/optionalsubfolder/
An example is:
Âfile:///Volumes/MediaServer/Images/
Note: See “About Edit-in-Place Devices” on page 172 for more information about
edit-in-place devices.
ÂWindows edit-in-place URI: Enter the URI for editing media from a Windows client
directly on the device, instead of downloading and editing it on the client. The
device must also be accessible as a network share from the client. The format is:
Âfile:////hostname/path/
An example is:
Âfile:////MediaServer/Images/
ÂAnalyze Mode: Analysis creates different proxies for still and clip files. Choose an
option from the pop-up menu to determine how Final Cut Server handles files that
are not known to be still images or movie clips; for example, files missing extensions.
Â[None]: Do not analyze files or create proxies for files with missing or unknown file
extensions. Guess the file type by its extension (default).
ÂAssume Stills: Assume files with missing or unknown file extensions are still images.
ÂIgnore: Do not analyze files or create proxies for files with missing or unknown file
extensions. Guess the file type by the file’s extension.
ÂCase insensitive filesystem: Select this checkbox for FTP devices that do not recognize
case differences (for example, they see FILE.mov and file.mov as being the same file).
ÂArchive Device: Select this checkbox to add this device to the list of archive locations
a user can choose from.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 179
II
Filesystem
This type of device is used for any storage that is on the Final Cut Server server or can
be mounted from it. This is used for AFP, Xsan, NFS, and SMB/CIFS file systems.
Note: Although all of the fields appear, the file system determines which fields are
actually used.
To access the Filesystem device settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Devices pane to create a
new device.
2Choose Filesystem from the Device Type pop-up menu.
The Filesystem Configuration pane for a Filesystem device type contains the
following items:
ÂDevice Name: Enter a descriptive name for the device.
ÂLocal Directory: Enter the root path for this device as it appears to the
Final Cut Server server. This path is seen as the relative root (/) when copying to the
device and all files under it will be accessible (for example: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/
Final Cut Server/shared/).
ÂServer URL: Enter the URL of the server. This applies only to nonlocal devices.
For Windows SMB/CIFS devices, enter the Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) root
path that includes the workgroup and user using the format:
smb://workgroup;user@servername/shared. You must also enter the user name in the
User field.
Note: Device Setup Assistant from the Final Cut Server System Preferences pane
includes a workgroup entry. You may find it easier to use Device Setup Assistant to
configure SMB/CIFS devices.
Important: Enter information into either the Local Directory field or the Server URL
field, never into both fields.
Choose Filesystem.
180 Part II General Administration
ÂServer Path: Enter the path that the server exports for use as the root path. This
applies only to nonlocal devices.
ÂUser: Enter your user name in this field to log in automatically to the server on every
attempted server access, such as searching and copying.
ÂPassword: Enter the password that goes with the above User entry. Leave this field
blank if the User field is blank.
ÂVerify: Retype the password entered above.
ÂShow Dot-files: Select this checkbox to display all files beginning with a dot or period
(.) on directory listings and searches. Otherwise these files are not visible.
Important: Do not select this option unless specifically required.
ÂText encoding: Choose the type of text encoding used on the device from this pop-up
menu. Final Cut Server supports a wide range of text encodings, including many of
the common Chinese, Korean, and Japanese encodings. See “About Unicode Support”
on page 124 for more information.
ÂMetadata Sync Policy: From this pop-up menu, choose the policy by which metadata
is synchronized between Final Cut Server and the device. See “Metadata
Synchronization Policy” on page 156 for more information.
ÂGenerate Thumbnails: Select this checkbox to generate thumbnails of images when
using Search Devices from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button). The
thumbnail images appear when you view an image’s details, by either double-clicking
its filename or Control-clicking the filename and choosing View Details from the
shortcut menu. This allows you to see the image without having to create an asset for
it in the Final Cut Server catalog. See “Searching Devices” on page 182 for more
information on using the Search Devices feature.
ÂMacintosh edit-in-place URI: Enter the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for editing
media from a Macintosh client directly on the device, instead of downloading and
editing it on the client. The device must also be accessible as a mounted file system
from the client. The format is:
Âfile:///Volumes/volumename/optionalsubfolder/
An example is:
Âfile:///Volumes/MediaServer/Images/
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 181
II
Note: See “About Edit-in-Place Devices” on page 172 for more information about
edit-in-place devices.
ÂWindows edit-in-place URI: Enter the URI for editing media from a Windows client
directly on the device, instead of downloading and editing it on the client. The
device must also be accessible as a network share from the client. The format is:
Âfile:////hostname/path/
An example is:
Âfile:////MediaServer/Images/
ÂAnalyze Mode: Analysis creates different proxies for still and clip files. Choose an
option from the pop-up menu to determine how Final Cut Server handles files that
are not known to be still images or movie clips; for example, files missing extensions.
Â[None]: Do not analyze files or create proxies for files with missing or unknown file
extensions. Guess the file type by its extension (default).
ÂAssume Stills: Assume files with missing or unknown file extensions are still images.
ÂIgnore: Do not analyze files or create proxies for files with missing or unknown file
extensions. Guess the file type by the file’s extension.
ÂArchive Device: Select this checkbox to add this device to the list of archive locations
a user can choose from.
ÂPost-archive Command: This only applies if Archive Device is selected. Enter the path
and name of the script or other executable file that should run after an asset is
archived. This can enable integration with other external archiving systems. The script
is given the complete path to the file as its first argument on the command line.
ÂPre-restore Command: This only applies if Archive Device is selected. Enter the path
and name of the script or other executable file that should run before an asset is
restored. This can enable integration with other external archiving systems. The script
is given the complete path to the file as its first argument on the command line.
182 Part II General Administration
Searching Devices
Final Cut Server includes the ability to search any connected device. This allows you to
examine the contents of a device, including items that have not been added to the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Opening the Search Devices Window
You open the Search Devices window from the Final Cut Server client’s Server
pop-up menu.
To open the Search Devices window:
1Choose Search Devices from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
The Search Devices window for searching appears.
Click the Server button
and choose Search Devices
from the pop-up menu.
You can click the Catalog
button once you select
one or more files. This
adds the assets to the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Click Choose to navigate
to a specific folder to
search in.
Click the triangle to see
advanced search options.
Choose whether to
search for all files,
composite clips, or
image sequences.
Click a column heading
to sort by that column.
Choose the device
to search.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 183
II
Searching a Device
You can search any of the Final Cut Server devices.
To search a device’s contents:
1Choose the device to search from the Device pop-up menu.
2Click Search.
By default, clicking the Search button searches from the device’s root level. You can
enter text to search for in the search field.
Important: Be sure to enter entire words in the search field. Unlike the search field in
the Final Cut Server main window, the Search Devices search field does not return full
words if you search for a partial word. For example, if you want to find all assets that
contain the word “frame,” you must search for the entire word. Searching for “fra” will
only find assets with the word “fra” and the word “frame” will not be found.
You can also click Choose to open a dialog that allows you to specify a folder to search.
184 Part II General Administration
This dialog shows the folders at the root level of the device. You can double-click a
folder to show its contents. Once you are showing the folder you want to search, click
Open to close this dialog and return to the Search Devices window.
You can also use the buttons along the top edge to manage this dialog.
Managing Device Items
The Search Devices window provides several ways to work with the items that it lists.
These include the Catalog button and a shortcut menu that appears when you
Control-click an item.
About the Catalog Button
Once you select one or more items in the Search Devices window, the Catalog button
becomes active. Clicking the Catalog button allows you to add the asset to the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Note: It is possible that the selected item is already an asset in the Final Cut Server
catalog. You can determine whether the item is in the catalog by either searching for it
in the Assets pane or by using the shortcut menu (described next) to try and delete it.
When you choose Delete from the shortcut menu, a dialog appears that lists what you
are about to delete, including whether it is being removed from the catalog.
Click to navigate up one
folder level.
Click to show folders in
List view or Details view.
Click to jump to the
device’s root level.
Click to add a folder to
the current level.
Click the Catalog button
to add the selected item
as an asset to the
Final Cut Server catalog.
Chapter 12 Managing Devices 185
II
About the Shortcut Menu
You can Control-click an item to open a shortcut menu with several options. While
many of these options look similar to the options you see when you Control-click an
asset in the Assets pane, they can function differently.
ÂCatalog asset: This adds the item to the Final Cut Server catalog, exactly as the
Catalog button does.
ÂGet Info: This opens a window that lists information about the selected item. This
includes some metadata items that do not appear when you look at the asset within
the Assets pane. See “About QuickTime Metadata” on page 160 for more information.
ÂView Image: This opens a window in the item’s default application to view it. Unlike
the View item in the Assets pane shortcut menu, you are not able to choose to view
the proxy files and instead always view the original images. For large video files this
may take some time since the original media files must be copied from the device to
your local cache before you can view them.
ÂExport: You can use Export to make a local copy of the selected item. You are able to
choose the location and a transcode setting to use (if applicable) for the export process.
ÂDuplicate: You can use Duplicate to make a copy of the selected item onto any of
the Final Cut Server devices. The copied version of the item is not added to the
Final Cut Server catalog, regardless of whether the original item is in the catalog.
ÂDelete: You can use Delete to remove the selected item from the device. This actually
deletes the file. When you choose Delete, a dialog appears that lists the items that
will be deleted, including assets from the Final Cut Server catalog if this item was a
part of it.
Note: It can be useful to use Delete to determine whether an item is in the
Final Cut Server catalog or not—just be careful to not accidentally delete an item.
13
187
13 Managing Transcode Settings
This chapter covers the following:
ÂAbout Transcode Settings (p. 187)
ÂAdding Transcode Settings (p. 188)
ÂAssigning Transcode Settings to Devices (p. 190)
About Transcode Settings
Transcode settings streamline copying media between different systems by hiding
complex audio and video codec details from most users.
For example, if you have a device that you use for reviewing assets or productions, you
can assign transcode settings to the device, and those settings can be used to convert
the video to formats that are best suited for playback. Transcode settings are assigned
to devices so that when you upload or copy media to a device, you can choose a
transcode setting to use from a pop-up menu.
Note: If a device has no transcode settings assigned to it, you cannot perform any
conversions when you upload or copy assets to that device.
Final Cut Server ships with a number of preconfigured transcode settings based on
Compressor and internal Final Cut Server settings. You can also create custom settings
in Compressor that can be made into Final Cut Server transcode settings. Anyone
configuring settings must have a good knowledge of specific video and audio format
issues. See the Compressor documentation, available from the Compressor Help menu,
for more information.
188 Part II General Administration
The Transcode Settings pane of the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window lists
the current transcode settings.
Adding Transcode Settings
Final Cut Server includes a large variety of transcode settings. All clip transcode settings
are based on Compressor settings, and most image transcode settings are based on
internal Final Cut Server settings. If you need to add additional, custom settings, you
first need to create custom settings in Compressor. See the Compressor
documentation, available from the Compressor Help menu, for details on creating
custom settings.
Once you have created a custom setting in Compressor, you can add it to
Final Cut Server.
To add a new transcode setting:
1Click the Create button in the Transcode Settings pane.
The Transcode Settings window appears.
2Enter a name for the transcode setting in the Name field.
Click the Create button
to add a new transcode
setting.
Chapter 13 Managing Transcode Settings 189
II
3Click Parameters in the column on the left.
4Choose the type of transcode setting to create from the Media Type pop-up menu.
This setting controls the items available in the Compressor Settings pop-up menu.
ÂIf you choose Video Clip: Only video-related items appear in the Compressor Settings
pop-up menu.
ÂIf you choose Audio Clip: Only audio-related items appear in the Compressor Settings
pop-up menu.
ÂIf you choose Image: The window changes to include a variety of still-image formats.
5Choose your custom setting from the Compressor Settings pop-up menu, or, for
images, click items in the Available list and then click the Add button to move them to
the Selected list.
6Click Save Changes.
The new transcode setting is added to the Transcode Settings pane.
190 Part II General Administration
Assigning Transcode Settings to Devices
There are two methods you can use to assign transcode settings to a device: using
Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences, or using the Transcode
Settings window.
You can use either method; however, the most efficient method to use depends on
what you are trying to do:
ÂIf you want to add multiple transcode settings to a single device, it is faster to edit
the device using Device Setup Assistant. Device Setup Assistant contains a full list of
all transcode settings with checkboxes next to each. See “Editing an Existing Device”
on page 73 for more information.
Note: Contentbase devices cannot be modified using Device Setup Assistant.
ÂIf you want to add a single transcode setting to multiple devices, it is faster to use
the Transcode Settings pane of the client’s Administration window using the method
described next.
Additionally, you can use the Transcode Settings pane to manage the transcode
settings of the Export device. This device provides the list of transcode settings to
choose from when using the Export option of the shortcut menu that appears when
you Control-click an asset in the client. The Export device that appears first in the list of
available devices (described next) is the device used for these download operations.
See “About the Export Device” on page 172 for more information.
To assign a transcode setting to a device:
1In the Transcode Settings pane of the Administration window, double-click the
transcode setting that you want to assign to one or more devices.
The Transcode Settings window appears.
Chapter 13 Managing Transcode Settings 191
II
2Click Modify in the column on the left.
The Available column lists all the available devices. The Selected column lists the
devices that have this transcode setting assigned to them.
3Select devices in the Available list and click the Add button to move them to the
Selected list.
4Enter a number in the Priority field to control the order in which the transcode settings
appear in the pop-up menu when assigning them to a device’s asset.
Smaller numbers appear above larger numbers. The range is normally from 1 to 5,
with 1 appearing first.
5Click Parameters in the column on the left if you want to change the Compressor
setting that is assigned to this transcode setting.
6Click Save Changes to save the transcode setting assignments.
14
193
14 Managing Automations
This chapter contains the following:
ÂAbout Final Cut Server Automation (p. 193)
ÂGeneral Automation Tips (p. 195)
ÂResponse Pane and Window (p. 196)
ÂWatcher Pane and Window (p. 212)
ÂSubscription Pane and Window (p. 215)
ÂSchedule Pane and Window (p. 217)
About Final Cut Server Automation
Configuring the Final Cut Server automation features can help your workflow in many
ways. Just two of these ways are sending emails when specified events occur, such as a
change in an asset’s status or a job failing, and automatically copying assets to
specified devices.
Final Cut Server provides two methods for configuring your system’s automation: using
Automation Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences or using a group of
panes in the Final Cut Server client’s Administration window.
Using Automation Setup Assistant
Using Automation Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences is the easiest
method to quickly configure the most commonly used automation functions. Based on
the profile you selected when you installed Final Cut Server, one or more automations
were created for you; you just need to customize them (if necessary) and activate them
to have them working for you.
See “About the Customer Profiles” on page 29 for specific information about the
installer’s customer profiles. See Chapter 6, “Using Automation Setup Assistant,” on
page 77 for information about using this method to configure your automations.
194 Part II General Administration
Creating Automations Using the Panes of the Administration Window
Using the automation panes of the Administration window provides you the greatest
flexibility and the most power when setting up your automations. This flexibility and
power does add to the complexity of the process though.
Note: In most cases, you will find that using Automation Setup Assistant is easier and
provides the types of automation you need.
All of the automations you set up are based on one of the three following operations,
with the goal of each being to issue responses at the appropriate times:
ÂWatchers: File system watchers monitor a device for specific changes, based on an
interval you configure. Once the specified change happens—for example, a new set of
still images is added to a folder on the device—the watcher issues one or more
responses. The responses can perform a variety of functions. In the example with a new
set of still images, the responses can transcode the still images to a different format,
copy them to a second device, and send an email to the editor listing the images.
ÂSchedules: Schedules issue responses at predetermined intervals. Most often they are
used to scan a device to detect changes to respond to. For example, you can have a
schedule that every day at 2 a.m. clears the items from the Log pane, providing a
fresh start each day.
ÂSubscriptions: Metadata subscriptions issue responses based on specific actions.
Unlike watchers and schedules, subscriptions do not run based on predetermined
intervals, but react directly to Final Cut Server events. For example, a subscription can
monitor the Search All Jobs window and send an email response if a job fails.
Each of the above automation types has its own pane in the Administration window.
There is also a Response pane for configuring the responses used by these automation
types. Responses are not able to run as a standalone automation—responses are what
watchers, schedules, and subscriptions use to accomplish their automation tasks. There
are a wide variety of types of responses, from copying, transcoding, and deleting assets
to sending emails and scanning specific devices.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 195
II
General Automation Tips
The automations you can configure for Final Cut Server can be very simple or very
complex. In either case, there are situations you should be aware of that could lead to
unexpected results.
About Reference QuickTime Files
Reference QuickTime files are media files that do not actually contain all of the media
and instead include references to the actual media files.
If you manually upload a reference QuickTime file, a dialog appears asking if you want
Final Cut Server to flatten the file (converting it to a self-contained QuickTime file)
before uploading it to the catalog.
Scan and copy responses do not have this option, and instead, just upload the
reference file without its externally referenced files. For that reason, you should
manually flatten reference QuickTime files before using an automation to add them to
the Final Cut Server catalog.
An exception is when you and everyone who might want to access a reference
QuickTime file are on a SAN, such as an Xsan system. In this case, when a user checks
out or exports a reference media file, the file will have access to the media files that the
reference file needs.
About Final Cut Pro Projects
Final Cut Pro project files include the file paths to the project’s media. Final Cut Server
locates the project’s media using the file paths stored in the Final Cut Pro project file.
An issue can occur if the Final Cut Pro project and its media have been moved from
their original location to a device that has a scan or copy response configured to
automatically upload new files to the Final Cut Server catalog. In this case, the file paths
stored in the Final Cut Pro project no longer match where the media actually is located.
You can correct this by opening the project in Final Cut Pro after it has been moved,
reconnecting the media files (this may not be necessary; in some cases Final Cut Pro
may be able to resolve the file paths on its own), and saving the project before using
an automation to add the files to the Final Cut Server catalog.
196 Part II General Administration
About Uploading Folders
When you manually upload a folder containing media files to the Final Cut Server
catalog, you are given two options for how Final Cut Server should treat the folder:
ÂUpload the folder as a bundle. This means the folder and all of its contents are treated
as a single asset, and you do not have access to the individual assets within the folder.
ÂUpload the folder’s contents as individual assets. This means that each of the media
files within the folder are uploaded as individual assets, and the fact that they were
all in a folder when uploaded is not tracked.
If you choose to upload the folder and its contents as a bundle onto a device that has
an automation, such as a scan response, configured to watch for new media files, the
folder’s media files can end up being added to the Final Cut Server catalog as
individual assets.
This means that you could potentially create a situation, either intentionally or
unintentionally, where you can upload a folder as a bundle but still be able to work
with the bundle’s individual assets. If you do not want the individual media files to be
added to the catalog, be sure to upload the bundle to a device that is not automatically
being scanned for new assets.
About Media Files with No File Extension
In some cases, Final Cut Server automations can correctly recognize, upload, and
process media files that do not have a file extension. To ensure that all files upload and
are processed correctly, be sure all media files have an extension. This is especially true
if the files are being uploaded to an FTP device.
Files without file extensions that are not correctly recognized will upload and be added
to the Final Cut Server catalog as assets, but they will not have thumbnail or proxy files
generated for them.
Response Pane and Window
The Response pane contains the settings for creating a wide variety of preconfigured
actions. These responses are what the watchers, subscriptions, and schedules use when
they detect that an action needs to be performed. Responses are configured separately
from watchers, subscriptions, and schedules because the same response may be
required in several situations.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 197
II
The Response pane lists the existing responses.
The Response pane includes the following columns:
ÂName: The name of the response as entered when it was created
ÂResponse Action: The basic action that the response performs
ÂDescription: A description entered when the response was created
The Response window appears when you click the Create button.
The settings that appear in the window, along with the items that appear in the area
on the left, depend on the action you choose from the Response Action pop-up menu.
Note: If you edit an existing response by double-clicking it in the Response pane, you
cannot change its Response Action setting.
Click the Duplicate
button to add a copy
of the currently selected
response.
Click the Create button
to add a response.
Click Response to show
the Response pane.
198 Part II General Administration
Response Actions
What you choose from the Response Action pop-up menu defines the response’s basic
purpose. Some response actions have additional settings that can be configured in a
second pane that gets added to the column on the left.
Response action Triggered by Description
Check the disk space
of the database volume
Schedule Defines the minimum disk space before a warning
is issued that the database is about to run out of
room.
Clean Jobs Schedule Defines periods at which jobs are archived and
deleted.
Clean Logs Schedule Defines periods at which logs are archived and
deleted.
Copy Poll watcher or asset
subscription
Copies media to any connected Final Cut Server
device with or without transcoding. Optionally,
creates a new asset in Final Cut Server and allows
you to set that asset’s metadata.
Delete Poll watcher or asset
subscription
Deletes the item. You can choose to have this
response run even if other responses in the list
fail.
Email Poll watcher or asset,
production, or job
subscription
Sends an email. You configure the email settings
(to, sender, subject, and message).
Log Asset, production, or
job subscription
No additional options. Adds an entry to the log.
Measure database size Schedule No additional options. You can use this to find the
disk space used by the catalog’s database (the
results are shown in the Log pane). This action
measures only the database—it does not include
the actual assets the catalog refers to.
Monitor Scan Poll watcher Scans for specific metadata settings.
Move to Archive Asset subscription No additional options. Moves the media to the
selected archive device.
Purge Subscriptions Schedule Deletes subscriptions that have not been active
for a specified number of days.
Read XML Poll watcher No additional options. Reads XML data from an
external system. It is used in
conjunction with the
Write XML response action.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 199
II
Restore from Archive Asset subscription No additional options. Restores items from an
archive device.
Run an external script
or command
Poll watcher or asset,
production, or job
subscription
Executes a script or other external command. You
can also define special parameters to apply to the
script or command.
Scan Schedule Scans a specified Final Cut Server device. The
purpose of a scan is to synchronize the contents of
the Final Cut Server catalog with the media that
exists on a device. This is necessary if you intend to
change the media on the device directly without
using Final Cut Server. You can choose the device
and a folder in that device to scan, as well as
specify metadata settings. You can also specify
other scan details, such as whether to purge
(remove) items from the catalog if they are
removed from the device.
Scan Productions Schedule Scans a specified Final Cut Server device for
productions. Similar to the Scan response action,
but with added production metadata settings
that create a new production with the assets.
Search Expired Schedule Searches for expired items. It creates events based
on a timestamp field (such as Last Accessed) and
a value defining the number of past days to look
for. This can be used to identify items to archive.
Set Asset Metadata Asset subscription Enters data in specified metadata fields. You
choose the asset metadata set with the fields to
change.
Set Production
Metadata
Production subscription Enters data in specified metadata fields. You
choose the production metadata set with the
fields to change.
Write XML Asset or production
subscription
Creates an XML file based on
the asset’s metadata. This allows someone using
an external system to modify the metadata; for
example, to add review comments, which can be
read back in and applied to the
asset using the Read XML response action.
Response action Triggered by Description
200 Part II General Administration
About Scan Responses
Scan responses are one of the most commonly used custom responses.
To access the scan response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose Scan from the Response Action pop-up menu.
The Scan pane of the Response window contains settings that define what is being
scanned, the metadata that is applied to the items found by the scan, and the actual
scan mode and settings.
Scan Source Section
This is where you choose the device to scan and set the folder within that device to scan.
Choose Scan.
Click Scan to show the
Scan pane.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 201
II
Metadata Set Section
This is where you choose the metadata set to apply to any new assets found by the
scan. The settings below the Metadata Set pop-up menu allow you to enter default
descriptions, keywords, and so on to apply to the new assets.
Note: Scan responses created using the client’s Administration window have version
control set based on how the Final Cut Server installer was configured. However, all
scan responses created using Device Setup Assistant have version control disabled,
regardless of how the Final Cut Server installer was configured. This means that all
assets and Final Cut Pro projects added to the Final Cut Server catalog by a scan
response will, by default, not track versions. You can verify and change version control
for a scan response by choosing the Versioning metadata group (in the pop-up menu
just below the Metadata Set pop-up menu) and selecting the Version checkbox. See
“Using the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 21 for more information about the
installer’s version control setting.
Scan Metadata Section
This is where you configure the scan actions.
202 Part II General Administration
This section contains the following settings:
ÂScan Mode: Choose the type of scan operation to perform.
ÂAdd Only: This performs a scan that locates only new and changed files with a
created or modified date between the last time this scan ran and the current
time (it will not see new files with created or modified dates older than when
this scan last ran; for example, files that you dragged to the device from the
Finder). The add only mode is generally used on scans scheduled to run often,
such as every 5 to 15 minutes.
ÂFull: This performs a full scan that, in addition to adding new assets to the catalog,
removes assets from the catalog if they are no longer on the device. The Full mode
is generally used only on scans scheduled to run once a day or less frequently
because these scans are the most thorough and require the most time to perform.
ÂPurge Only: This performs a full scan, but only removes assets from the catalog if
they are no longer on the device—it does not add any new assets to the catalog.
Important: You should only schedule add only scan responses to devices that also
have a full scan response scheduled. Additionally, be sure that all settings for the add
only and full scan responses are identical.
ÂRecursion Limit: This defines the number of folder levels the scan will include. A value
of 0 means unlimited subfolders are scanned. A value of 1 means that only the folder
specified by the Scan Source pop-up menu is scanned.
ÂBackground Analyze: Creates the proxy items for the assets as a background task.
Normally, assets are analyzed as a foreground task, one at a time. Analyzing in the
background allows multiple tasks to run concurrently, which may be useful but also
may result in resource issues with your computer. In general, it is recommended that
you do not select this option unless you are comfortable with monitoring your
computer’s resources.
ÂAlways Update: This sets the scan to continuously attempt to make proxy files for
assets that do not currently have proxy files. This should not be selected unless you
had a known issue with a device and want to generate proxy files from its assets.
ÂPurge Unfiltered Assets: This sets the scan to purge assets from the catalog that don’t
match the Wildcard Include Filter and Wildcard Exclude Filter settings.
ÂWildcard Include Filter: You can use this to define the types of files that the scan
processes. The default filter is the asterisk (*), which is the wildcard indication. A single
asterisk indicates that all files are processed. If you want the scan to process only JPEG
and QuickTime movie files, you can replace the asterisk with two items: *.jpg and
*.mov (which indicate that all files with .jpg and .mov file extensions are processed).
ÂWildcard Exclude Filter: You can use this to define types of files that the scan should
not process. For example, if the folder that the scan is processing includes PDF
documents that you do not want to have processed and added as assets, you can
enter *.pdf (which indicates that all files with a .pdf extension are not processed).
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 203
II
Scan Responses Created by Device Setup Assistant
One or two scan responses are created when you configure the scan settings for a
device with Device Setup Assistant in Final Cut Server System Preferences:
ÂDevice Scan [Full Scan]: This is created when you configure a full scan in Device Setup
Assistant. This response uses the Purge setting from the Scan Mode pop-up menu
with a Recursion Limit setting of 0 (unlimited subfolder access).
ÂDevice Scan [Add Only]: This is created when you configure an add only scan in
Device Setup Assistant. This response uses the Add Only setting from the Scan Mode
pop-up menu with a Recursion Limit setting of 0.
About Scan Productions
The scan productions response allows you to automate more of your workflow process
for adding assets and productions to the Final Cut Server catalog.
Most of the settings for a scan production response are the same as for a scan
response. The difference is a section that allows you to specify production settings.
To access the scan production response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose Scan Productions from the Response Action pop-up menu.
The Production Scan pane of the Response window contains settings that define what
is being scanned, the metadata that is applied to the items found by the scan,
production metadata settings, and the actual scan mode and settings.
Click Production Scan to
show the Production
Scan pane.
Choose Scan Productions.
204 Part II General Administration
Scan Source Section
This is where you choose the device to scan and set the folder within that device to scan.
Metadata Set Section
This is where you choose the metadata set to apply to any new assets found by the
scan. The settings below the Metadata Set pop-up menu allow you to enter default
descriptions, keywords, and so on to apply to the new assets.
Note: By default, all scan production responses have version control set based on how
the Final Cut Server installer was configured. You can verify and change version control
for a scan production response by choosing the Versioning metadata group (in the
pop-up menu just below the Metadata Set pop-up menu) and selecting the Version
checkbox. See “Using the Final Cut Server Installer” on page 21 for more information
about the installer’s version control setting.
Production Metadata Section
This is where you choose the metadata set to apply to the production. The settings
below the Metadata Set pop-up menu allow you to enter default descriptions,
keywords, and so on to apply to the productions.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 205
II
The Title metadata setting that is part of the metadata set you choose can be used two
different ways:
ÂTo enter a specific name for the production to use. If the production already exists, the
new assets are added to it. If the production does not exist, it is created and the
assets are added to it.
ÂTo use the scanned folder’s name as the production name. By entering [0] in the Title
field, a new production is created whenever a new subfolder is found in the folder
being scanned, and that new production uses the name of the folder as its name.
For example, let’s say you create a folder named Productions in a device, and use a
schedule automation to have a scan productions response monitor that folder. Each
time a new Final Cut Server production needs to be created and assets added to it, a
user only has to add a subfolder to the watched folder, using the name of the new
production, and copy all of the assets for that production into that new subfolder.
The scan productions response will create a new Final Cut Server production, using
the folder name, and add all of the assets in that subfolder to that new production.
Scan Metadata Section
This is where you configure the scan actions.
206 Part II General Administration
This section contains the following settings:
ÂScan Mode: Choose the type of scan operation to perform.
ÂAdd Only: This performs a scan that adds new assets to the catalog and updates
the catalog if there are modified assets. The Add Only mode is generally used on
scans scheduled to run often, such as every 15 minutes.
ÂFull: This performs a full scan that, in addition to adding new assets to the catalog,
removes assets from the catalog if they are no longer on the device. The Full mode
is generally used only on scans scheduled to run once a day or less frequently
because these scans are the most thorough and require the most time to perform.
ÂPurge Only: This performs a full scan, but only removes assets from the catalog if
they are no longer on the device—it does not add any new assets to the catalog.
ÂProduction Depth: This defines the depth of the subfolders that are made into
productions. A value of 0 means to use the first level of subfolders, while a value of 1
means to use the second level of subfolders.
ÂReset Production Metadata: Click this checkbox to replace an existing production’s
metadata with the new metadata generated from this scan production response.
ÂRecursion Limit: This defines the number of folder levels the scan will include when
looking for assets. A value of 0 means unlimited subfolders are scanned. A value of 1
means that only the folder specified by the Scan Source pop-up menu is scanned.
ÂBackground Analyze: Creates the proxy items for the assets as a background task.
Normally, assets are analyzed as a foreground task, one at a time. Analyzing in the
background allows multiple tasks to run concurrently, which may be useful but also
may result in resource issues with your computer. In general, it is recommended that
you do not select this option unless you are comfortable with monitoring your
computer’s resources.
ÂAlways Update: This sets the scan to continuously attempt to make proxy files for
assets that do not currently have proxy files. This should not be selected unless you
had a known issue with a device and want to generate proxy files from its assets.
ÂPurge Unfiltered Assets: This sets the scan to purge assets from the catalog that don’t
match the Wildcard Include Filter and Wildcard Exclude Filter settings.
ÂWildcard Include Filter: You can use this to define the types of files that the scan
processes. The default filter is the asterisk (*), which is the wildcard indication. A single
asterisk indicates that all files are processed. If you want the scan to process only JPEG
and QuickTime movie files, you can replace the asterisk with two items: *.jpg and
*.mov (which indicate that all files with .jpg and .mov file extensions are processed).
ÂWildcard Exclude Filter: You can use this to define types of files that the scan should
not process. For example, if the folder that the scan is processing includes PDF
documents that you do not want to have processed and added as assets, you can
enter *.pdf (which indicates that all files with a .pdf extension are not processed).
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 207
II
About Copy Responses
Copy responses are one of the most commonly used custom responses.
Important: If the destination device already contains a file with the same name as the
one being copied, copy responses by default will not overwrite that file, and instead,
will add a numbered extension to the new file’s name. You can optionally use the
Overwrite setting to overwrite an existing file with the same name. An exception to this
is copying to ContentBase devices, where each file is placed in a unique folder.
To access the copy response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose Copy from the Response Action pop-up menu.
The Copy pane of the Response window contains the destination, transcode, and
destination metadata settings.
Destination Settings
You choose the device to copy assets to with the Destination pop-up menu. You can
also enter or choose a subfolder to copy the asset to.
Transcode Setting
You can choose any of the transcode settings assigned to the device you chose as the
destination. This is useful if you want to make sure all assets on this device use the
same codec.
Choose Copy.
Click Copy to show the
Copy pane.
208 Part II General Administration
Destination Metadata Settings
These settings define the metadata applied to the copied asset:
ÂJob Priority: Choose the priority of the copy job from the pop-up menu.
ÂCopy Metadata: Select the “Run in parallel” checkbox to allow this response to run at
the same time as other copy responses in a watcher or subscription. When this is not
selected, the response runs serially, based on its order in the watcher or subscription.
Select the Overwrite checkbox to overwrite an existing destination file if it has the
same filename as the file being copied.
Note: Delete responses always run serially and after the copy responses.
ÂCreate Asset: Select this to have the copied asset added to the Final Cut Server
catalog. Selecting this activates the Metadata Set and Production selection settings.
ÂMetadata Set: This is where you choose the metadata set to apply to any new assets
found by the scan. The settings below the Metadata Set pop-up menu allow you to
enter default descriptions, keywords, and so on to apply to the new assets.
ÂProduction: Enter a name to create a new production that the assets are added to.
Alternatively, click Select to search for an existing production to add the assets to.
ÂOverwrite: Select this to have the copied asset replace an existing file if it has the
same filename.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 209
II
About Email Responses
Email responses are commonly used with metadata watchers that look for an asset’s
status to change to a specific state, such as Ready for Review.
To access the email response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose Email from the Response Action pop-up menu.
The Email pane of the Response window contains the settings for configuring the
email. See “Email Response Details” on page 86 for information on codes you can enter
to add automated data to the email, shown above as the text in brackets ([ ]).
The Email pane contains the following settings:
ÂTo: Enter the email addresses that should receive the email. Use a comma (with no
space after it) to separate addresses; for example, rev1@apple.com,rev2@apple.com.
ÂSender: Enter the email address to send the email from. This is the “reply to” address
that the email recipient can send an email to if necessary. If left empty, the sender
address defaults to “finalcutserver@servername.”
ÂSubject: Enter the email subject. You can enter codes to automatically add specific
information to the email’s subject.
ÂMessage: Enter the email’s main text. You can enter codes to automatically add
specific information to the email.
Click Email to show the
Email pane.
Choose Email.
210 Part II General Administration
About Running External Scripts and Commands Responses
External scripts and commands responses are useful when you need to have a
response that performs actions beyond those that Final Cut Server provides. For
example, you could create a script that adds a new folder to a device whenever a new
production is created. You could even specify parameters that would name the folder
the same as the title of the production.
You can use this response to run more than just scripts—you can use it to run just
about any executable file.
To access the run an external script or command response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose “Run an external script or command” from the Response Action pop-up menu.
The Run Script pane of the Response window contains the settings for configuring the
script to run.
The Run Script pane contains the following settings:
ÂCommand Path: Enter the path and name of the script or other executable file this
response runs.
ÂCommand Parameters: Enter special parameters that can be used to customize the
script that runs. For example, you can specify codes, such as [Title], that the script
can use; this is similar to how they are used with email responses.
Click Run Script to show
the Run Script pane.
Choose “Run an external
script or Command.”
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 211
II
About Check the Disk Space of the Database Volume Responses
Check the disk space of the database volume responses are useful to make sure that
you are warned if your Final Cut Server catalog database is in danger of running out of
disk space.
Important: This only applies to the catalog’s database file and does not apply to the
assets stored on the various devices.
The typical use of this response would be to create a daily schedule that uses this
response to check the amount of free disk space available for the database. The
response writes a value to the log showing the amount of free disk space. If that value is
lower than the warning level you entered in the response, a warning is issued, with the
idea being that you could have a subscription that emails you when this warning occurs.
To access the “Check the disk space of the database volume” response settings:
1Click the Create button in the Administration window’s Responses pane to create a
new response.
2Choose “Check the disk space of the database volume” from the Response Action pop-
up menu.
The Check Database Disk Space pane of the Response window contains the
following setting:
ÂDisk space warning level: Enter a value (in bytes) that defines the minimum threshold
for disk space availability for the Final Cut Server catalog’s database. If you do not
enter a value, a default setting of 500 MB is used (shown as a value of 0). For
example, to set the minimum threshold to 50 MB, enter the value 50000000.
Click Check Database
Disk Space to show the
Check Database Disk
Space pane.
Choose “Check the disk
space of the database
volume.”
212 Part II General Administration
Watcher Pane and Window
Final Cut Server provides a watch folder infrastructure that detects and processes new
content according to configured rules.
The most common response types to use with watchers are copy, delete, email, and
read XML.
The Watcher pane lists the existing watchers.
The Watcher pane includes the following columns:
ÂName: This is the name of the watcher as entered when it was created.
ÂEnabled: Shows either true (if the watcher is running) or false (if the watcher is stopped).
ÂDescription: This is a description entered when the watcher was created.
ÂMonitor Address: When applicable, lists the device being watched.
Click Watcher to show
the Watcher pane.
Click the Create button
to add a watcher.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 213
II
The Watcher window appears if you click the Create button.
The items that appear in the area on the left depend on the Watcher Type you choose.
The choices include poll and subscription.
ÂA poll watcher checks the device at timed intervals. This is the most common type
of watcher.
ÂA subscription watcher is for internal usage only.
Note: If you edit an existing watcher by double-clicking it in the Watcher pane, you
cannot change its Watcher Type setting.
214 Part II General Administration
Poll Watcher Settings
When you choose the poll watcher type, a Poll Watcher item appears in the column on
the left side of the window. Click Poll Watcher to access the poll settings.
The settings include the following items:
ÂListing frequency: Enter a time, in seconds, at which the folder is watched.
ÂListing multiple: Enter the number of times a file must be detected with the same
timestamp and file size before being considered a new file ready to be acted on. This
is to prevent processing a file that is still in the process of being copied.
ÂWildcard Include Filter: You can use this to define the types of files that the watcher
monitors. The default filter is the asterisk (*), which is the wildcard indication. A single
asterisk indicates that all files are monitored. If you want the watcher to monitor only
JPEG and QuickTime movie files, you can replace the asterisk with two items: *.jpg and
*.mov (which indicate that all files with .jpg and .mov file extensions are monitored).
ÂWildcard Exclude Filter: You can use this to define types of files that the watcher
should not monitor. For example, if the folder that the watcher is processing includes
PDF documents that you do not want to have monitored, you can enter *.pdf (which
indicates that all files with a .pdf extension are not monitored).
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 215
II
Subscription Pane and Window
Final Cut Server has a powerful engine for modifying behavior to suit the individual
needs of customers. Administrators can create and modify subscription rules. A
subscription rule consists of an event, such as an asset’s status changing, and one or
more responses that are run as a result of that event.
The most common response types to use with subscriptions are the copy, delete, email,
log, move to archive, restore from archive, set metadata, and write XML responses.
The Subscription pane lists the existing subscriptions.
The Subscription pane includes the following columns:
ÂName: This is the name of the subscription as entered when it was created.
ÂEnabled: This shows either true (if the subscription is active) or false (if the
subscription is inactive).
ÂDescription: This is a description entered when the subscription was created.
Click the Create button
to add a subscription.
Click Subscription
to show the
Subscription pane.
216 Part II General Administration
The Subscription window appears if you click the Create button.
The items that appear in the area on the left depend on the “Subscribe to” setting. The
options include:
ÂAsset: This allows you to define a subscription that detects one or more metadata
fields associated with an asset. For example, you can configure the Asset Filter pane
(which appears if you choose Asset from the “Subscribe to” pop-up menu) to activate
this subscription if the current status changes to Ready for Review on any asset on a
specific device.
ÂJob: This allows you to define a subscription that detects one or more fields
associated with a job. For example, you can set the Job Filter pane (which appears if
you choose Job from the “Subscribe to” pop-up menu) to activate this subscription if
the status changes to FAIL on any job.
ÂProduction: This allows you to define a subscription that detects one or more
metadata fields associated with a production. For example, you can configure the
Production Filter pane (which appears if you choose Production from the “Subscribe
to” pop-up menu) to activate this subscription if the status changes to Approved on
any production.
Note: If you edit an existing subscription by double-clicking it in the Subscription pane,
you cannot change its “Subscribe to” setting.
Chapter 14 Managing Automations 217
II
Schedule Pane and Window
Events can be scheduled; for example, scanning the still store in a control room every
5 minutes to ensure that the Final Cut Server catalog is up to date. A schedule is
normally used to scan or catalog a device.
The most common responses to use with a schedule are clean jobs, clean logs,
measure catalog size, purge subscriptions, scan (all types), and search expired.
The Schedule pane lists the existing schedules.
The Schedule pane contains the following columns:
ÂName: This is the name of the schedule as entered when it was created.
ÂEnabled: Shows either true (if the schedule is running) or false (if the schedule
is stopped).
ÂSchedule: This is the basic unit of time that the schedule is based on. There are
four options:
Âweekly: You define when the schedule runs by specifying a day of the week, an
hour of that day, and a minute of that hour to run on.
Âdaily: You define when the schedule runs by specifying an hour of the day (based
on a 24-hour clock) and a minute of that hour to run on.
Âhourly: You define when the schedule runs by specifying the minute of each hour
to run on.
Âperiodically: You define when the schedule runs by specifying the number of
minutes between each time the schedule runs.
ÂDay: This is the day of the week the schedule runs on when using the weekly period.
For example, Monday in the Day column means the response executes every Monday.
Click Schedule to show
the Schedule pane.
Click the Create button
to add a schedule.
218 Part II General Administration
ÂHour: This is the hour of the day (using a 24-hour clock) the schedule runs on when
using the hourly or daily periods. For example, 15 in the Hour column means the
response executes at 3 p.m.
ÂMinute: The meaning of this number depends on the schedule’s period selection:
ÂFor weekly, daily, and hourly periods, this is the minute of the hour the schedule
runs on. For example, 30 in the Minute column means the response runs on the
30th minute of the hour.
ÂFor the periodically period, this is the number of minutes between each time the
schedule runs. For example, 30 in the Minute column means the response executes
every 30 minutes.
ÂDescription: This is a description entered when the schedule was created.
The Schedule window appears if you click the Create button.
The items that appear in the column on the left depend on the item you choose from
the Period pop-up menu. The choices are weekly, daily, hourly, and periodically.
Note: If you edit an existing schedule by double-clicking it in the Schedule pane, you
cannot change its Period setting.
15
219
15 About Jobs and Logs
This chapter covers the following:
ÂViewing Final Cut Server Status (p. 219)
ÂAbout Jobs and the Search All Jobs Window (p. 220)
ÂAbout the Log Pane (p. 225)
ÂAbout the Log Window (p. 226)
Viewing Final Cut Server Status
Final Cut Server includes two ways to see its status as it performs tasks: the Search All
Jobs window and the Log pane.
The Search All Jobs window is accessible by all users from the Server pop-up menu in
the Final Cut Server main window. It shows a list of jobs that Final Cut Server has or is
performing. It also includes the ability to retry failed jobs and to see a job’s details.
The Log pane is accessible only by administrators from the Administration window. The
Log pane shows all of the jobs shown in the Search All Jobs window along with other
items, such as when a user logs in.
Both of these can be very helpful when you are testing new automations or need to
verify the system’s overall status.
220 Part II General Administration
About Jobs and the Search All Jobs Window
Final Cut Server runs jobs for every task it performs. The number of jobs that run
depends on the type of operation being performed. Some examples of jobs include:
ÂCopying a file from one location to another runs one job.
ÂCreating a new asset runs jobs to perform the initial copy, create the asset with
metadata, and then create thumbnail, poster frame, and clip proxies.
ÂAnalyzing runs several jobs to create the thumbnail, poster frame, and browse proxies.
Each job also creates multiple log entries for each step of the operation.
If you want to monitor what Final Cut Server is working on, simply open the Search All
Jobs window. In it, you can search for specific jobs and then see a job’s details.
You can set up a subscription that sends you an email whenever a job submitted by
you fails.
Important: Final Cut Server includes a schedule, named Scheduled Maintenance, that
clears the Search All Jobs window once each day. You can modify that schedule as
needed to better fit your needs.
Opening the Search All Jobs Window
The Search All Jobs window contains a detailed history of the jobs Final Cut Server
has performed.
To view a history of the jobs that have been run (to the present):
mChoose Search All Jobs from the Server pop-up menu (the pop-up menu in the
Final Cut Server main window that appears when you click the Server button).
Click the Server button and
choose Search All Jobs from
the pop-up menu.
Chapter 15 About Jobs and Logs 221
II
The Search All Jobs window appears.
Following are the possible Progress and Status definitions:
Other fields in the Search All Jobs window include:
ÂTitle: Details of the job.
ÂOwner: Name of the user who performed the job.
ÂFrom Device: For a copy, the source device.
ÂTo Device: For a copy, the destination device.
ÂUpdated: The time and date the status was last updated.
ÂJob Type: Copy is the only job type shown in the Search All Jobs window.
Progress Status Description
Full-width green bar DONE Job is successfully completed
(note that some completed
jobs are made of several steps;
for example, uploading
multiple files).
Expanding green bar RUN Job is in progress.
Blank field or text RUN Job is in progress.
Blank field WAIT Job is waiting for user input or
for a turn in the job queue.
Full-width red bar FAIL Job failed because of an error.
222 Part II General Administration
Searching for Jobs
The search function in the Search All Jobs window works similarly to the other search
functions in Final Cut Server: you can search by name, or you can open the disclosure
triangle and search by the advanced search parameters.
Some examples of common searches are:
ÂYour own jobs: A simple search for your user name or an advanced search for your
user name using the Owner pop-up menu and field
ÂFailed jobs: A simple search for “fail” or an advanced search for “fail” using the Status
pop-up menu and field
ÂJobs to or from particular device: An advanced search using the From Device and To
Device pop-up menus and fields
Chapter 15 About Jobs and Logs 223
II
Using the Search All Jobs Window to Diagnose Problems
Besides using the Search All Jobs window to track jobs being performed by
Final Cut Server, you can use the Search All Jobs window to view details of each step in
a job and diagnose problems.
To diagnose a problem using the Search All Jobs window:
1Double-click the failed or idle job that you want to diagnose in the Search All Jobs window.
In the window that opens, you can choose to show job metadata (in two panes, Job
Details and Job Copy Params) or to see the job as it appears in the Log pane of the
Administration window.
2Click Metadata (along the top of the window) and Job Details in the column on the left
to see the Job Details pane.
The Job Details pane displays details of the job as a whole, including a unique Job ID
(identifier), the job type, and specific job instructions. The last item displays the error
message associated with this job.
224 Part II General Administration
3Click Job Copy Params in the column on the left.
The Job Copy Params pane displays parameters specific to copying.
Note: No parameters are listed if the job was a copy without any transcoding.
4Click Logs along the top of the window.
The Logs pane displays details of each step in the job, exactly as step details appear in
the Log pane of the Administration window.
The ERROR message in the Detail column explains why the job failed. Using this
information, you can correct the problem and then reprocess the job. You can double-click
an entry to open it in its own window, which can make it easier to see the details.
Jobs can fail for reasons such as a corrupt source file, network problems or device
unavailability, or problems on the source or target device such as resource limitations
or an unsupported codec.
Chapter 15 About Jobs and Logs 225
II
Retrying Failed Jobs
When a job fails for a reason that is not permanent, it is automatically retried. You can
define how many times a failed job is retried and how long to wait between retries in the
General pane of Final Cut Server System Preferences and in the Preferences pane of the
Administration window. See “General Pane Settings” on page 40 and “Preference
Settings in the Final Cut Server Client Administration Window” on page 115 for more
information.
You can also manually retry the job.
To retry a failed job:
mControl-click the job, then choose Retry from the shortcut menu.
Important: Only the person who originated a job or the administrator can retry a job.
Additionally, you cannot retry jobs with permanent failures.
About the Log Pane
The Log pane of the Administration window lists Final Cut Server events and can be
useful when you are trying to verify that automations are working correctly or that
users are logging in.
Because the log usually contains a lot of entries, it is very helpful to use the search
feature to find the information you are after. For example, you can enter a user’s name
to see everything that user has done.
You can Control-click a
failed job and choose
Retry from the shortcut
menu to run the job again.
226 Part II General Administration
Important: Final Cut Server includes a schedule, named Scheduled Maintenance, that
clears the Log pane once each day. You can modify that schedule as needed to better
fit your needs.
The Log pane contains the following columns:
ÂTimestamp: Shows the date and time that the entry was logged.
ÂSummary: Shows a summary of the log entry.
ÂDetail: Shows the details of the log entry.
ÂUsername: Shows the user logged in when the entry was created.
ÂJob: If the log entry arose as a result of a job, this shows the Job identifier. You can
find further information on the issue by searching the job details.
ÂStatus: Shows the status of the log entry, normally the status of the related job at the
time the entry was made.
ÂLog Type: Shows the type of operation being logged.
ÂLog Asset ID: Shows the globally unique identifier (GUID) or ID of any asset
associated with the event.
About the Log Window
You can double-click any items listed in the Log pane to see more details in the
Log window.
Click Log to see the Log
pane.
227
Glossary
Glossary
Administration window The Administration window, available in the Final Cut Server
client to users with admin permissions, provides access to a wide variety of aspects of
your Final Cut Server system. It includes panes that allow you to configure preference,
automation, device, and metadata settings. You can also use the metadata settings in
the Administration window to customize the options and information your users see
when using Final Cut Server.
analyze Final Cut Server analyzes assets to create proxies and extract metadata from
them. See also proxy; edit proxy.
Apple filing protocol (AFP) AFP is a network protocol supported by Macintosh
computers.
Apple ProRes 422 codec When you upload a Final Cut Pro project, you have the option
of having Final Cut Server create edit proxy versions of the project’s video media using
the Apple ProRes 422 codec. This codec works with SD and HD video, providing
significantly reduced file sizes and bit rate requirements. It is especially useful when your
original media is uncompressed video. When you export or check out a Final Cut Pro
project, you have the option of using the original video media or the more efficient edit
proxy versions that use the Apple ProRes 422 codec. See also edit proxy.
archive Once a project or production is finished, you can use the archive feature to
move the assets from their current device to an archive device, which can be a FireWire
drive, a large slower drive, or another volume where disk space is not an issue. The
assets remain in the Final Cut Server catalog in an inactive state. They can be restored
whenever they are needed later.
asset Every item in a Final Cut Server catalog, whether it is a media file, PDF document,
or folder saved as a bundle, is an asset. All assets are stored on Final Cut Server devices
and can be part of Final Cut Server productions. Final Cut Server includes the ability to
add a wide variety of metadata to each asset. See also device; metadata; production.
228 Glossary
automation Final Cut Server supports a wide variety of automation features, making it
possible to configure Final Cut Server to automatically perform many tasks. There are
three types of automations: watchers, subscriptions, and schedules. Each of these
automations issues responses when an event occurs. See also watcher; subscription;
schedule; response.
Automation Setup Assistant Final Cut Server System Preferences include an
Automation pane for managing the most common automations you will use. This pane
uses Automation Setup Assistant to create new and edit existing automations. In
general, it is easier to create automations with Automation Setup Assistant than with
the client’s Administration window. The Administration window, however, allows you to
create highly customized automations with settings not available with Automation
Setup Assistant.See also Administration window; automation.
cache To use an asset from the Final Cut Server catalog on a client’s computer, the
computer must have a local copy of the asset. Final Cut Server maintains a cache area
on the client computer to store the local copies of the assets. You can define the
location and size of the cache in the client’s Preferences window.
client A user interacts with the Final Cut Server catalog by using a Final Cut Server
client. Final Cut Server clients are Java-based applications that can run on computers
using Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista operating systems. A Final Cut Server
system can support multiple clients running simultaneously, with licenses supporting
ten clients and unlimited clients available.
Contentbase Contentbase is a Final Cut Server–managed file storage system that
places each asset in a unique folder. The advantage is that there are no issues with
identical filenames overwriting each other. Final Cut Server requires the Proxies and
Version devices to use Contentbase file storage.
device Devices in Final Cut Server are storage locations that you define and configure.
They can be folders in a local volume on the server computer, network volumes, or
folders from an Xsan volume.
Device Setup Assistant Final Cut Server System Preferences include a Devices pane for
managing the most common device types you will use. This pane uses Device Setup
Assistant to create new and edit existing devices. In general, it is easier to create devices
with Device Setup Assistant than with the client’s Administration window, especially
since you are also able to configure scan responses at the same time. The Administration
window, however, allows you to create highly customized devices with settings not
available with Device Setup Assistant. See also Administration window; device.
Glossary 229
edit-in-place Generally, in order to use an asset from the Final Cut Server catalog on a
client’s computer, the computer must have a local copy of the asset. An exception is if
the device that contains the asset is configured as an edit-in-place device and the
client computer has it mounted as a volume. The most common example of this is an
Xsan system since they support a high enough data bandwidth for video data to be
transferred in real time. See also storage area network (SAN); Xsan.
edit proxy The assets linked to an uploaded Final Cut Pro project can optionally (based
on a preference setting) have special proxy files created while they are being analyzed.
These proxy files use the Apple ProRes 422 codec. When you check out or export the
project, you can choose to export it with these edit proxy files or the original media.
See analyze; Apple ProRes 422 codec; proxy.
elements Final Cut Pro projects contain a list of elements. The elements list shows the
connections the project file maintains with its linked media assets. Final Cut Pro
elements can include media files and Final Cut Pro sequences.
Filesystem The most common file system used for any devices that are local to the
server computer of Final Cut Server or are mounted by it. These can include AFP, Xsan,
NFS, and SMB file systems. See also Apple filing protocol (AFP); network file system (NFS);
server message block (SMB); Xsan.
file transfer protocol (FTP) FTP is a protocol for exchanging files over networks that
support the TCP/IP protocol.
groups To access the Final Cut Server catalog, users must belong to a group that has a
Final Cut Server permission set assigned to it. Groups can be locally created on the
server or can be from an Open Directory list. See permission sets; users.
jobs Any action that Final Cut Server performs on an asset is a job. These actions can
include uploading, downloading, copying, and transcoding an asset.
lookup Metadata fields can use a variety of data input methods. A lookup is a pop-up
menu that requires a user to select the data to enter from a provided list of items.
metadata Every file contains at least some metadata, such as its file type, size, name,
and creation date. As you add files to the Final Cut Server catalog, you will soon find
that it would be useful to have additional metadata fields to use for sorting or locating
specific assets. The heart of Final Cut Server is its ability to work with metadata. It
provides many opportunities for you to add metadata to your assets, using either the
metadata fields it provides or custom metadata fields that you create for your specific
requirements. These include items such as keywords, status settings, and descriptions.
Each asset or production is assigned a metadata set, which is comprised of one or
more metadata groups, each of which contain one or more metadata fields. See also
asset; production.
230 Glossary
network file system (NFS) NFS is a file system protocol commonly used to allow a
client to access files across a network.
permission sets Permission sets are used to define how a group of users are allowed
to interact with the Final Cut Server catalog. For example, you can create a group of
users that review assets and apply a permission set that prevents them from deleting
any assets.
primary representation This is the original media file that was uploaded to
Final Cut Server.
production To help organize the assets in your Final Cut Server catalog, you can create
productions. Each production can contain one or more assets. Additionally, an asset
can belong to multiple productions. You might have a production that contains all of
the files for one of your clients, and another that contains only those files from that
client that are used in a specific episode or commercial. See also asset; metadata.
proxy Still images and video files can be very large and difficult to work with.
Final Cut Server automatically creates lower resolution proxy files during the analyze
process when you add assets to its catalog. These proxy files are much smaller and
easier to work with and can be used in place of the actual files for editing and review
purposes. See analyze; edit proxy.
response All Final Cut Server automations execute responses when their criteria are
met. There are a variety of responses that you can configure, including scanning a
device, emailing a user, or copying an asset to a device. See automation.
schedule A schedule is a type of Final Cut Server automation that runs at
predetermined times, executing one or more responses. An example is a schedule that
scans a device once a day to update its entries in the catalog. See automation; response;
subscription; watcher.
server message block (SMB) SMB is a network protocol mainly used by Windows
computers. It is often referred to as Microsoft Windows Network.
storage area network (SAN) A SAN allows multiple computers to connect to a storage
device as if it was a locally connected device, allowing you to use the media on the
storage device as if it was on a local hard disk. See also edit-in-place; Xsan.
subscription A subscription is a type of Final Cut Server automation that runs when a
specific metadata change occurs. An example is a subscription that executes an email
response when an asset’s status changes to Ready or Review. See automation; response;
subscription; watcher.
Glossary 231
transcode settings Final Cut Server uses transcode settings to convert an asset from its
current codec to a different one. Most often you use transcode settings to convert an
asset into one that is smaller or easier to play. The transcode settings for video and
audio assets are from Compressor (which is installed on the server computer). The
transcode settings for images are internal to Final Cut Server.
users To log in to the Final Cut Server catalog, a person has to have a user account on
the server computer. That user account also has to be part of a group that has a
Final Cut Server permission set assigned to it. See groups; permission sets.
version Final Cut Server can be configured to retain previous versions of selected
assets, making it possible to restore an earlier version if needed. If you check out an
asset from the Final Cut Server catalog, make a change to it, and check it back in,
Final Cut Server first copies the current version to the Version device and then copies
the new version to where the current version was.
watcher A watcher is a type of Final Cut Server automation that continuously monitors
a specified device and executes a response once an asset appears. An example is to
watch a folder to which the graphics department adds new images. Once a new image
appears, the watcher copies it to a device, adds it to the Final Cut Server catalog, and
sends an email to the editor. See automation; response; schedule; subscription.
Xsan An Apple Xsan storage area network (SAN) is a device that provides fast access to
media files. Xsan devices support edit-in-place when you are connected using a Fibre
Channel network. See edit-in-place.
233
Index
Index
A
Accounts pane
about using to create users and groups 49–53
creating groups 52
creating users 51
add only scans 66
administration
administrator-only client functions 122–123
introduction 17
overview 107–112
Administration window
adding groups 126
asterisks 115
client restarting 115
opening 112
Permission Set pane 127–134
Preferences pane 115–120
searching 114
working with 113–115
AFP device
about 62
Device Setup Assistant settings 69
aliases 122
alias preferences 122
analyze assets manually 122
Analyze Preferences pane settings 120
Apache versions 22
AppleCare support 10
Apple ProRes 422 codec 27, 227
Apple Qmaster, creating QuickCluster 33
Apple websites 9
archive device
and Contentbase devices 171
and versions 171
setting up 171
setting up using Device Setup Assistant 65
archive response, Automation Setup Assistant
details 87
asterisks 115
automations
about 193–194
about Administration panes 194
creating with Automation Setup Assistant 79–81
default created by installer 78
file extensions 196
Final Cut Pro projects 195
general tips 195–196
QuickTime reference files 195
uploading bundles and folders 196
Automation Setup Assistant
archive response details 87
copy response details 85
delete response details 88
deleting existing automation 89
editing existing automation 88
email response details 86
file system watcher details 82
introduction 78
metadata subscription watcher details 83
using 79–81
Automations pane
overview 44
refreshing 79
using 77–90
B
backing up Final Cut Server 91
about the backup files 95
Backup pane 94
catalog 92
devices 92
restoring 96
Backup pane
configuring 94
overview 45
bundles, uploading with automations 196
234 Index
C
cache
about 228
default locations 122
preferences 122
cancel checkout or lock 123
catalog
about backing up 92
backing up 94
checking disk space 211
restoring 97
clients
about 13
codecs 99
files created 103
installing 99–103
introduction to 99
Java Web Start 100
Windows computers 99
Compressor
adding transcoding settings to Final Cut
Server 188
cluster configuration 32–35
cluster passwords 117
creating QuickCluster 33
installing with Final Cut Server 7, 32–35
Preferences pane settings 117
This Computer cluster 32, 117
Contentbase devices 174
and proxies 118
System Preferences, and 60
copy response
about 207
Automation Setup Assistant details 85
overwriting files 85
QuickTime reference files 195
customer profiles
about 29–31
production metadata sets 30
D
delete response, Automation Setup Assistant
details 88
device permissions
about 133
setting 133
devices
about creating 60
about exports 172
adding with Administration window 164–167
adding with Device Setup Assistant 62–67
and startup disk 165
archive, setting up 171
archive, setting up using Device Setup
Assistant 65
assigning transcoding settings 190
backing up 92
Contentbase, about 174
default created by installer 61
deleting with Administration window 168
deleting with Device Setup Assistant 74
editing with Administration window 167
editing with Device Setup Assistant 73
edit-in-place 17, 172–173
Edit Proxies, setting up 169
Filesystem, about 179
FTP server, about 176
introduction to 16, 163
Library 62
Media 62
Proxies, setting up 169
searching 182
types 174–181
verifying settings 165
Version, setting up 170
Watchers 61
Device Setup Assistant
adding devices with 62–67
advantages and disadvantages 60, 164
AFP settings 69
deleting devices 74
editing device settings 73
FTP settings 71
local device settings 68
network device settings 69
NFS settings 70
scan responses created by 203
scan settings 66
SMB/CIFS settings 69
transcode settings 67
Xsan device settings 72
Devices pane
overview 43
refreshing device list 63
using 59–75
device types 174–181
dynamic metadata 160
Index 235
E
edit-in-place 17, 172–173
edit proxies
enabling in the Administration window 118
enabling in the installer 27
when to use 27
Edit Proxies device
about 119
changing 118
setting up 169
email response
about 209
Automation Setup Assistant details 86
inserting metadata fields 86
Export device 172
F
file aliases 122
file extensions and automations 196
Filesystem devices 179
Final Cut Pro projects and automations 195
Final Cut Server
backing up 91
clients introduction 99
configuring user interface 158–160
customer profiles 29–31
groups, adding 56, 125–127
help 8
installation overview 19
installer, starting 21–29
installing clients 99–103
introduction to administration tasks 17
license upgrading 35, 41
onscreen user manuals 8
printed documentation 8
registering 37, 41
serial number 24
stopping and starting 41
storage strategy 16–17
System Preferences introduction 39
system requirements 15
viewing status 219
websites 9
finalcutserver.jnlp file 103
folders, uploading with automations 196
FTP device 62
and bundles and folders 71
Device Setup Assistant settings 71
FTP server devices 176
full scans 66
G
General pane settings 40
Global Preferences pane settings 116
Group Permissions pane 56
Administration window 126
overview 42
groups and users
about 47–49
adding groups to Final Cut Server 56, 125–127
adding users to groups with Workgroup
Manager 55
creating groups with the Accounts pane 52
creating groups with Workgroup Manager 54
creating users with the Accounts pane 51
creating users with Workgroup Manager 54
using the Accounts pane 49–53
Workgroup Manager 53–55
H
help, using onscreen 8
I
installation
catalog Media device 27
clients 100
customer profiles 29–31
enable edit proxies 27
mail server 27
overview 19
Proxy and Production media locations 26
serial number 24
starting the installer 21–29
Tiger Server upgrade 22
updating Mac OS X and QuickTime 21
version control 27
installer
automations created 78
devices created 61
236 Index
J
Java Web Start 100
files created 103
trusting 101
jobs
progress and status definitions 221
retrying failed 225
L
Library device 62
local device
about 62
Device Setup Assistant settings 68
lock, cancel 123
Log pane 225–226
Log window 226
Lookup pane 152
lookups 151–153
adding or editing 152
data types 153
settings 153
M
mail server 41
Media device
about 62
installer configuration 27
metadata
about 229
configuring user interface 158–160
fields, about 138–143
fields, adding or editing 140
groups, about 143–148
groups, adding or editing 145
inserting fields into email responses 86
introduction to 135–138
lookups, about 151–153
lookups, adding or editing 152
mapping, about 148–150
maps, adding or editing 149
other uses 138
QuickTime 160
relationships between panes 137
sets, about 154–156
sets, adding or editing 155
synchronization policy 156
Metadata Field pane 139
metadata fields
adding or editing 140
data types 143
settings 141–143
Metadata Group pane 144
metadata groups
adding or editing 145
modifying 158
overriding field properties 148
settings 146
using to configure searches 159
using to configure views 159
Metadata Map pane 149
metadata maps
adding or editing 149
settings 150
metadata sets
adding or editing 155
settings 156
Metadata Sets pane 154
N
network device, Device Setup Assistant settings 69
NFS device
about 62
Device Setup Assistant settings 70
P
Permission Set pane 127–134
permission sets
about admin 129
creating 129
default 57, 127
device permissions 133
metadata settings 130
priority 58, 128
settings 130
trait permissions 132
viewing 128
poster frames 120
preference settings
Adminstration window 115–120
cache and alias settings 122
searching 121
user configurable 121
Preferences pane 115–120
Analyze settings 120
Compressor settings 117
Global Preferences settings 116
Proxies settings 117
Version Control settings 119
Production media location 26
profiles
about 29–31
production metadata sets 30
proxies
configuring 120
Preferences pane settings 117
Proxies device
about 118
changing 118
setting up 169
Proxy media location 26
Index 237
Q
QuickTime metadata 160
QuickTime reference files 195
R
redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 16
Response pane and window 196–211
responses
about 194
actions 198
checking database disk space 211
copy, about 207
email, about 209
running external scripts and commands 210
scan, about 200
scan productions, about 203
scan responses created by Device Setup
Assistant 203
running external scripts and commands 210
S
scan productions response 203
scan response
about 200
different types (modes) 202
QuickTime reference files 195
scan settings
about 63
add only scans 66
Device Setup Assistant 66
full scans 66
Schedule pane and window 217
schedules 194
scripts, running with a response 210
Search All Jobs window 220–225
about 220
diagnosing problems 223
opening 220
searching 222
Search Devices window
about searching 183
cataloging items 184
looking at QuickTime metadata 161
opening and using 182
shortcut menu 185
searching devices 182
search preferences 121
Server pop-up menu 112
servers 13
SMB/CIFS device
about 62
Device Setup Assistant settings 69
SMTP Server setting 116
Spotlight 15
storage area network (SAN) 17
storage device strategy 16–17
Subscription pane and window 215
subscriptions
about 77, 194
created by installer 78
creating with Automation Setup Assistant 79–81
System Preferences
adding groups 56
Automations pane 77–90
Backup pane 94
Device Setup Assistant 62–67
Devices pane 59–75
General pane settings 40
Group Permissions pane 56
introduction 39
locking and unlocking 40
mail server 41
overview 109–111
question mark button 40
T
thumbnails
about metadata control 138
configuring 120
trait permissions
about 132
setting 133
Transcode Settings pane 188
transcoding settings
about 63, 187
adding from Compressor 188
assigning to devices 190
Device Setup Assistant 67
proxies 120
U
Unicode support 124
user interface, configuring using metadata 158–160
users and groups
about 47–49
adding groups to Final Cut Server 56, 125–127
adding users to groups with Workgroup
Manager 55
creating groups with the Accounts pane 52
creating groups with Workgroup Manager 54
creating users with the Accounts pane 51
creating users with Workgroup Manager 54
using the Accounts pane 49–53
Workgroup Manager 53–55
238 Index
V
version control 27
Version Control pane settings 119
Version device, setting up 170
W
Watcher pane and window
about 212
poll watcher settings 214
watchers
about 77, 194
created by installer 78
creating with Automation Setup Assistant 79–81
Watchers device 61
websites 9
Workgroup Manager 53–55
adding users to groups 55
creating groups 54
creating users 54
X
Xsan device
about 62
Device Setup Assistant settings 72

Navigation menu